Hi folks, I am a musician, writer and an advocate addressing the impact of trauma, abuse and mental health challenges & injuries. I believe there is Hope, Healing & Help for all of us who have been affected. My aim is to share resources and lessons I have learned of how trauma, abuse and the challenges of mental health have consequences for not only us as individuals but our families, friends, colleagues and society. I am not a doctor or a therapist - but I have the lived experience...

Hi Folks, The month of May recognizes Mental Health Awareness and National Trauma Awareness The May Surviving Spirit Newsletter - sharing Hope and Healing Resources for Trauma, Abuse & Mental Health is posted at the website - http://newsletters.survivingspirit.com/index.php It can be read online via - http://newsletters.survivingspirit.com/pdfs/2022-05-The_Surviving_Spirit_Newsletter_May_2022.pdf or this - http://ml.survivingspirit.com/dada/mail.cgi/archive/newsletter/20220501202915/ To...

The Lakota storytelling of “Thunderous” seeks to honor Indigenous traditions. While Japanese graphic novels have been popular for decades, a new wave of comic stories from around the world, focused on a variety of cultures — India, Australia, all across South America — are coming out of small and medium-sized publishing houses. That environment has given a new Native American-centered, young-adult graphic novel called “Thunderous,” by two Montana writers, an opportunity to reach a wider...

The month of May recognizes Mental Health Awareness and National Trauma Awareness. On that note, I'd like to share a few resources that I had the honor of participating with that address trauma, abuse and mental health. The Brave and Unbroken Podcast is brand new – recorded in March and aired in April. The other two resources are video clips shared at my You Tube Channel. Please note, I am currently working on my You Tube Channel to share more resources, music and conversation – I have...

“ Pirates” - A song I wrote about facing adversity - the 'pirates' in our lives & the journey[s] we embark upon - we are resilient & resourceful. Please do click the Subscribe & Bell button to my You Tube channel - more songs and ' lessons learned ' about healing from Trauma, Abuse and Mental Health to be shared very soon. Thank you, Michael Pirates - Live at the River Ledge - YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us6ucfwRAtA “ PIRATES” © Michael Skinner Walking down to the...

From The Authors Guild, April 2022 The Authors Guild is excited to launch our new virtual Banned Books Club on social reading app Fable. Each month the Authors Guild Banned Books Club will present a different work of fiction or nonfiction recently barred in one or more U.S. school districts or states. Participating readers can log on to Fable anytime during that month to access the moderated book discussion, including valuable resources to help them get the most out of the reading...

In her new book, An Abolitionist’s Handbook: 12 Steps to Changing Yourself and the World , Patrisse Cullors starts with courageous conversations. She says, “We have courageous conversations because our goal is to live inside of a healthy community that values the dignity of every single human being.” These conversations typically arise out of our lived experiences. They are conversations we have because we care. They are conversations that first start with us. Through Cullors’ own story, she...

Spending time in nature, or “ecotherapy,” is increasingly recognized as a helpful therapy for people suffering from PTSD. It’s a path to recovery that Cindy Ross promotes in her new book, Walking Toward Peace: Veterans Healing on America’s Trails . She profiles former soldiers who suffer from depression, guilt, nightmares, and hypervigilance as a result of their damaging experience in war. Regaining equilibrium in civilian life is yet another battle for these wounded warriors, sweated out on...

By Renee Menart, Photo: Rob Marmion/Shutterstock, Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, April 1, 2022 Children’s books centered on characters involved in the justice system can support kids with incarcerated parents and offer a compassionate window into this experience for broad young audiences. Incarceration is harmful not only to people held in confinement but to the health of their children , who, for example, may experience post-traumatic stress from witnessing a parent’s arrest or...

Healing the Mind, Body & Spirit 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 April 2022 Hi Folks, The latest edition of the Surviving Spirit Newsletter - sharing Hope and Healing Resources for Trauma, Abuse & Mental Health is posted online -...

Hey folks, A little blast from the past, but still relevant today - Honored to be part of the Survivor Stories event hosted by Michael Broussard of Ask a Survivor. Performing two songs of mine and sharing the back story to their creation - "Songs For The Keys To Your Life" and "When Your Heart Follows A Lie" The songs encapsulate some of the many feelings, thoughts and lessons learned about the impact of trauma, abuse and mental health injuries which I get to talk about in the Q & A.

We’ve been led to believe that when we get sick, it’s our genetics. Or it’s just bad luck — and doctors alone hold the keys to optimal health. Therefore when Dr. Lissa Rankin’s own health started to suffer, she turned to Western medical treatments, but what she found was that they not only failed to help; they made her worse. So she decided to take matters into her own hands. Through her research, Dr. Rankin discovered that the health care she had been taught to practice was missing...