From Silent Struggle to Youth Advocate: Francesca Reicherter on Pets, Pressure, and Purpose | ANEW Insight Ep. 74

In Episode 74 of the ANEW Insight Podcast, host Dr. Supatra Tovar—clinical psychologist, registered dietitian, fitness expert, and bestselling author of Deprogram Diet Culture—welcomes back speaker, author, and youth mental health advocate Francesca Reicherter for Part 2 of their unforgettable conversation.

Francesca is the founder of Inspiring My Generation and host of the podcast Normalize the Conversation. After surviving multiple suicide attempts in her early 20s, Francesca transformed her pain into a global movement of advocacy, connection, and healing. In this deeply vulnerable episode, she opens up about the isolating experience of struggling in silence, how her emotional support dog played a crucial role in her recovery, and why adolescence and young adulthood are pivotal stages for early mental health intervention.

This episode covers:

• The emotional reality of silent suffering and the healing power of simply “saying it out loud”
• How pets can serve as emotional anchors and motivators for healing
• The unrealistic pressures placed on teens and young adults—from five-year plans to social milestones
• How to stop comparing your timeline to curated images on social media
• Francesca’s personal experience with burnout, and her go-to 30-second breathing practice
• The importance of militant self-care and creating non-negotiable morning routines
• How she balances speaking engagements, authorship, and a master’s program in psychology
• Why she chose the self-publishing route and how she turned rejection into resilience
• Her favorite feedback from kids who applied her mental health tools to overcome school stress
• Behind-the-scenes look at speaking at CrisisCon and advocating for 988 funding in Florida
• How to access and share her powerful mental health workbooks and toolkits
  
  
  

Dr. Tovar and Francesca also reflect on the post-COVID mental health landscape, especially for Gen Z and teens, and the overwhelming role social media played during isolation. From Facetime fatigue to toxic comparison on TikTok, Francesca shares how she learned to curate her feed, manage screen time, and use social platforms as tools—not triggers.

Whether you're a parent, teacher, student, or survivor, this episode will leave you feeling more connected, informed, and inspired to be part of the change.

📘 Learn more about Francesca’s work:
 Website: francescareicherter.com
Nonprofit: inspiringmygeneration.org
Instagram/LinkedIn: @francescareicherter

Thank you for joining us on this journey to wellness. Remember, the insights and advice shared on the ANEW Body Insight Podcast are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before making any changes to your health routine. To learn more about the podcast and stay updated on new episodes, visit ANEW Body Insight Podcast at anew-insight.com. To watch this episode on YouTube, visit @my.anew.insight. Follow us on social media at @my.anew.insight on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads for more updates and insights. Thank you for tuning in! Stay connected with us for more empowering stories and expert guidance. Until next time, stay well and keep evolving with ANEW Body Insight!

Transcript

Dr. Supatra Tovar: 0:01

Yes. And you can come on forever. I mean, you are amazing. And I just have to say your story is harrowing. It's heartfelt. It's painful, but out of so much pain can come so much good. And that's why I'm just, glad you went through it, but I am so glad you are here promoting this message.

Francesca Reicherter: 0:02

I'd I'd say the silence, to me, the silence felt so isolating and it felt so loud, which is weird to say. But the silence just really filled my brain with all the reasons why I wasn't good enough and why I was all alone in it. And the best thing that I ever did was find someone I could talk to. And in the beginning, it was talking to my dog, right? It was just learning how to say it out loud, right? I still, when I'm really having a tough day and I feel oh, I don't know if I want to be here and I have those thoughts come up, I grab my dog and I sit there and I hold her and I just, cry and express what I'm feeling and then I feel like I'm not alone and my poor dog my emotional support animal she is but just helps me get it out in a way that doesn't feel like it's all stuck in my head. And then finding other ways to talk about it maybe it was writing a blog that I posted online or an entry that I didn't post that I kept to myself or a journal entry. And then slowly just finding community where you can talk about it can just help. You don't have to struggle in silence. So. I'm there. You don't even have to talk about it. So even just finding someone who will sit with you in those difficult moments, even if you don't talk about it, can really help with that feeling like I'm suffering in silence alone.

Dr. Supatra Tovar: 0:05

I called, his name was Huey, but I called him Tiny Healer because he just knew all the time how to take care of me. Really. I took care of him, but he really took care of me and he was there for me at all of my lowest points. And I really advocate for people who are lonely, who don't feel like they have somebody that they can talk to go get a dog or a cat or whatever pet you need. Having that support and that companionship make all the difference in the world .It can actually confirm. And it's true. A lot of people think that they're alone, but they're really not. It can confirm to you that you're not alone. And when you learn how to depend on a small creature like that, then you can take those little baby steps and get out there and find a therapist or someone to talk to or, reach out to one of your friends or a family member who's supportive. So I absolutely think, just do that little thing. And then it'll build on to itself. I love this. So why is it so crucial to address mental health challenges during adolescence and young adulthood?

Francesca Reicherter: 0:07

So it's just so much pressure and we're not equipping teens with the tools they need for the amount of pressure we're putting on them. We're not teaching them about coping skills. We're not teaching them how to time management. We're not teaching them small things, boundaries. We're not teaching them tools that can help them get through it. And all these milestones and what age they should happen at. I was talking to one of my friends the other day because we're like, it's so funny when we were younger in our 10 year plan, right? We thought we'd be married with kids and we're like, we're still trying to figure out like our careers and finish school and get even started in the world.

Dr. Supatra Tovar: 0:09

Yeah, I think that the problem can really lie in social media. We talked about social media last time and how we are, we, it can either be a force of good or a negative force in our lives. And I think that the whole comparison game, I'm just I feel really fortunate, I'm aging myself, but I did not have social media in high school. And I thank God for that, because I think that added pressure is just so, it just weighs you down so much. So talk about that in, especially during COVID. I think a lot of teenagers and young adults really struggled through COVID because all we had was social media. All we were doing was being online. What did you experience during that time? Did you struggle as well?

Francesca Reicherter: 0:10

And I wasn't with them. So I didn't have the luxury of, first of all, quarantining with a bunch of people, or when things were opening, being able to go and be around a bunch of people. And that felt very frustrating because I was like, people are doing it and I'm not to begin with. And then you had everyone online creating these TikTok dances and posting them and going viral. I remember all of those messages coming at me in different ways, and the only way to really connect with people was online, whether it was social media or on FaceTime. It wasn't really that face to face connection anymore. And for me, that just became wanting to consume all this content to feel connected to people because like I said, I wasn't around people and I think that was the case for so many of us, a lot of people followed the quarantine guidelines, a lot of states required a lot more restriction than Florida and a lot of people just weren't near their families to quarantine altogether.

Dr. Supatra Tovar: 0:12

Yeah, absolutely. That's when I created my course and my book, Deprogram Diet Culture. And for a big part of that was because of what I was seeing during COVID, especially with my clients, the young adults the teenagers who were struggling with health and body image and confidence. And really just tanking in their studies because of the nature of online study. I think it is so important, especially now that we're out of that, hopefully for forever. We really need to be conscious and aware of how much we're consuming versus what are we doing in real life? And I think a lot of people really tend to just isolate and focus online. I encourage them, curate that feed, like we talked about in the last part, but also let's get out of our houses. they look amazing they're probably lying. it's really important to be discerning and to also limit that time. That's what you were talking about in the last part I think having a time limit on our social media is really important, but let's pivot and let's talk about burnout and emotional exhaustion.

Francesca Reicherter: 0:14

And when it's one moment of stress after another, It gets to the point where a lot of times we blow and we panic and we get into a really difficult headspace. So finding moments throughout your day where you can breathe has been huge for me, and it's been really great for a lot of family members of mine, because I'm always, advocating to them like some of your schedule, where's 30 seconds that you can breathe today, but also finding ways that you can break up your time. And it's going to be 9 to 12 is when I'm going to be working on this one project. So finding ways that I can just make time increments designated without forcing one thing to go away, right? Without saying family doesn't exist in this moment without saying work doesn't exist in this moment. It's just how can we make it a little bit more focused on what is right for me in that moment and then just finding ways to take deep breaths because it might feel like there's no time in a day, but there's definitely 30 seconds a few times a day where you can just take some deep breaths and ground yourself in the moment so that life doesn't feel as.

Dr. Supatra Tovar: 0:16

and you are not putting anything into yourself. You are just going to head straight for burnout and you'll be no good to anybody around you. I also talk about this a lot. But I practice what I call militant self care and it's militant cause it's mandatory. Like I have a very yes, it might be regimented, but it's so necessary routine that I give myself in the beginning of the day. And if I don't perform everything, work out and, have a, good walk with my dogs and a great breakfast now, all of these things that I really prioritize in the morning. I'm terrible when I'm sitting in this chair and I am trying to treat somebody. I, my mind isn't there, but when I take care of myself, when I put that first, before I take care of everyone else, I could do it all day. And it is not hard. You're going to experience this when you get out there in the world. It's hard to go back to back with clients. But taking care of yourself first is going to be everything for everyone. I firmly believe now you have created events and programs that raise awareness about mental health. Tell us about a particularly impactful moment or initiative that stands out to you in your advocacy journey.

Francesca Reicherter: 0:18

When the moments that feel even 10 times that, that may be not for kids first of all, I do want to throw this out there for kids when your entire job is your grades and there's so much pressure on your grades and your future, that is a really big deal. Later in life it might not feel as big and there might be things that are a little bit more big but not to downplay what kids are going through, because that's really tough and that is your whole world in that moment.

Dr. Supatra Tovar: 0:19

lI lovethat. There's nothing, I think, more sweet and amazing than kid feedback.

Francesca Reicherter: 0:20

So it helped me really get to talk about what I went through, what was wrong, really get to be feel really grateful for what I've been able to do and feel proud and then also get other people to see that these are still where our shortcomings are. This is what we need to be advocating for. This is what we need to be working on.

Dr. Supatra Tovar: 0:21

Wow. How have you been able to procure these speaking engagements? Do they come to you? Do they know about your podcast? Do you apply for them? How have you been able to do this while going to school and trying to get your master's in psych? So beautiful. And you're so young and you're an accomplished author. Just tell people if they're, if they're inspired by your journey and want to follow in your footsteps, how did you publish these books? What was, what were the steps that you needed to take to be able to do this and do it successfully?

Francesca Reicherter: 0:23

So having that self publishing where you can actually just promote it online and people see it and they want to buy it. You don't have to go those traditional routes where you need someone, spend a fortune to be able to put your name in front of people, social media, which I hate using, can really help you get out there and share your content with others. My business cards are always with me. Hand them out to all my family members, just in case you find someone. So. Really just bringing, believing, and you believe in your work and you're doing something that feels so close to you, you can just live with it every day. And I get to incorporate it into everything I do, such as going to the grocery store.

Dr. Supatra Tovar: 0:25

Totally. And it's a very long process and there are a lot of no's and it is really hard, But there's plenty of people who've done that, and if that's for you, that is a route. It's also so amazing that we live in a time where we can self publish our own books. I think that is so powerful and it gets the book right out there as soon as you're done writing it and editing and proofing it and getting all of your artwork and all that. You can get that out there immediately. And it can be in the form of an ebook. It can be a print on demand book. You can even go and find ways to create your own hardcover books. We live in a really creative time. And I think it's so important if you have something out there that you want to to the masses. You don't have to wait. You can do what Francesca did. Just get it out there, make your mistakes, learn from them, and keep going. Ugh! Francesca, you're so amazing. Tell people how they can find you. Tell people how they can possibly work with you or get you to speak for them. What are all of your links?

Francesca Reicherter: 0:27

Yeah. So thank you, first of all, for having me and how amazing you've been in supportive. Love having you as my cheerleader in this. It's been amazing. But you can find out more about me at FrancescaReicherter.com or the non profit website InspiringMyGeneration.org You can connect with me on Instagram or LinkedIn.

Dr. Supatra Tovar: 0:28

Wow. Well, I hope you all reach out to her because she is one of the kindest, most compassionate, just good hearted people. And we're just so lucky that you are with us and that you were not successful before. I don't minimize any mental health struggle and what you went through was really harrowing. And very scary, but it helped to shape this incredible person that sits in front of me today. And so for that, I am grateful that you did proceed through this journey to where you are now and you are a force of good. And you getting this degree and becoming a therapist, you're only going to do more good in the world. So this is just a testament to how difficult circumstances can really shape the most incredible people. Thank you so much, Francesca, for sharing all of that with us. Well, I feel like I'm just a mirror, I'm inspired. I am amazed. I I'm hopeful. And so that's all you coming through. Thank you everyone so much for tuning into the ANEW Insight podcast. I really am so grateful to Francesca and I am looking forward to the next exciting interview and really hope you all join me next time. Thanks Francesca.