It's back! The next iteration of Unlearning Ableism will be on May 18th at 3:30PT/6:30ET. This session is designed to support participants' understanding of what ableism is, how it shows up in our lives, and how to challenge ableism in our practices. We will explore such topics as TL Lewis' working definition of ableism and consider several models of disability. It is possible that participants may experience discomfort during or after the presentation as we learn how we have perpetuated...

I'm excited to share a project I recently completed! You can visit https://www.risetoresilience.org/resources to access the guide, Relationship Commitments template with example, and a supporting tool to explore your past, present, and desired future beliefs. Categories on the template include topics such as dealbreakers, core values, relationship values, love languages (giving and receiving), priorities, personal agreements, and more. Who is this for? Anyone, really! Whether you practice...

You can view the original post on Rise to Resilience from August 17, 2022 here . I named “reciprocal authenticity” to one of my closest friends, Leona, on December 11, 2021. I’ve thought about and referenced it a lot since then, in a number of contexts. I knew a blog was percolating in my mind, body, and soul, but the Just Right start to it hadn’t arrived yet. Then I received these messages from another close friend: If I had to pick three words to describe you, they might include Wholesome...

You can also read this post on Rise to Resilience . A special thanks to the Center for Optimal Brain Integration for inviting me to write about my story and originally publishing this post on their website here ! “It’s been validating to learn that I’m autistic,” I said to my therapist. “Can I offer a way to reframe that?” I knew what was coming. “Sure!” Commence a well-intentioned suggestion of thinking of myself as having autism. I wasn’t upset, knowing my therapist’s training had all made...

Back by popular demand! I am excited to share the registration for a special edition August workshop! Register here: www.bit.ly/riseaug Image description: A black background with bright yellow text says Free, Interactive Workshop August 18, 2021 | 3:30PM PT/6:30PM ET Unlearning Ableism for Educators Register www.bit.ly/riseaug The workshop is scheduled for 2 hours with a brief break included and will be recorded. A copy of the recording and slides will be sent out to all registered...

I am excited to announce a special edition, free pop-up workshop for July! Register for Affirmation Hour by clicking here . Everyone will find something for them during Affirmation Hour - show up as you are, and bring your children if you'd like! Please invite other folks to join us for this meaningful time together. July 22nd at 11am PT/2pm ET. Visit Rise to Resilience for more information and events. Image description: a gray background with bright blue text that reads POP UP WORKSHOP...

I am a member of Done for DiDi: White Labor Collective - an international direct giving collective instructed by Black women and non-men organizers and executed by a network of white labor. We are redistributing white wealth - money, land, time, skills, and resources - to Black women and non-men. I’m sharing with your group the opportunity to participate and amplify an incredible campaign called 40 Acres and a School. The project is led by DiDi Delgado and Black Marginalized Genders (MaGes).

Tonight's recording is available now! Unlearning Ableism for Educators: https://youtu.be/xE1phucI-VY You can find more about Rise to Resilience at www.risetoresilience.org. Follow on Facebook and Instagram to learn of future content!

Originally published on Rise to Resilience on June 6th. Last week in one of the preschool-related Facebook groups I was in (and subsequently was kicked out of for challenging homophobia and transphobia), there was a post asking if people celebrate Pride Month in their classrooms, and if so, what they do. Cue a flood of teachers expressing their significant opposition for such inclusion, including ones who claimed to be allies. Motivated by this, I decided I would start...

Registration for the June Rise to Resilience workshop Unlearning Ableism for Educators is now available! In this workshop, we will dive into what ableism is, how it manifests within classrooms and the education system, and identify ways to challenge ableism in our practices. Register here: www.bit.ly/risejune You can watch past workshop recordings by clicking here and learn more about Rise to Resilience on the website www.risetoresilience.org. Image Description: A light pink background with...

Join Melissa McPheeters of Rise to Resilience with special guest and parent, Janise Cross, for this interactive workshop! Click here to register! Schedule: During this 3-hour interactive workshop, Melissa and Janise will facilitate a presentation, time for personal reflection, and voluntary activities to solidify learning and growth among participants. Two fifteen minute breaks are provided. There is no expectation that you have your camera to participate. We encourage you to show up in...

The Rise to Resilience May workshop registration is now available! Our topic is Trauma-Informed Care for School Leaders. In this workshop, learn how to integrate practices of trauma-informed care within policy and practice as school leaders. Click here to register! You can join the Rise to Resilience Community Group on Facebook and help select future topics! Follow the page on Facebook and Instagram . Image Description: A blue-green background with flowers and leaves in a border on the right...

Registration is available for the April workshop, Dismantling White Supremacy in the Classroom - Virtual and In-Person. Register at http://bit.ly/riseapril For full transparency: the workshop will be led by myself, a white person, and will reference content from Black and Brown sources. I will compensate sources for their labor to the greatest extent that I can. The workshop is scheduled for 1.5 hours with a five minute break included and will be recorded. A copy of the recording and slides...

Originally posted on Rise to Resilience. "Change is the end result of all true learning." - Leo Buscaglia I first learned of the triune, or three-part, model of the brain when researching Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resilience which became the original Rise to Resilience presentation. Since then, I encountered the triune brain model regularly: Conscious Discipline uses it as a foundational concept. Dr. Dan Siegel's Hand Model of the Brain and the "flipping your lid" analogy. And in...

By Leona LaForce My bio indicates that I was in the Christian church for over 30 years. The US, patriarchal, evangelical, Republican, anti-choice, anti-LGBTQ, anti-etc church. I am really unclear how I got out of that place, but now that I have, I’m extremely aware of the rampant emotional, psychological, and spiritual abuse that is accepted and promoted in the church. Promoted as god’s will, of course, and supported by cherry-picked scripture. I ran up against some spiritual abuse this week...

This was originally posted on my Rise to Resilience blog on March 17th. You can view that post on my blog here , as well as see the newest post that answered "what is the opposite of power and control?" (The answer: personal responsibility and empowerment.) Survival sometimes means not responding to oppressive behavior directly. To do so could result in physical harm to oneself, even death." - Beverly Daniel Tatum Some folks close to me are aware of what I have been experiencing at work over...

"We're a nation that needs hope and healing" - Alfred White Are you someone who has experienced adversity in your life such as addiction, chronic stress, homelessness, incarceration, or other trauma? On March 28th, listen in on a Conversation with Dr. Veronique Mead on Sunday Nights with Alfred White: Real Talk Health and Wellness for the BIPOC Community. Dr. Mead is the founder of Chronic Illness Trauma Studies and her work has been life-saving for Alfred's health. Join us on TLOEP's...

Just TWO WEEKS away! The March free, interactive workshop will help teachers and caregivers explore strategies to advocate for trauma-informed care practices at their school. Join me on March 17th at 4pm PT/7pm ET for this workshop! Based on past participant feedback, the workshop is scheduled for 1.5 hours. A certificate of completion for the workshop is available upon request. The workshop will be recorded and sent out to all registrants. Register at http://bit.ly/risemar21 . You can find...

Join Alfred White, founder and owner of The League of Extraordinary People, on Sunday nights for real talk about health and wellness for the BIPOC Community! Learn about how to heal from trauma, adversity, and chronic stress. Alfred will be going LIVE on the TLOEP Facebook page ! Here is the link to the Facebook and Instagram . On March 7th, Alfred will introduce viewers to TLOEP and our guiding principles. On March 14th, Alfred will lead viewers in an exploration of The Set Up: Living with...

The February workshop recording from last week is available now for Trauma-Responsive Practices During Distance Learning! You can watch it by clicking here . Learn more about Rise to Resilience on the website by clicking here and access our additional social media links here .

The League of Extraordinary People is excited to share the recording from today's Town Hall! You can watch it by clicking here . The Town Hall was led by our Founder, Alfred White. You can find Alfred and more of our work online!

Inspired by last weekend's blog post I wrote on Rise to Resilience, They Are Human, Too , I decided to create a campaign called Keep Community. Over the next month, I hope to collect $1000 to donate $500 towards the Tacoma Mutual Aid Collective who does incredible work in the local community. The other $500 will go towards creating care packages for unhoused individuals in Pierce County (Washington state). These packages will include items such as: cloth and single-use masks, hand sanitizer,...

The League of Extraordinary People is excited to announce the free, February Town Hall! This town hall's topic is Adverse Childhood Relationship Experiences: The Connection Between Child Development and Chronic Illness. Reserve your spot at www.bit.ly/tloepfeb You can find more information about TLOEP at www.tloep.org! Alfred White is the founder of The League of Extraordinary People. After nearly 38 years of experiencing homelessness, Alfred swallowed a 1/4 ounce of crack cocaine in 2004...

Click here to watch the recording of Supporting Early Learning Students Remotely: Implementing Relationship-Based Strategies During COVID-19. This presentation was offered from Rise to Resilience. Rise to Resilience was created to support individuals and organizations primarily within the education field, as well as others who serve children and families in varying capacities. For more information, visit www.risetoresilience.org and follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/resiliencetogether.

Join us for a deep dive into Tian Dayton's book Emotional Sobriety. We will utilize both the book and workbook - available online for ordering - for this long-term Continuum of Care series. Starting in November 2020 , we will read one chapter a month. TLOEP Founder, Licensed Mental Health Therapist, and Subject Matter Expert, Alfred White, will lead us in discussion asynchronously on our Facebook TLOEP Book Club group and in once-a-month live conversations. You can expect to experience a...

Wanted to announce that the recording is available from Wednesday's Rebooting Your Emotional Sobriety event hosted by The League of Extraordinary People and Emerge Thriving! You can access the recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFMRWNpL0Ls I have included the attachments with the PowerPoint slides and the resource for Setting Up Your Healing Network by Tian Dayton. We welcome feedback and inquiries! You can find more info on The League of Extraordinary People at www.tloep.org.

If you missed The League of Extraordinary People's first Town Hall, or would like to watch it again, it is available here ! Health and Wellness Town Hall: Adverse Childhood Experiences 101 Class How ACEs Impact the Black, Brown, Indigenous, and other Communities of Color This event will be led by Alfred White. Alfred is the founder of The League of Extraordinary People. After nearly 40 years experiencing homelessness, Alfred swallowed a 1/4 ounce of crack cocaine in 2004 and nearly died. He...

Health and Wellness Town Hall - August 5th, 2020 3-4:30PM PDT Adverse Childhood Experiences 101 Class How ACEs Impact the Black, Brown, Indigenous, and other Communities of Color This event will be led by Alfred White. Alfred is the founder of The League of Extraordinary People. After nearly 40 years experiencing homelessness, Alfred swallowed a 1/4 ounce of crack cocaine in 2004 and nearly died. He awoke paralyzed and that is when he made the decision to seek help for his history of...

If you’re anything like me, the last few weeks have been tumultuous and anxiety-ridden. As we experience this trauma collectively, we are also becoming more connected collectively than ever before. I have had the opportunity to be “in” meetings with individuals from across the US and globally – people I likely never would have encountered had it not been for the current pandemic. With these people, I have learned about virtual meetings, taken deep breaths together, and I even did a qigong...

You are extraordinary. Writing this post feels like I have come full circle. In April of 2019, Alfred White reached out to me on ACEs Connection. Shortly after, we spoke at length about the plans he had to create a place of healing and hope in Federal Way and King County, Washington, specifically for individuals with a history of trauma and who were now impacted with symptoms such as addiction and homelessness. I recall sharing with Alfred that there was such a need for this in that...