May 2019

Interactions between a mother and her child have been linked to cognitive outcomes in childhood, but little work has looked at farther-reaching effects. In a Journal of Marriage & Family study that examined data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, more positive mother-child interactions during the first 16 years of life predicted higher education in adulthood, which predicted less decline in episodic memory, or the memory of autobiographical events. Additionally, more positive...

In California, we are coming full circle in recognizing the connection between poverty and health.

Maria Dunlap is the Founder and CEO of Vivian’s Victory. Vivian’s Victory is a nonprofit dedicated to bring hope, building community and bridging gaps for families that have a child diagnosed with a chronic illness. After Maria’s daughter, Vivian, died in the hospital at 59 days old in 2012, she knew families needed to receive support during perhaps the hardest moments of their lives. Since the inception of Vivian’s Victory in 2014, over 2,000 families have been impacted through their mission.

Even though the abuse and neglect we endured in childhood is long over, the lingering effects can leave us depressed, anxious, negative and disempowered — sometimes there’s not even a reason! For many of us, talking to someone about it doesn’t help (even if you have someone who listens). But there are simple things you can do right now that DO help. Here are you can use today to to calm the brain dysregulation and lift your energy and emotions, so you can start having a happier, more...

James Hollis, PhD, world renowned Jungian analyst: "This is lovely, Diane. It is enchanting, (enchantez) and I am sure that it will be captivating to your young patients, and for a moment, shift them from their pain and their worry. Thank you for that gift of compassion, and for sharing it with me as well." Jim Hollis

For the eight-and-a-half years she spent in prison, Kristan Kerr looked forward to one thing every month: a visit from her daughter, Chloe. Visit by visit, she watched Chloe grow from a toddler to nearly a teenager. "I just watched her grow all the way up," Kerr says. "One visit, she couldn't read, and then the next visit she was reading something to me." Convicted for aggravated robbery in 2011 – she was the driver — Kerr says she wasn't making good choices back then, and it meant missing...

Flourishing and its predictors and links to health outcomes are well documented in adults, including among those facing adversities. Less is known about flourishing and its correlates among children, especially those who face circumstances such as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), chronic illness, or poverty. Studies show that flourishing is distinct from an absence of physical or mental illness and other adversities; that flourishing can and does exist amid these circumstances; and that...

This Sunday, all over America, little hands will prepare trays with bowls of cereal and small glasses of orange juice. They will leave trails of well-intentioned milk behind them as they approach tired, smiling moms in rumpled beds. It’s all pretty cute. And very much a departure from the daily reality of motherhood in 2019, when many of us are experiencing existential dread over how climate change will affect our children and are all too aware of the scourge of inequality that shapes their...

By K. Hecht, P. Berman, & A. Hosack, I don’t like this. I know I must be safe, but ….. I need to scream ! Why isn’t any sound coming out! It was the day of her party. Ms. Alexandra and others would be arriving at 3 p.m . To build excitement and surprise for Claire and Davy, the Carsons sent t hem off to the park at 1 p.m. so they wouldn’t know what food was being made or how the house was being decorated. Claire and Davy were told when they came back into the house they were to come to...

"PTSD can take a heavy toll on relationships. It can be hard to understand your loved one’s behavior—why they are less affectionate and more volatile. You may feel like you’re walking on eggshells or living with a stranger. You may have to take on a bigger share of household tasks, deal with the frustration of a loved one who won’t open up, or even deal with anger or disturbing behavior. The symptoms of PTSD can also lead to job loss, substance abuse, and other problems that affect the whole...

In the late 1980s, when I was a visiting professor at Columbia Law School, I happened to pass, in the hallway near my office, a law student (female) speaking to an older law professor (male). To my amazement, the professor was stroking the student’s hair. I thought I saw, very briefly, a grimace on her face. It was a quick flash. When he left, I said to her, “That was completely inappropriate. He shouldn’t have done that.” Her response was dismissive: “It’s fine. He’s an old man. It’s really...

Tennessee is in the infancy of its comprehensive juvenile justice system reform. However, some lessons have been learned. If racial and ethnic justice is a priority, every proposed provision of the reform must be viewed through a racial and ethnic justice lens. To pass the best legislation possible and potentially avoid challenges to the legislation, key stakeholders within the juvenile justice system must be meaningfully engaged early and often. Adequate thought should be given to not only...