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These three cognitive countermeasures round out the skills for neutralizing shame imprinted in the first 18 years of life. They complement the right brain strategies described in recent articles.

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 July 2022 “ By giving ourselves unconditional kindness and comfort while embracing the human experience, difficult as it is, we avoid destructive patterns of fear, negativity, and isolation.” -...

Full implementation of a trauma-informed approach typically takes three years to accomplish, but many organizations are looking for more manageable solutions that require fewer resources. If you want to implement trauma-informed practices but aren’t ready for full implementation, here are some of the most important aspects of trauma sensitivity training that you can share with your team. Developing a One-Page Resource for Trauma Sensitivity Training Recently a colleague asked for my input on...

By Dana Goldstein and Ava Sasani, Photo: Jamie Kelter Davis, The New York Times, July 16, 2022 She was just 10 years old, so young that many people were horrified when they heard it, and others refused to believe it. But the ordeal of the child rape victim in Ohio who had to cross state lines for an abortion, and the ugly political fight that followed , have highlighted two uncomfortable facts: Such pregnancies are not as rare as people think, and new abortion bans are likely to have a...

By Chris McGreal, Photo: Carlo Allegri/Reuters, The Guardian, July 17, 2022 This might be just another negative news story. And if it is, there is evidence that many of you will turn away in despair. The Reuters Institute revealed last month that 42% of Americans actively avoid the news at least some of the time because it grinds them down or they just don’t believe it. Fifteen percent said they disconnected from news coverage altogether. In other countries, such as the UK and Brazil, the...

By Ronald Brownstein, Image: Getty/The Atlantic, The Atlantic, July 15, 2022 M other nature is entering a dissenting opinion on last month’s Supreme Court decision that weakened the federal government’s ability to combat climate change. With record heat in Texas that is testing the state’s power grid, a California wildfire that has threatened an ancient grove of sequoias considered a foundation stone of the national-park system, and persistent drought across the West that is forcing...

By David Maraniss, Photo: Associated Press, The Washington Post, July 17, 2022 More than a century late but better late than never, the Olympic powers-that-be at long last have restored Jim Thorpe to his deserved place in sports history. The records he set and gold medals he won in the decathlon and pentathlon at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics are official now, his alone, 69 years after he died of a heart attack in a trailer home in Southern California, broke and lonely, if not forgotten. As a...

July 26 th is the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) being signed in 1990. While as a person of goodness, it grieves me that such laws are needed, until we have a better society, I am thankful for the work that has been done. Given its importance, since many are unaware of the history of the ADA, its elements, and the notable progress since, I want to briefly share just a bit. Before I do, because I am who I am, let me note, that I am also aware and understand the...

(*Editor's note: News about Robin! Rutgers–Camden lecturer inducted into the National Academy of School Nursing ) Did I ever tell you that I LOVE snail mail, especially handwritten notes sent through the mail? The other day I sorted through the mail and found three cards! One was from Mom's Demand Action thanking me for speaking at a recent rally. One was from Jeanne Kiefner, a school nursing treasure who will be our forever "Head Nurse," thanking me for spending time together during our...

Hi. My name is Andrea. I attended an online seminar last week with Avaiya. One of the guest speakers was Dr Greg. I would just like to acknowledge that I found this talk to be excellent; it was very informative and he was so down to earth. I was touched by his story and connected with many elements of his life history. I'm very happy that I am now a member. Thank you. Keep up the great work.

Simply mindlessly 'minding our own business' often proves humanly devastating.

All the 988 California Mental Health Crisis and Suicide Prevention Hotline starts 16 July 2022. Dial 988: California’s mental health crisis hotline debuts- CalMatters