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In our over-stressed world, many health care providers, social workers, and caregivers are suffering from slow yet painful burnout. Many of the rest of us, working long hours and raising families, seem to be approaching burnout, too. Sometimes we may feel that we’re too exhausted to keep giving to others, even though giving is a primary source of happiness in our lives. So how can we keep giving without burning out? We’re told that self-care is the answer: Give yourself a treat; you deserve...

What happens when we feel empathy for another person? What are you feeling when that chronically anxious student sinks further into his chair or your teenage girl sobs through her closed bedroom door? Empathy, or the capacity to “feel with” and share others’ emotions, can be a beautiful gift that connects us with each other. Yet it can also feel heart-wrenching and even unbearable at times. Researchers tell us that our initial empathic responses can shift in one of two directions—toward...

In 2001, a nonprofit drug treatment provider called Bridges joined a bold new venture with the Sacramento County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). It was aimed at better serving the children of parents who had come into contact with the child welfare system because of drug use or addiction. The resulting Specialized Treatment and Recovery Services (STARS) program would sit at the center of the county’s family drug court, developed to help address Sacramento’s dismal...

In 13 counties across the U.S., Americans can now expect to die younger than their parents did. And the eight counties with the largest declines in life expectancy since 1980 are all in the state of Kentucky. That’s according to a new study out Monday in the journal JAMA: Internal Medicine , for which researchers examined geographic changes and inequality in life expectancy across the U.S. [For more of this story, written by Olga Khazan, go to ...

If you want to have some input about how ACEs affect chronic pain, you may want to participate in some part of this day-long webinar. You can register here . Here are some studies that link childhood adversity with chronic pain: Finestone, H.M., Stenn, P., Devies, F., Stalker, C., Fry, R., Koumanis, J. (2000). Chronic pain and healthcare utilization in women with a history of childhood sexual abuse. Child Abuse and Neglect , 24, 547-556. Van Houdenhove B . Assessing adverse childhood...

Today would have been my Mom’s 76th birthday. Mom died eight months ago after a 50+ year battle with the grave disease of addiction and, in her later years, significant mental health issues. Here's what my mom's addiction taught me about shame, resilience, and grace: https://traumainformedlancaster.wordpress.com/2017/05/07/what-my-moms-addiction-taught-me-about-shame-resilience-and-grace/

Education scholar Gloria Ladson-Billings: In the black community, "There is no 'P' in our PTSD"

Dr. McCaw describes the genesis and evolution of Kaiser Permanente's Family Violence Prevention Program

Low-income kids face language-learning obstacles at home and at school, a new study contends. "Children may go from a home with limited physical and psychological resources for learning and language to a school with similar constraints, resulting in a double dose of disadvantage," said study lead author Susan Neuman. She is a professor of childhood and literacy education at New York University. Neuman and her colleagues followed 70 Michigan kindergarteners. Half lived in poor areas in...

A child bullied in fifth grade is more likely to show signs of depression in seventh grade, and abuse substances like alcohol, marijuana or tobacco in 10th grade, researchers say. Their study of more than 4,000 kids in Los Angeles, Houston and Birmingham, Ala., suggests a dangerous trajectory between not-uncommon childhood abuse and worrisome behavior in high school. "Our study suggests that it's important to take peer victimization seriously," said study co-author Valerie Earnshaw. She's an...

The Los Angeles County Office of Education boasts that scores of young people who were at risk of dropping out of high school get their high school diplomas or their GED credentials while they’re in LA County’s juvenile probation camps each year. It’s a monumental and pivotal moment for students who often have fallen behind in school and so might not expect such an accomplishment. But what follows may be a letdown for the students who are so proud of their achievements. [For more of this...

Hi Everyone: Tomorrow is the first in our live chat series the second Tuesday of every month. The guest is Beth O'Malley . We'll be chatting about how to talk about tough topics with kids . All are welcome to join. Here's the when, where and how-to join in. Hope Feel free to share this post or attached flyer. Cissy Parenting with ACEs / Monthly Chat Series When: 2nd Tuesday of the Month @ 10AM PST / 1PM EST Where : Online / Parenting with ACEs Group, ACEs Connection How: See below. If You’re...