Webinar: Unpacking Stress and Anxiety in Today's Gen Z

Join Dordt University for a free professional development webinar.

Explore the unique challenges facing today’s young people as they navigate increasing levels of stress and anxiety. We will highlight current research on Gen Z mental health, common stressors, and how these struggles manifest in daily life. Participants will gain practical strategies for supporting Gen Z through evidence-based interventions, resilience-building, and culturally responsive approaches. Designed for anyone that works or lives with young people, this session will equip attendees with tools to better understand and respond to the silent struggles of a generation in crisis.

Presenter Bios

Dr. Leah Mouw, (DSW) serves as assistant professor of social work and Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program director at Dordt University. Her social work experience spans hospice, hospitals, schools, adoption, foster care, crisis intervention, and private practice.

Licensed in California and Iowa, Dr. Mouw is trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT), Narrative Therapy, and Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD). Her research interests focus on the mental health crisis in adolescents and young adults, particularly stress and anxiety, as well as access to psychiatric care for children and adolescents.

Julie Van Otterloo, MSW serves as an instructor of social work and the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) field director. Van Otterloo has spent a majority of her career serving as an adoption specialist, adoption educator, expectant parent advocate, education grant coordinator, and master trainer for the Infant Adoption Awareness Training Program through the National Council for Adoption. Most recently, she served as a hospice social worker.