Tagged With "Supreme Court hearings"
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The Books That Helped Me Transition from Trauma to Triumph: A Book Review Series - "The Power of Now"
The author takes us on a journey into a deep place within us, a place where the truth is known "within every cell of (our) body"; beyond the masks we wear, the criticisms we've cloaked ourselves in, our over-thinker personas, fueled by the old doubts we've absorbed into our beings.
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The Healing Place Podcast - Shenandoah Chefalo: Garbage Bag Suitcase
What a delightful conversation Teri Wellbrock engaged in with the passionate and compassionate Shenandoah Chefalo, author of "Garbage Bag Suitcase: A Memoir" and faculty member of The Center for Trauma Resilient Communities. They dove into the depths of: the healing work of Crossnore and The Center for Trauma Resilient Communities; growing up in the foster care system; trauma-brain; 3 proven resilience-building factors; compassion approaches; and why they dislike tomatoes!
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The House of Mourning (www.themoth.org)
Sometimes I free-write and riff when I first wake up. I let go of grammar, punctuation and sometimes even logic. I follow the words and the pen and see what happens. It doesn't have to be neat, artistic, poetic or amazing. It feels wonderful and is like splashing around in a pool in the mind. Today I was thinking about grief and ACEs and storyteller because I'd been listening to Kate Braestrup tell a story on Moth. Beautiful audio is what this is. I recommend listening. It's about grief,...
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The implicit bias of, “Mental Illness” and “mentally ill”, a lexicon of hurt.
How can we heal from the implicit bias of “ Mental Illness ” and “ mentally ill ”? I hear these words and it sounds like fingernails scraping down the chalkboard. “ The stain of dehumanization colors the mind, body and spirit and it is not so easily washed away.” - Michael Skinner Recently I read a blog post at the ACEsConnection website, “Erasing My ACES” by Sirena Wheeler. It was posted on April, 19, 2020. It struck a chord with me, many in fact and it put me on a spiral down memory lane.
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The implicit bias of, “Mental Illness” and “mentally ill”, a lexicon of hurt.
How can we heal from the implicit bias of “ Mental Illness ” and “ mentally ill ”? I hear these words and it sounds like fingernails scraping down the chalkboard. “ The stain of dehumanization colors the mind, body and spirit and it is not so easily washed away.” - Michael Skinner Recently I read a blog post at the ACEsConnection website, “Erasing My ACES” by Sirena Wheeler. It was posted on April, 19, 2020. It struck a chord with me, many in fact and it put me on a spiral down memory lane.
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Unity Radio - ALL NEW Talking Wellness. Today's special guest is Michael Skinner
Unity Radio WUTY 97.9FM Worcester, MA ALL NEW Talking Wellness with Mike MacInnis. Today's special guest is Michael Skinner I'm particularly proud and happy about yesterday's "Talking Wellness" episode. Michael Skinner was a trailblazer in trauma informed peer support work, getting it done before people even knew it was a thing. A class act and genuine good guy. Definitely give this show a listen!
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Vacancy: Self-Worth in the Mind of a Childhood Abuse Survivor
The feeling of having a healthy supply of self-worth is something I can only imagine might have been more readily available, natural and automatic if I was able to see that in myself as a child. As an adult survivor of childhood abuse, self-worth was not supplied in healthy doses while growing up.
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Victim to Victory: Memoir
I wrote Victim to Victory, healing generational abuse from my bloodline, during a seven-year journey of being very sick. I am not a writer. I am a healer. In those years of losing my ability to walk and having my family abandon me I turned inward, asking why and how do I get out of this straight jacket. I did everything imaginable, but the pain was chronic and my will was losing strength. In my darkest hours, I would hear a voice during my meditations. I had nothing to lose, so I followed...
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When Hidden Grief Gets Triggered During COVID-19 Confinement
first published by The Meadows 4/15/20 Our sense of loss during the current COVID-19 crisis can trigger hidden emotions from when we experienced a sense of loss before. Whatever early losses you have had in your life — whether they be your own divorce, your parents, or both, or the abandonment of one parent, a childhood or parental illness or death, financial upheaval, constant moving around, or growing up with parental addiction or adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) — they are likely to...
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75 Calm Down Strategies for Kids
I came across this webpage and wanted to share with my parent and caregiver small groups. My intern typed it up into a handout. Feel free to share.
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8 Reasons Why People Deny Childhood Trauma and Its Results [blog.selfarcheology.com]
Why do people think they had a good, normal childhood, or deny childhood trauma and its results altogether? I often hear people say things like: My childhood was normal. Yes, there were some good things and some bad things – but that's life. My mother got sad, distant, or angry when I didn't perform well or acted badly, and my father sometimes hit me with a belt – but it was for my own good. All of this helped me to become a better person – and I'm thankful for it. Yes, sometimes I feel...
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Are You Re-Traumatizing Yourself? 16 Things We Do That Can Set Us Back with Childhood PTSD
Part of the damage from abuse and neglect in childhood is what actually happened when we were kids. But a significant part of the problem today comes from what I call "Inside Traumas." These are self-defeating behaviors that are common to people who are frequently in a state of dysregulation. They start as an innocent attempt to feel calm and stable, but they can grow into significant traumas that cause real problems for us and others. If you'd like to learn about my online course, Healing...
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"Breaking the Silence" Warriors of HOPE Series Concludes This Sunday with a 2-Hour LIVE Worldwide Webcast Event!
The “Breaking the Silence with Dr. Gregory Williams” radio program will be featuring a SPECIAL LIVE 2-HOUR WORLDWIDE WEBCAST this Sunday evening, May 10 th from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM Central Time. This event will be a special conclusion to their WARRIORS OF HOPE series featuring all the guest from the entire series together for one life-changing webcast. The guests are some of the most sought after authors, experts and speakers on the various topics of trauma, abuse, and resilience in the...
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Fuzzy Slippers: How Do Self-Care as a Trauma Survivor
When I recommend the need for self-care to trauma survivors, they say it can feel like a chore. Some of them even roll their eyes and tell me, “You mean you want me to take care of myself? Ugh. Who has time for that?!” It’s tempting for any person to undervalue self-care. But for trauma survivors, resistance to self-care has much deeper roots. Healing takes a focused, gentle approach. Self-Care as a Practice of Welcoming Your Needs Many trauma survivors learned to do without self-care...
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Helping Families Stay Regulated during a Pandemic
As our communities struggle to do what is needed to keep people safe and families work to find a new a “normal” while caring for and educating children at home full time – it can be a lot to handle. Child psychologist and trauma expert, Dr. Bruce Perry offered 8 tips for helping children stay regulated in this recent article from Psychology Today . Dr. Perry was also a part of this video resource for parents, Staying sane while Parenting with Shelter-in-Place! For service providers who would...
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Real Resilience is now a PODCAST
Women who support an incarcerated loved one finally has a place to share their stories on the Real Resilience P.W.L. Podcast.
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Set Conditions to Feel More Calm, Clear, and Open This Year - with LARLAR [jillianpransky.com]
I remember it like yesterday. It was January 1993, I was walking up Fifth Avenue in Manhattan when a small gold sign advertising a yoga studio caught my eye. I turned on a whim, went in, and some two hours later, found myself sobbing on my yoga mat. I knew I was tight from years of working out, but it wasn’t until that moment that I realized that under the tightness I’d lived with from pushing myself around — muscling through everything I encountered without taking a rest — was also a deep,...
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Settling In While Feeling Unsettled
How quickly the outside world has influenced our inner world and changed our thoughts, patterns, and triggers. Life is definitely coming in waves. We feel a sense of safety if we can be in a healthy home, fear and worry if we have to venture out for food, calm returns after we practice something that soothes and regulates us, and anxiety builds when we hear news and the impact the virus has on the whole world. We are beginning to expect and accept many unpredictable and unknown...
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Tell Me Who You Trust the Most
Imagine that you are being held by someone you love (partner, parent, best friend, someone you once knew, or someone you imagine). You are safe and warm and connected. You feel the soothing of presence - the beating of a primitive language. As you find the rhythms of oneness, you know that all is right. You are protected from whatever unknown lies beyond. Close your eyes and feel the exquisiteness...Now imagine that the exquisiteness fails.
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Why We Should Seek Happiness Even in Hard Times [greatergood.berkeley.edu]
When we’re deluged by bad-news stories, it’s hard to not feel discouraged or even depressed. But, according to Buddhist psychologist Jack Kornfield , falling into despair is not a response that helps anyone—not you, nor your community or the world. Instead, he argues, we must aim for compassion, caring, and equanimity. In this conversation, the acclaimed author of books like A Path with Heart and The Wise Heart offers up his perspective on suffering and what we can do to maintain our caring...
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Why Women Need Fierce Self Compassion [greatergood.berkeley.edu]
In the recent Senate confirmation hearings for the U.S. Supreme Court, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford stood up to tell the world about her memories of the humiliating and sexually aggressive way that she said Judge Brett Kavanaugh violated her as a teenager. Her act took incredible bravery. What really struck me, however, was the demeanor of Dr. Blasey Ford herself. While she spoke with confidence when discussing her area of expertise—the psychology of trauma—at other times she spoke like a young...
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“You Turned Out Fine:” How People Marginalize the Effects of a Toxic Childhood [blogs.psychcentral.com]
Laura's Note: Though the author is addressing toxic mother-daughter relationships, much of what she writes here can apply more broadly to other types of relationships and traumas. If I had a twenty-dollar bill for every time someone tells me that my mother “must have done something right” because I “turned out fine,” I could probably retire tomorrow in luxury. This came up during an interview recently, as if where I went to college and graduate school and have accomplished in my professional...
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Re: CPTSD Confusion: How to Get Clarity in All Your Relationships (Resilience Series)
Yep. When growing up the adults around you are all "hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil" or you just don't know your experience isn't healthy because it's the only one you know, that inability to gauge just what's going on and what it all means can dog one for life. Thanks for another insightful post, Anna.
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Re: Trauma tried to kick down the door. Compassion is helping me heal.
Thank you for sharing you! Your healing and compassion are wonderful to hear! Thank you for showing us all an example of vulnerability being your biggest strength, that allows people to connect to you! Take good care of you - you deserve that!
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Re: Managing Post-Traumatic Stress in a Pandemic: 3/19 Practices & Resources Update
For those of you that like Rick Hanson, i see he is offering Daily Dose of Togetherness: Mindfulness with Rick Hanson I n this Daily Dose of Togetherness, hear from a world leader in the science of mindfulness, Rick Hanson, Ph.D. Then take his learnings and connect with some amazing digital neighbors from across the country. After his guided meditation and reflection, meet virtually with a group of like-minded strangers and answer two simple questions. To sign up: ...
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Re: How to Soothe Our Inner Wounded Child
Hi Steven, Thanks so much for the kind words! I'm so glad to hear this was helpful. I know it's stuff that we in the ACEs movement know how to do but even I need to be reminded to practice. One of my life coaches taught me "the more personal, the more universal" so I do make an effort to share my own story. Thanks so much for the feedback! Yes, I agree, the audio is not good and there's no reason as I have multiple lav mics here at home--I need to step my game up! Warmly, Alison
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Re: Put down the self-help books. Resilience is not a DIY endeavour (theglobeandmail.com)
Cheryl, I'm so happy to hear that your son is giving you the support you've needed for so long. I also believe that childhood trauma is the cause of most if not all mental illness -- and that's ANOTHER idea that is getting a lot of press lately. It seems the tide is turning favorably. Let us brace ourselves for the inevitable backlash .
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Re: Why Trauma Survivors Can't Just "Let It Go" [themighty.com]
Wow! This is such a beautiful thing to read (not the part about the intractable highway phobia, of course ). You just never know what is going to come along out of the clear blue and give you the boost you need to overcome -- of course, you have been priming that pump for a long time with all that good, diligent self-care. I am thrilled to hear that you avoided a panic attack and flew Xanax-free (and that maybe this post played a role in that). In fact, as someone who's motto is "Xanax --...
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Re: Why Trauma Survivors Can't Just "Let It Go" [themighty.com]
This made my day! Thank you 😁 Your flying motto made me laugh out loud as it has been mine, as well, for thirty-something years. As a matter of fact, when I traveled to Mexico a few years ago with a group of 8 friends, they dubbed me Captain Xanax on the plane 😂 I'm such a fan of being drug-free though that I try my best to overcome without medication. Just my own personal goal.
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Re: Tell Me Who You Trust the Most
Thank you Teri! The post was inspired by my five children and most especially my 9-year-old son. It is really quite bittersweet to hear how much it resonates. ~ Carol
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Re: 3 Ways Healthy Relationships Help Heal Trauma
Hi Stacy. I am glad you enjoyed my article. I'd love to hear more about you and what you are doing and looking for - why don't you email me at the office directly, robyn@robynbrickel.com and we can email further. Thank you for your interest.
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Re: The Surviving Spirit Newsletter October 2019
I hear you Sheri...there are some matters that still cause fear for me to share...trying to remember it is not our shame to have, but should be placed back on those who caused us the pain and shame...knowing it intellectually is one thing, the feelings are another matter in of themselves. Take care, Michael
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Re: Dysregulation & CPTSD -- Triggered by Hurrying and Overwhelm?
Re: Dysregulation & CPTSD -- Triggered by Hurrying and Overwhelm?
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Re: Finding My Way Back
Ivy, It can be terrifying to put yourself out there by telling your story --- by telling the truth that so many don't wish to hear for so many reasons. When I'm grappling with similar fears I remind myself of how much OTHER people sharing their stories has helped me along the way. You've got a lot of company, particularly on this site. Thank you for your courage and for sharing the information about your new book here -- and congratulations. --Laura
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Re: How To Prepare For A Trauma Anniversary, According To Mental Health Experts [bustle.com]
Karen, You're welcome. I'm sorry to hear you are experiencing an anniversary reaction, but glad if this article helps explain it for you. For decades I had an anniversary reaction to a bad car accident I was in as a child, and I always felt silly about it and told myself I was being melodramatic. It didn't help that someone close to me seemed to find my difficulty with the anniversary annoying. When I found out that my reaction was normal and even expected, it made it so much easier to bear.
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Re: How We Decompress From Stress [www.npr.org]
It's nice to hear other people talk about what they do to relieve stress -- and the video is a welcome change of pace from articles (not that I have a thing against reading -- it's actually among my favorite pastimes and stress relievers). This made me think about the everyday things I do to relieve stress, beyond the more obvious activities such as yoga, meditation, and writing. Thanks, Morgan.
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Re: Real Resilience is now a PODCAST
Crystal, So sorry to hear that you have pushed yourself to the point of secondary trauma and compassion fatigue, but that is what we sometimes do when driven by a passion to make a real difference in the lives of people who are in dire need of support. It's clear from the video that you are deeply committed to the work that you do and the women you do it for. I hope that as you continue to give so much of yourself to the women of your community with incarcerated loved ones that you will take...
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Re: Resilience: A Conversation
I'm so impressed that you two took this conversation to Zoom and agreed to post it here. I learned a lot from listening to you both and I hope you'll post more episodes of what I hear has been dubbed the "Cissy and Rebecca Show". Maybe you'll start an ACN trend! When you posted the original "We Can Do It!" meme, I saw it on social media and ever since have been meaning to stop by and say I love it. It struck a nerve with me. Sometimes suggesting that people with a history of trauma simply...
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Resilience for Children & Families 8: Tough Feelings during Covid-19
This week we explore and address the difficult feelings children and youths are having right now as they hear so much confusing information. They may now start being personally affected not only by quarantine, but people getting sick. We hope these resilience briefs help the children and youths in your practice and lives.
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Systems Transformation for the Better Normal: Follow-up Slides and Call Recording
Find in this post the slides from the Systems Transformation Better Normal call, featuring RYSE Youth Center's Associate Director Kanwarpal Dhaliwal. A link to the call recording is also provided.
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David Treleaven: Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness Podcasts
Comments from Gail: My colleague Alison Cebulla shared the work of David Treleaven and his work with trauma-sensitive mindfulness, including his new book Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness . I love their mission: Making Mindfulness Safe and Effective for People Who've Experienced Trauma. I include an excerpt from a recent email from him and the group below: Our commitment inside of Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness (TSM) is to provide you with resources that equip you—and by extension anyone you’re...
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The Neurobiology of Trauma: Somatic Strategies for Resilience
The Neurobiology of Trauma: Somatic Approaches to Resilience By Jennifer Walsh As we have all come to experience over the past several months, trauma is simply a component of the human condition. While it affects both individuals and communities in a variety of ways, we have all experienced difficult, stressful, or even traumatic events over the course of our lifetime. Although social workers have traditionally worked with these vulnerable populations, there are numerous professionals...
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Unbecoming an Armadillo: Recovering from Trauma with EMDR
Unbecoming an Armadillo By: Victoria F. Burns, PhD, LSW Victoriafrances49@gmail.com Instagram: @betesandbites “When you are traumatized, you are basically in a permanent defensive mode” — Gabor Mate I’m sitting across from Meg on her charcoal grey love seat. My forearms are resting on a velvety mustard-yellow throw cushion and I’m holding crescent shaped pulsers in each hand. Meg’s my psychologist; a rare gem who specializes in chronic illness and trauma. Every two weeks, we spend an hour...
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Re: My mom asked me to name the top things I wish she would have done better as a parent. My answer might surprise you.
Hey, would love to have heard that...but it's Friday! Where can we all go to hear your past episodes? And thank you!
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Rebecca Lewis Pankratz: Breaking Generational Poverty, Poverty Circles, & Poverty Programs
"A CEs Connection is the curator of incredible hope, healing and possibility. Parents are not the bad guys. Most of us are just kids with ACEs who grew up..." Rebecca Lewis-Pankratz Last Friday, @Rebecca Lewis-Pankratz joined our A Better Normal series to discuss poverty circles and programs. Rebecca is the Director of Learning Centers as Essdack, as well as a poverty consultant, and we met online, via Twitter (her handle is @pOVERty’s Edge. Rebecca is a brilliant speaker, gifted writer, and...
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Christine (Cissy) White Returns. Hear My Story (www.thetraumatherapistproject.com)
Yesterday, Guy McPherson of the Trauma-Therapist Podcast shared the interview we did a few months ago. It was just after my last round of chemo and though I was tired and pale and my wig kept slipping - and also - I was super excited to be on one of my favorite podcasts and engaged in conversation. Here's an excerpt and the link to the video and audio. I appreciate how often Guy McPherson shares the perspective of trauma survivors with his podcast audience. Here's the link to the Trauma...
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A Time for Change
The magnificent fall foliage displayed during the month of October reminds me of transition and forward momentum. Ideally, as humans, we grow and change along with the seasons to find meaning and purpose in life and flourish. Unfortunately, the progression of our lives isn't always smooth and people aren't always kind. There are essential life skills that we can learn, however, that can help us grow through struggle and choose love in our thoughtful responses. We have had varied reactions to...
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Lifetime Experiences Help Older Adults Build Resilience to Pandemic Trauma [khn.org]
By Judith Graham, Kaiser Health News, October 7, 2020 Older adults are especially vulnerable physically during the coronavirus pandemic. But they’re also notably resilient psychologically, calling upon a lifetime of experience and perspective to help them through difficult times. New research calls attention to this little-remarked-upon resilience as well as significant challenges for older adults as the pandemic stretches on. It shows that many seniors have changed behaviors — reaching out...
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The Changemaker: It Starts with You!
Changemakers unite! Now is the time for a trauma-informed approach to healing and personal growth. The reinvention of the new normal starts with you!
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Family Visits: Ten Self-Care Tips
Lately, a lot of people who grew up with childhood trauma are going “no contact” with their families and loved ones. I hear people talking about it with relief and sometimes a sense of accomplishment. For many people, the abuse was egregious and may be ongoing; in these cases, walking away for good may be necessary and courageous. For others, going no-contact is an emergency form of self-protection that, over time, may not need to be permanent. So I want to share with you ten tips to protect...