Tagged With "creative expression"

Traumatic stress feels awful. Thankfully, there are small things we can all do to help relax a hyperaroused nervous system.

Julie Kurtz hasn’t stopped creating ways to build and promote resilience in herself and others who have experienced trauma since she left her family home for college at age 18. Although she experienced four types of adversity during her childhood, the CEO of the Center for Optimal Brain Integration has traveled a complex journey to mitigate those adversities by recognizing her own internal resilience, building skills to buffer her toxic and traumatic stress, uncovering her voice through...

5 Rhythmic Movement Practices That Can Calm Our Anxious Mind

A hug may be comforting to many children, but for a child who has experienced trauma it may not feel safe. That’s an example used by Julie Kurtz, co-director of trauma informed practices in early childhood education at the WestEd Center for Child & Family Studies (CCFS), as she begins a trauma training session. Her audience, preschool teachers and staff of the San Francisco-based Wu Yee Children’s Services at San Francisco’s Women’s Building, listen attentively.

To pave the way for a truly strengths-based approach to full healing and recovery for both service users and burned out staff, we must educate them on (1) the central role of primal body responses to trauma (past and present), and (2) the early development of adaptive thoughts and behaviors in response to traumatic experience.

Zero to Three Resource- extracted from website and with discussion text by Karin Hecht (September 14, 2018) Bonding activities between parent and child can be a great way to help a child’s development and strengthen the relationship. The Zero to Three website has great resources for child-centered activities to help little ones learn and grow. One particularly useful resource for parents and care providers are a collection of stage-by-stage age-based tips and what to expect as your baby...

New Report: Today’s shifting political sands have put kids at risk, and it’s urgent that policymakers put kids’ needs front and center. We all have the power to hold policymakers accountable for prioritizing the needs of children, and our friends at the child advocacy group Kids Impact have charted a course on how. In their new report, “Accelerating Policymaker Accountability for U.S. Kids’ Well-Being: Charting the Course & A Call to Action,” they help define a collective “True North”...

Please see the main post for these parent handouts in the ACEs Connection Resources Center. These two flyers ( Understanding ACEs and Parenting to Prevent & Heal ACEs ) can be downloaded, distributed, and used freely. One is brand new and the other is a revision. Both flyers were made with generous support from Family Hui, a Program of Lead for Tomorrow. Translations of these flyers are in progress and will be shared by Family Hui and updated on ACEs Connection when available.

“When a child displays a behavior problem, the first place to look for the cause and for the solution is to the child’s environment.” Maria Montessori We cannot truly separate the child from the community. In our efforts to “fix” child behavior or heal the child from the traumatic impact of adverse childhood experiences, we need to relate to the community as an extension of the child’s physical and psychological constitution. An organic unity operates here. There is more than just a...

December 4-5, 2018 Day One: 11 am - 4 pm Day Two: 10 am - 3 pm The California Endowment 2000 Franklin St. Oakland, CA 94612 The final requirement to complete the TIC Trainer Certification* is the Teach-Back event this December 4-5 in Oakland. Reserve Lodging Hotel reservations will be made on your own. Our training venue recommends these nearby hotels . Registration coming soon! *This training is open only to the TIC Trainer Certification cohort participants. If you would like to express...

Young children and their families can be tremendously affected by trauma, with significant implications for well-being well into the future. And while young children can be very expressive, they often do not have the skills or ability to use words to express how they are feeling. Adults may notice a variety of unexpected, atypical behaviors, and may need help understanding and nurturing infants and toddlers who have been affected. Fortunately, there are infant and early childhood mental...

Contents Conferences & Trainings Save the Date: TIC Trainer Certification Cohort Train-Back, 12/4-5 Webinars & Calls Trauma-Informed Care in ECE: Key Strategies for Healing and Behavioral Change CDSS Bridge Program TA Call, 10/30 TIC Training & Coaching Learning Community Call, 11/13 Resources ACEsConnection Monthly Highlights Staff Recruitment Resources Technical Assistance Contact Info Conferences & Trainings Save the Date Trauma-Informed Care Trainer Certification Cohort...

Join us for the launch of our new webinar on using creative expression to help kids facing ACEs.

Coping with Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic: One-Pager

English: The California Department of Public Health, Injury and Prevention Branch (CDPH/IVPB) and the California Department of Social Service, Office of Child Abuse Prevention’s (CDSS/OCAP) , Essentials for Childhood (EfC) Initiative , ACEs Connection , and the Yolo County Children’s Alliance have co-created a newly developed resource, “Coping with Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic” in both English and Spanish. This material is intended for Californian families experiencing the severe...

English: The California Department of Public Health, Injury and Prevention Branch (CDPH/IVPB) and the California Department of Social Service, Office of Child Abuse Prevention’s (CDSS/OCAP) , Essentials for Childhood (EfC) Initiative , ACEs Connection , and the Yolo County Children’s Alliance co-created “Coping with Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic” in both English and Spanish. This material is intended for Californian families experiencing the severe economic consequences resulting from...

The Dibble Institute is pleased to present an introductory webinar by Rev. Dr. Bryant T. Marks Sr. of the National Training Institute on Race and Equity , which will provide foundational information on implicit bias. It will focus at the individual level and discuss how implicit bias affects everyone. Strategies to reduce or manage implicit bias will be discussed. Broadly speaking, group-based bias involves varying degrees of stereotyping (exaggerated beliefs about others), prejudice...

Author and Illustrator Christiane Engel: ABC for Me: Mindful Me Pairing simplified mindfulness principles with each letter of the alphabet, ABC Mindful Me features colorful illustrations of children and animals, as well as playful rhymes to explain each concept to toddlers (and their parents!). From Awareness to Zen, and everything in between, take a deep breath, find some quiet space, and discover the magic of mindfulness! A fun read for the entire family, ABC Mindful Me is not only perfect...

Gratitude is proven highly beneficial as a daily practice, not just something we save for the holidays. Learn a couple of easy ways to practice gratitude, and find out how to get personalized support to heal from ACEs and live the stress-free life you deserve.

Gratitude is proven highly beneficial as a daily practice, not just something we save for the holidays. Learn a couple of easy ways to practice gratitude, and find out how to get personalized support to heal from ACEs and live the stress-free life you deserve.

Take an age-based approach to discussing news of school shootings with kids. "School shootings" are two words no parent ever wants to hear in the same sentence. But news of these tragic events is now so familiar, the topic is unavoidable. Unlike other conversations you have with your kids about scary stuff in the news , talks about school shootings are much more emotional, for both you and your kids. Add in the facts that kids as young as 5 are practicing active-shooter drills at school, and...

Take an age-based approach to discussing news of school shootings with kids. "School shootings" are two words no parent ever wants to hear in the same sentence. But news of these tragic events is now so familiar, the topic is unavoidable. Unlike other conversations you have with your kids about scary stuff in the news , talks about school shootings are much more emotional, for both you and your kids. Add in the facts that kids as young as 5 are practicing active-shooter drills at school, and...

There have been more mass shootings than days in 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive. As of February 14, 2023, the number of mass shootings in this country had reached 67. Mass shootings and school shootings may spark feelings of stress, grief and anxiety in children. Many students, including Kindergarteners as young as five years old, participate in active shooter drills at school. Their awareness of school shootings can lead to emotional conversations filled with complex questions.

Featuring New Documentary Films from INDEPENDENT LENS, POV, and AMERICAN MASTERS, THE 36th HISPANIC HERITAGE AWARDS, the Premiere of Three-Part Series BECOMING FRIDA KAHLO, New Episodes of ROSIE’S RULES and ALMA’S WAY from PBS KIDS, and A Collection of Streaming Content Spotlighting Hispanic Stories ARLINGTON, VA; September 7, 2023 -- PBS will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a slate of new programs, specials and digital content as part of its ongoing commitment to spotlighting the...

The holiday season can be emotionally painful for children who have experienced trauma. Festive celebrations can trigger anxiety, loneliness, and grief. Caregivers or educators can support children by understanding how trauma affects children during the holidays and provide trauma-informed care to address difficult emotions. To read more on how to support children this Holiday Season read article from the Center of Child Well Being and Trauma. HELPING CHILDREN WHO HAVE OR ARE EXPERIENCING...

The current conversation about anxiety and depression is lacking a vital dimension: emotions education. We are now learning that many instances of anxiety and depression are actually symptoms of buried core emotions. These types of symptoms could be prevented with more education surrounding emotions and trauma.