Blog

From the NationSwell Team, NationSwell, February 24, 2020 One scientist’s vegetable experiment reveals a way to connect with people who are different from you … and you don’t even have to eat them. Did you know that your brain has a built-in threat detector? It’s called the amygdala. When it works well, it protects us from danger but it also creates unconscious bias—the stuff you don’t even know your brain is doing. There’s good news. You can re-train your brain to reduce prejudice and bias...

4 Things You Shouldn’t Do When Managing Your Sleep and Mental Health Are restless thoughts keeping you up at night? Or, is a lack of sleep causing you anxiety? The link between sleep and mental health is undeniable. So if you are having issues with one, improving the other may just be the best solution. These sleep boosting tips can help. Don’t Let Chronic Pain Keep You Awake If you suffer from chronic pain, poor sleep will exacerbate your symptoms, which can significantly impact mental...

CALL FOR PROPOSALS 4th Annual Philadelphia Trauma Training Conference Purposeful Action to Strengthen Families, Communities and Systems JULY 28-30, 2020 JEFFERSON'S EAST FALLS CAMPUS PHILADELPHIA, PA 19144 We are looking for: 90 minute presentations 3-hour intensive workshops, AND poster presentations Visit http://bit.ly/PTTCProposals to submit a proposal. DEADLINE: MARCH 6, 2020

Bristol's Promise is excited to bring to our community the Attached at the Heart Parenting Education Program , March 31 - April 2. This 3-day certification training will be held at CoWork Bristol/Summit Companies in Bristol, TN and taught by the program founders. Visit https://forms.gle/SmEpy3mYP8AUwCNt9 to apply now. Those interested in parenting education and support, attachment, ACEs prevention, counseling, therapy, research, and our community are urged to attend. This program is...

Many of you, like we who support in various ways the CPTSD Foundation, have survived one or more traumatic events. By traumatic events I offer the following definition I found on the Healthline website: “A traumatic event is an incident that causes physical, emotional, spiritual, or psychological harm. The person experiencing the distressing event may feel threatened, anxious, or frightened as a result.” In this series of articles, we are going to explore several topics vital to...

ACEs Connection envisions a resilient world where ALL people thrive. We are an anti-racist organization committed to the pursuit of social justice. In our work to promote resilience and prevent and mitigate ACEs, we intentionally embrace and uplift people who have historically not had a seat at the table. ACEs Connection celebrates the voices and tells the stories of people who have been barred from decision-making and who have shouldered the burden of systemic and economic oppression as the...

I am a Professor of Clinical Psychology at The University of Queensland, Australia. I recently released my memoir “The Trauma Banquet”. In this book I share about my ACEs and how I learnt to be resilient in the context of their enduring pervasive echoes. I have been practicing psychology for almost 40 years and I have engaged thousands of clients in psychotherapy. As a full professor I have also been teaching psychology and conducting research, which has focused on building resilience in the...

Last month, we officially launched the PACEs Connection Cooperative of Communities. We are SO excited about this! And the communities that are part of the handful of PACEs initiatives that are piloting the Cooperative are, too! Before describing the Cooperative, I want to reassure our 40,000+ members and 277 PACEs initiatives (plus another 100 in development) that have communities on PACEs Connection that nothing on PACEsConnection.com changes! Membership is and remains free ! And it will...

Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi addresses trauma in floor speech on June 20, 2019 There is still a trace of amazement in child advocate Jenn O’Connor’s voice when she recalls the hallway encounter with New York Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi, Chair of the Social Services Committee, who pulled her aside to talk about executive function. That conversation led to a broader discussion of ACEs science, trauma, and resilience with a focus on protective factors. Not long after, Hevesi and O’Connor penned an...

An article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review titled " How Philanthropy Can Create Public Systems Change " describes how Renewing Communities, a five-year, multifunder initiative aimed increasing education of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated students by California’s public colleges and universities, partnered with the NYU McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research in order to address educator burnout through a trauma-informed and resiliency-based community of practice.

New Transforming Trauma Podcast: Helping Adolescents and Teens Transition from Dependency to Agency with Mike Giresi Mike Giresi is the Director of Clinical Development at Family First Adolescent Services , a residential treatment center for adolescents and families struggling with issues related to substance use, mental health and problematic gaming located in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Mike is also a NARM Practitioner, Consultant and Training Assistant, helping to support clinicians...

It wasn’t something I saw coming. I was pretty solid. I’d been at my job for twenty-seven years; owned my own home and really thought I knew what I was doing in this life. Then, out of the blue, I nearly died, then after taking time away from work, I returned to learn my assistant was getting fired. I was physically and emotionally being tested and I wasn’t up to the challenge. I had no choice but to step away. The problem was, once I’d rested and processed the shock and drama of it all,...