With yet another mass shooting tragedy weighing heavy on our hearts, the myriad of policy debates that follow, and arguments on social and news media, I thought sharing the following would be a much-needed positive add-in right now. As “add-in’s” often are, it’s simple but powerful: "Dearest Body of Mine, After careful thought and consideration, [...]
"Social connectivity does more for your health than quitting smoking." ~ Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) We all want to be resilient. (Right???) Resilience is built by cultivating: Self-Care Spiritual Practices Social Support Therefore, we suffer when we don’t do the following: Invest in healthy habits for ourselves Cultivate spiritual practices [...]
"Most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure." ~Napolean Hill This morning I had the grand illusion of taking Eloise to someone else’s yoga class for the first time. The illusion part comes in where I thought it would be a seamless endeavor. ;) I suppose I [...]
Wrestling with it is good. Tension is necessary. If we believe there is value in the conflict (often perceived as “darkness” when we’re in it), be it internal or external, it not only is bearable, the struggle will have meaning. We are meaning-making beings after all. And my goodness, doesn’t this show [...]
Research suggests that female veterans of the United States military are more likely than their male counterparts to report mental health concerns such as posttraumatic stress, depression and suicidal thoughts. The purpose of this study was to explore the interaction of service era (time period during which active duty service occurred), social support, and beliefs [...]
In light of recent news here in CO (and across the US) that wait times at the VA are still egregiously long or are being manipulated to a point where veterans cannot utilize the Veterans Choice Act and seek covered care outside the VA medical system, I wanted to re-voice my concern over this issue because [...]
What a fun podcast with Guy Macpherson, PhD on The Trauma Therapist Project talking resilience and mental health! We recorded this a few weeks ago, and it's now live on his site HERE. You can also access it directly on the PodCast. There is a crack, a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in. Leonard Cohen Why [...]
While clinical health services exist for service members with existing mental health conditions like posttraumatic stress, they are not stemming the rising tide of service suicides. A new approach to mental health intervention and suicide prevention in military-connected personnel is required, one that speaks to the participatory, hard-working ethos of military culture. Social work and [...]
Originally posted January 4, 2016 by Yoga Service Council in Trauma-Informed Yoga / Veterans A couple of years ago, in a New Year’s Eve note to my readers on SemperSarah.com, I encouraged them to be vulnerable. Then, I decided, I was going to walk my talk. First, I shared this note with them. Then, I included an expanded version of it in my [...]
Developing, offering, and evaluating programs to cultivate resilience for military veterans and their families is work easy to love. New evaluation results are out, and we enjoyed being on a team that included the co-owners of Just Roll With It Wellness LLC, Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas & Semper Sarah Plummer Taylor, MSWc, as well as program community partner Team Red, [...]
