New Aussie documentary SEEN offers parents a way out of teen mental health crisis

As teens face an escalating mental health crisis, a groundbreaking documentary is showing parents how a small but powerful shift in daily habits can reshape the future of a child’s wellbeing.

Award-winning Australian filmmaker Hailey Bartholomew and ParentTV founder Sam Jockel feature-length SEEN challenges the way we understand parenting, trauma, and generational cycles, combining raw personal stories with the latest neuroscience. Picture: SEEN / Supplied.

Netflix’s recent documentary Adolescence has sparked concern among parents, shedding light on the alarming rise of teen mental health issues and the dangers of social media.

But an exciting new Australian film, SEEN, aims to do more than highlight the problem — it offers real, science-backed solutions.

Created by award-winning filmmaker Hailey Bartholomew and Sam Jockel, the founder of ParentTV, SEEN dives deep into the complexities of parenting, trauma, and generational cycles.

Through personal stories and the latest neuroscience, it encourages parents to become more present in their children’s lives.

As part of an Australia-wide tour, SEEN was recently screened at Charles Darwin University’s Waterfront Campus in Darwin.

NRL player Joe Williams (Rabbitohs, Swans, Bulldogs) visited Darwin for the event, and held a Q&A session.

World-renowned expert Professor Selena Bartlett, a leader in neuroplasticity and early-life stress, reveals groundbreaking research that shows how just 20 minutes of distraction-free connection each day can literally reshape a child’s brain and future.

Prof. Selena Bartlett, Group Leader of Translational Neuroscience at the Translational Research Institute and a Professor in the School of Clinical Sciences at Faculty of Health. Picture: SEEN / Supplied.

According to Professor Bartlett, the mental health crisis is partly due to a lack of genuine connection.

“If children don’t get healthy attention from a responsible adult, their brain networks can’t form properly,” she said.

SEEN is touring Australian cinemas and schools, offering live Q&As with experts and families, sparking a nationwide movement to break the cycle of trauma and build stronger, healthier relationships with children.

Parenting guru Maggie Dent calls SEEN essential viewing, stating, “Your children have come to trigger you to heal.”

For details on the tour schedule, visit seenthefilm.com.

Originally published as New Aussie documentary SEEN offers parents a way out of teen mental health crisis