Blog

"In contrast, “self-compassion isn’t about self-evaluation at all,” said Neff. “It’s about being kind to oneself. Self-compassion is a healthy source of self-worth because it’s not contingent and it's unconditional. It’s much more stable over time because it is not dependent on external markers of success such as grades.”" "But self-criticism brings with it “lots of unintended consequences such as anxiety and fear of failure,” said Neff. Students may become more susceptible to perfectionism...

There is a Chinese proverb that states, “If you want 1 year of prosperity, grow grain. If you want 10 years of prosperity, grow trees. If you want 100 years of prosperity, grow people." The benefits are evident, yet the real question becomes, “how do you grow people?” This Big Idea Session, Community Resilience Initative (CRI)'s Trauma Coaching and Trauma Consultation Training, answers this question. Schools, organizations, and parents are discovering that the traditional “command and...

Editor’s note: Governor Gavin Newsom set aside federal funds and funds through Proposition 56 that will reimburse health care providers for screening patients in the Medi-Cal program for trauma beginning July 1 using the CPT code 96160. Notably the Department of Health Care Services recommended in March that only California providers using the PEARLS tool to screen pediatric patients will be reimbursed. ACEs Connection has made repeated public records requests for public comments submitted...

By P. Berman, A. Hosack, & K. Hecht Will Dr. Berman be able to read my mind? Will she think I’m a waste of space? I feel like I am being sucked in to nowhere . Dr. Berman came in and called Claire’s name. Jumping up in a daze, Claire looked at Mr. Carson. He smiled at her, waved her on, and then picked up his book and started reading. To Claire, h e looked so calm ; everything must be okay . Mr. Carson was just pretending to be calm. He had never met a therapist before . He didn’t know...

“It's almost as if my brain is doing military preparedness drills,” said Darrell Hammond, the venerable Saturday Night Live cast member as he describes his complex post-traumatic stress disorder, in a recent podcast.

The new documentary by Roger Weisberg was shown at the National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect (NCCAN) today. Following the viewing, Director Weisberg and a film participant, Daniella Ron Hover, responded to questions about the film. It will be released in 2020 on PBS but if you have an opportunity to see it sooner, seek it out! Geoffrey Canada of the Harlem Children’s Zone is also featured. https://twitter.com/brokenplacesdoc/status/1117941962290503680?s=21

One of the harmful effects of growing up with abuse and neglect, is that we get ALL too good at fitting ourselves to unacceptable people and situations. Long after normal people would have left the scene, our minds tell us it's our fault, it's a unique situation, we should stay and make it work. In this video I crack open what I call "CRAPFIT" -- the tendency to fit ourselves to crap. READ MORE AND WATCH THE VIDEO HERE.

When it comes to cultivating racial understanding, sociologist Robin DiAngelo believes that white people have work to do. In her best-selling book White Fragility (Beacon Press, 2018) , DiAngelo argues that no white person—no matter how well-meaning—is exempt from the forces of racism. Yet when the topic of racism comes up, they often become defensive and "weaponize" their hurt feelings. This refusal to acknowledge the reality of systemic racism blocks white educators from understanding the...

If you have ever seen the movie Freedom Writers , you might have thought the story ended alongside the film. However, Erin Gruwell has grown the movement she began decades ago to reach beyond Los Angeles. Now, the Freedom Writers Foundation offers training, scholarships, and curriculum for educators and students in cities across the nation. Their main goal is to work with "unteachable students" and show them they are fully capable of pursuing a collegiate career. Many of these students come...

The Summer Peacebuilding Institute , a program of EMU in Harrisonburg, Virginia, offers short-term, training courses on a variety of topics including trauma awareness, restorative justice, leadership, community organizing, racial healing, and many more. The Institute holds four sessions of courses, with four possible courses in each session. Trainings can be taken for skills enhancement or academic credit and run from May 13 to June 14, 2019. There is still room available in almost all...

Five years ago, the drinking water source for Flint, Mich., was switched, setting the stage for the city's water crisis. In the years since, residents of the aging industrial city have seen their children's blood lead levels spike, government officials grudgingly admit mistakes and perhaps seen Flint begin to recover. It's still common to see claims on social media that Flint still doesn't have clean water. However, tests have shown Flint's tap water has improved greatly since the depths of...

The students paraded through hugs and high-fives from staff, who danced as Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family” blared through the hallways. They were showered with compliments as they walked through a buffet of breakfast foods. The scene might be expected on a special occasion at any other public school. At LeBron James’s I Promise School, it was just Monday. Every day, they are celebrated for walking through the door. This time last year, the students at the school — Mr. James’s biggest foray...