Healing the Heart Through the Creative Arts, Education & Advocacy

Hope, Healing & Help for Trauma, Abuse & Mental Health

“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars”. Kahlil Gibran

The Surviving Spirit Newsletter August 2021

Hi Folks,

Welcome to the month of August...from my part of the country here in New Hampshire-land it is a time of summer and heat...but the whole month of July and coming into August has been more like a monsoon season in early spring or late fall – The April Showers finally showed up in July. I wish some of the rains would make their way to those parts of the country and the world parched from lack of rain and dealing with horrific fires. Even our climate can be traumatizing....so self-care is VIP.

Self-care, hope and healing is echoed in many of the articles, news, stories and podcasts shared in the newsletter. If you have something to share for future newsletters, please let me know @ mikeskinner@comcast.net or mike.skinner@survivingspirit.com

Take care, Michael

“Self-care is never a selfish act - it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer to others.” - Parker Palmer

“I found in my research that the biggest reason people aren't more self-compassionate is that they are afraid they’ll become self-indulgent. They believe self-criticism is what keeps them in line. Most people have gotten it wrong because our culture says being hard on yourself is the way to be.” - Kristen Neff

Newsletter Contents:

1] Depression, burnout and how to talk about mental health at work – My story, by Ann Diment @ Safety &Health Practitioner

2] Her dad died on 9/11. Now, this Chesapeake woman uses horses to help veterans cope with trauma.

3] 6 Hidden Signs of Complex PTSD (cPTSD) - MedCircle – YouTube

4] The Higher Practice Podcast for Optimal Mental Health: Complex PTSD: What’s Lurking Beneath the Surface - HPP 04 on Apple Podcasts

5] Swimming gives your brain a boost – but scientists don't know yet why it's better than other aerobic activities

5a] Swimming for weight loss and mental health By Dr. Mark Lieber @CNN

6] Silhouette of a Songbird: Elizabeth Shane -Books @ Amazon.com: Books

6a] The Healing Power of Poetry - Gretchen Schmelzer @ The Trail Guide

7] Defense Sec Lloyd Austin to troops: 'Mental health is health. Period.

8] FREE Ask Me Anything About Employment webinar: Long-Term Unemployment: A Social Determinant Underaddressed Within Community Behavioral Health Programs

9] How to Stop Catastrophizing: An Expert’s Guide by Linda Blair

10] Male Survivors Of Sexual Abuse Struggle To Find Treatment Podcast @ NPR

11] Holding Hope by Dave Andre

11a] Connections Peer Support Center in Portsmouth, NH

12] The Powerful Connection Of Music With Michael Skinner - Cybertrap 60

“There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.” – Audre Lorde

“Kindness is spreading sunshine into other people’s lives regardless of the weather.” – RAKtivis

Read online - http://newsletters.survivingspirit.com/index.php

or PDF - http://newsletters.survivingsp...tter_August_2021.pdf