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Treatment not Trauma: Demanding Reinvestment in Chicago’s Mental Health Infrastructure
There are currently only 5 community mental health clinics in all of Chicago. Half of the public clinics were closed or privatized in 2012 under Rahm Emmanuel, and before that, reduced from 19 clinics to 12 under Richard Daley. For the past 30 years, community mental health resources in the city have been stripped away,…
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Prioritizing Self-Care during the Holiday Season
For some, the holidays can for some be a joyous time of the year, but for others, it can be a time laden with anxiety and stress. If you are someone that feels depressed or overwhelmed by the holiday season, first, know that you are not alone. It is quite common for this season to…
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Starting Small: Building Capacity for Present-Centered Awareness
A history of trauma can make it difficult to feel present. Often in an effort to stay safe, our mind and body pull us into our past or become hyper-vigilant about our future. Though these strategies are adaptive and often helpful in surviving traumatic experiences, when they become habitual we can be left feeling out…
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What’s in a Gender?
Recently, a cis person introduced me with the sentence, “This is Hannah and she uses they/them pronouns.” The man who said it is kind and well-intentioned; it wasn’t a malicious incident, but it does exemplify a slippage that a lot of cis people get caught in. He knew that gendering me correctly was respectful and…
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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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Self-Compassion During Complicated Holidays
With Mother’s Day having passed recently and Father’s Day around the corner, it is important to touch on the fact that these celebrations do not land the same with everyone. Being a therapist gives me the privilege to witness how painful these two days can be for someone who has experienced loss or who has…
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Setting Boundaries During the Holiday Season
Heading into the holiday season can bring with it a multitude of conflicting feelings, particularly when caregivers or other family members were the source of painful or invalidating experiences. I often find clients struggling with exploring their own needs and boundaries with their families, or feeling guilty when they do. These struggles and difficulties…
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The Stress Response Doesn’t Stop at “Fully Vaccinated”
As healthcare and governmental organizations have suddenly shifted the masking requirements of the pandemic, I have found myself saying some version of this over and over to my clients: the anxiety, panic, overwhelm, exhaustion, shut down, grief, and loneliness you are feeling right now makes sense.
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Coming Back Into Connection
As a trauma therapist, I utilize a body-centered approach with my clients. This means, understanding and respecting the impact of trauma on the body and our physiological states and how our bodies are integral in the process of healing. Trauma can leave us disconnected from ourselves and our bodies as a way to keep us…
