Tagged With "peer support"
Comment
Re: What’s Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness? [Mindful Leader]
GREAT article. Love this: " At the same time, I believe we can do better. Mindfulness doesn’t need to work for everyone, but I’m convinced that certain modifications can help support survivors—at the very least ensuring that they are not re-traumatizing themselves in practice. For those of us offering mindfulness in workplaces, or other institutions, this is a competency we can develop to help make us more effective." I really believe this isn't done enough (in yoga classes, schools etc.
Comment
Re: Put down the self-help books. Resilience is not a DIY endeavour (theglobeandmail.com)
This notion that resilience requires community and social support beyond what we can do individually seems to be getting a lot more press lately. While it seems that ACEs are at the root of so many social and physical ills, it's often lack of social and community support for all people that is at the root of ACEs. Thanks for sharing this, Cheryl.
Comment
Re: Put down the self-help books. Resilience is not a DIY endeavour (theglobeandmail.com)
Thanks, Laura, this is so true in my case. Now that my son is an adult and is supporting me, I am healing at a phenomenal rate. Love and support is the healing balm. But then if we had that in our childhoods, there wouldn't be any mental illness - at least not at the level, we have now.
Comment
Re: Put down the self-help books. Resilience is not a DIY endeavour (theglobeandmail.com)
Cheryl, I'm so happy to hear that your son is giving you the support you've needed for so long. I also believe that childhood trauma is the cause of most if not all mental illness -- and that's ANOTHER idea that is getting a lot of press lately. It seems the tide is turning favorably. Let us brace ourselves for the inevitable backlash .
Comment
Re: Mindfulness Stress Reduction Techniques for Healing
Such helpful suggestions. I enjoy knowing there's scientific evidence to back up the techniques too (although I've nothing against anecdotal support). I tried the 3-Part breath and was surprised at how different it felt from the usual slow and steady inhalation. Must be something about the mindful focus on where in the lungs the breath is during the breathing process, I'm guessing. Thanks so much, Jen, for sharing this here.
Comment
Re: Secondary Traumatic Stress for Educators: Understanding and Mitigating the Effects [KQED]
Thanks for posting this here, Mai Le. As our society becomes more trauma-aware/informed and as more of us take on the role of supporting children and others who've experienced trauma, it's imperative we have a plan in place to support those at risk of secondary trauma, or we will have a whole other problem on our hands that could contribute to perpetuating the trauma cycle. Glad to see you also shared this in the ACEs in Education community too!
![Trauma Informed Care Champions: From Treaters to Healers [4 min — CHCS]](https://www.pacesconnection.com/g/practicing-resilience/fileSendAction/fcType/5/fcOid/480387610007073306/primaryPicture/true/fodoid/480387610007073321/imageType/LARGE_SQUARE_THUMBNAIL/inlineImage/true/thumbnail.jpg "Trauma Informed Care Champions: From Treaters to Healers [4 min — CHCS]")
Comment
Re: The House of Mourning (www.themoth.org)
We don't trust children to be able to handle, with gentle, loving guidance and support, the toughest that life dishes out--such as, in the story in this podcast, a young friend's tragic death--nor do we trust adults to be able to do the same. Much more suffering results from that lack of trust, that handling with kid gloves, so to speak, than of facing and acknowledging what has happened. I suspect most ACEs/trauma survivors feel a lot of relief at finally being able to name what has...
Comment
Re: Self-Care, Self-Compassion slideset.pdf
Dana: This is such a gift. I'm so glad you shared it here. It's so visually beatiful and I love that the links direct to music, etc. What inspiration, support, beauty and healing. BEAUTIFUL! Thank you for sharing this here!!!! Cis
Comment
Re: ACEs Connection's Inclusion Tool makes sure nobody's left out
It's exciting to see ACN at the forefront of developing tools and resources that will support communities in doing work that may eventually allow "resilience" efforts to take a back seat to substantive systemic changes that improve the conditions that allow ACEs to occur in the first place. Thanks for sharing this hopeful news here, Ingrid.
Comment
Re: you are one of the cool kids
There is much research showing that a sense of connection to others is crucial to well-being, maybe more important than just about any other factor. @Morgan Vien has posted to this group about that topic several times. And one common effect of childhood trauma is a sense of disconnect, which can and often does lead to self-isolation in adulthood. A finding that's emerged from studies on what helps children bounce back and thrive after trauma is that in many cases, a caring adult in that...
Comment
Re: Real Resilience is now a PODCAST
Crystal, So sorry to hear that you have pushed yourself to the point of secondary trauma and compassion fatigue, but that is what we sometimes do when driven by a passion to make a real difference in the lives of people who are in dire need of support. It's clear from the video that you are deeply committed to the work that you do and the women you do it for. I hope that as you continue to give so much of yourself to the women of your community with incarcerated loved ones that you will take...
Blog Post
The Adult I Needed (Part 1 of 2) [thismustbenormal.wordpress.com]
There’s a wisdom-y nugget that gets bandied about these days that goes something like this: be the adult you needed as a kid. I don’t know who said it first. I could invoke my magical former librarian powers and confirm attribution and the exact quotation by consulting authoritative sources, but that sounds like work. Plus, I’ve a hunch it might confirm nothing more than that, just as to my knowledge no one has yet proved that Margaret Mead said that one thing about never doubting yadda...
Blog Post
Free Mindfulness Meditation Workshop May 28 [gotowncrier.com]
By Town-Crier Editor, The Town-Crier, May 12, 2020 The Palm Health Foundation and Palm Beach County Parks & Recreation are presenting a free one-hour online Mindfulness Meditation Workshop led by meditation practitioner and longtime Wellington resident Jill Merrell. The virtual event is in support of May’s Mental Health Awareness and Trauma Informed Care Month and provides to assist residents in finding calm and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. The event will be a live Zoom...
Blog Post
Systems Transformation for the Better Normal: Follow-up Slides and Call Recording
Find in this post the slides from the Systems Transformation Better Normal call, featuring RYSE Youth Center's Associate Director Kanwarpal Dhaliwal. A link to the call recording is also provided.
Blog Post
Mental Health Awareness: When Suffering Is Not an Illness
When I was an adolescent and young adult, I struggled with depression. As I reflect back on that time, so much of what I was experiencing was deeply tied to coming to terms with my sexuality. Growing up in the 1980’s in a relatively conservative town, I was closeted (even to myself) until I was a young adult. The pain and fear of being different, of not belonging, of being judged or rejected for who I was more than my adolescent brain could wrap its conscious head around.
Blog Post
The Adult I Needed (Part 2 of 2) [thismustbenormal.wordpress.com]
When I was ten, my mother remarried. Two weeks later, my new stepfather revealed himself to be an abusive alcoholic with a gun fetish. I’m guessing that the first time he went on a drunken rampage my mother chalked it up to a bad day. Maybe she shook her head and said to herself, “men.” Before long, though, the now well-known cycle of abuse established itself in our household and that was that. Before long, I stopped calling him “Daddy”. It would be three years before my mother could manage...
Blog Post
David Treleaven: Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness Podcasts
Comments from Gail: My colleague Alison Cebulla shared the work of David Treleaven and his work with trauma-sensitive mindfulness, including his new book Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness . I love their mission: Making Mindfulness Safe and Effective for People Who've Experienced Trauma. I include an excerpt from a recent email from him and the group below: Our commitment inside of Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness (TSM) is to provide you with resources that equip you—and by extension anyone you’re...
Blog Post
Mental Health Resources and a Self-Care Illustrative Guide [centerforwellnessandnutrition.org]
From Center for Wellness and Nutrition, May 2020 COVID-19 has changed the way we live our day-to-day lives. With many experiencing uncertainties in jobs, healthcare, and support systems, navigating mental health during these times can also be stressful. As the nation struggles to adjust to a new normal in light of the COVID-19 crisis, mental health is perhaps more important than ever. During May, mental health’s value to overall wellness is highlighted as we observe Mental Health Awareness...
Blog Post
Toxic Stress, ACEs, and Polyvagal Theory
Stress is a normal part of life that no one can fully escape. However, when stress becomes toxic, it can affect our lives in drastic fashions that may change our life’s outcome. Adverse childhood experiences tie into toxic stress and both can cause considerable harm to both children and again when these kids grow to become adults. This article will explore the connection between toxic stress, ACEs, and how understanding them through the polyvagal theory can help us to find ways to defeat...
Blog Post
Collective Trauma Healing Strategies for Educators: Seeds of Hope
Dana Brown, California's ACEs Science Statewide Facilitator, and Tracie Travers , Jobs for Maine's Graduates, JAG Main State Trainer, discuss the importance of acknowledging fear, loss, and vulnerability during the COVID-19 pandemic. It includes: Tips to build resilience Self-care strategies Multiple resources with hyperlinks are provided in this video designed to support school partners and their employees as they support students and communities. Video Link: Collective Trauma Healing...
Blog Post
Reminder: Practicing Resilience in Community recordings available
The past week has been painful, overwhelming, and many other emotions, as the Twin Cities, Minnesota, National, and global communities grapple with the murder of George Floyd, ongoing police brutality, the protests, the uprising, and the institutional, systemic, and interpersonal racism that has been an ongoing trauma for many of our communities. Many of us are working to navigate the balance between engagement, the need for rest and renewal, and care for the community in these moments.
Blog Post
The Neurobiology of Trauma: Somatic Strategies for Resilience
The Neurobiology of Trauma: Somatic Approaches to Resilience By Jennifer Walsh As we have all come to experience over the past several months, trauma is simply a component of the human condition. While it affects both individuals and communities in a variety of ways, we have all experienced difficult, stressful, or even traumatic events over the course of our lifetime. Although social workers have traditionally worked with these vulnerable populations, there are numerous professionals...
Blog Post
Thoughts & Music to share
Thoughts & Music to share - “The final stage of healing is using what happens to you to help other people.” - Gloria Steinem “Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us every day.” – Sally Koch “Take care not to listen to anyone who tells you what you can and can’t be in life.” – Meg Medina
Blog Post
Unbecoming an Armadillo: Recovering from Trauma with EMDR
Unbecoming an Armadillo By: Victoria F. Burns, PhD, LSW Victoriafrances49@gmail.com Instagram: @betesandbites “When you are traumatized, you are basically in a permanent defensive mode” — Gabor Mate I’m sitting across from Meg on her charcoal grey love seat. My forearms are resting on a velvety mustard-yellow throw cushion and I’m holding crescent shaped pulsers in each hand. Meg’s my psychologist; a rare gem who specializes in chronic illness and trauma. Every two weeks, we spend an hour...
Blog Post
Rebecca Lewis Pankratz: Breaking Generational Poverty, Poverty Circles, & Poverty Programs
"A CEs Connection is the curator of incredible hope, healing and possibility. Parents are not the bad guys. Most of us are just kids with ACEs who grew up..." Rebecca Lewis-Pankratz Last Friday, @Rebecca Lewis-Pankratz joined our A Better Normal series to discuss poverty circles and programs. Rebecca is the Director of Learning Centers as Essdack, as well as a poverty consultant, and we met online, via Twitter (her handle is @pOVERty’s Edge. Rebecca is a brilliant speaker, gifted writer, and...
Blog Post
200 hr yoga life skills & teacher training (**Donation based)
Skills and wisdom for creating the best possible experience of life. This program is designed to give you skills and understanding that you can use now AND that will continue to deepen and unfold over time. The curriculum is resilience-focused. What that means in a practical sense is that the starting place is of acknowledgment of the traumas potentially being held by yourself and your students. This allows for these amazing practices to be applied in a way that is most supportive of the...
Blog Post
Asking mental health to take a backseat during the coronavirus pandemic is a dangerous proposition
Understanding and limiting the spread of coronavirus has consumed our focus over the past few months. Physical distancing, child care and school closures, the persistence of masks, hand washing, have been essential steps to help protect each of us from the virus. However, this physical distancing has consequences that we need to talk about: isolation, loneliness, boredom, monotony, stress, anxiety, and fear. Mental health often takes a backseat when physical health is at risk. Health is both...
Blog Post
You Can Reduce the Stress You’re Feeling Right Now!
During these challenging times, it’s normal to be experiencing increased anxiety. Everyone is! And if your baseline is regularly higher in anxiety or hyperarousal , this will feel like even more to you! If you have a past trauma history, you may feel yourself triggered more often than usual. You may not understand what those triggers are yet or where they are coming from. You may just be feeling feelings so big, and those feelings may be familiar to a time in the past you have felt powerless...
Blog Post
Coping with Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic: One-Pager
Coping with Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic: One-Pager
Blog Post
Back-to-School in a Pandemic? Questions, Concerns, and Discussion with School Nurse, Robin Cogan
Robin is a brilliant, passionate, and vocal school nurse with almost two decades of experience as a New Jersey school nurse in the Camden City School District. She is the Legislative Co-Chair for the New Jersey State School Nurses Association and she joined us last week for A Better Normal community discussion about back-to-school (or not) plans families are facing this school year. Robin serves as faculty in the School Nurse Certificate Program at Rutgers University-Camden School of Nursing...
Blog Post
A Better Normal- Education Upended- Creating a Culture of Wellness and Connection with Special Guests from the Meaning Makers Collective
I am SO excited for our next episode, and you should be too! Join us Thursday 8/20 as we welcome our speical guests Judee Fernandez and Michelle Kurta from the Meaning Makers Collective . We will discuss what it takes to create cultures of care and connection in our schools, how to develop a system that supports collective care for staff and prioritizes the wellbeing of adults in school settings. It is gonna be great! Weekly themes include: How do we create physical and psychological safety,...
Comment
Re: Resilience - overcoming our past [talkbusiness.net]
As this article points, positive adult influences and support in the life of a child make all the difference in how that child's life unfolds in the decades to come. As an educator at the high school level myself and as the mother of an elementary school teacher, what troubles me most about the over-the-top emphasis on standardized testing is that it takes away the time teachers can devote to what will matter the most in the long haul - building relationships and caring for their students as...
Blog Post
Special Guests Graham Bodie & Erahm Christopher 8/27/20 12 p.m. PST for A Better Normal/Education Upended
"I have toured the country for the past 10 years to talk to our young people. I’ve learned that the biggest threat to our humanity is not guns, mental illness or our government. It is that everyone is talking and no one is listening. ” Erahm Christopher, The Washington Post Please join us on Thursday, August 27th as we host special guests Erahm Christopher and Graham Bodie to discuss the power of listening as part of our A Better Normal / Education Upended community conversation series.
Blog Post
D J Jaffe and A Culture of Fear by Michael Skinner
Dear Pete, I read your blog post, “Influential Critic D. J. Jaffe Has Died: Remembered As “Bomb Thrower” Who Demanded Mental Illness Reforms” and thought of how he has done so much to hurt those of us labeled “mentally ill”. You considered him a friend, he was anything but for those of us struggling with the challenges of trauma, abuse and mental health concerns. These are some of my thoughts on D.J. Jaffe. He did not have the best interests of people struggling despite all of his rhetoric,...
Blog Post
Introducing the Transform Trauma with ACEs Science Film Festival & Follow-Up Discussions
Transform Trauma with ACEs Sciences Film Festival & Follow-Up Discussions The following weekend watch parties and follow-up discussions are co-hosted by ACEs Connection, The Relentless School Nurse , and The Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy & Practice (CTIPP) . We appreciated the filmmakers for making these films free to watch for our members and for the public programming of PBS. The films we’ll feature are as follows: Portraits of Professional Caregivers Whole People Part 1...
Blog Post
Three simple ways to mitigate stress and practice self-care (medium.com/@ClintonFdn)
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to create anxiety and uneasiness and impact people’s mental health and overall well-being, a Clinton Foundation partner shares her expertise and resilience-building strategies to use during uncertain or challenging times. This blog post was written by Dana Brown, Organizational Liaison, ACEs Connection. Dana is an ACEs Science Statewide Facilitator, and through the organization, Learn4Life, she works within the Trauma-Informed Work Group and Steering...
Blog Post
Building Resilience in These Uncertain Times [American Academy of Pediatrics]
The fear and stress families are experiencing during COVID-19 offers the chance to build lifelong resilience in children and teens. To assist you during this challenging time, the American Academy of Pediatrics is offering this free online-exclusive chapter from Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg’s book, Building Resilience in Children and Teens: Giving Kids Roots and Wings, 4 th edition . The special bonus chapter includes expanded information about building resilience during this pandemic, including...
Blog Post
COVID, ACES, and Radical Self-Care
COVID, ACES and Radical Self-Care Dr. LateshIa Woodley, LPC, NCC & Alexis Kelly, MPA COVID Thursday, March 13, 2020, I woke up thinking I love my life, I have the best job in the world, I get to wake up every day and strive to make a difference in the lives of students and families. Little did I know that a few hours later my life, the lives of my family, and the lives of the families that I serve would forever be changed due to the COVID pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, I was leading...
Blog Post
Connection in Recovery During COVID-19
2020 has been a completely different kind of year for many of us, most notably with the current Coronavirus pandemic. As we have been forced to adapt to the obstacles it has thrown our way, new routines have been established to try to maintain some semblance of normalcy and connection with one another. As it looks like this will be our reality for the foreseeable future, it seems prudent to check in and rehash some of the ways in which we can stay connected— particularly for those of us in...
Blog Post
Learn Skills to Support Your Wellbeing with Mind Matters Now
When The Dibble Institute released our Mind Matters curriculum, instructors in many settings told us they saw its positive impacts in participants, classrooms, families, and communities. Now the content is available in an all-new format known as Mind Matters Now , designed for professionals and caring adults to develop Mind Matters skills on your own schedule! Mind Matters Now is an on-demand, self-directed learning experience. Based on current neuroscience research, the content is designed...
Blog Post
Sarah Peyton discusses her book & leads a guided meditation / Tuesday, Nov. 10th, 2020
I am thrilled to announce that we have a special A Better Normal session which will be part conversation and part meditation practice for those who wish to participate. Our special guest is Sarah Peyton who is the author of Your Resonant Self: Guided Meditations and Exercise to Engage Your Brain’s Capacity for Healing. This event will be held on Tuesday, November 10th, at 12p.m. PST and 3p.m. EST. Registration link:...
Blog Post
New Resource: Coping with Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic One-Pager (English & Spanish!)
English: The California Department of Public Health, Injury and Prevention Branch (CDPH/IVPB) and the California Department of Social Service, Office of Child Abuse Prevention’s (CDSS/OCAP) , Essentials for Childhood (EfC) Initiative , ACEs Connection , and the Yolo County Children’s Alliance have co-created a newly developed resource, “Coping with Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic” in both English and Spanish. This material is intended for Californian families experiencing the severe...
Blog Post
"A Better Normal" Community Discussion: Suicide Awareness and Community Cafes
Join us on Friday November 6, 2020 from noon to 1:00 PST as we come together and join Satya Chandragiri MD, Bonnie O’Hern RN, Denise Proudfoot RN, & Michael Polacek RN for a discussion around the tender issue of suicide. Together we will discuss ways people and providers can support each other and encourage communities to take action to support one another around suicide prevention, crisis intervention, and the layers of culture and structural barriers to care. A special emphasis will be...
Blog Post
Resilience in the Time of COVID -19 [publichealthpost.org]
By Hyeouk Chris Hahm, Kirsten Fleming, and Cindy H. Liu on November 2, 2020 for the Public Health Post Millennials and Generation Z will comprise larger and larger percentages of the workforce in the coming years. Thus, societal functioning will depend on how they emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic. As the world continues to struggle with Covid-19, the mental health of young adults has been extremely important. With the early months of the pandemic leading to the rapid closure of schools and...
Blog Post
New Resource: Coping with Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic One-Pager (English & Spanish!)
English: The California Department of Public Health, Injury and Prevention Branch (CDPH/IVPB) and the California Department of Social Service, Office of Child Abuse Prevention’s (CDSS/OCAP) , Essentials for Childhood (EfC) Initiative , ACEs Connection , and the Yolo County Children’s Alliance have co-created a newly developed resource, “Coping with Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic” in both English and Spanish. This material is intended for Californian families experiencing the severe...