I heard recently that Daisy Coleman, who was in the 2016 documentary Audrie & Daisy, had died by suicide. I had first watched the film a couple of years ago, but I thought I’d watch it again and write a post about it in honour of Daisy. Rape culture was a problem then, and it’s […]
Audrie & Daisy: Rape Culture Kills Read More »
The Silent Scream: An Anthology of Despair, Struggle, and Hope is put together by Maria Alfieri. There are 10 other contributors to the book using their full names, including myself, and other writing anonymously. In the introduction, Maria writes: “It is through our vulnerability that our liberation from our inauthenticity starts. Through honest conversation we
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In this series, I dig a little deeper into the meaning of psychology-related terms. This week’s term is the window of tolerance. The window of tolerance was first described by psychiatrist Dr. Dan Siegel in 1999. It’s used to describe levels of arousal, both psychological and physiological (and no, not sexual). The window represents the
What Is… the Window of Tolerance Read More »
A few years ago I was thinking about applying for a nursing job with a sexual assault support team, so I decided to learn more about the body’s biological fight/flight/freeze response to trauma. What I found out was really interesting, so I thought I’d share. The amygdala’s response The amygdala is a primitive part of the
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I recently saw a really interesting documentary called SKIDS, which focuses on kids attending Vanguard Secondary, an alternative school in Langley, B.C., Canada, that uses a trauma-informed approach Vanguard‘s model recognizes that trauma is at the root of the significant challenges that have kept their students from succeeding in regular schools. Their model is informed
SKIDS: Traumatized Kids and the School System Read More »
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk is perhaps one of the best-known books about trauma, particularly early life trauma. It’s been on my to-be-read list for quite a while, and I’ve finally managed to get around to it. This is a hefty book. The digital version that I was reading weighed
Book Review: The Body Keeps the Score Read More »
In this emerging blogger post, Meagon of Prose for the Masses writes about living with PTSD, and the many different ways it can look. I am not a veteran. I have not survived a major genocide nor am I a survivor of horrific abuse. I do not outwardly bear the signs of someone struggling, but
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In this series, I dig a little deeper into the meaning of psychology-related terms. This week’s term is emotional abuse. Emotional abuse involves: “…the systemic destruction of a person’s self-esteem and/or sense of safety, often occurring in relationships where there are differences in power and control.” Government of Canada It can involve a number of
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The wounded healer interview series features people who’ve dealt with significant mental health challenges, and who also work in a helping role to support the mental health of others. This interview is with Karoline of Not broken – My life with PTSD. 1) Tell us a bit about you, the helping field you’re in, and
Wounded Healer: Karoline (Not Broken–My Life with PTSD) Read More »
The wounded healer interview series features people who’ve dealt with significant mental health challenges, and who also work in a helping role to support the mental health of others. This interview is with Maria Teresa Pratico Swanson of Emotional Musings. 1) Tell us a bit about you, the helping field you’re in, and the mental
Wounded Healer Interviews: Maria (Emotional Musings) Read More »
