Aaliyah Nadirah Madyun, program director at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Global Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health at the Child Mind Institute, recently spoke with Tom Osborn, founder of the Shamiri Institute, about navigating rejection and building a career in mental health work.
Osborn brings experience from both the nonprofit and research sectors. The Shamiri Institute, which he founded, focuses on evidence-based interventions for adolescent mental health. His conversation with Madyun centers on how young professionals can transform setbacks into learning opportunities rather than roadblocks.
For parents watching their children pursue careers in helping professions, this dialogue offers perspective on resilience and persistence. The mental health field, like many competitive sectors, involves rejection at grant stages, fellowship applications, and job searches. Early-career professionals often face multiple "no" responses before finding their footing.
Osborn's experience suggests that rejection in mental health work can actually clarify your direction. When funding proposals get declined or positions don't materialize, the feedback process—if you seek it—reveals where your research or approach needs strengthening. This applies equally to college students exploring mental health careers and parents supporting young adults through disappointment.
The Child Mind Institute, which hosted this conversation, serves as a resource for families navigating child and adolescent mental health. The organization brings together researchers, clinicians, and program developers to address the growing mental health needs of young people.
For families with teenagers interested in psychology, counseling, social work, or related fields, this discussion underscores an important message: early rejections are data points, not verdicts. The mental health field needs committed, thoughtful leaders willing to persevere through initial setbacks. Supporting young people through these disappointments, rather than steering them away from challenging careers, builds the next generation of professionals who can improve mental