The Surviving Spirit Newsletter June 2021

Michael Skinner 6/27/218:26 AM

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 June 2021

http://newsletters.survivingsp...letter_June_2021.pdf

Hi folks,

June is NATIONAL PTSD AWARENESS MONTH

I thought I would share a few of the resources that have helped me in my healing journey. Despite the many years I have dedicated myself to learning all that I can about the impact of trauma, abuse and mental health injuries upon the mind, body and spirit...I still find it beneficial to go back and re-listen to a podcast, re-visit a website, re-read a blog or a book and continue to look for new resources to aid in my quest of healing and building new neural pathways and connections in my head.

I have joy, peace and love in my life now and it is important for me to continually learn and grow to maintain my health and spiritual well-being. I suspect this is a lifetime adventure and endeavor – but the reward is worth my efforts and time spent.

These resources are just a small sampling of the many I have studied through the years. And I know that this list falls short of the many great resources out there for all of us in healing the traumas, hurts and losses of our lives.

1] Toxic Parents: Overcoming Their Hurtful Legacy and Reclaiming Your Life by Susan Forward

2] Healing Invisible Wounds: Paths to Hope and Recovery in a Violent World: Richard Mollica

3] Journey Through Trauma: A Trail Guide to the 5-Phase Cycle of Healing Repeated Trauma by Gretchen L. Schmelzer

4] Childhood Disrupted - How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology And How You Can Heal by Donna Jackson Nakazawa

5] Trust After Trauma: A Guide to Relationships for Survivors and Those Who Love Them by Aphrodite T. Matsakis

6] Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving by Pete Walker

7] The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk

8] In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts - Close Encounters with Addiction by Gabor Maté

9] Neurobiology of Trauma & Sexual Assault - Jim Hopper – YouTube

10] SAMHSA's Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach

Please know, that many of the above have their own websites and blogs sharing all kinds of helpful healing knowledge.

June is also Pride Month and here's A Proclamation on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Pride Month, 2021 - The White House

“Advocates are like turtles, Hard on the outside, Soft on the inside. We make progress slowly And only by sticking our necks out.” - Moneer Zarou

Newsletter Contents:

1] Sam’s Story – 603Stories @ 603Stories – Make Connections. Get Help. Find Hope.

2] People with depression can sometimes experience memory problems – here's why @ The Conversation - Academic rigor, journalistic flair

3] Two children lost loved ones to gun violence. They're now each other's 'safe haven' – PBS News-Hour @ YouTube

3a] Ohio creates new training so that teachers, police officers, can support children dealing with trauma

by WLWT Digital Staff

4] Transforming Trauma: The Path to Hope and Healing by James S. Gordon M.D.

4a] The Center for Mind-Body Medicine - the world’s leader in successfully addressing population-wide psychological trauma

5] A Burn Survivor’s Triumph over Trauma By Heather Stephenson @ Tufts Now

5a] Lise Deguire, Author of Flashback Girl

6] How Much Time Should You Spend Outside According to Michael Easter @ Men's Health

7] Beautifully Paired: Promoting Mental Health Through Arts and Education By Lorelei Goff Accent Editor of The Greeneville Sun

8] Leader of Baltimore's effort to address trauma knows the issues firsthand – YouTube

9] Help at the intersection of homelessness and family violence By Kelly White and Julia Spann @ The Austin American-Statesman – Your Voice-Opinion Section

10] New Jersey's 'Black Fairy Godmother' is distributing Covid relief one DM at a time by By Dartunorro Clark @ NBC News

11] Conferences & Webinars:

12] “Ritual Abuse Survivors Read Their Poems of Suffering and Healing” - Free online RA/MC Poetry Reading - Saturday, July 10, 2021, 4-6 PM Pacific Time

“Telling thoughtful truths should not be a revolutionary act. Speaking truths to power should not be sacrificial, but they are. But I think if more of us chose to do this for the greater good, we’d be in better spaces than we are right now.” - Luvvie Jones

http://newsletters.survivingsp...letter_June_2021.pdf

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Michael SkinnerMember

@Carey Sipp posted:
Agree on so many of these resources. The ones I don’t know? I will check them out as I make time.

Thanks for your work and lists and your ongoing sharing about tying together how the arts are vitally important to healing trauma. For many of us they are a path in, a joyful expression of finding the love we had from “helpers” we may have forgotten. That’s one of the reasons why it is so important to get the arts back into schools where the arts and sports have been cut due to funding or other reasons related to “upping test scores.”
Denying kids movement and artistic expression is cruel and trauma-evoking. Having a safe, stable, nurturing school environment, at least, where kids can move and find their talents, find release and connection and proof of acceptance for who they are is so healing. I hope some of the education funds from the American Rescue Plan Act will be sought by PACEs Connection communities and members to deliver healing and joy through the arts and movement, among other methods.
Peace and thank you!

Hello Carey,

You are welcome!

I agree wholeheartedly with you in the harm caused by cutting the creative arts and sports from schools - makes no sense. Everyone needs these types of outlets. Having these in place will increase the testing scores.

Take care, Michael

6/28/216:51 PM

Carey SippFormer Director of Strategic Partnerships

Agree on so many of these resources. The ones I don’t know? I will check them out as I make time.

Thanks for your work and lists and your ongoing sharing about tying together how the arts are vitally important to healing trauma. For many of us they are a path in, a joyful expression of finding the love we had from “helpers” we may have forgotten. That’s one of the reasons why it is so important to get the arts back into schools where the arts and sports have been cut due to funding or other reasons related to “upping test scores.”

Denying kids movement and artistic expression is cruel and trauma-evoking. Having a safe, stable, nurturing school environment, at least, where kids can move and find their talents, find release and connection and proof of acceptance for who they are is so healing. I hope some of the education funds from the American Rescue Plan Act will be sought by PACEs Connection communities and members to deliver healing and joy through the arts and movement, among other methods.

Peace and thank you!

6/28/218:21 AM

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