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Trauma often does its greatest harm when it occurs during the impressionable stages of our youth. Losing one's parents, moving from different schools, living in an unstable environment - all of these are issues that can break into a child's world and cause difficulties well into adulthood. What can we do? What has research shown to be the current best practices? What is the science behind this aspect of foster care, and how does it relate to our faith? I was honored to be a part of a panel...

The majority of us never learned that anxiety is a cue that we have important emotions pushing up for expression. We can use our anxiety as a signal to look deeper and ask ourselves what emotions are underneath.

Does the experience of poverty actually take a physical toll on your brain? The Inquiry investigates the scientific claims that being poor affects how our brains work. [See more at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0537nbj]

Around 10:30 one night, I walked across the emergency department to see my next patient, a woman who’d had a panic attack. I took a deep breath before turning the corner, partly because you never know what you’ll see next, and partly because I was three months pregnant and a little queasy. I found a worried looking young woman with an eight-month baby bump. “Hi, doctor” she said. “I’m sorry about this. My boyfriend lost his job and I got overwhelmed.” [For more of this story, written by...

Otsego is one of 10 counties in the state participating in a pilot program that started late last year to train and support communities in helping children who have experienced trauma. Heather Samkowiak, children’s services specialist for Otsego, Crawford and Oscoda counties for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), said trauma can come in a range of experiences and said the toxic stress changes a person’s brain. “Essentially what happens is the brain becomes rewired...

Mayo Clinic researchers report that women who suffered adverse childhood experiences or abuse as an adult are 62 percent more likely to have their ovaries removed before age 46. These removals are for reasons other than the presence of ovarian cancer or a high genetic risk of developing cancer, says the new study published today in BMJ Open. In previous studies examining the effects of removing the ovaries of younger women, the research team has demonstrated a myriad of health risks...

Sixty percent of adults report difficult childhood experiences, including drawn-out divorces, violence, and abuse. The effects of trauma are long-lasting, ranging from anxiety to post-traumatic stress disorder to physical illness. But according to Dr. Gabor Mate, focusing solely on the role of family in childhood trauma misses the bigger picture. What if trauma also results from a shortcoming on the part of society to support families in thriving? If society helped informed teachers and...

Donald Trump’s presidency could make Americans sicker — and not just from the stress of his polarizing politics, a pair of Harvard experts argued Wednesday. His administration’s proposed cuts to health and well-being programs could also hurt the population's health, if history is anything to go by, they said. The bad effects could last well into the next generation, because some of the most strongly documented fallout hits pregnant women, whose babies go on to suffer lifetime consequences...

Schools that offer dental care, mental health counseling, food assistance and other services have a significant and measurable positive impact on student achievement, according to research released this week by the Learning Policy Institute and the National Education Policy Center . The 26-page brief, “Community Schools: An Evidence-based Strategy for Equitable School Improvement,” found that schools that collaborate with nonprofits and government agencies to provide extra on-campus services...

It very much seems, from work cited on ICCE that different therapies have largely the same "effect size" -- therapeutic benefit -- regardless of what some say about some therapies -- not all will benefit from some therapies that will benefit other people. What seems to be key to the success of all is the quality of the therapy relationship -- different therapies may permit different "styles" of relationship. This came from Guy McPherson

The 4th annual International Resilience Summit will focus on equipping the attendees with evidence-based tools and resources necessary to grow individual and collective resilience . At this year’s Summit, we will provide the very best in speakers, resources, and practices so the attendees gain specialized learning in the following three areas: Student Resilience: Understand how to support the holistic behavioral and mental health needs of students, families, and educators. Military Connected...

"You know. I feel like people are blessed to have both parents in their life. Um... I wasn't. My parents have always been separated and you know, as a kid, to have your mom 1000 miles away and your Dad 1000 miles away. Apart.... So you know, no matter how far apart they are, I always just tried to be the one in the middle bringing them together. You know, it's just tough for a kid." Fik-Shun I like dance videos the way some like cat videos. Here's one of my all-time favorites. It is the of a...