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I am a donor to ACEs Connection, because I truly believe we are creating a culture of connection and support together. It takes all of us to do this important work and appreciate the network for sharing best practices and encouraging each other during regular webinars. Thank you!!! #culture #leadership #network #mentalhealth #trauma #wellbeing #resilience #mentalhealthawareness #community

Life is not easy for most people. And the comparisons that we tend to make to justify the things that happen to us is entirely unfair. Look, no one deserves to experience abuse at all. But, we often invalidate our own experience when we point towards others and say they had it worse. It’s easy to do that. I have been there. It’s much easier to say it wasn’t that bad than to say it was a terrible experience that shaped a huge part of who I am, and that I have to struggle daily to create a...

I think this PDF will help. It allows adults and children to name their feelings so they can tame them. Right priced. Good for families and schools and anyone who is struggling to try to ascertain just what they are feeling now. And, we know, as the PDF shares, that for every negative feeling, we would be wise to identify three positive ones. Stay safe and be well. I hope this resource helps families through the holidays... this one and the next (and it can be done remotely and in person). ...

"The magnitude of the problem is so enormous and treatment approaches are so difficult and costly that you can spend the rest of your life becoming the next Mother Teresa or Albert Schweitzer and you'll be so busy helping people that you'll never notice you're just nibbling at the edges of the problem leaving the vast bulk unrecognized and untouched. So if anything meaningful is to come out of this it's going to be coming out of what we call primary prevention..." Dr. Vincent Felitti...

Each day from Thanksgiving until Christmas, hear the voices of male survivors of childhood, adolescent or adult sexual abuse share their stories of hurt, pain, joy and triumph as they heal from the aftermath of betrayal and trauma. You are not alone https://www.safeplaceformen.com/30days Thank you Thomas! Honored to help kick this series off – gifts of healing. Take care, Michael Skinner https://safeplaceformen.podbean.com/ www.safeplaceformen.com #safeplaceformen #malesexualabuserecovery

Schools re-opening seems impossible for next 3-4 months in most of big towns. Read this article and find out how you can help your child to learn from home!

There is power in standing up for yourself and sticking to your personal boundaries regarding how you participate in life as a trauma survivor. I hate the constant barrage of showing up because of obligation. Fuck that. I mean, when I think about the fact that people will shame you over not doing something that you don’t want to do, I get irate. I think about how many times in our lives that we are put in the position of showing up due to social constructs, and I want to smash my face into...

While serving as a Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Mississippi, I first learned about the concept of "adverse childhood experiences" through a newspaper article. But when I wanted to learn more, I wasn't sure where to turn. After lots of research and trial and error, I found these resources to be some of the best. (Yes, ACESConnection is on the list!) I'm convinced EVERY leader needs to be trauma informed. While there is significant focus on helping children overcome their adversity,...

Do you know anyone who thinks the Earth is actually flat? I'm not sure why that question occurred to me. Perhaps, I was looking for a unique or different way to talk about trauma-informed leadership. Don't laugh too hard! Stay with me for a minute, please. If you asked a random person if they had ever heard that centuries ago people thought the Earth was flat, I'm going to guess they will say, "Yes." In fact, some people still do! Not sure about that? Ever heard that people thought...

For almost thirty years, our family hosted Thanksgiving that included extended family and friends. My kids would laugh at me when I insisted on setting the Thanksgiving table a week before the holiday. It was a joyful time in our household and evokes the sweetest memories for me of our close-knit family that has now grown up. I began hosting Thanksgiving when I was in college. The tradition started one year when my parents and younger sister headed to Florida for a long Thanksgiving weekend,...

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