To Connect or Disconnect: Steps to Connect and Change

My African American mother, aunts and uncle lived through the Jim Crow laws and experienced racial violence throughout much of their childhood.  My Congolese father and aunts experienced the trauma of war in DRC. The recent killings have touched trauma wounds in some members of my family. I imagine that many survivors of intergenerational trauma…

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To Connect or Disconnect: Part 1

“We’re hardwired for connection.”  This is one of my favorite quotes from a shero in our field, Brené Brown. Through her work on shame and vulnerability, we are able to get a closer look at aspects of the human condition that are often overlooked. Her quote reminds me that an authentic connection with others is…

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Uncertainty

My client said, “I’m bored and agitated. It isn’t a good combination because it makes me reckless.” His thoughtful insight rings true: The country’s foundation is defined by COVID-19 with recommendations for social and physical distancing, combined with little sense of a communal endgame (the political polarization and fragmentation is staggering). We are living in…

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Working through a pandemic as a mental health professional

Working as a mental health professional can be described as rewarding, exuberating, encouraging and self-satisfying. It can be described as mind-blowing as the picture above illustrates, but also tedious, exhausting and overwhelming. I wanted to write this blog post to share tips with my colleagues and those in our industry so that we can take…

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History Is Watching

It’s times like this when I miss morning coffee with friends the most. We all feel so stressed from working during a pandemic, worrying about the health of our families and the people we serve. We fear for our health, our finances, and our lives – worst of all we feel we are alone without…

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Supporting Our Scholars

Back to School. Usually this likely makes you think of picking out an outfit for your first day or packing your backpack with supplies. This year, depending on where you live, it looks more like checking Zoom to make sure you have the latest updates installed and a good desk area prepared. Just like everything…

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Disconnected Connection

“It’s easier being in each other’s presence, or in each other’s absence, than in the constant presence of each other’s absence.”–Gianpiero Petriglieri Yes, Zoom Exhaustion is real. As we continue to work from home, visit family and friends on the screen, or go to school virtually, we are spending a lot more time on Zoom,…

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Joy

Joy. Such a small word.  A word that seems out of place in a world rocked by death, destruction, violence and oppression.  An experience that seems so far away as we are struggling to survive, or fight racism, or cure and prevent disease, or heal ourselves and others, or all the above.  And we are…

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Shelter & Place: An Interactive Drive-In Storytelling Performance

CHRIS 180’s Drop-In Center for youth facing homelessness, The SPOT, and StoryMuse announce a new event—Shelter & Place: an interactive drive-in storytelling performance—which will take place Friday, July 17 in the parking lot of CHRIS 180’s Center of Excellence located at 1030 Fayetteville Road SE, Atlanta, GA 30316 at 8:30 p.m. Youth & young adults (ages 16-26)…

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Stress In A Time Of COVID-19

Stress is a part of life. However, with COVID-19 being our new normal, along with the recent ongoing struggles for racial justice in the Black community, we have more to be stressed about than ever. Recognizing that you are feeling stressed or may potentially experience stress is important to finding relief. There are no stages…

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