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Virginia House Del. Jeffrey M. Bourne, left, stands onstage with Lashrecse D. Aird, center, who won her House District 63 race, and Virginia state Sen. Jennifer L. McClellan at a Democratic election watch party at Hilton Richmond Downtown on Nov. 5. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post) Republican-controlled state legislatures are gearing up to try to tighten abortion laws across the country, while some states controlled by Democrats are looking to enshrine the right to choose into law. It’s...

On July 26, 1990, President George H. W. Bush signed into law the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). This law was a huge leap towards helping people of the United States, facing mobility and other disabling conditions, conquer many of the barriers faced in everyday life. In this article, we shall examine together the ADA, the ADAAA and how these laws impact your ability to work while having a mental health disorder.

Hi everyone, this week I've released a video and article about emptiness, and the suprising way we can come to feel fulfilled. As you'll see in the video, especially near the end, I feel very strongly about this. Everyone feels a sense of emptiness sometimes, but people with Childhood PTSD are especially prone to it. It’s one of the classic adult symptoms of early trauma. And like most trauma symptoms, it has roots in your brain development as well as your psychological development. This is...

By Daniel G. Whitney and Mark D. Peterson, JAMA Pediatrics, February 11, 2019

The holidays offer us a moment when we can show our children through action that life goes on, that difficulties can be overcome, that there can be joy and blessings amidst pain. This models giving life the best we have to give it at that moment. For families who struggle with addiction or other forms of adverse childhood experiences, rituals that remain in tact can be a way of telling kids that life will go on, of reassuring them that bonds s till have meaning and that their place in the...

Giving and Receiving (Source: Week 46, page 199, Superkid Power Guidebook , © 2013, 2019, Janai Mestrovich) Why this Concept is Important Times like Christmas and birthdays spur children to look forward to “getting” presents. Giving and receiving become synonymous to presents. Material gifts are a way to understand the concepts of giving and receiving but can delete a healthy perspective for those who don’t take the understanding any further. Giving and receiving are partners. To be able to...

Teletherapy app Ayana matches users to licensed professionals based on their culture, race, and experiences. Can it help close the mental healthcare gap? It was a cry for help that inspired entrepreneur Eric Coly to launch his startup. The former investment banker was approached by a close friend who confided to him that she needed counseling, but she couldn’t find a therapist. Or more specifically, she couldn’t find an African-American therapist. She wanted someone who could understand her...

By Kim Newell Green, San Francisco Chronicle, December 17, 2019 As a pediatrician, I know that one of the most powerful tools for ensuring the health of my patients and of all our nation’s children is nutritious food. As such, school lunch in particular is vital, not only to their health but also to their learning capacity. The Trump administration has recently proposed changes to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Nearly a million students may lose automatic eligibility...

By Carolyn Jones, EdSource, December 20, 2019 The exchange went awry quickly. Jill McWilliams, a high school guidance counselor was trying to persuade a student and her mother that the bright, motivated senior should apply to college. “The mom said to her daughter, ‘What, you think you’re better than us?’ The girl started crying and said, ‘No, I don’t. I’m sorry,” recounted McWilliams at Anderson New Technology High School in rural Shasta County. “This story isn’t unique. That’s all too...

By David Nield, Science Alert, December 21, 2019 Nearly a quarter of people who experience severe trauma go on to develop PTSD (or post-traumatic stress disorder), and a new study could help doctors better understand how one leads to the other. In time, this might lead to improved treatments, too. As a type of anxiety disorder, PTSD comprises four main groups of symptoms, which can include flashbacks and physical reactions to them, heightened anxiety, emotional numbness, and avoiding...

By Melissa Tanji, The Maui News, December 20, 2019 With the daily trauma police officers face and the rising number of police officer suicides across the nation, the Maui Police Department this week launched a free wellness app for the department that can be downloaded to officers’ smartphones to help them deal with the mental stresses of the job. “Officers witness trauma on a daily basis, and they are carrying that burden,” said Police Chief Tivoli Faaumu, who has known officers who have...

By Morgan Noll, Hello Giggles, December 20, 2019 There’s a common belief that love and relationships should be unconditional and all about compromise—but in reality, love should be conditional. Boundaries are important to maintain healthy relationships and there are many things you should never have to compromise, such as your consent, safety, physical and emotional well-being, and mental health. In a healthy relationship, these boundaries should be clear and defined. But in the context of...