I recently found myself in the garden, tending to some flowering bushes I have attempted to grow over the past couple of years. My beloved dog is buried amongst the fragrant gardenias and sweet olive trees. I had Molly for almost 14 years. As college sweethearts, Chris and I took…
Category: Trauma
Adoption
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Holding Onto Hospitals and Hope
The last month has been nothing like I planned. We spent almost half a year preparing for a major spinal surgery for my son, whose scoliosis suddenly curved to 100 degrees and was in the beginning stages of compromising his heart and lungs. CJ carries on his small shoulders a…
Triggers and Therapy
Our culture and social media are flooded with language that would have baffled the population a mere decade ago. The trend of therapy and working on the self seems to climb upward every day. I, for one, find it to be a fascinating swing from what was considered the norm…
The Basics of Loving a Traumatized Child
Childhood and trauma is a sobering paring of words. Events painful enough to cause a wound to the mind and nervous system can rock the strongest adult, but how much more devastating trauma is to a developing child! Statistically, almost every adult in the United States is in some sort…
What is Trauma?
Trauma. It’s the new cultural buzzword. As it gains traction in popularity, it carries with it benefits and potentially harmful outcomes. If we are going to have a discussion about trauma, we should first identify an accurate definition. In his book, The Myth of Normal, Gabor Mate M.D. says, “Trauma…
