Sometimes the holidays sneak up on us. Some of us have a hard time getting into the spirit of the season. Some of us are so busy that we don’t have time to enjoy the holiday. Some struggle with depression or anxiety over the holidays. Others are just bored with the same old traditions and […]
Resolving to Preserve Safety in Relationships
As I referred to Bessel van der Kolk previously, I struck once again at his recent conference by his emphasis on creating and maintaining safety in any relationship with someone who has been trauma impacted. This is one of those themes that cannot be overstated and is more complicated than it may appear at first […]
Helping Your Child Self-Regulate During the Holidays
One of the most difficult seasons to help regulate children is during the holidays. Often all the holiday busyness of the family with all the events of the holidays can cause a lot of dysregulation in your child. The excitement, anticipation, lack of sleep, changing schedules and so much more can all make it difficult […]
Seasonal Affective Disorder
For those of us who work with individuals who tend to have mental health conditions or diagnoses, one of the issues that gets raised often at this time of year is Seasonal Affective Disorder. Essentially it is a condition where individuals experience levels of depression or anxiety due to the cold weather months. Obviously in […]
Why Trauma-Impacted People Avoid Introspection
It was a privilege to attend a two-day conference on December 6th and 7th featuring Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, a researcher who is a professor of psychiatry at Boston University Medical School. Along with various collaborators, he has published extensively regarding the impact of trauma on things like development and how it can lead […]
Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk Training
Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk is one of the most prominent trainers, therapists, researchers and writers in the field of trauma and its impact. He was in our area this past weekend with hundreds of therapists, social workers, educators and many other professionals in attendance for this two-day training. Dr. Van Der Kolk worked through […]
Do you Suspect Your Child is Depressed?
As we have dealt with thousands of students at Lakeside we have seen significant rises in our children and teenagers with a variety of mental health issues. One of those issues is depression. It rarely seems like it is even possible to some parents and caregivers that their child may be depressed. Yet we experience […]
Sharing Trauma Narratives through Art
Recently I read an article from The Washington Post that provides some powerful insights into the nature of trauma as an important approach that can promote healing. Most trauma experts describe the impact of trauma as something that typically shatters a person’s narratives. When this happens their ability to accurately remember overwhelmingly painful experiences in […]
Giving Tuesday
Many of us have participated in a plethora of retail shopping days this week. The Black Friday event is filled with all kinds of shopping options at interesting hours of the day where stores are open and shoppers can seek those “once in a lifetime” deals. Black Friday is followed by Small Business Saturday where […]
Holiday Trauma Triggers
There are many articles written at this time of year that highlight how holidays that are supposed to be about love, connection, family and fun often are experienced by many as times of isolation, sadness, anxiety and grief. For example on the website Healthline the author states that, “ Holidays are supposed to be a […]
