Making the Films

The Digital Diaries: Rx films and website were created for young people. It’s a new way of taking youth inside the world of other youth who are battling trauma, and working through a range of mental health challenges and treatment. It’s a dynamic way to show them how other kids think, feel, and communicate. The characters and storylines are based on actual therapy cases and adapted by nationally recognized therapists. The films use the talents of trained young actors to play the roles of actual clients. We’ve done this in order to preserve the confidentiality of the real young people in therapy, from which the cases are derived. All of the films for this series were created collaboratively; relying on an ensemble effort that included therapists, actors, a writer/director and an Emmy Award-winning film team. The project has been two years in the making, including development, script writing, rehearsals, location shoots, music, art work, and film editing. The Project is overseen by Julian Ford, Ph.D. and Rocio Chang, Psy.D., University of Connecticut Health Center and its Center for the Treatment of Developmental Trauma Disorders (CTDTD). The series is produced and directed by Ed Wierzbicki, along with the New Zenith creative team working collaboratively with CTDTD and UCONN Health.