Known for her contagious enthusiasm, Becky Haas is a seasoned presenter on the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study and is nationally recognized for her pioneering work in developing a trauma informed region throughout Northeast Tennessee.
We’ve all been through tough times; some of us more than others. However, some of us aren’t as able to rebound after difficulties, or maybe we notice that we’re a bit more sensitive or reactive to things that remind us of that tough time. This is especially true when excessive hardship was faced in childhood. While many of us can relate to the idea of struggle, not everyone may relate to the word “trauma”. Numerous people associate this word with emergency rooms, combat, or sexual assault.
The 2-hour Balance workshops meet over 8 weeks and include a story, craft and yoga practice. An important part of the program is a brief lesson for parents at the end of each workshop. By sharing what the children are learning in class, the Balance workshop helps parents use the concepts covered in class at home.
By Alejandra Borunda, National Geographic, September 1, 2020 Rosa Villegas woke up at two in the morning on a late August Monday to make her way to the lettuce fields in California’s south Salinas Valley, where she was scheduled to start bagging heads of romaine at 4 a.m. The sky overhead wasn’t its usual dark, star-dotted self as she walked to her car. Instead, it glowed a sickly red, colored by the fires burning on the flanks of the Santa Lucia mountains, just a few miles west. “It was...
By Lois Parshley, Vox, September 3, 2020 2020 has been remarkably stressful — from the fear of nuclear war to a presidential impeachment to a pandemic that has killed more than 186,000 Americans as of September 3. And let’s not forget the record unemployment , the school closures , the police killing of George Floyd and other people of color, the months of protests against police brutality and systemic racism , and accelerating climate change. Many Americans are understandably feeling...
By Monica Burton, Eater, September 1, 2020 S hortly Shortly after the news broke that Sqirl, one of LA’s most popular restaurants, had been serving jam from buckets that developed mold, it became clear that food handling was just one of Sqirl’s issues . Jessica Koslow was accused of taking credit for her employees’ contributions and, then, the spotlight turned to comments she had made about Sqirl’s Virgil Village neighborhood years ago. Alongside moldy jam, there was another issue that could...
By Ashley Smith-Juarez, Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, September 2, 2020 As a society, we owe a special commitment to youth in custody. Incarceration of any kind causes very real trauma and doing so at a time when young people are growing and learning only compounds the trauma. Our juvenile justice system must seek not to punish, but to support these children’s social, emotional and educational development. In normal circumstances, our national juvenile justice system does not always...
On Friday, August 28th, I had the privilege of talking with Dr. Jamie Marich about her recently revised and republished book Trauma and the 12 Steps: An Inclusive Guide to Enhancing Recovery . An international audience joined us for the discussion, including Judith who explained to us where "The Midlands" in England are (it's the middle of England, just like you'd think). Many attendees shared their concerns with 12 Step programs such as their being not feminist or too focused on prayer and...
By Marsha Mercer, Pew Stateline, September 3, 2020 On a family vacation in Virginia in 2017, Democratic Maryland state Del. Charles E. Sydnor III was driving in the left lane on a nearly empty, unfamiliar highway when a state trooper pulled him over. Sydnor’s wife and three daughters — ages 9, 10 and 13 — were in the car. “Are you going to jail?” one of his girls asked. [ Please click here to read more .]
In May, a 15-year-old boy set up a socially distanced visit with a friend. They met on opposite sides of a sidewalk — a full six feet apart — and talked. But when the teenager returned home, he brought with him a new set of Covid-19 fears, according to John Duffy, the boy’s therapist and a child psychologist in Chicago. How could he be sure six feet was a safe distance?, the teenager wanted to know. He began washing his hands more frequently. He stopped touching countertops. And he hasn’t...
“After we attended the first meeting I felt this spark of light that we weren't doing this alone anymore,” Beth said, “everyone was warm, friendly, and openly shared their story. It made it feel very comfortable.”
“Change culture and you change lives. You can also change the course of history. Many well-meaning social activists overlook this essential fact. They focus relentlessly on strategy, but strategy means nothing to our bodies and our lizard brains. When strategy competes with culture, culture wins–every time.” ~Resmaa Menakem, My Grandmother’s Hands No one can dispute Valorie Kondos Field’s record of winning. During her 29 years as head coach of the UCLA women’s gymnastics team, she led her...
As our readers may remember, we are doing a series on attachment styles. However, if you are reading our blog for the first time, I will do a little bit of review of what attachment styles are, and why knowing yours vital to your adult relationships. John Bowlby and Attachment Theory John Bowlby was a psychoanalyst who lived in Britain and spent his life observing infants separated from their caregivers (from now on I will refer to the caregiver as a mother although caregiver can mean any...
By Leonie Hayden, The Spinoff, September 1, 2020 Dietrich Soakai has 15 years’ experience working in youth services, and doesn’t think children are our future leaders… he thinks they’re leaders in their own right, here and now. “I genuinely believe in young people. I believe in their voice and who they are and what they bring.” From 2016 to 2019, Soakai was the mentoring coordinator for Upside , an Auckland-based agency that matches kids aged nine to 13 who have had adverse childhood...
By Tina L. Cheng and Alison M. Conca-Cheng, Pediatrics, August 31, 2020 COVID-19 is a recent crisis. Racism is an enduring crisis which is inflamed in the presence of other crises. The Chinese word for "crisis” is composed of two characters, one signifying "danger" and the other, "opportunity." The pandemics of COVID-19 and racism present clear danger. Our duty is to make sense of the opportunity by learning, understanding, and taking action. In this issue of Pediatrics, Cheah et al.1...