Podcasts about trauma resource institute

BioPhil Allen, Jr., PhD is a theologian and ethicist whose research and writings include the intersections of social structure, race, culture, and theology and ethics of justice. He has authored two books: Open Wounds: A Story of Racial Tragedy, Trauma, and Redemption and The Prophetic Lens: The Camera and Black Moral Agency From MLK to Darnella Frazier. He is an affiliate assistant professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, a poet, and documentary filmmaker. Dr. Allen is also founder of the nonprofit Racial Solidarity Project based in Pasadena, CA. As a former Division 1 college basketball player, he has enjoyed opportunities as a guest chaplain for college and professional sports teams.Phil Allen Jr., PhDAffiliate Assistant Professor | Fuller Theological SeminaryPresident: Racial Solidarity Project (RSP)Philallenjr.com | openwoundsdoc.comInstagram: @philallenjrig | @the_rspThreads: @philallenjrigFacebook: Phil Allen, Jr.Substack: @philallenjrLinkedIn: @philallenjrWelcome to the Arise podcast, conversations in Reality centered on our same themes, faith, race, justice, gender in the church. So happy to welcome my buddy and a colleague, just a phenomenal human being. Dr. Phil Allen, Jr. He has a PhD. He's a theologian and an ethicist whose research and writings include intersections of social structure, race, culture, and theology, and the ethics of justice. He has also authored two books, open Wounds, A Story of Racial Tragedy, trauma and Redemption, and the Prophetic Lens, the Camera and the Black Moral Agency from MLK to Dan Darnell Frazier. He's an affiliate assistant professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, a poet and a documentary filmmaker. Dr. Allen is also founder of the nonprofit Racial Solidarity Project based in Pasadena, California as a former division one college basketball player. Yes, he has enjoyed opportunities as a guest chaplain for college and professional sports. Hey, you're not going to be disappointed. You're going to find questions, curiosity ways to interact with the material here. Please just open up your mindset and your heart to what is shared today, and I encourage you to share and spread the word. Hey, Phil. Here we find ourselves back again talking about similar subjects.Danielle (00:18):Welcome to the Arise podcast, conversations in Reality centered on our same themes, faith, race, justice, gender in the church. So happy to welcome my buddy and a colleague, just a phenomenal human being. Dr. Phil Allen, Jr. He has a PhD. He's a theologian and an ethicist whose research and writings include intersections of social structure, race, culture, and theology, and the ethics of justice. He has also authored two books, open Wounds, A Story of Racial Tragedy, trauma and Redemption, and the Prophetic Lens, the Camera and the Black Moral Agency from MLK to Dan Darnell Frazier. He's an affiliate assistant professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, a poet and a documentary filmmaker. Dr. Allen is also founder of the nonprofit Racial Solidarity Project based in Pasadena, California as a former division one college basketball player. Yes, he has enjoyed opportunities as a guest chaplain for college and professional sports. Hey, you're not going to be disappointed. You're going to find questions, curiosity ways to interact with the material here. Please just open up your mindset and your heart to what is shared today, and I encourage you to share and spread the word. Hey, Phil. Here we find ourselves back again talking about similar subjects.Unfortunately. Well, how are you coming in today? How is your body? How's your mind? How are you coming in? Just first of all,Phil Allen Jr. (01:51):I am coming in probably in one of the best places, spaces in a long time. The last two days have been very, very encouraging and uplifting, having nothing to do with what's happening in the world. I turned 52, I told you I turned 52 yesterday. So whenever I see the happy birthdays and the messages, text messages, social media messages, literally it just lifts me up. But in that, I also had two people share something that I preached. Oh, 10 years ago, what? And one other person, it was 17 years ago, something I taught that came full circle. One person used it in a message for a group of people, and the other person was just saying, 10 years ago, about 10 years ago, you preached a message that was, it impacted me seriously. He didn't know who I was, and he the dots, and he realized, oh, that's the guy that preached when we went to that. And so that, to me, it was so encouraging to hear thoseBecause you never know where your messages land, how impactful they are, and for people to bring that up. That just had me light. Then I did 20 miles, so physically 20I feel great after that. I'm not sore. I'm not tired. I could go run right now, another 10, but I'm not. Okay. Okay, good. Today is rest day good? Yes, I did a crim community resiliency model present workshop.I dunno if you're familiar with, are you familiar with crim?Crim was developed by Trauma Resource Institute here in Claremont, California by Elaine Miller Carra, and they go around the world. They have trainees and people around the world that go into places that just experienced traumatic eventsThe tsunami in Indonesia to school shootings around the country. So here, obviously we had the fires from January, and so we did a workshop to help. What it is is helping people develop the skills, practical skills. There are six skills to regulate the nervous systems, even in the moments. I was certified in 2020 to do that, and so I did a co-led presentation. It was great, very well received. I had fun doing it. So empowering to give people these skills. I use them every day, resourcing, just like when you asked me, how are you in your body? So for a moment, I have to track, I have to notice what's going on with my body. That's the firstSo we teach people those skills and it is just the last few days, Monday, Tuesday, and today already. I just feel light and it's no coincidence I didn't watch the news at all yesterday.Okay. Even on social media, there's no coincidence. I feel light not having engaged those things. So I feel good coming in this morning.Danielle (05:32):Okay, I like that. Well, I know I texted you, I texted you a couple months ago. I was like, let's record a podcast. And then as you alluded to, the world's kept moving at a rapid pace and we connected. And I've been doing a lot of thinking for a long time, and I know you and I have had conversations about what does it look like to stay in our bodies, be in our bodies in this time, and I've been thinking about it, how does that form our reality? And as you and I have talked about faith, I guess I'm coming back to that for you, for how you think about faith and how it informs your reality, how you're in reality, how you're grounding yourself, especially as you alluded to. We do know we can't be involved every second with what's happening, but we do know that things are happening. So yeah, just curious, just open up the conversation like that.Phil Allen Jr. (06:28):Yeah, I think I'm going to go back to your first question. I think your first question you asked me sets the tone for everything. And I actually answered this similarly to someone yesterday when you said, how are you in your body? And for me, that's the first I've learned, and a lot of it has to do with community resiliency model that I just talked about, to pay attention to what's going on in my body. That tells me a lot. That tells me if I'm good, I can't fake it. You can fake how you feel. You can fake and perform what you think, but you can't with the sensations and the response of your body to different circumstances, that's going to be as real, as tangible. So I pay attention first to that. That tells me how much I'm going to engage a subject matter. It tells me how much I want to stay in that space, whether it's the news, whether it's conversation with someone. My body tells me a lot now, and I don't separate that from my faith. We can go through biblical narrative and we can see where things that are going on physically with someone is addressed or is at least acknowledged. It is just not in the forefront emphasized. So we don't think that paying attention to what's going on in your body matters,When you have that dualistic approach to faith where the soul is all that matters. Your body is just this flesh thing. No, God created all of it. Therefore, all of it's valuable and we need to pay attention to all of it. So that's the first place I start. And then in terms of faith, I'm a realist. I'm a Christian realist, so I put things in perspective. The love ethic of Jesus is an ideal. Scripture is an ideal. It's telling us when you look at Christ, Jesus is the son of God. Jesus is also called the son of man. And from my understanding and my learnings, son of man refers to the human one, the ideal human one, right? He is divinity, but he's deity, but he's also a human, and he's the human that we look to for the ideal way to live. And so this perfect ideal of love, the love ethic of Jesus, I believe it's unattainable on this side of heaven. I think we should always strive to love our enemies. But how many people actually love their enemies? Bless them. I saw what Eric, I think his name, first name is Erica Kirk forgave theOkay? I'm not here to judge whether that's real or if she felt obligated because I know some Christians, they wrestle because they feel obligated to forgive almost immediately. I don't feel that obligation if my body is not in a place where I can just say, I forgive you. I need to get to a place where I can forgive. But let's just say it's very real. She is. I forgive this young man. How many people can do that? We admire it. How many Christians will just say, I forgive, genuinely say, I forgive the person who killed my children's father. So it's not that it can't be done, but sustained. There are few people who could do what in terms of relative to how many people in the world, what Mother Teresa did. There are few people who can do that. There are few people who could do what Martin Luther King did who could practice non-violence, risk, jail and life and limb for an extended period of time. So I'm not saying it can't be done, but sustained by many or the most of us. I just don't believe that's realistic. I believe it's always something we aspire to. And we're always challenged throughout life to live up to that ideal. But we're going to fall short probably more often than we want to admit.(11:12):So I don't try to put the pressure on myself to be this perfect Christian. I try to understand where I am in my maturity in this particular area. There's some things I can do better than others, and then I go from there. So I look at what's happening in the world through that lens. How would I really respond? There are people I don't want to deal with. They are toxic and harmful to me because here's the other part, there's also wisdom. That's faith too.Holy Spirit, when the Holy Spirit comes, the Holy Spirit shall come upon you, shall lead you in. I'm paraphrasing a bit, but the Holy Spirit shall lead you. No, the spirit of wisdom is what I'm trying to get to in John. This Holy Spirit is called the spirit of wisdom. Holy Spirit is going to lead you into all truth, but it's also called the spirit of wisdom.Is faith too. And it is there no one way of doing things.It's where I feel the most settled, even if I don't want to do something.I went through a divorce separated 10 years ago, divorce finalized a couple of years later. And I wanted so badly to share my story through people at my former church, family, friends. I wanted to tell, let me tell what happened. I never had peace about that in my body. My body never felt settled.Settled, okay.Because I knew I was doing it from a place of wanting to get vindication, maybe revenge. It wasn't just as innocent as, let me tell my side of the story, if I'm honest.It was, I'm going to throw you under the bus.But in that moment, I didn't because I didn't feel settled in my spirit. People say settled in my spirit. Really, it is also my body that I should do that wisdom says, let God handle it. Let God bring it to the surface. In due time, people will know who need to know. You don't have to take revenge. When they go low, you go high. In that moment, that's what I felt at peace to do. And I don't regret it to this day. I don't regret it. I'm glad I didn't because it would just been even more messy.I have conversations with my grandmother who's no longer with us, or I recall conversations we had. So when I was young, and I tell people unapologetically, I'm a mama's boy and a grandmama's boy. Women played a significant role raising me. So I'm close to mom, grandma, grandmothers, aunts, cousins, my sisters, and I'm the oldest of all my siblings, but women. So my grandmother, rather than going out to parties a lot, I would prefer to go to her house. I lived in high school with one grandmother, but sometimes I would go to my other grandmother's house and just sit and she would have a glass of wine, and we would just talk for hours. And she would tell me stories When she was young,Would ask her questions. I miss, and I loved those times. An external resource, if this can be an external no longer here, but she's a person. She was a real person. I think about what if I'm having a conversation with her, and she would never really be impulsive with me. She would just pause and just think, well, and I know she's going to drop some wisdom, right?So that's one of my sources. My grandmother, both of them to a degree, but my mom's mom for sure is I would say her feet. So I'd have these conversations. I still don't want to embarrass them. I don't want to make them look bad. I want them to be proud of me toDay. So that helps me make decisions. It helps me a lot of times on how I respond in the same way we believe that God is ever present and omniscient and knowing what we're doing and what we're thinking and feeling and watching, not watching in a surveillance type of way, but watching over us like a parent. If we believe that in those moments, I pretend because I don't know, but I pretend that my grandmother is, she's in heaven and she's watching over all right now, and I'm not offering a theological position that when they die and go to heaven, they're still present with us omnipresent. Now, I'm not saying any of that, just in my mind. I tell myself, grandma could be watching me. What will grandma do? Type of thing. So that becomes an external resource for me as well as mentors that I've had in my life. Even if I can't get in touch with them, I would recall conversations we've had, and they're still alive. I recall conversations we've had and how would they guide me in this? And so I remember their words. I remember more than I even realized.Danielle (17:59):And that feels so lovely and so profound that those roots, those, I want to say ancestors, but family, family connections, that they're resourcing us before they even know they're resourcing us.So they're not unfamiliar with suffering and pain and love and joy. So they may not know exactly what we're going through in this moment, 2025, but they do know what it is to suffer. They do know what it is to walk through life. It's heavy sometimes.Phil Allen Jr. (18:43):Yes, yes, yes. They prepared me and my siblings well, and my mom is the encourager. My mom is the person that just says it's going to be okay. It's going to work out. And sometimes I don't want to hear that, but my grandparents would say a little bit more, they were more sagacious in their words, and they would share that wisdom from their life, 80 plus years. And even with my mom, sometimes I'll look back and be like, she was right. I knew she was right. I knew she was right because she'd been through so much and it is going to be okay. It's going to be okay. It always is. And so I don't take that lightly either.Danielle (19:40):When you come to this current moment with your ancestors, your faith, those kinds of things with you, how then do you form a picture of where we are at, maybe as a faith, and I'm speaking specifically to the United States, and you might speak more specifically to your own cultural context. I know for Latino, for Latinx folks, there was some belief that was fairly strong, especially among immigrant men. I would say that to vote for particular party could mean hope and access to power. And so now there's a backtrack of grappling with this has actually meant pain and hate and dissolve of my family. And so what did that mean for my faith? So I think we're having a different experience, but I'm wondering from your experience, how then are you forming a picture of today?Phil Allen Jr. (20:47):I knew where we were headed. Nothing surprises me because my faith teaches me to look at core underlying causes, root causes in an individual. When we talk about character, what are the patterns of this person that's going to tell us a lot about who this person is, they're in leadership, where they're going to lead us, what are the patterns of a particular group, the patterns that a lot of people don't pay attention to or are unaware of? What are those patterns? And even then, you may have to take a genealogical approach, historical approach, and track those patterns going back generations and coming to the current time to tell us where we'reAnd then do the same thing broadly with the United States. And if you pay attention to patterns, I'm a patterns person. If you pay attention to patterns, it'll tell you where you're going. It'll tell you where you're headed. So my faith has taught me to pay attention to even the scripture that says from the heart, the mouth speaks. So if I want to know a person, I just pay attention to what they're saying. I'm just going to listen. And if I listen intently, carefully, what they've said over time tells me how they will lead us, tells me how they will respond. It tells me everything about their ethics, their morality. It tells me what I need to know. If I pay attention, nothing surprises me where we are, the term MAGA is not just a campaign slogan, it's a vision statement. Make America great again. Each of these words, carry weight again, tells me, and it's not even a vision statement, it's nostalgic. It's not creative. It's not taking us into a new future with a new, something new and fresh. It is looking backwards. Again, let's take what we did. It might look a little differently. Let's take what we did and we're going to bring that to 2025. Great. What is great? That's a relative statement. That's a relative word.(23:36):I always ask people, give me one decade. In the last 400 plus years since Europeans encountered, 500 years since Europeans encountered indigenous people, give me one decade of greatness, moral greatness. Not just economic or militarily, but moral greatness where the society was just equitable, fair and loving. I can't find one.Because the first 127 years with interaction with indigenous people was massacre violence, conquest of land, beginning with a narrative that said that they were savages. Then you got 246 years of slavery,Years of reconstruction. And from 1877 to 19 68, 91 years of Jim Crow. So you can't start until you get to 1970.And then you got mass incarceration, the prison industrial complex and racial profiling. So for black folks, especially seventies, and you had the crack of it, the war on drugs was really a war on the communities because it wasn't the same response of the opioid addiction just a few years ago in the suburbs, in the white suburbs, it was a war, whereas this was called a health crisis. So people were in prison, it was violence industry. So now we're in 1990s, and we still can start talking about police brutality, excessive force. And since 1989, you, it's been revealed 50 plus percent of exonerations are African-Americans. So that means throughout the seventies, eighties, and nineties, people who have been put in prison, who unjustly. And that affects an entire community that affects families. And you got school shootings starting with Columbine and mass shootings. So tell me one decade of America greatness.So if I pay attention to the patterns, I should not be surprised with where we are. Make America great. Again, that's a vision statement, but it's nostalgic. It's not innovative. It's taking us back to a time when it was great for people, certain people, and also it was telegraphed. These ice raids were telegraphed.2015, the campaign started with they're sending their rapists and their murder. So the narrative began to create a threat out of brown bodies. From the beginning, he told us,Yeah, right. So project 2025, if you actually paid attention to it, said exactly what they were wanting to do. Nothing surprises me. Go back to the response to Obama as president first, black president, white supremacist group, hate groups rose and still cause more violence than any other group in the country. But they have an ally in the office. So nothing surprises me. My faith tells me, pay attention to the underlying, pay attention to the root causes. Pay attention to the patterns of what people ignore and what they don't pay attention to. And it'll tell you where you're headed. So nothing surprises me,Danielle (27:39):Phil, you'll know this better than me, but Matthew five, that's the beatitudes, right? And I think that's where Jesus hits on this, right? He's like, you said this and I'm saying this. He's saying, pay attention to what's underneath the surface. Don't just say you love someone. What will you do for them? What will you do for your enemy? What will you do for your neighbor? And the reward is opposite. So a lot of times I've been talking with friends and I'm like, it's almost, I love Marvel movies. And you know how they time travel to try to get all the reality stones back and endgame? IA lot of movies. Okay, well, they time travel.Following you. Yeah. They time travel. And I feel like we're in an alternate time, like an alternate, alternate time zone where Jesus is back, he's facing temptations with Satan. And instead of saying no, he's like, bring it on. Give me the world. And we're living in an alternate space where faith, where we're seeing a faith played out with the name of Jesus, but the Jesus being worshiped is this person that would've said yes to the devil that would've said, yes, give me all the kingdoms of the world. Let rule everything. Yes, I'm going to jump. I know you're going to catch me. I can be reckless with my power and my resources. That's what I feel like all the bread I want. Of course I'm hungry. I'm going to take it all for myself. I feel like we're living in that era. It just feels like there's this timeline where this is the Jesus that's being worshiped. Jesus.That's how I feel. And so it's hard for me, and it's good for me to hear you talk about body. It's hard for me to then mix that reality. Because when I talk to someone, I'm like, man, I love Jesus. I love the faith you're talking about. And when I'm out there, I feel such bristle, such bristle and such angst in my body, anxiety like fear when I hear the name of Jesus, that Jesus, does that make sense?Phil Allen Jr. (30:05):Yes. Yeah. And that's so good. And I would you make me think about white Jesus?Like the aesthetics of Jesus. And that was intentional. And so my question for you real quick, how do you feel? What do you sense happening in your body when you see a brown Jesus, when you see an unattractive Palestinian, maybe even Moroccan Ethiopian looking, Jesus, brown skin, darker skin, any shade of brown to depict what Jesus, let's say, someone trying to depict what Jesus might've looked like. I've seen some images that said Jesus would've looked like this. And I don't know if that's true or not, but he was brown. Very different than the European. Jesus with blue eyes, brought blonde hair. What do you sense in, have you ever seen a picture, an image like that? And what do you remember about your response, your bodily response to that?Danielle (31:14):Well, it makes me feel like crying, just to hear you talk about it. I feel relief. I think I feel like I could settle. I would be calm. Some sort of deep resonance. It's interesting you say, I lived in Morocco for two years with my husband, and he's Mexican. Mexican, born there Mexican. And everybody thought he was Moroccan or Egyptian or they were like, who are you? And then they would find out he was Mexican. And they're like, oh man, we're brothers. That's literally an Arabic. They was like, we're brothers. We're brothers. Like, oh yeah, that's the feeling I have. We would be welcomed in.Phil Allen Jr. (32:00):Wow. I asked that question because whenever I've taught, I used teach in my discipleship group a class before they were put into small mentoring groups. I'd have a six, seven week class that I taught on just foundational doctrine and stuff like that. And when I talked about the doctrine of get into Christology, I would present a black Jesus or a brown Jesus, Palestinian Jesus. And you could feel the tension in the room. And usually somebody would push back speaking on behalf of most of the people in the room would push back. And I would just engage in conversation.(32:52):And usually after I would speak to them about and get them to understand some things, then they would start to settle. When I would get them to think about when was the white Jesus, when was Jesus presented as white and by whom and why? And why would Jesus look this way? Everybody else in that era, that time and that spade, that region would've looked very differently. Why do you think this is okay? And then someone would inevitably say, well, his race doesn't matter. And I heard a professor of mine say it mattered enough to change it. Absolutely. Why not be historically accurate? And that was when the light switch came on for many of them. But initially they were disoriented. They were not settled in their bodies. And that to me tells a lot about that's that alternative. Jesus, the one who would've jumped, the one who would've saved himself, the one who would've fallen into the temptation. I would say that that's the white Jesus, that what we call Christian, lowercase c Christian nationalism or even American conservative evangelicalism, which has also been rooted in white supremacy historically. That's the Jesus that's being worshiped. I've said all along, we worship different gods.(34:30):We perceive Jesus very differently. That's why the debates with people who are far left, right or conservative, the debates are pointless because we worship different gods. We're not talking about the same Jesus. So I think your illustration is dead on. I'm seeing a movie already in my head.Danielle (34:58):I have tried to think, how can I have a picture of our world having been raised by one part of my family that's extremely conservative. And then the other part not how do I find a picture of what's happening, maybe even inside of me, like the invitation to the alternate reality, which we're talking about to what's comfortable, to what's the common narrative and also the reality of like, oh, wait, that's not how it worked for all of my family. It was struggle. It was like, what? So I think, but I do think that our faith, like you said, invites us to wrestle with that. Jesus asks questions all the time.Phil Allen Jr. (35:46):Yes, I am learning more and more to be comfortable setting a table rather than trying to figure out whose table I go to, whether it's in the family, friends, whomever. I'm comfortable setting a table that I believe is invitational, a table of grace as well as standards. I mean, I don't believe in just anything goes either. I'm not swinging a pendulum all the way to the other side, but I do believe it's a table of grace and truly, truly, rather than trying to make people believe and live out that faith the way I think they should, inviting them to a space where hopefully they can meet with God and let God do that work, whatever it is that they need to do. But I'm comfortable creating a table and saying, Hey, I'm going to be at this table that's toxic. That table over there is toxic. That table over there is unhealthy. I'm going to be at this table.Danielle (37:05):How practically do you see that working out? What does that look like in your everyday life or maybe in the discipleship settings you're in? How does that look?Phil Allen Jr. (37:16):I'm very careful in the company I keep. I'm very careful in who I give my time to. You might get me one time, you're not going to get me twice if there's toxicity and ignorance. And so for example, I'm in the coffee shop all the time. I rotate, but I have my favorites and I meet people all the time who want to have coffee. And I'm able to just yesterday three hours with someone and I'm able to put my pastoral hat on and just sit and be present with people. That's me creating a table. Had that conversation gone differently, I would say it certainly would not have lasted three hours. And I'm not making space and giving energy to them anymore because I know what they're bringing to do is toxic for me. It's unhealthy for me. Now, if we turned around and we had some conversations and can get on the same page, again, I'm not saying you have to agree with me on everything, but I'm also talking about tone. I'm talking about the energy, the spirit that person carries. I'm talking about their end goal. That's me giving an example. That's an example of me setting a table. The sacred spaces that I create, I'm willing to invite you in. And if we can maintain that peace and that joy, and it can be life-giving, and again, we don't even have to agree and we don't have to be in the same faith.(39:03):I have conversations all the time, people of other faiths or non-faith, and it's been life-giving for me, incredibly life-giving for me, for both of us I think. But I won't do that for, I've also had a couple of times when the person was far right, or in my dms on social media, someone appears to want to have a civil conversation, but really it was a bait. It was debate me into debate. And then next thing you know, insults and I block. And so I block because I'm not giving you space my space anymore. I'm not giving you access to do that to me anymore. So for me, it's creating a table is all the spaces I occupy that are mine, social media spaces, platform, a coffee shop. Where am I attend church,Right now I don't. And my church is in that coffee shop When I have those, when Jesus says with two or more gathered, there I am in the midst. I take that very seriously.When we gather, when me and someone or three of us are sitting and talking, and I'm trusting that God is present, God is in the space between us and it is been life-giving for us. So all that to say, wherever my body is, wherever I'm present, the table is present, the metaphorical table is there, and I'm careful about who I invite into that space because it's sacred for me. My health is at stake,Time and energy is at stake. And so that's how I've been living my life in the last five years or so is again, I don't even accept every invitation to preach anymore because I have to ask myself, I have have to check in my body.Right? No, I don't think this is what I'm supposed to do. And then there's sometimes I'm like, yeah, I want to preach there. I like that space. I trust them. And so that's me sharing a table. I'm going to their location, but I also bring in my table and I'm asking them to join me at the table.Danielle (41:46):I love that you check in with your body. I was even just about to ask you that. What do you notice in your body when you're setting up that table? Phil? What would you recommend? Someone's listening, they're like, these guys are crazy. I've never checked in my body once in my life. Can you share how you started doing that or what it was just at the beginning?Phil Allen Jr. (42:13):So community resiliency model, the first thing we teach is tracking,Noticing and paying attention to the sensations that's going on in your body,They're pleasant or unpleasant or neutral. And for me, one of the things I noticed long before I ever got connected to this was when something didn't feel right for me, I could sometimes feel a knot in my stomach. My heart rate would start increasing, and that's not always bad. So I had to wait. I had to learn to wait and see what that meant. Sometimes it just means nervousness, excitement, but I know God is calling me to it. So I had to wait to make sure it was that. Or was it like, I'm not supposed to do this thing.So we use this term called body literacy, learning to read, paying attention to what's happening in the body. And that could mean sometimes palms get sweaty, your body temperature rises and muscles get tight. Maybe there's some twitching, right? All these little things that we just ignore, our bodies are telling us something. And I don't disconnect that from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit knowing how to reach us, how to speak, not just a word of revelation, but in our bodies. And once I learned that, I trusted that God was in that. So I learned years ago when I was supposed to say something publicly, if I'm in a public space, I knew when I was supposed to say something. It took me a couple of years and I figured it out. And this is before ever learning, tracking and all this stuff.My heart would start racing and it would not stop. And it'd be the sense of urgency, that thing that thought you have, you have to say it now.I'm an introvert. I speak for a living. I present, but I don't like to say anything unless I have to. And I learned I could sit through something and be calm and comfortable and not have to say a word. But then I also learned that there were times when I'm supposed to say something here and I started listening to that. So paying attention to those sensations, those things that we ignore, that's happening in our bodies because our nervous system is activated for some reason.Danielle (44:57):I love to hear you say it. And also it's one of the things I think we naturally want to turn off when we're in a high trauma environment or come from a high trauma background. Or maybe you don't know what to do with the sensations, right?Can you just say a couple things about what moved you over that hump? How did you step into that despite maybe even any kind of, I don't know, reservations or just difficultiesTracking your body?Phil Allen Jr. (45:33):Getting language for what I was already doing, because with crim, one of the things that was revelatory for me was I was like, wait a minute. I already do a lot of these things. So for instance, touch and feel can settle out. Nervous systems, surfaces, you can put your hand, I have my hand on my armrest. It's smooth. If I'm nervous about something, I can literally just rub this smooth surface. It feels really good, and it can settle my nervous system, right? A sip of water, a drink of water can settle your nervous system. These are not just imaginations. This is literally how the body responds. You know this. So when they gave me language for things I had already been doing, so for instance, resourcing. And you had asked me earlier, and I mentioned my grandmother, if you paid attention to my face, I probably had a smile on my face talking about her.Because that resource, it brings up sensations in my body that are pleasant.My heart rate slows down. I could feel the warmth in my cheeks from smiling. So that's something that I tap into. And that's one of the ways that you can understand tracking when you think about a person, place, or thing that is pleasant, and then pay attention to what's going on in your body. And it might be neutral because it takes a while to be able to learn how to identify these things. And when I started doing that and I realized, wait a minute, my body, I feel settled. I feel at peace when I do this or do that. And that's when I said, okay, there's science behind this. And so that's when five years ago is when I started really like, I'm going to continue to do this and share this and practice this. I use it in my nonprofit racial solidarity project because this is how we stay engaged in the conversation about race. We get triggered, we get activated. A nervous system says threat. This person is threat, or this idea is a threat, especially when it disorients what we've been taught all our lives. And we get defensive, we get impulsive, and we argue and then we out.(48:18):So I use this as part of mentoring people to stay engaged by giving them the skills to regulate their nervous system when they're in those conversations, or if they're watching the news and they don't like what they see, they want to turn the news or they want to just shut it off. Some people hear the word critical race theory and it's already triggering for them,Absolutely. And what do you do? You check out, you disengage. You get defensive. Well, that's not necessarily how they feel. It's what they're sensing in their body. Their nervous system is triggered. So if they had the skills to settle that regulate their nervous system, they could probably stay engaged enough to listen to what's actually being said. It might actually come to, oh, I didn't realize that.Danielle (49:18):It's so good to hear you talk about it though. It's so encouraging. It's like, oh man. Being in our bodies, I think is one way. We know our faith more, and I actually think it's one way we can start to step in and cross and understand one another. But I think if we're not in our bodies, I think if we maintain some sort of rigidity or separation that it's going to be even harder for us to come together.Phil Allen Jr. (49:51):I'm crazy a little bit, but I ran running, taught me how to breathe. No other practice in my faith taught me how to breathe. And I don't mean in a meditative kind of way, religious kind of way. I mean just literally breathing properly.That's healthy.Danielle (50:13):It is healthy. Breathing is great. Yeah.Phil Allen Jr. (50:16):I want to be actually alive. But running forces you to have to pay attention to your body breathing. What type of pain is this in my knee? Is this the type of pain that says stop running? Or is this the type of pain that says this is minor and it's probably going to go away within the next half a mile?Right. Which then teaches us lessons in life. This pain, this emotional pain that I'm feeling, does it say, stop doing the thing that I'm doing, or is this something I have to go through because God is trying to reveal something to me?Running has taught me that. That's why running is a spiritual discipline for me. The spiritual discipline I didn't know I needed.Danielle (51:07):Yep. You're going to have to, yeah, keep going. Keep going.Phil Allen Jr. (51:10):Sorry. I was going to say, it taught me how to pay attention to my body, from my feet to my breathing. It taught me to pay attention to my body. When I dealt with AFib last year is because I pay attention to my body. When my heart wasn't beating the right way, it was like something ain't right. So I didn't try to push through it like I would have 10, 15, 20 years ago, paying attention to my body, said, stop. Go to urgent care. Next thing you know, I'm in an emergency room. I didn't know that with all this stuff attached to me. Next thing you know, I got these diagnoses. Next thing you know, I'm on medication. And fortunately the medication has everything stabilized. I still have some episodes of arrhythmia. I don't know if it's ever going to go away. Hopefully I can get off of these medications. I feel great. Matter of fact, I didn't take my medication this morning. I got to take 'em when we get done, brother. So all that to say, man, paying attention to what's happening in my body has helped me to deal with this current reality. It's helped me to stay grounded, helped me to make wise decisions. I trust that God, that though what I'm reading in my body, that the spirit of God is in that,(52:46):Is knowing how to speak to me, knowing what I'm going to pay attention to, what I'm going to respond to. Oh, that's how you read that. You're going to respond to that. Okay. That I'm going to urge you and prompt you through these bodily sensations, if you will.Danielle (53:10):Yeah. I don't really have a lot to say to answer that. It's just really beautiful and gorgeous. And also, please take your medicine. How can people reach you? How can they find out more about your work? How can they read what you're writing and what you're thinking? Where can they find you?Phil Allen Jr. (53:33):So on social media, everything is Phil Allen Jr. So whether that's Instagram. Instagram is actually Phil Allen Jr. PhD.It. LinkedIn and Facebook. Phil Allen Jr. On Facebook, there's a regular page and there's an author page. I don't really use the author page. I'm trying to figure out how to delete that. But the regular page, Phil Allen, Jr. Threads, Phil Allen Jr. I don't do X, but LinkedIn, Phil Allen Jr. My book Open Wounds. You can either go to your local bookstore, I want to support local bookstores. You can ask them if they have it, open Wounds, the Story of Racial Trauma, racial Tragedy, trauma and Redemption. And my other book, the Prophetic Lens, the Camera and Black Moral Agency from MLK to Darnella Frazier. You can find those books on Amazon, or you can go to your local bookstore and ask them to order it for you because it supports your local bookstore. Or you can go directly to fortress press.com and order it. It goes directly. You're supporting the publisher that publish my books, which helps, which actually helps me most. But those are three ways you can get those books. And then hopefully in the next year or so, I have three book projects. I'm kind of in different stages of right now that I'm working on, and hopefully one comes out in the next year.Yeah. Year and a half. We'll see.Danielle (55:21):That's exciting. Well, Phil, thank you so much. I'm going to stop recording. As always, thank you for joining us and at the end of the podcast, our notes and resources, and I encourage you to stay connected to those who are loving in your path and in your community. Stay tuned.Kitsap County & Washington State Crisis and Mental Health ResourcesIf you or someone else is in immediate danger, please call 911.This resource list provides crisis and mental health contacts for Kitsap County and across Washington State.Kitsap County / Local ResourcesResourceContact InfoWhat They OfferSalish Regional Crisis Line / Kitsap Mental Health 24/7 Crisis Call LinePhone: 1‑888‑910‑0416Website: https://www.kitsapmentalhealth.org/crisis-24-7-services/24/7 emotional support for suicide or mental health crises; mobile crisis outreach; connection to services.KMHS Youth Mobile Crisis Outreach TeamEmergencies via Salish Crisis Line: 1‑888‑910‑0416Website: https://sync.salishbehavioralhealth.org/youth-mobile-crisis-outreach-team/Crisis outreach for minors and youth experiencing behavioral health emergencies.Kitsap Mental Health Services (KMHS)Main: 360‑373‑5031; Toll‑free: 888‑816‑0488; TDD: 360‑478‑2715Website: https://www.kitsapmentalhealth.org/crisis-24-7-services/Outpatient, inpatient, crisis triage, substance use treatment, stabilization, behavioral health services.Kitsap County Suicide Prevention / “Need Help Now”Call the Salish Regional Crisis Line at 1‑888‑910‑0416Website: https://www.kitsap.gov/hs/Pages/Suicide-Prevention-Website.aspx24/7/365 emotional support; connects people to resources; suicide prevention assistance.Crisis Clinic of the PeninsulasPhone: 360‑479‑3033 or 1‑800‑843‑4793Website: https://www.bainbridgewa.gov/607/Mental-Health-ResourcesLocal crisis intervention services, referrals, and emotional support.NAMI Kitsap CountyWebsite: https://namikitsap.org/Peer support groups, education, and resources for individuals and families affected by mental illness.Statewide & National Crisis ResourcesResourceContact InfoWhat They Offer988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (WA‑988)Call or text 988; Website: https://wa988.org/Free, 24/7 support for suicidal thoughts, emotional distress, relationship problems, and substance concerns.Washington Recovery Help Line1‑866‑789‑1511Website: https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/injury-and-violence-prevention/suicide-prevention/hotline-text-and-chat-resourcesHelp for mental health, substance use, and problem gambling; 24/7 statewide support.WA Warm Line877‑500‑9276Website: https://www.crisisconnections.org/wa-warm-line/Peer-support line for emotional or mental health distress; support outside of crisis moments.Native & Strong Crisis LifelineDial 988 then press 4Website: https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/injury-and-violence-prevention/suicide-prevention/hotline-text-and-chat-resourcesCulturally relevant crisis counseling by Indigenous counselors.Additional Helpful Tools & Tips• Behavioral Health Services Access: Request assessments and access to outpatient, residential, or inpatient care through the Salish Behavioral Health Organization. Website: https://www.kitsap.gov/hs/Pages/SBHO-Get-Behaviroal-Health-Services.aspx• Deaf / Hard of Hearing: Use your preferred relay service (for example dial 711 then the appropriate number) to access crisis services.• Warning Signs & Risk Factors: If someone is talking about harming themselves, giving away possessions, expressing hopelessness, or showing extreme behavior changes, contact crisis resources immediately.Well, first I guess I would have to believe that there was or is an actual political dialogue taking place that I could potentially be a part of. And honestly, I'm not sure that I believe that.Well, first I guess I would have to believe that there was or is an actual political dialogue taking place that I could potentially be a part of. And honestly, I'm not sure that I believe that. Well, first I guess I would have to believe that there was or is an actual political dialogue taking place that I could potentially be a part of. And honestly, I'm not sure that I believe that.

Part of the intention of Open Deeply podcast is to highlight what can block us from opening deeply into our human potential. A key block is unresolved or ongoing trauma. The year 2025 has been incredibly traumatic for many so we thought it was high time to bring on one of the best trauma experts out there, psychotherapist, Jennifer Burton Flier. Jen has been a wise yoda for countless therapists as they learn to use the Trauma Resiliency Model, but in this episode, we have her all to ourselves. The Trauma Resiliency Model is a somatic psychotherapeutic method to cope and heal trauma. The model comes with a set of skills that anyone can learn and use in their life and through out their day. Furthermore, Jen explains how these skills can be woven into difficult communication with a partner. And finally, we discuss how to use these skills to cope with the cultural stressors of 2025. Please join us as once again, we dare to open deeply. Jen's Bio: Jennifer Burton Flier is a California-based therapist and senior faculty member with the Trauma Resource Institute. She teaches the Trauma and Community Resiliency Models, sharing evidence-based wellness skills with diverse communities across the U.S. and internationally. Her work focuses on helping people stabilize the nervous system and reconnect with their natural resilience in the face of stress and trauma, offering simple, effective tools for bringing more balance and ease into daily life. She has over 30 years of clinical experience supporting adults with chronic mental illness. Today, her private practice specializes in healing trauma and attachment patterns with teens, adults, couples, and families. Jennifer is now also branching out into offering intensives and retreats, providing deeper, immersive healing experiences in supportive, growth-oriented environments. She is certified in EMDR, Expressive Arts Therapy, and is a Certified Daring Way™ and Rising Strong™ Facilitator, integrating Brené Brown's work into her trauma-informed approach. Her clinical and teaching work is deeply grounded in TRI's models and her commitment to accessible, embodied healing. Jennifer has been featured on several podcasts including The Laverne Cox Show, Sluts & Scholars, and Resiliency Within. How to Find Jennifer Burton: https://jenniferburtonmft.com/ https://www.traumaresourceinstitute.com/blog/2021/4/2/the-community-resiliency-model-crm-on-the-laverne-cox-show https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/jennifer-burton-flier-san-francisco-ca/166426 How to find Sunny Megatron: Website: http://sunnymegatron.com Facebook http://facebook.com/sunnymegatron Twitter http://twitter.com/sunnymegatron Instagram http://instagram.com/sunnymegatron Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@sunnymegatron YouTube https://www.youtube.com/sunnymegatron American Sex Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/2HroMhWJnyZbMSsOBKwBnk How to find Kate Loree: Website http://kateloree.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/opendeeplywithkateloree Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kateloreelmft Twitter http://twitter.com/kateloreelmft YouTube https://youtube.com/channel/UCSTFAqGYKW3sIUa0tKivbqQ Open Deeply podcast is not therapy or a replacement for therapy. Open Deeply Podcast is not therapy nor a replacement for therapy.

Join an open-hearted conversation with Psychotherapist Elaine Miller-Karas, host of Resiliency Within with Kevin McLeod, Director of Community Development, and Psychologist Michael Sapp, CEO of the Trauma Resource Institute. Together, they'll explore practical ways to navigate the emotional landscape following the 2024 election results. As celebrations and grief arise within workplaces, homes, and communities, this dialogue offers tools to foster understanding and resilience across differing political perspectives. Elaine, Kevin and Michael will discuss how to initiate meaningful conversations with coworkers and loved ones who may hold different political views. Discover strategies to find common ground, which can create connection and serve as an antidote to distress. Whether you're wondering how to cope with four more years of President-elect Trump or how to connect with family members who supported Kamala Harris, this session will provide guidance on managing these complex dynamics with empathy and respect. In addition, they will share simple skills to help regulate your autonomic nervous system so that you can maintain inner balance, although the wake of world events is outside of our control.

Mike Sapp, the CEO of the Trauma Resource Institute, and our host, Elaine Miller-Karas, the Co-Founder of the Trauma Resource Institute, will discuss how to launch the Disaster Relief Mobilization: Community Resiliency Model (CRM)® Preparation Program (DRM:CRM) in your community post-disaster like Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene. The program is a model that can create a trauma-informed, resiliency-focused prevention program in preparation for a community disaster. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (2022) describes disaster as “A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society at any scale due to hazardous events interacting with conditions of exposure, vulnerability and capacity, leading to one or more of the following: human, material, economic and environmental losses and impacts.” They will discuss how DRM:CRM grew out of the Trauma Resource Institute's experiences around the globe after disasters to provide CRM workshops and Teacher Training Programs to community members. They will share how individuals around the world when have reached into the best part of their humanity to help themselves, their families, and the wider community during and after the most difficult life experiences with courage and strength.

Mike Sapp, the CEO of the Trauma Resource Institute, and our host, Elaine Miller-Karas, the Co-Founder of the Trauma Resource Institute, will discuss how to launch the Disaster Relief Mobilization: Community Resiliency Model (CRM)® Preparation Program (DRM:CRM) in your community post-disaster like Hurricane Milton and Hurricane Helene. The program is a model that can create a trauma-informed, resiliency-focused prevention program in preparation for a community disaster. The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (2022) describes disaster as “A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society at any scale due to hazardous events interacting with conditions of exposure, vulnerability and capacity, leading to one or more of the following: human, material, economic and environmental losses and impacts.” They will discuss how DRM:CRM grew out of the Trauma Resource Institute's experiences around the globe after disasters to provide CRM workshops and Teacher Training Programs to community members. They will share how individuals around the world when have reached into the best part of their humanity to help themselves, their families, and the wider community during and after the most difficult life experiences with courage and strength.

Bo Dean and Jvanete Skiba of Wilmington, North Carolina, join Michael Sapp, CEO of the Trauma Resource Institute, and Elaine Miller-Karas, host of Resiliency Within, to discuss valuable lessons learned to enhance the well-being of survivors from Hurricane Florence and other disasters. Their reflections and the interventions they have adopted offer crucial insights for the people of the Northeast United States, who are grappling with the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. Hurricane Helene revealed that even inland, high-elevation areas are not immune to flooding and destruction, especially in a world where planetary warming fuels more intense rainfall. Preliminary analyses have linked climate change to Helene's catastrophic rains. In particular, climate scientist Michael Wehner's study at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that precipitation levels in Georgia and the Carolinas—exceeding 30 inches in some areas over just three days—were up to 20 times more likely due to human-induced warming. Extreme weather events like Hurricane Helene are closely tied to a range of adverse mental health outcomes. Common mental health conditions that arise in the wake of such disasters include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, suicide, and substance abuse disorders (Cianconi et al., 2020). The recovery journey for those affected by Hurricane Helene has just begun. While emergency mental health workers and first responders provide initial support, the lasting impacts on the mental health of a disaster-stricken community often persist for weeks, months, or even years. Mental health systems can face severe strain as the demand for services frequently exceeds local capacity, compounding the challenges survivors must overcome.

Bo Dean and Jvanete Skiba of Wilmington, North Carolina, join Michael Sapp, CEO of the Trauma Resource Institute, and Elaine Miller-Karas, host of Resiliency Within, to discuss valuable lessons learned to enhance the well-being of survivors from Hurricane Florence and other disasters. Their reflections and the interventions they have adopted offer crucial insights for the people of the Northeast United States, who are grappling with the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. Hurricane Helene revealed that even inland, high-elevation areas are not immune to flooding and destruction, especially in a world where planetary warming fuels more intense rainfall. Preliminary analyses have linked climate change to Helene's catastrophic rains. In particular, climate scientist Michael Wehner's study at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found that precipitation levels in Georgia and the Carolinas—exceeding 30 inches in some areas over just three days—were up to 20 times more likely due to human-induced warming. Extreme weather events like Hurricane Helene are closely tied to a range of adverse mental health outcomes. Common mental health conditions that arise in the wake of such disasters include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, suicide, and substance abuse disorders (Cianconi et al., 2020). The recovery journey for those affected by Hurricane Helene has just begun. While emergency mental health workers and first responders provide initial support, the lasting impacts on the mental health of a disaster-stricken community often persist for weeks, months, or even years. Mental health systems can face severe strain as the demand for services frequently exceeds local capacity, compounding the challenges survivors must overcome.

Dr. Jane Compson is an Associate Professor in Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington, Tacoma. With a rich background in religious studies and ethics, she passionately applies insights from Buddhist traditions to contemporary contexts, including higher education, environmental education, and healthcare. Dr. Compson is a trained facilitator of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Compassion Cultivation Training, dedicated to enhancing well-being and resilience through her CARE program. Her commitment to community service and ethical engagement shines through her teaching and research, making her a beloved figure in both academic and local communities. Navigating the Intersection of Meditation, Trauma, and Compassion with Dr Jane Compson In this insightful episode, we welcome Jane, who delves into her transformative journey from Christian traditions to Buddhism and her extensive work in meditation and trauma. Jane shares personal experiences that spurred her spiritual inquiries.    She discusses the nuances and challenges of meditation, particularly when influenced by trauma, and the importance of recognizing these experiences rather than ignoring them. Jane introduces the Trauma Resiliency Model, emphasizing the need for somatic awareness and gentle approaches to trauma. She also highlights her development of the CARE model of self-care, which integrates compassion, awareness, resilience, and ethics, offering a balanced approach to personal wellbeing. This episode provides valuable perspectives on how to thoughtfully and compassionately approach meditation practices, especially for those who may be struggling with their mental health.   00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:16 Exploring Meditation and Mental Health 01:04 Jane's Journey into Contemplative Traditions 02:23 Personal Tragedy and Spiritual Questions 03:34 Discovering Buddhism 05:11 Academic Pursuits and Career Path 09:20 Meditation and Trauma 21:32 Understanding Trauma Resiliency 30:08 Understanding Trauma Resiliency 31:05 The Importance of Self-Care 32:14 Compassion and Mindfulness Training 34:09 Critiques and Context of Mindfulness 38:06 Introducing the CARE Model 41:58 Online and Community-Based Teaching 48:58 Final Thoughts and Reflections   Jane's linkedin page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-compson-2b1548162/ Jane's faculty page: https://faculty.washington.edu/jcompson/ Express interest in the CARE program: https://centerforcare.thinkific.com/ The Trauma Resource Institute: https://www.traumaresourceinstitute.com/ A really helpful resource for people how have had adverse meditation experience: https://www.cheetahhouse.org/    

Join us for this encore show where Elaine dialogues with Reena Patel and Michael Sapp about the Trauma Resource Institute's international work. The Trauma Resource Institute (TRI) has brought their ideas about healing in the wake of traumatic experiences to Asia, Europe, the Mid-East, the Caribbean, Africa, Central America, North America, and the United States. They have created projects to help underserved individuals to learn innovative biologically based interventions (The Community and Trauma Resiliency Models) that can heal individuals and communities during and after human-made and natural disasters. So far, their work has been translated into 17 languages and has been brought to more than 75 countries. In February of 2022, TRI launched the Ukrainian Humanitarian Resiliency Project in collaboration with EdCamp Ukraine and have had over 80,000 views on Facebook. They are currently working with a number of projects in the Mid-East as a result of the tragedies that began in October 2023. The CDC Foundation (2022) describes public health as the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities. The field of public health fundamentally tries to prevent people from becoming ill by promoting wellness and healthy behaviors. Identifying mental health as a public health issue is imperative to building healthier and more productive communities internationally. The Trauma Resource Institute's Dr. Michael Sapp, CEO, and Reena Patel, the former Director of Education discuss with host, Elaine Miller-Karas, the Co-Founder of the Trauma Resource Institute their international work and the importance of biological based models that are a bridge to all nations because of our shared humanity. “I think this is what Nelson Mandela meant by the ‘rainbow nation'. Learning about how to stabilize the nervous system is equality and is beyond nations, culture, religion, and ethnicity.” Community Resiliency Model Teacher, South Africa

Join us for this encore show where Elaine dialogues with Reena Patel and Michael Sapp about the Trauma Resource Institute's international work. The Trauma Resource Institute (TRI) has brought their ideas about healing in the wake of traumatic experiences to Asia, Europe, the Mid-East, the Caribbean, Africa, Central America, North America, and the United States. They have created projects to help underserved individuals to learn innovative biologically based interventions (The Community and Trauma Resiliency Models) that can heal individuals and communities during and after human-made and natural disasters. So far, their work has been translated into 17 languages and has been brought to more than 75 countries. In February of 2022, TRI launched the Ukrainian Humanitarian Resiliency Project in collaboration with EdCamp Ukraine and have had over 80,000 views on Facebook. They are currently working with a number of projects in the Mid-East as a result of the tragedies that began in October 2023. The CDC Foundation (2022) describes public health as the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities. The field of public health fundamentally tries to prevent people from becoming ill by promoting wellness and healthy behaviors. Identifying mental health as a public health issue is imperative to building healthier and more productive communities internationally. The Trauma Resource Institute's Dr. Michael Sapp, CEO, and Reena Patel, the former Director of Education discuss with host, Elaine Miller-Karas, the Co-Founder of the Trauma Resource Institute their international work and the importance of biological based models that are a bridge to all nations because of our shared humanity. “I think this is what Nelson Mandela meant by the ‘rainbow nation'. Learning about how to stabilize the nervous system is equality and is beyond nations, culture, religion, and ethnicity.” Community Resiliency Model Teacher, South Africa

Elaine Miller-Karas and Michael Sapp will discuss Elaine's book, Building Resilience to Trauma, the Trauma and Community Resiliency Models, 2nd Edition, published by Routledge in 2023. Dr. Sapp will talk about the neuroscience of the Community and Trauma Resiliency Models. This is Part 2 of 2 Parts. Part 1re-aired on July 1, 2024.. Part 2 focuses on the neuroscience of the Trauma and Community Resiliency Models. Elaine Miller-Karas, LCSW, will discuss the second edition of her book, Building Resiliency to Trauma, with Dr. Michael Sapp, the CEO of the Trauma Resource Institute. During and after a traumatic experience, survivors experience a cascade of physical, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, relational, and spiritual responses that can make them feel unbalanced and threatened. The second edition of Building Resilience to Trauma explains common responses from a biological perspective, reframing the human experience from one of shame and pathology to one of hope and biology. Using two evidence-informed models of intervention that are trauma-informed and resiliency-informed—the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) and the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM)—chapters distill complex neuroscience into understandable concepts and lay out a path for fostering short- and long-term healing. CRM develops natural leaders who share wellness skills throughout communities as primary prevention, and TRM focuses on training mental health professionals to reprocess traumatic experiences. Studies have demonstrated that the models' use leads to significant reductions in depression and anxiety, and both models also increase well-being. The models restore balance after traumatic experiences and can be used to cultivate well-being across cultures and abilities throughout the lifespan.

Elaine Miller-Karas and Michael Sapp will discuss Elaine's book, Building Resilience to Trauma, the Trauma and Community Resiliency Models, 2nd Edition, published by Routledge in 2023. Dr. Sapp will talk about the neuroscience of the Community and Trauma Resiliency Models. This is Part 2 of 2 Parts. Part 1re-aired on July 1, 2024.. Part 2 focuses on the neuroscience of the Trauma and Community Resiliency Models. Elaine Miller-Karas, LCSW, will discuss the second edition of her book, Building Resiliency to Trauma, with Dr. Michael Sapp, the CEO of the Trauma Resource Institute. During and after a traumatic experience, survivors experience a cascade of physical, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, relational, and spiritual responses that can make them feel unbalanced and threatened. The second edition of Building Resilience to Trauma explains common responses from a biological perspective, reframing the human experience from one of shame and pathology to one of hope and biology. Using two evidence-informed models of intervention that are trauma-informed and resiliency-informed—the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) and the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM)—chapters distill complex neuroscience into understandable concepts and lay out a path for fostering short- and long-term healing. CRM develops natural leaders who share wellness skills throughout communities as primary prevention, and TRM focuses on training mental health professionals to reprocess traumatic experiences. Studies have demonstrated that the models' use leads to significant reductions in depression and anxiety, and both models also increase well-being. The models restore balance after traumatic experiences and can be used to cultivate well-being across cultures and abilities throughout the lifespan.

Elaine Miller-Karas, LCSW, will discuss the second edition of her book, Building Resiliency to Trauma, with Dr. Michael Sapp, the CEO of the Trauma Resource Institute. During and after a traumatic experience, survivors experience a cascade of physical, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, relational, and spiritual responses that can make them feel unbalanced and threatened. The second edition of Building Resilience to Trauma explains common responses from a biological perspective, reframing the human experience from one of shame and pathology to one of hope and biology. Using two evidence-informed models of intervention that are trauma-informed and resiliency-informed—the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) and the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM)—chapters distill complex neuroscience into understandable concepts and lay out a path for fostering short- and long-term healing. CRM develops natural leaders who share wellness skills throughout communities as primary prevention, and TRM focuses on training mental health professionals to reprocess traumatic experiences. Studies have demonstrated that the models' use leads to significant reductions in depression and anxiety, and both models also increase well-being. The models restore balance after traumatic experiences and can be used as tools to cultivate well-being across cultures and abilities throughout the lifespan.

Elaine Miller-Karas, LCSW, will discuss the second edition of her book, Building Resiliency to Trauma, with Dr. Michael Sapp, the CEO of the Trauma Resource Institute. During and after a traumatic experience, survivors experience a cascade of physical, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, relational, and spiritual responses that can make them feel unbalanced and threatened. The second edition of Building Resilience to Trauma explains common responses from a biological perspective, reframing the human experience from one of shame and pathology to one of hope and biology. Using two evidence-informed models of intervention that are trauma-informed and resiliency-informed—the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) and the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM)—chapters distill complex neuroscience into understandable concepts and lay out a path for fostering short- and long-term healing. CRM develops natural leaders who share wellness skills throughout communities as primary prevention, and TRM focuses on training mental health professionals to reprocess traumatic experiences. Studies have demonstrated that the models' use leads to significant reductions in depression and anxiety, and both models also increase well-being. The models restore balance after traumatic experiences and can be used as tools to cultivate well-being across cultures and abilities throughout the lifespan.

This is an encore presentation highlighting the work of Natalia Valevska in Ukraine. We must remember the brave and courageous Ukrainians like Natalia who are helping their country persons during this difficult time in their history. Natalia shares her insights from living within her beloved country, Ukraine, since the Russian invasion in February 2022. She will discuss her experiences and work with EdCamp Ukraine, an association of over 40,000 teachers, including her association with the Trauma Resource Institute. She will describe how, out of her despair over the war, she began helping with the resiliency support meetings co-sponsored by EdCamp Ukraine and the Trauma Resource Institute. She will express her passion for helping her country now and her vision of creating support for her people in the future when the war ends. She is dedicated to the children of Ukraine and how to support their teachers, parents, and community through SEE Learning. Since this was first broadcast, Natalia has been married and is now a Certified Community Resiliency Model Teacher. She has trained more than 1000 Ukrainians in the skills of the Community Resiliency Model.

This is an encore presentation highlighting the work of Natalia Valevska in Ukraine. We must remember the brave and courageous Ukrainians like Natalia who are helping their country persons during this difficult time in their history. Natalia shares her insights from living within her beloved country, Ukraine, since the Russian invasion in February 2022. She will discuss her experiences and work with EdCamp Ukraine, an association of over 40,000 teachers, including her association with the Trauma Resource Institute. She will describe how, out of her despair over the war, she began helping with the resiliency support meetings co-sponsored by EdCamp Ukraine and the Trauma Resource Institute. She will express her passion for helping her country now and her vision of creating support for her people in the future when the war ends. She is dedicated to the children of Ukraine and how to support their teachers, parents, and community through SEE Learning. Since this was first broadcast, Natalia has been married and is now a Certified Community Resiliency Model Teacher. She has trained more than 1000 Ukrainians in the skills of the Community Resiliency Model.

Content warning: domestic violence, domestic abuse, physical, verbal, mental, and emotional abuse, child-to-parent violence, child-to-family violence, sibling abuse, elder abuse, intrafamilial abuse, murder, and familicide. Tabatha Ross-Brown is a Michigan familywoman, certified mental health support specialist, victim advocate, and founder of the non-profit organization Parent Real Talk. After providing her services to parents-in-need, Tabatha came to realize that America severely lacked awareness and available resources for families experiencing violence or abuse by a child-age perpetrator. She set out on a mission geared towards awareness, treatment, and prevention of child-to-family - and more specifically child-to-caregiver - violence. Her efforts have included the establishment of the very first American-based child-to-parent violence Awareness Day in several counties in Michigan, and her goal is to establish a nationwide awareness day. The Broken Cycle Media team is extremely grateful for this advocate interview with Tabatha, as well as all of her time, expertise, and related work. Sources: United Kingdom Law: United Kingdom Domestic Abuse Statutory Guidance Florida 2017 Legislation: Support for Parental Victims of Child Domestic Violence Danger assessment: https://www.dangerassessment.org/uploads/DA_NewScoring_2019.pdf (CPVA adult and minor child danger assessment attached) Roundtable Discussion YouTube video: https://youtu.be/p6DAO2wAztA?si=jSTxydjz8ImRZDbl Breakaway Videos: Escape From Clothing Grab, Escape From A Bear Hug, Defense Against Punches, Safety Stance Resources: Parent Real Talk nonprofit organization: https://www.parentrealtalk.com/ PEGS: Parent Education Growth Support: https://www.pegsupport.co.uk/join-in-cpa-awareness-day Roundtable Discussion Informational Booklet w/ Michigan Commissioner's Recognition: https://www.parentrealtalk.com/cpva2023 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LetsGetRealwithParentTalk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lets_get_real_with_parent_talk/ Trauma Resource Institute: https://www.traumaresourceinstitute.com/crm iCHILL Wellness App: https://www.ichillapp.com/

Elaine Miller-Karas, LCSW, will discuss the second edition of her book, Building Resiliency to Trauma, with Dr. Michael Sapp, the CEO of the Trauma Resource Institute. During and after a traumatic experience, survivors experience a cascade of physical, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, relational, and spiritual responses that can make them feel unbalanced and threatened. The second edition of Building Resilience to Trauma explains common responses from a biological perspective, reframing the human experience from one of shame and pathology to one of hope and biology. Using two evidence-informed models of intervention that are trauma-informed and resiliency-informed—the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) and the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM)—chapters distill complex neuroscience into understandable concepts and lay out a path for fostering short- and long-term healing. CRM develops natural leaders who share wellness skills throughout communities as primary prevention, and TRM focuses on training mental health professionals to reprocess traumatic experiences. Studies have demonstrated that the models' use leads to significant reductions in depression and anxiety, and both models also increase well-being. The models restore balance after traumatic experiences and can be used as tools to cultivate well-being across cultures and abilities throughout the lifespan.

Elaine Miller-Karas, LCSW, will discuss the second edition of her book, Building Resiliency to Trauma, with Dr. Michael Sapp, the CEO of the Trauma Resource Institute. During and after a traumatic experience, survivors experience a cascade of physical, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, relational, and spiritual responses that can make them feel unbalanced and threatened. The second edition of Building Resilience to Trauma explains common responses from a biological perspective, reframing the human experience from one of shame and pathology to one of hope and biology. Using two evidence-informed models of intervention that are trauma-informed and resiliency-informed—the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) and the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM)—chapters distill complex neuroscience into understandable concepts and lay out a path for fostering short- and long-term healing. CRM develops natural leaders who share wellness skills throughout communities as primary prevention, and TRM focuses on training mental health professionals to reprocess traumatic experiences. Studies have demonstrated that the models' use leads to significant reductions in depression and anxiety, and both models also increase well-being. The models restore balance after traumatic experiences and can be used as tools to cultivate well-being across cultures and abilities throughout the lifespan.

Elaine Miller-Karas, LCSW, will discuss the second edition of her book, Building Resiliency to Trauma, with Dr. Michael Sapp, the CEO of the Trauma Resource Institute. During and after a traumatic experience, survivors experience a cascade of physical, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, relational, and spiritual responses that can make them feel unbalanced and threatened. The second edition of Building Resilience to Trauma explains common responses from a biological perspective, reframing the human experience from one of shame and pathology to one of hope and biology. Using two evidence-informed models of intervention that are trauma-informed and resiliency-informed—the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) and the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM)—chapters distill complex neuroscience into understandable concepts and lay out a path for fostering short- and long-term healing. CRM develops natural leaders who share wellness skills throughout communities as primary prevention, and TRM focuses on training mental health professionals to reprocess traumatic experiences. Studies have demonstrated that the models' use leads to significant reductions in depression and anxiety, and both models also increase well-being. The models restore balance after traumatic experiences and can be used as tools to cultivate well-being across cultures and abilities throughout the lifespan.

[This podcast first aired in February 2021]Today's conversation is with Sara Cook – a social worker who has worked in conflict response, peacebuilding and mediation in Northern Ireland and internationally for the past two decades. Sara and I are both Americans living in Northern Ireland and have become friends through being members of the Corrymeela community. Just before Covid in 2020, I had the good fortune of taking a training from her in the Community Resiliency Model, through the Trauma Resource Institute, and it had a huge impact on me as I entered, along with the rest of the world, the collective trauma of coronavirus. It was so transformative for me that a few years later, I became trained to teach these resilience skills too, and now weave resilience tools into my spirituality work. In this conversation, which first aired in 2021, I wanted to mine Sara's wealth of knowledge on how we, as human beings, can come through difficult experiences.So whatever it is that brought you here, I'm glad you're with us.More about SaraTo find out more about Sara, visit her website: https://www.cook-consultancy.comToday I want to highlight a really wonderful opportunity coming up in April 2024 – the Resilient Spirit Pilgrimage to Ireland. Consider taking 11 days to come to Ireland to explore what brings us joy, strength, hope – resilience – to our lives. We'll begin with six days at the beautiful Corrymeela residential centre in Ballycastle, on the north coast, which alone will take your breath away, but on top of that we have a program throughout our stay that's geared toward helping you find resilience within yourself and to develop practices and wisdom that you can take back home with you. Resilience expert Sara Cook will be our first guest facilitator, followed by the brilliant reflective practitioner Paul Hutchinson from Episode 11. I'll be leading a retreat day, and at the end of our time there will be we'll have a session on Zoom with the one and only poet/theologian/Poetry Unbound creator/community member and former leader of the Corrymeela community Pádraig Ó Tuama. Pilgrimage participants will then head a few hours south to the stunning hills and ancient monastery of Glendalough, where we'll spend a few days connecting with the beauty of nature and the wisdom of Celtic Spirituality, before spending a day exploring the vibrant city of Dublin. This is going to be a transformative, uplifting, joyful and inspiring experience… Come join us on the beautiful north coast of Ireland at the Corrymeela Centre for the Resilient Spirit Pilgrimage in April 2024. Get full access to Psalms for the Spirit at psalmsforthespirit.substack.com/subscribe

Michael Sapp, the CEO of the Trauma Resource Institute, and Elaine Miller-Karas the host of Resiliency Within and the Co-Founder of the Trauma Resource Institute, will reflect on pressing contemporary issues of war, wokeism, healing, and forgiveness through the wisdom of the characters of Ted Lasso, a series on AppleTV. Their working definition of woke is not politicized but rather a word that has been used as far back as the early 1900s to mean being conscious of racial discrimination in society and other forms of oppression and injustice.

Michael Sapp, the CEO of the Trauma Resource Institute, and Elaine Miller-Karas the host of Resiliency Within and the Co-Founder of the Trauma Resource Institute, will reflect on pressing contemporary issues of war, wokeism, healing, and forgiveness through the wisdom of the characters of Ted Lasso, a series on AppleTV. Their working definition of woke is not politicized but rather a word that has been used as far back as the early 1900s to mean being conscious of racial discrimination in society and other forms of oppression and injustice.

Michael Sapp, the CEO of the Trauma Resource Institute, and Elaine Miller-Karas the host of Resiliency Within and the Co-Founder of the Trauma Resource Institute, will reflect on pressing contemporary issues of war, wokeism, healing, and forgiveness through the wisdom of the characters of Ted Lasso, a series on AppleTV. Their working definition of woke is not politicized but rather a word that has been used as far back as the early 1900s to mean being conscious of racial discrimination in society and other forms of oppression and injustice.

How can you heal generational trauma?   For this Women of Color Rise episode, Analiza talks with Latina Elaine Miller-Karas, LCSW, co-founder and the Director of Innovation of the Trauma Resource Institute. Elaine is the key developer of the Trauma and Community Resiliency Models. She is also the author of Building Resiliency to Trauma, the Trauma and Community Resiliency Models which was selected by the United Nations and Taylor as one of the innovations helping meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. She is also a Senior Consultant to Emory University's SEE Learning program, launched by the Dalai Lama. Elaine also has a podcast called Resiliency Within, Building Resiliency during Unprecedented Times.   Elaine shares how her mother and grandmother immigrated from El Salvador and how she grew up in the Bay Area. She did not see poverty until she visited El Salvador when she was 11, embedding in her a desire to help others. Elaine later became a social worker and through her research at Stanford University created the Community Resiliency Model, which is used by people from all over the world, from children to adults in schools, hospital, and war-torn countries.   Based on Elaine's expertise and experience as a trauma therapist, she shares how to heal from generational trauma. Traditionally, Western medicine using talk therapy to heal but for some, it's difficult to share (ex. for a soldier to talk about war can be retraumatizing).  Acknowledge that we have trauma passed down from our ancestors and how embedded shame is in our culture. For example, the feeling of not enough is pervasive. It comes from white male patriarchal colonialism and capitalism. Growing up in this culture, our ancestors transported this trauma and feelings to us. We are then striving to show we belong, to show “I'm not an accident, my ideas matter.” But despite being dressed well, speaking properly, and being educated, we still don't feel like we are enough.  The Community Resiliency Model offers strategies to heal. It is about the connection between our mind, body and feelings. We all have a nervous system. When we experience trauma, our body responds to protect ourselves. Our implicit memory then triggers our nervous system when we face future similar experiences. For example, if we experienced an attack as a child by a person who had a specific cologne, smelling that cologne later in life could bring us back to that moment, and we feel that we're being attacked even though we are safe.  The goal is to intercept and calm our nervous system. When we learn to notice what is happening in the body, we can notice when we are activated. For example, Elaine knows that she is triggered when she feels her ears get hot. This clues her in that her nervous system is reacting, and she can use CRM strategy such as grounding or rubbing her fingers together to self-soothe. There are other CRM “Help Now” strategies too.  We can also use words to calm ourselves. “I'm good. I'm good enough.” These affirmations change our mindset and help provide well-being in the body.    You don't have to be a trained therapist or avid meditator to attain peace and calm, even in the most challenging of situations. Even children use these strategies!    Where attention goes, energy flows. Especially for women of color facing patriarchy as we lead, we can continue to be change agents.   Get full show notes and more information here: https://analizawolf.com/ep-53-how-to-interrupt-generational-trauma-with-elaine-miller-karas  

Elaine Miller-Karas and Michael Sapp will discuss Elaine's new book, Building Resilience to Trauma, the Trauma and Community Resiliency Models, 2nd Edition, published by Routledge on March 13, 2023. Dr. Sapp will talk about the neuroscience of the Community and Trauma Resiliency Models. This is Part 2 of 2 Parts. Part 1 aired on March 6, 2023. Part 2 will focus on the neuroscience of the Trauma and Community Resiliency Models. Elaine Miller-Karas, LCSW, will discuss the second edition of her book, Building Resiliency to Trauma, with Dr. Michael Sapp, the CEO of the Trauma Resource Institute. During and after a traumatic experience, survivors experience a cascade of physical, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, relational, and spiritual responses that can make them feel unbalanced and threatened. The second edition of Building Resilience to Trauma explains common responses from a biological perspective, reframing the human experience from one of shame and pathology to one of hope and biology. Using two evidence-informed models of intervention that are trauma-informed and resiliency-informed—the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) and the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM)—chapters distill complex neuroscience into understandable concepts and lay out a path for fostering short- and long-term healing. CRM develops natural leaders who share wellness skills throughout communities as primary prevention, and TRM focuses on training mental health professionals to reprocess traumatic experiences. Studies have demonstrated that the models' use leads to significant reductions in depression and anxiety, and both models also increase well-being. The models restore balance after traumatic experiences and can be used as tools to cultivate well-being across cultures and abilities throughout the lifespan.

Elaine Miller-Karas and Michael Sapp will discuss Elaine's new book, Building Resilience to Trauma, the Trauma and Community Resiliency Models, 2nd Edition, published by Routledge on March 13, 2023. Dr. Sapp will talk about the neuroscience of the Community and Trauma Resiliency Models. This is Part 2 of 2 Parts. Part 1 aired on March 6, 2023. Part 2 will focus on the neuroscience of the Trauma and Community Resiliency Models. Elaine Miller-Karas, LCSW, will discuss the second edition of her book, Building Resiliency to Trauma, with Dr. Michael Sapp, the CEO of the Trauma Resource Institute. During and after a traumatic experience, survivors experience a cascade of physical, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, relational, and spiritual responses that can make them feel unbalanced and threatened. The second edition of Building Resilience to Trauma explains common responses from a biological perspective, reframing the human experience from one of shame and pathology to one of hope and biology. Using two evidence-informed models of intervention that are trauma-informed and resiliency-informed—the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) and the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM)—chapters distill complex neuroscience into understandable concepts and lay out a path for fostering short- and long-term healing. CRM develops natural leaders who share wellness skills throughout communities as primary prevention, and TRM focuses on training mental health professionals to reprocess traumatic experiences. Studies have demonstrated that the models' use leads to significant reductions in depression and anxiety, and both models also increase well-being. The models restore balance after traumatic experiences and can be used as tools to cultivate well-being across cultures and abilities throughout the lifespan.

Elaine Miller-Karas and Michael Sapp will discuss Elaine's new book, Building Resilience to Trauma, the Trauma and Community Resiliency Models, 2nd Edition, published by Routledge on March 13, 2023. Dr. Sapp will talk about the neuroscience of the Community and Trauma Resiliency Models. This is Part 2 of 2 Parts. Part 1 aired on March 6, 2023. Part 2 will focus on the neuroscience of the Trauma and Community Resiliency Models. Elaine Miller-Karas, LCSW, will discuss the second edition of her book, Building Resiliency to Trauma, with Dr. Michael Sapp, the CEO of the Trauma Resource Institute. During and after a traumatic experience, survivors experience a cascade of physical, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, relational, and spiritual responses that can make them feel unbalanced and threatened. The second edition of Building Resilience to Trauma explains common responses from a biological perspective, reframing the human experience from one of shame and pathology to one of hope and biology. Using two evidence-informed models of intervention that are trauma-informed and resiliency-informed—the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) and the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM)—chapters distill complex neuroscience into understandable concepts and lay out a path for fostering short- and long-term healing. CRM develops natural leaders who share wellness skills throughout communities as primary prevention, and TRM focuses on training mental health professionals to reprocess traumatic experiences. Studies have demonstrated that the models' use leads to significant reductions in depression and anxiety, and both models also increase well-being. The models restore balance after traumatic experiences and can be used as tools to cultivate well-being across cultures and abilities throughout the lifespan.

Elaine Miller-Karas and Michael Sapp will discuss Elaine's new book, Building Resilience to Trauma, the Trauma and Community Resiliency Models, 2nd Edition, published by Routledge on March 13, 2023. Dr. Sapp will talk about the neuroscience of the Community and Trauma Resiliency Models. This is Part 2 of 2 Parts. Part 1 aired on March 6, 2023. Part 2 will focus on the neuroscience of the Trauma and Community Resiliency Models. Elaine Miller-Karas, LCSW, will discuss the second edition of her book, Building Resiliency to Trauma, with Dr. Michael Sapp, the CEO of the Trauma Resource Institute. During and after a traumatic experience, survivors experience a cascade of physical, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, relational, and spiritual responses that can make them feel unbalanced and threatened. The second edition of Building Resilience to Trauma explains common responses from a biological perspective, reframing the human experience from one of shame and pathology to one of hope and biology. Using two evidence-informed models of intervention that are trauma-informed and resiliency-informed—the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) and the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM)—chapters distill complex neuroscience into understandable concepts and lay out a path for fostering short- and long-term healing. CRM develops natural leaders who share wellness skills throughout communities as primary prevention, and TRM focuses on training mental health professionals to reprocess traumatic experiences. Studies have demonstrated that the models' use leads to significant reductions in depression and anxiety, and both models also increase well-being. The models restore balance after traumatic experiences and can be used as tools to cultivate well-being across cultures and abilities throughout the lifespan.

Elaine Miller-Karas, LCSW, will discuss the second edition of her book, Building Resiliency to Trauma, with Dr. Michael Sapp, the CEO of the Trauma Resource Institute. During and after a traumatic experience, survivors experience a cascade of physical, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, relational, and spiritual responses that can make them feel unbalanced and threatened. The second edition of Building Resilience to Trauma explains common responses from a biological perspective, reframing the human experience from one of shame and pathology to one of hope and biology. Using two evidence-informed models of intervention that are trauma-informed and resiliency-informed—the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) and the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM)—chapters distill complex neuroscience into understandable concepts and lay out a path for fostering short- and long-term healing. CRM develops natural leaders who share wellness skills throughout communities as primary prevention, and TRM focuses on training mental health professionals to reprocess traumatic experiences. Studies have demonstrated that the models' use leads to significant reductions in depression and anxiety, and both models also increase well-being. The models restore balance after traumatic experiences and can be used as tools to cultivate well-being across cultures and abilities throughout the lifespan.

Elaine Miller-Karas, LCSW, will discuss the second edition of her book, Building Resiliency to Trauma, with Dr. Michael Sapp, the CEO of the Trauma Resource Institute. During and after a traumatic experience, survivors experience a cascade of physical, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, relational, and spiritual responses that can make them feel unbalanced and threatened. The second edition of Building Resilience to Trauma explains common responses from a biological perspective, reframing the human experience from one of shame and pathology to one of hope and biology. Using two evidence-informed models of intervention that are trauma-informed and resiliency-informed—the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) and the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM)—chapters distill complex neuroscience into understandable concepts and lay out a path for fostering short- and long-term healing. CRM develops natural leaders who share wellness skills throughout communities as primary prevention, and TRM focuses on training mental health professionals to reprocess traumatic experiences. Studies have demonstrated that the models' use leads to significant reductions in depression and anxiety, and both models also increase well-being. The models restore balance after traumatic experiences and can be used as tools to cultivate well-being across cultures and abilities throughout the lifespan.

Elaine Miller-Karas, LCSW, will discuss the second edition of her book, Building Resiliency to Trauma, with Dr. Michael Sapp, the CEO of the Trauma Resource Institute. During and after a traumatic experience, survivors experience a cascade of physical, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, relational, and spiritual responses that can make them feel unbalanced and threatened. The second edition of Building Resilience to Trauma explains common responses from a biological perspective, reframing the human experience from one of shame and pathology to one of hope and biology. Using two evidence-informed models of intervention that are trauma-informed and resiliency-informed—the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) and the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM)—chapters distill complex neuroscience into understandable concepts and lay out a path for fostering short- and long-term healing. CRM develops natural leaders who share wellness skills throughout communities as primary prevention, and TRM focuses on training mental health professionals to reprocess traumatic experiences. Studies have demonstrated that the models' use leads to significant reductions in depression and anxiety, and both models also increase well-being. The models restore balance after traumatic experiences and can be used as tools to cultivate well-being across cultures and abilities throughout the lifespan.

Elaine Miller-Karas, LCSW, will discuss the second edition of her book, Building Resiliency to Trauma, with Dr. Michael Sapp, the CEO of the Trauma Resource Institute. During and after a traumatic experience, survivors experience a cascade of physical, emotional, cognitive, behavioral, relational, and spiritual responses that can make them feel unbalanced and threatened. The second edition of Building Resilience to Trauma explains common responses from a biological perspective, reframing the human experience from one of shame and pathology to one of hope and biology. Using two evidence-informed models of intervention that are trauma-informed and resiliency-informed—the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) and the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM)—chapters distill complex neuroscience into understandable concepts and lay out a path for fostering short- and long-term healing. CRM develops natural leaders who share wellness skills throughout communities as primary prevention, and TRM focuses on training mental health professionals to reprocess traumatic experiences. Studies have demonstrated that the models' use leads to significant reductions in depression and anxiety, and both models also increase well-being. The models restore balance after traumatic experiences and can be used as tools to cultivate well-being across cultures and abilities throughout the lifespan.

The great spiritual leader, Desmond Tutu died last week, and Resiliency Within was already planning to enter the new year with his message of joy. We will celebrate his life in this episode highlighting his dialogue with His Holiness the Dalai Lama's about joy as expressed in their book, The Book of Joy. Desmond Tutu called himself the “prisoner of hope” and his message of hope and joy will live on. Many people in our world have expressed being tired and feeling a sense of hopelessness about the world condition. Desmond Tutu faced great hardship in his life, yet he was hopeful about the world condition, and he would say, “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” Reena Patel, LCSW, and the Director of Education and Training, of the Trauma Resource Institute will discuss with Elaine Miller-Karas, the meaning of joy and how we can be lifted from suffering and hopelessness to embrace the spring of joy within each one of us. They will discuss the eight pillars of joy: perspective, acceptance, humor, forgiveness, gratitude, compassion, and generosity. Listeners will be asked to explore how they can nurture their joy to live life with greater meaning and restore hope.

The great spiritual leader, Desmond Tutu died last week, and Resiliency Within was already planning to enter the new year with his message of joy. We will celebrate his life in this episode highlighting his dialogue with His Holiness the Dalai Lama's about joy as expressed in their book, The Book of Joy. Desmond Tutu called himself the “prisoner of hope” and his message of hope and joy will live on. Many people in our world have expressed being tired and feeling a sense of hopelessness about the world condition. Desmond Tutu faced great hardship in his life, yet he was hopeful about the world condition, and he would say, “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” Reena Patel, LCSW, and the Director of Education and Training, of the Trauma Resource Institute will discuss with Elaine Miller-Karas, the meaning of joy and how we can be lifted from suffering and hopelessness to embrace the spring of joy within each one of us. They will discuss the eight pillars of joy: perspective, acceptance, humor, forgiveness, gratitude, compassion, and generosity. Listeners will be asked to explore how they can nurture their joy to live life with greater meaning and restore hope.

The great spiritual leader, Desmond Tutu died last week, and Resiliency Within was already planning to enter the new year with his message of joy. We will celebrate his life in this episode highlighting his dialogue with His Holiness the Dalai Lama's about joy as expressed in their book, The Book of Joy. Desmond Tutu called himself the “prisoner of hope” and his message of hope and joy will live on. Many people in our world have expressed being tired and feeling a sense of hopelessness about the world condition. Desmond Tutu faced great hardship in his life, yet he was hopeful about the world condition, and he would say, “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” Reena Patel, LCSW, and the Director of Education and Training, of the Trauma Resource Institute will discuss with Elaine Miller-Karas, the meaning of joy and how we can be lifted from suffering and hopelessness to embrace the spring of joy within each one of us. They will discuss the eight pillars of joy: perspective, acceptance, humor, forgiveness, gratitude, compassion, and generosity. Listeners will be asked to explore how they can nurture their joy to live life with greater meaning and restore hope.

“I think this is what Nelson Mandela meant by the ‘rainbow nation'. Learning about how to stabilize the nervous system is equality and is beyond nations, culture, religion, and ethnicity.” Community Resiliency Model Teacher, South Africa The Trauma Resource Institute (TRI) has brought their ideas about healing the wake of traumatic experiences to Asia, Europe, the Mid-East, the Caribbean, Africa, Central America, North America, and the United States. They have created projects to help underserved individuals to learn innovative biologically based interventions (The Community and Trauma Resiliency Models) that can heal individuals and communities during and after human-made and natural disasters. So far, their work has been translated into 17 languages and has been brought to more than 75 countries. In February of 2022, TRI launched the Ukrainian Humanitarian Resiliency Project in collaboration with EdCamp Ukraine and have had over 80,000 views on Facebook. The CDC Foundation (2022) describes public health as the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities. The field of public health fundamentally tries to prevent people from becoming ill by promoting wellness and healthy behaviors. Identifying mental health as a public health issue is imperative to building healthier and more productive communities internationally. The Trauma Resource Institute's Dr. Michael Sapp, CEO, and Reena Patel, Director of Education will discuss with host, Elaine Miller-Karas, the Co-Founder of the Trauma Resource Institute their international work and the importance of biological based models that are a bridge to all nations because of our shared humanity.

“I think this is what Nelson Mandela meant by the ‘rainbow nation'. Learning about how to stabilize the nervous system is equality and is beyond nations, culture, religion, and ethnicity.” Community Resiliency Model Teacher, South Africa The Trauma Resource Institute (TRI) has brought their ideas about healing the wake of traumatic experiences to Asia, Europe, the Mid-East, the Caribbean, Africa, Central America, North America, and the United States. They have created projects to help underserved individuals to learn innovative biologically based interventions (The Community and Trauma Resiliency Models) that can heal individuals and communities during and after human-made and natural disasters. So far, their work has been translated into 17 languages and has been brought to more than 75 countries. In February of 2022, TRI launched the Ukrainian Humanitarian Resiliency Project in collaboration with EdCamp Ukraine and have had over 80,000 views on Facebook. The CDC Foundation (2022) describes public health as the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities. The field of public health fundamentally tries to prevent people from becoming ill by promoting wellness and healthy behaviors. Identifying mental health as a public health issue is imperative to building healthier and more productive communities internationally. The Trauma Resource Institute's Dr. Michael Sapp, CEO, and Reena Patel, Director of Education will discuss with host, Elaine Miller-Karas, the Co-Founder of the Trauma Resource Institute their international work and the importance of biological based models that are a bridge to all nations because of our shared humanity.

“I think this is what Nelson Mandela meant by the ‘rainbow nation'. Learning about how to stabilize the nervous system is equality and is beyond nations, culture, religion, and ethnicity.” Community Resiliency Model Teacher, South Africa The Trauma Resource Institute (TRI) has brought their ideas about healing the wake of traumatic experiences to Asia, Europe, the Mid-East, the Caribbean, Africa, Central America, North America, and the United States. They have created projects to help underserved individuals to learn innovative biologically based interventions (The Community and Trauma Resiliency Models) that can heal individuals and communities during and after human-made and natural disasters. So far, their work has been translated into 17 languages and has been brought to more than 75 countries. In February of 2022, TRI launched the Ukrainian Humanitarian Resiliency Project in collaboration with EdCamp Ukraine and have had over 80,000 views on Facebook. The CDC Foundation (2022) describes public health as the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities. The field of public health fundamentally tries to prevent people from becoming ill by promoting wellness and healthy behaviors. Identifying mental health as a public health issue is imperative to building healthier and more productive communities internationally. The Trauma Resource Institute's Dr. Michael Sapp, CEO, and Reena Patel, Director of Education will discuss with host, Elaine Miller-Karas, the Co-Founder of the Trauma Resource Institute their international work and the importance of biological based models that are a bridge to all nations because of our shared humanity.

Natalia Valevska will share her insights from living within their beloved country, Ukraine, during the Russian invasion of February 2022. She will discuss her experiences and work with EdCamp Ukraine, an association of over 40,000 teachers, including her association with the Trauma Resource Institute. She will describe how, out of her despair over the war; she began helping with the resiliency support meetings co-sponsored by EdCamp Ukraine and the Trauma Resource Institute. She will express her passion for helping her country now and her vision of creating support for her people in the future when the war ends. She is dedicated to the children of Ukraine and how to support their teachers, parents, and community through SEE Learning.

Natalia Valevska will share her insights from living within their beloved country, Ukraine, during the Russian invasion of February 2022. She will discuss her experiences and work with EdCamp Ukraine, an association of over 40,000 teachers, including her association with the Trauma Resource Institute. She will describe how, out of her despair over the war; she began helping with the resiliency support meetings co-sponsored by EdCamp Ukraine and the Trauma Resource Institute. She will express her passion for helping her country now and her vision of creating support for her people in the future when the war ends. She is dedicated to the children of Ukraine and how to support their teachers, parents, and community through SEE Learning.

Natalia Valevska will share her insights from living within their beloved country, Ukraine, during the Russian invasion of February 2022. She will discuss her experiences and work with EdCamp Ukraine, an association of over 40,000 teachers, including her association with the Trauma Resource Institute. She will describe how, out of her despair over the war; she began helping with the resiliency support meetings co-sponsored by EdCamp Ukraine and the Trauma Resource Institute. She will express her passion for helping her country now and her vision of creating support for her people in the future when the war ends. She is dedicated to the children of Ukraine and how to support their teachers, parents, and community through SEE Learning.

Natalia Valevska will share her insights from living within their beloved country, Ukraine, during the Russian invasion of February 2022. She will discuss her experiences and work with EdCamp Ukraine, an association of over 40,000 teachers, including her association with the Trauma Resource Institute. She will describe how, out of her despair over the war; she began helping with the resiliency support meetings co-sponsored by EdCamp Ukraine and the Trauma Resource Institute. She will express her passion for helping her country now and her vision of creating support for her people in the future when the war ends. She is dedicated to the children of Ukraine and how to support their teachers, parents, and community through SEE Learning.

From the outside, it may seem that all is well. But on the inside, it may feel like you have a Kodiak Bear breathing down your neck ready to pounce. Now imagine you're a student trying to learn Algebra or Adverbs under those conditions. That's the reality that more and more of our kids face today as the CDC says that Trauma is the most significant health crisis in today's youth. Todd Finley is a Professor at East Carolina University who specializes in preparing teachers to connect with students under duress and how they can unlock the charisma they need to shine in today's classroom. Todd also chatted with Jordan and Anna on Equity in Teacher Preparation, role-playing to master classroom management, PD best practices, brain-based teaching, what it takes to succeed at different grade levels, what PLCs are really meant for, and how to rebound from classroom horror stories. Links: You can connect with Todd on Twitter at @finleyt or on LinkedIn. You can find The Trauma Resource Institute here: https://www.traumaresourceinstitute.com/ Want to see our smiling faces? Subscribe to our Youtube Channel Or Follow us on Instagram: @getliveschool Or TikTok: @whyliveschool and for incredible resources on School Culture check us out at www.whyliveschool.com

The events this past month in Florida and Puerto Rico and in Mayfield, Kentucky in December, have shown us the tragedy of climate events and how every person in the community is affected. We must not forget the mental health challenges resulting from this experience. Elaine Miller-Karas, the key developer of the Community Resiliency Model and Dr. Michael Sapp, the CEO of the Trauma Resource Institute will help our listeners understand how the wellness skills of the Community Resiliency Model can help community members restore well-being during these difficult times. The Community Resiliency Model (CRM)®, a set of six wellness skills based upon the premise that there is a biological response to stressful and traumatic events common to all of humanity. The CRM understands that individuals experience common reactions physically, spiritually, cognitively, emotionally, behaviorally, and in relationships with loved ones. Using a mind-body approach, CRM introduces a paradigm shift in that reactions to stress are viewed as common biological responses rather than human weaknesses. The CRM skills can be a stand-alone set of wellness skills and they can also be integrated into other wellness practices. Elaine Miller-Karas and Michael Sapp have responded to typhoons, earthquakes and other events of mass destruction. They will share how the CRM helps individuals learn to track their nervous systems and bring awareness to sensations connected to well-being. As a person begins to pay attention to sensations of well-being, the nervous system can return to a state of balance. Learning about the neurobiology of stressful and traumatic human reactions helps people to understand the design of the nervous system. This knowledge can help people make sense of reactions they have experienced during and after traumatic and stressful experiences. The Community Resiliency Model is an evidence-informed intervention. The CRM skills can be used across the lifespan, across cultures and literacy levels.

The events this past month in Florida and Puerto Rico and in Mayfield, Kentucky in December, have shown us the tragedy of climate events and how every person in the community is affected. We must not forget the mental health challenges resulting from this experience. Elaine Miller-Karas, the key developer of the Community Resiliency Model and Dr. Michael Sapp, the CEO of the Trauma Resource Institute will help our listeners understand how the wellness skills of the Community Resiliency Model can help community members restore well-being during these difficult times. The Community Resiliency Model (CRM)®, a set of six wellness skills based upon the premise that there is a biological response to stressful and traumatic events common to all of humanity. The CRM understands that individuals experience common reactions physically, spiritually, cognitively, emotionally, behaviorally, and in relationships with loved ones. Using a mind-body approach, CRM introduces a paradigm shift in that reactions to stress are viewed as common biological responses rather than human weaknesses. The CRM skills can be a stand-alone set of wellness skills and they can also be integrated into other wellness practices. Elaine Miller-Karas and Michael Sapp have responded to typhoons, earthquakes and other events of mass destruction. They will share how the CRM helps individuals learn to track their nervous systems and bring awareness to sensations connected to well-being. As a person begins to pay attention to sensations of well-being, the nervous system can return to a state of balance. Learning about the neurobiology of stressful and traumatic human reactions helps people to understand the design of the nervous system. This knowledge can help people make sense of reactions they have experienced during and after traumatic and stressful experiences. The Community Resiliency Model is an evidence-informed intervention. The CRM skills can be used across the lifespan, across cultures and literacy levels.

The events this past month in Florida and Puerto Rico and in Mayfield, Kentucky in December, have shown us the tragedy of climate events and how every person in the community is affected. We must not forget the mental health challenges resulting from this experience. Elaine Miller-Karas, the key developer of the Community Resiliency Model and Dr. Michael Sapp, the CEO of the Trauma Resource Institute will help our listeners understand how the wellness skills of the Community Resiliency Model can help community members restore well-being during these difficult times. The Community Resiliency Model (CRM)®, a set of six wellness skills based upon the premise that there is a biological response to stressful and traumatic events common to all of humanity. The CRM understands that individuals experience common reactions physically, spiritually, cognitively, emotionally, behaviorally, and in relationships with loved ones. Using a mind-body approach, CRM introduces a paradigm shift in that reactions to stress are viewed as common biological responses rather than human weaknesses. The CRM skills can be a stand-alone set of wellness skills and they can also be integrated into other wellness practices. Elaine Miller-Karas and Michael Sapp have responded to typhoons, earthquakes and other events of mass destruction. They will share how the CRM helps individuals learn to track their nervous systems and bring awareness to sensations connected to well-being. As a person begins to pay attention to sensations of well-being, the nervous system can return to a state of balance. Learning about the neurobiology of stressful and traumatic human reactions helps people to understand the design of the nervous system. This knowledge can help people make sense of reactions they have experienced during and after traumatic and stressful experiences. The Community Resiliency Model is an evidence-informed intervention. The CRM skills can be used across the lifespan, across cultures and literacy levels.

“I think this is what Nelson Mandela meant by the ‘rainbow nation'. Learning about how to stabilize the nervous system is equality and is beyond nations, culture, religion, and ethnicity.” Community Resiliency Model Teacher, South Africa The Trauma Resource Institute (TRI) has brought their ideas about healing the wake of traumatic experiences to Asia, Europe, the Mid-East, the Caribbean, Africa, Central America, North America, and the United States. They have created projects to help underserved individuals to learn innovative biologically based interventions (The Community and Trauma Resiliency Models) that can heal individuals and communities during and after human-made and natural disasters. So far, their work has been translated into 17 languages and has been brought to more than 75 countries. In February of 2022, TRI launched the Ukrainian Humanitarian Resiliency Project in collaboration with EdCamp Ukraine and have had over 80,000 views on Facebook. The CDC Foundation (2022) describes public health as the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities. The field of public health fundamentally tries to prevent people from becoming ill by promoting wellness and healthy behaviors. Identifying mental health as a public health issue is imperative to building healthier and more productive communities internationally. The Trauma Resource Institute's Dr. Michael Sapp, CEO, and Reena Patel, Director of Education will discuss with host, Elaine Miller-Karas, the Co-Founder of the Trauma Resource Institute their international work and the importance of biological based models that are a bridge to all nations because of our shared humanity.

On this episode, Jennifer Burton Flier joins Laverne again to go deeper into the Community Resiliency Model and to tie in so many of this season's episodes on healing. They're all connected! Laverne and Jennifer go over practical skills that you can use to build your resiliency for this (very) challenging world. Those skills are tracking, resourcing, grounding, gesturing, shift and stay, and help now. You can find more helpful therapeutic tips and information in the first episode with Jennifer Burton Flier, “Trauma Resilience and Healing.” Jennifer is a senior faculty member with the Trauma Resource Institute and Laverne's personal therapist!  Please rate, review, subscribe and share The Laverne Cox Show with everyone you know. You can find Laverne on Instagram and Twitter @LaverneCox and on Facebook at @LaverneCoxForReal. As always, stay in the love. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Last week we participated in a panel discussion during the Regenerative Communities Summit where we talked about how Crisis can be a Catalyst for Transformation.  This episode features a recording of the second half of that event. We've decided to omit the presentations that were delivered by each panelist, so there are a few times when you'll hear references to what was presented earlier. If you would like to watch the entire event, you can access the recording by registering for the summit at TransitionUS.org. The speakers in this episode have been addressing the challenges, crises, and disasters we're currently facing while finding new and innovative ways to not only respond but to open new opportunities and to use the times we are living in as a way to build better, more resilient communities. Featured Speakers: Jul Bystrova, co-founder of the Inner Resilience Network and Director of the Eomega/Era of Care project John Liu, catalyzed the creation of The Ecosystem Restoration Camps movement which has grown to nearly 50 camps in 6 continents Elaine Miller-Karas, Co-Founder and Director of Innovation of the Trauma Resource Institute and author of the book, “Building Resilience to Trauma: the Trauma and Community Resiliency Models” (2015). Bob Stilger, founder of NewStories and author of the book, “AfterNow: When We Cannot See the Future, Where Do We Begin?” Episode credits: Host and executive producer: Tom Llewellyn Series producer: Robert Raymond Theme Music: “Meet you on the other side” by Cultivate Beats The Response from Shareable.net, is a documentary film, book, and podcast series exploring how communities are building collective resilience in the wake of disasters. Let us know what you think of the show: info@shareable.net