At Lakeside, we are asked to help increased numbers of students who are depressed and anxious. There are many reasons for anxiety and depression. A recent study shows that one contributor to depression could be the extent of social media that our students consume on a daily basis. Students are constantly seeking to follow the […]
Hope Fiendz – Musical stories of recovery
Music has unique ways of touching our lives with power and inspiration. Being a bit of a musician myself I love the fact that artists use their gifts to help individuals who are in recovery for addictions. Hope Fiendz is such a collection of music on CD. The lyrics of these original songs are based […]
Some Trauma Therapies Actually Do Harm
A friend recently shared her experience of having her physician recommend she change counselors to one who did Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to better address her trauma-related symptoms of anxiety and depression. Her current therapist was using principles of Peter Levine’s Somatic Experiencing. This therapy was the choice because we know that traumatic memories are […]
How Judges are Becoming Trauma-Informed
I spend a great deal of time discussing as a society how we can find ways to trauma inform the systems that deal with children who have been impacted by trauma. So often we label, provide treatment, discipline and even punish our children and teenagers without understanding that they may be attempting to cope with […]
The Impact of the Government Shut-down on Veterans
The United States government shut-down is now 3 weeks old. Federal employees and contractors are feeling the impact of the shut-down. For those who are living close to their financial edge there is the potential for significant jeopardy of financial stress and possible devastation. One-third of those employees are veterans. That is approximately 250,000 veterans […]
When Doctors Become Trauma Informed
Around 25 years ago while only in my 40s, it was discovered that I was on the verge of a major heart attack and needed emergency angioplasty. The cardiologist my family doctor sent me to after there seemed to be no explanation for my chest pains made a comment after the procedure that stuck with […]
A Sandy Hook Inspired Program Connects to Disney
The tragedy of school shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 has left such a negative imprint on our country. It has created an environment – for those of us who are involved in education – feeling vulnerable and hypervigilant to protect our students. In light of these dangers we are diligent and concerned […]
The Pennsylvania Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP)
We have recognized that our opioid overdose problem has become a prominent problem in our country and in the State of Pennsylvania. Often prescription drugs are abused in these overdoses. In December 2018 Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro and Governor Tom Wolfe announced the new Pennsylvania Drug Monitoring Program. It is an on-line tool that […]
New Year’s Resolutions for Those with Trauma-Related Issues
For many with trauma-related issues and needs, Happy New Year is a kind of an oxymoron – there isn’t much that feels happy when facing a New Year that includes continuing to deal with the impact of unresolved trauma. The New Year sometimes acts as a trigger for anxiety and depression. There are often expectations […]
Looking Forward to 2019
Can we highlight the needs of the young and vulnerable in the coming year? There are lots of media remembrances as we look at what will soon be noted as the past year of 2018. We tend to acknowledge the high-profile issues like the death of famous people, major crises that occurred, popular news stories, […]
