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I recently had two events that caused me to think purposefully about what a responsible approach to the upcoming holidays of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day may be for a church that is seeking to be sensitive to the trauma histories that their worshipping community may have. The first was an invitation to preach at a church in my community that has done a great deal to advance the faith communities awareness to the effects of ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and mental health needs within...

Perhaps the biggest problem afflicting America is its widening geographic divide between the winners and losers of the knowledge economy. A raft of studies has documented the growing divergence between places based on their ability to attract, retain, and cluster highly educated and skilled workers and to develop high-tech startup companies. Talented and skilled Americans are the most likely to move by far. While the overall rate of mobility among Americans has declined over the past decade...

Vera Institute of Justice’s Initiative to End Girls’ Incarceration aims towards getting girls, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender nonconforming (gender expansive) and youth of color out of confinement by 2029. Juvenile incarceration rates have decreased in recent years; however, many reforms focus on boys in the system and may not be geared to girls and gender expansive youth. The number of girls in the system has been reduced in recent years to less than 46,000 annually nationwide.

Doctors give a lot of very good advice. Over the years, my primary care doctors have suggested better eating habits, more exercise, improved sleep hygiene, not carrying such a heavy shoulder bag, even exercises to improve my posture. The problem is, I am not sure I have ever made any changes in my behavior as a direct result. That would not come as a surprise to Ken Resnicow, a professor at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. “Finger-wagging doesn’t work,” he said. “There’s...

As a trauma survivor, you may worry that the attachment style you learned is less than ideal. Please know that any attachment style can change to become more secure. Attachment styles aren’t set in stone! Learning about attachment can begin a journey of self-compassion, healing, and a deeper understanding of secure relationships.

Clinic and park partnerships for childhood resilience: A prospective study of park prescriptions. Razani N, Niknam K, Wells NM, Thompson D, Hills NK, Kennedy G, Gilgoff R, Rutherford GW. Health Place . 2019 May 3;57:179-185. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2019.04.008. [Epub ahead of print] PMID:31060017 Family Resilience And Connection Promote Flourishing Among US Children, Even Amid Adversity. Bethell CD, Gombojav N, Whitaker RC. Health Aff (Millwood) . 2019 May;38(5):729-737. doi:...

There's still time to register! For the month of May (Mental Health Awareness Month), we are offering $100 per registration for teams of 5 or more! This conference is designed to bring HOPE to children beyond 'at-risk'. School employees, counselors, social workers, juvenile justice, and any professional working with children will be equipped, empowered, and encouraged through engaging sessions provided by practitioners on trauma-informed practices, strategies, and social-emotional learning.

Early research seemed promising. Developers of “restorative justice” programs described how “talking it out” yielded benefits, such as a reduction in bullying and fighting, lower suspension rates and fewer missed days of school. Sometimes, early adopters even claimed that student achievement improved . But the studies tended to be small, and they tracked only what happened to students who participated in the program without comparing them to similar students who didn’t participate. No...

"The authors specifically wanted to look at what they call “organizational expectations for email monitoring,” or OEEM. They wagered that the “competing demands of work and nonwork lives present a pervasive resource allocation dilemma for employees, which trigger feelings of anxiety and negatively impacts personal well-being and relationship quality.”" "If companies want to address this issue, which probably affects a great many people, they may want to institute “no email” hours, the...

Amit Janco is a writer, serial walker, labyrinth designer and yogi who has lived in Bali since 2011. As an artist, Young Living oiler and Narrative Therapy practitioner, she loves to design multi-sensory experiences that inspire creative expression. After falling from a bridge in early 2009, Amitset off, like thousands before her, on a journey of physical healing along the mythical Camino de Santiago.

I recently had two events that caused me to think purposefully about what a responsible approach to the upcoming holidays of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day may be for a church that is seeking to be sensitive to the trauma histories that their worshipping community may have. The first was an invitation to preach at a church in my community that has done a great deal to advance the faith communities awareness to the effects of ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and mental health needs within...

When hugging, research shows that the minimum time necessary to promote the flow of oxytocin and serotonin, which are chemicals that promote bonding, is six seconds! Now, really, that sounds like a short amount of time. However, when I started counting in my head - "1-Mississippi, 2-Mississippi..." - I almost squirmed out of my skin! Now, for those of you who know me, I'm pretty affectionate and show it by little caresses or hugs or kisses all the time. So, I was a little surprised to notice...