Blog

New!! 48-HOUR HISTORICAL TRAUMA SPECIALIST CERTIFICATION in collaboration with THE INTERNATIONAL HISTORICAL TRAUMA ASSOCIATION We are the only entity offering a comprehensive, 48-hour Historical Trauma Specialist Certification Program. The Program is broken into 6 levels and is built on a foundation of BIPOC cultures and neurobiology. It is taught from a multicultural perspective, injecting traditions and ideology from various cultures from around the world. In this inclusive study we rely...

Trauma-informed leadership is crucial if you want to accomplish trauma-informed change in your organization. Here’s some expert advice on how you can become a trauma-informed leader. 1. Acknowledge that cultural change is just as important as technical change Our problem-solving brains often focus on technical change when we talk about organizational change. We ask, “ What processes can we put in place to prevent this issue?” when we should ask, “What cultural norms are contributing to this...

NOT TOO LATE FOR COHORT 1!! Also registering for COHORT 2!! New!! 48-HOUR HISTORICAL TRAUMA SPECIALIST CERTIFICATION in collaboration with THE INTERNATIONAL HISTORICAL TRAUMA ASSOCIATION We are the only entity offering a comprehensive, 48-hour Historical Trauma Specialist Certification Program. The Program is broken into 6 levels and is built on a foundation of BIPOC cultures and neurobiology. It is taught from a multicultural perspective, injecting traditions and ideology from various...

Kayden Phoenix's A La Brava superhero team, whose motto is "Dream big, mija." (A La Brava comics) Author: To read Mandalit del Barco's article, please click here. In the multiverse of superheroes, some comic book and graphic novel creators are using Latina characters to challenge real-life issues. New Yorker Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez created La Borinqueña, a Puerto Rican superhero who crusades for issues affecting the Caribbean island – including climate change, economic displacement,...

When we consider the high numbers of children that are sexually abused it is disappointing how little is out there to support parents in prevention efforts. Although Erin’s Law has brought Sexual Abuse Prevention to many children in the school setting, parents are still often at a loss as to how to talk to their children about this difficult topic. As a therapist who has specialized in treating child sexual abuse for twenty years, I have crossed paths with thousands of children and families...

By Elaine Miller-Karas MSW, LCSW Building Resiliency to Trauma Psychology Today, September 30, 2022 Mental health can suffer after extreme climate events. KEY POINTS Mental health conditions exacerbated by natural disasters include post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. After a disaster, the number of people needing assistance from the mental health systems strains or exceeds community capacity. There are simple strategies helpers can use to help survivors restore...

Hi again, we hope you are enjoying your week. A research article by Yingying Su and colleagues on adverse childhood experiences published in the National Library of Medicine links childhood maltreatment with mental health challenges such as major depressive episode, generalized anxiety disorder and suicide ideation. From the abstract, the researchers found that both coping strategies and social support mediated the link between childhood maltreatment and the aforementioned mental health...

Hi everyone, with the recent devastation faced in the Caribbean and parts of the USA from Hurricane Ian, it's timely for us to highlight that extreme climate events can negatively impact the mental health of survivors. The article linked to below was written by Elaine Miller-Karas MSW, LCSW and published in Psychology Today on 30 September 2022. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/building-resiliency-trauma/202209/how-help-survivors-extreme-climate-events For us in the Caribbean, in...

Happy Friday everyone! We trust the week has been good to you all. As we approach the weekend, there is some research we would like to share with you. It is published by Dylan B. Jackson, PhD et al in the publication of the American Academy of Pediatrics. "Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are prevalent in the population and yield several adverse consequences for child health and development as they accumulate. The objective of the current study is to examine the association between ACEs...

By Rachel Zimmerman, Illustration: Washington Post illustration/Unsplash, The Washington Post, September 20, 2022 In a nod to the nation’s pressing mental health crisis, an influential group of medical experts for the first time is recommending that adults under age 65 get screened for anxiety. The draft recommendations, from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force , are designed to help primary care clinicians identify early signs of anxiety during routine care, using questionnaires and...

By Gretchen Reynolds, Photograph: Jamal Jordan for The Washington Post, The Washington Post, September 14, 2022 Working out for 30 minutes every day “might not be enough” to counter the health issues created by prolonged sitting, said the author of a sweeping new study Are you an active couch potato? Take this two-question quiz to find out: Did you work out for 30 minutes today? Did you spend the rest of the day staring at your computer and then settle in front of the television at night? If...

Brains aren’t just formed and its structure for development in early childhood is determined by more than just our genes, they are also built based on our experiences. Early childhood experiences can affect the development and physical architecture of our brain, which provides the foundation for future learning, behavior and health. Think about building something that will last through time. We would usually focus on a strong foundation and connect the rest of the structure from that...