Amy Zajakowski Uhll
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Remembering What We Know About Trauma
Though it can seem like “Trauma-informed treatment” is a recent concept in the field of mental health, awareness of the impact of traumatic events has been present since the beginning of contemporary mainstream psychological thought.
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Building a Somatic Vocabulary
You might be familiar with the “feelings wheel” – a helpful tool in building awareness of emotions that bring more specificity to our experience, especially when trying to communicate it to another person. Identifying our feelings can also help us identify our needs, ways to cope, increase our understanding of self, sense into boundaries, or…
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Learning to Hear the Body’s Wisdom: Some Reflections on Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
If we start with the idea that every symptom makes sense in the context of your unique lived experience and that our work is to honor that wisdom and get curious about new possibilities, we can open up the door for growth to naturally unfold.
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Seeing Suicidal Ideation through a Trauma-Informed Lens
“I don’t want to be here anymore.” These words strike fear in the hearts of all therapists. They remind us of the reality that pain may be so deep and pervasive that someone would think of ending their life. They also raise questions of our legal and moral responsibility for the lives of others. The…
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Food, The Body, and Trauma and Attachment
The Body Isn’t the Problem; it’s the answer. – Rachel Lewis-Marlow In our CCIH Study Group in August we decided to change up our usual routine and discuss a podcast. We choose Food, The Body, and Trauma and Attachment with Guests Paula Scatoloni & Rachel Lewis-Marlow from the Therapist Uncensored podcast series. I have often…
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The Politics of Mental Health
As therapists we cannot deny that our work, our clients, and ourselves are directly impacted by the context in which we live. The work we practice daily in our offices is affected by the political systems around us–systems that often have been oppressive to the most vulnerable in our communities. Bessel van der Kolk poignantly…
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CCIH Welcomes Deb Dana
CCIH is pleased to welcome Deb Dana June 28-29 for Engaging the Rhythm of Regulation: A Polyvagal Theory Guided Approach to Therapy. During this two-day, experiential workshop, Deb Dana will share her Polyvagal Theory guided approach to therapy. Watch an interview with Deb Dana for David Van Nuys, Phd’s Shrink Wrapped Radio podcast.
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“Why Don’t You like CBT (Cognitive behavior therapy)?”
An innocent question – asked of me by a client in a recent session. “Because it is only cognitive and accessing other parts of experience are essential for healing” was my brief reply. But I found myself thinking more about the question later… I have been a practicing therapist, specializing in the treatment of…
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Trauma Outside the Box
These days we hear more and more about services and programs that call themselves “trauma-informed”. I often find myself curious about what that actually means. When we use the word trauma, we are calling to mind the worst of what we as human beings suffer and do to one another. The consequences of trauma occupy…