Blog

By Jason Wu, Illustration: Celia Jacobs/The Washington Post, The Washington Post, October 6, 2022 Researchers have found that pandemic experiences of racial discrimination were associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression . This was certainly true for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders during the past few years, who endured bigotry and racist attacks after President Donald Trump labeled the coronavirus the “Chinese virus.” As an Asian therapist, I witnessed firsthand the effect...

Welcome to virtual Rx Healing Circles! This session serves as an opportunity for building the beloved community and fostering healing through a shared humanity perspective. We invite you to join us in sharing a connective space for people to offer compassion and experience unity. Join us Wednesday, October 19, 2022 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Please register here : bit.ly/RxHealingCircle10-19

By Victoria Uwumarogie, Illustration: Klaus Vedfelt/Digitalvision, Essence, September 30, 2022 Never underestimate the impact of unaddressed trauma. If you’ve been in unhealthy, even violent relationships in the past, it can negatively impact your ability to be able to see the good in a romantic interest in the present. It can even send you into the arms of the same type of toxic partners. Financial trauma experienced growing up can lead to an intense scarcity mindset in the present and...

By Gretchen Reynolds, Image: iStock/The Washington Post, The Washington Post, September 28, 2022 Exercising now is good for you. But could it also be good for your future children and grandchildren? A provocative new study says it might be. The findings, based on research in mice, suggest that the exercise we do today etches itself into our cells in ways that can be passed to later generations. In the study, exercise by female mice before and during pregnancy influenced the health of their...

When we don’t have support and space to grieve significant losses, the grief stays stuck inside us and takes a toll on our mental and physical health.

The well-timed choice to forgive deep injuries from childhood, though difficult, can greatly improve psychological wellbeing and free us to move ahead. Four keys to forgiveness lay the foundation for cultivating healing forgiveness skills.

The last 24 hours have reminded us of our individual vulnerability, as well as the vulnerability of our community and our state. Hurricane Ian is an example of a traumatic event in the third realm of ACEs that can bring about increased stress and strong emotional reactions. We acknowledge that this can be an incredibly challenging time for many and we encourage people to stay connected, reach out for help when needed, and support each other as you are able. This is how we can build...

By Elaine Miller-Karas MSW, LCSW Building Resiliency to Trauma Psychology Today, September 30, 2022 Mental health can suffer after extreme climate events. KEY POINTS Mental health conditions exacerbated by natural disasters include post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. After a disaster, the number of people needing assistance from the mental health systems strains or exceeds community capacity. There are simple strategies helpers can use to help survivors restore...

In 2021, the Trauma Resource Institute - along with over 80 other organizations - endorsed this act in a letter to Congress. Now, Representative Paul Tonko (D-NY) is going to introduce the Community Mental Wellness and Resilience Act (CMWRA) in late October of this year! The Trauma Resource Institute is a founding member of the International Transformational Resilience Coalition (ITRC) which aims to gather a wide and diverse set of endorsements from national, regional, state, tribal, and...

Emotions are not some kind of cosmic error. They exist for our benefit. Emotions tell us (sometimes before our brains get there) to move away or towards people, situations, and ideas. They are a kind of compass for our lives. But only when we allow them to be so. Curious about how that works?

By Hannah Devlin, Photo: Westend61/Getty Images, The Guardian, September 28, 2022 The impact of the Covid pandemic may have been so deep that it altered people’s personalities, according to research. Previously psychologists have failed to find a link between collective stressful events, such as earthquakes or hurricanes, and personality change. However, something about the losses experienced or simply the long grind of social isolation appears to have made an impact. “Younger adults became...

Peer Workers United is a support group for peer workers and for others who are interested in learning more about peer work. Together, we share the ups and downs of our daily lives and the trials, tribulations and achievements of peer support work. Phillip Fleming, Tishna Lopez, Meesha Dyson & Judith Berman are inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.