Blog

Part of me wants to scream fuck Christmas. The other part of me wants Christmas to mean something more than presents and stuff. Christmas is so triggering in an already toxic society that says it’s our duty to keep abusive family members in our lives rather than seek peace and health, and it is because, by that understanding, we find ourselves at battle with ourselves over our sovereignty. I think we need to hit the pause button and recognize for a moment that right now, and no, I don’t mean...

If you look around all the friends and partners you’ve let into your life, and discover that there’s a high proportion of trainwrecks and jerks, guess what? Your red flag detector is broken. It’s broken! It’s supposed to be warning you when bad people try to walk into your life (this goes for bosses and jobs too). You’re supposed to get a bad feeling, a sense of aversion to people and situations that are going to hurt you! What shuts down that crucial function is abuse and neglect in your...

A survey across 25 states reported that about 61% of adults had experienced at least one type of adverse childhood experience (ACE) (1) . Exposure to ACEs can have lasting and adverse effects on health, well-being, and opportunity. ACEs can increase the risks of injury, transmitted infections, maternal and child health problems, and leading causes of death, like heart diseases, diabetes, and suicide. ACEs and associated conditions can also cause toxic stress, altering an individual’s brain...

The pandemic has forced professionals and their organizations to practice without a relevant playbook. Reactive attention to suffering for high volumes of critically ill patients many with limited chance of survival, have replaced proactive dialogues on pain relief, symptom management, and quality of life. Trauma-informed practices have never been more vital to understand and render across populations.

Southeastern ACEs Connection and national CTIPP leaders on the quarterly leader call welcomed guest speaker Rebecca Lewis-Pankratz (top left) for their quarterly call. Also among those present were (top row l-r) Carey Sipp, Jesse Kohler, Jesse Hardin, (second row, l-r) Patti Tiberi, Mebane Boyd, Jen Drake-Croft, Dan Press, (third row, l-r) Mimi Graham, Christopher Freeze, Margaret Stagmeier, (fourth row, l-r) Emily Marsh, Liz Peterson, Alyssa Koziarski and Janet Pozmantier. Also present was...

In this episode of "How to talk policy and influence people", I speak with world-renowned child psychiatrist, neuroscientist and author Dr Bruce Perry about the challenges of presenting important knowledge about the human condition to policy-makers and having them act upon it appropriately or, indeed, at all. We talk about the human brain, attachment, safety and modern child-rearing practices where care-givers are often isolated from crucial sources of social support. We discuss the...

BY: Eric Wilson-Edge / October 22, 2020. UW.Tacoma.EDU. Racism is a public health crisis, says UW Tacoma Assistant Professor Sharon Laing. In July, Laing and UW Associate Professor Wendy Barrington were guests on the campus podcast, Paw’d Defiance, to talk about the social determinants of health (SDOH). “The World Health Organization describes social determinants of health as ‘the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age,’” said Barrington. “Examples include social and...

What do you do when kids overhear stories of vile racism as they walk past their dad on the couch watching the evening news? How do you talk to a child who comes home after “learning” a new slur from a friend? And how do you help the child who was victimized by a racist in the community? Will we teach them to courageously stand up for themselves? Will we teach them the power of forgiveness and kindness in the face of such ugliness? How will we help them deal with the internal voices that...

It's her victory reward for overcoming her addiction. Now celebrating one and a half years sober! Look how far she's come since the first half of 2019! Hospitalized for detox from alcohol, repeated falls requiring hospital and rehab facility stays, threats of suicide, and trying desperately to escape the pain of her childhood trauma.

By EdSource Staff, Edsource, December 18, 2020 Even in the most frustrating, hopeless, boring, grief-filled days of the pandemic, California families found slivers of joy. In Los Banos, the Ruiz and Gutierrez family played indoor badminton and learned American Sign Language together. In the Lucerne Valley, 8-year-old Colton Reichow careened over the desert hills on his dirt bike and learned how to butcher a cow at his grandfather’s farm. In Los Angeles, Shari Abercrombie found a way to make...

Conversations with Evey and Elizabeth Join us on Monday Evenings for Comfortable Conversations on Uncomfortable Topics. Each week we will introduce conversation starters and discuss issues of interest for survivors of childhood sexual abuse and trauma. This relaxed, informal, interactive group will meet Mondays from 6-7:30 over Zoom for a conversation about the topic of the evening. We are open to most areas of interest and welcome topic suggestions from survivors for discussion. So far the...

By Vanessa Sacks, Rebecca M. Jones, and Hannah Rackers, et al., Child Trends, December 15, 2020 youthCONNECT is an integrated student supports initiative, developed by Venture Philanthropy Partners (VPP), that is being implemented in Prince George’s County, Maryland, in partnership with the Prince George’s County government and Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS). At Suitland High School, the youthCONNECT theory of change posits that providing college and career preparation...