In Native American and First Nations cultures, significance was nurtured in communities of belonging. Lakota anthropologist Ella Deloria described the core value of belonging in these simple words: “Be related, somehow, to everyone you know.” Treating others as kin forges powerful social bonds that draw all into relationships of respect. Theologian Marty observed that throughout…
Every child has strengths. It should be common practice to conduct a strengths inventory on every student in your school. As we begin the school year, now is the perfect time to celebrate each child in your room and their unique qualities. While there are several inventories on the market that help assess strengths, you…
At the culmination of Starr’s 2020 Trauma & Resilience Conference, our experts came together to directly address the questions of our attendees. Throughout the session, they discussed returning to school, staff self-care, balancing the myriad of considerations of COVID-19, and many other topics to inspire educators and child-caring professionals. Starr’s Experts: Dr. Caelan Soma Derek…
Starr Commonwealth · Kathy Hart – Quick Tips to Start the School Year Right Kathy Hart and her team stand ready to help schools and organizations get the most out of Starr’s courses, resources, and materials. Schedule your organization’s training today by emailing info@starr.org. Prepare your school to support students, staff, and families as we…
Resilience provides hope, an essential experience for not just students but all of the adults working with them. We may not be able to take away toxic stress and trauma a child has experienced during COVID-19 or will continue to experience in their homes or communities post-pandemic, but we can create new experiences of resilience….
There is a great deal of research that supports the effectiveness of expressing gratitude. Gratitude has been shown to help you make friends. One study found that if you thank someone, even an acquaintance, they’re more likely to seek a deeper relationship with you. Gratitude has even been shown to fix your physical health. People…
Many educators may think that Positive Behavior Supports & Interventions is a straightforward system that may not vary school to school. The reality is that PBIS can, in fact, take many forms. It can even be integrated with other areas of focus. Trauma-informed, resilience-focused schools look at the needs of each child. Therefore, PBIS can…
Recently, Starr Commonwealth has received many questions regarding techniques for de-escalating dysregulated behavior. Before any of us can control our fight or flight responses, we must be able to bring awareness to our present moment. Present moment awareness discharges activations due to fight/flight responses, and brings energy to shutdown. Activities to bring an individual’s awareness…
What is defusing, and where would these sessions fit in the crisis response timeline? Defusing is both supportive and educational. Its purpose is not to process or explore feelings, nor to allow for the ventilation of feelings (this happens 1:1 and after 4 weeks has passed). Why? This process prevents participants from revealing more about…
The heart rate is a large part of the physiological affect we experience, both when regulated or experiencing reactions of stress. Having awareness of our own heart rate in any of these platforms and having a practice to alter that rate can affect our experience of safety on the body level. How can we best…
What is authentic self-care? Self-care is a commonly used phrase that validates us in doing whatever we want to achieve instant gratification, even if it isn’t serving us long term. We often confuse material or external substance as self-care. Self-care is not a hedonistic blowing off of steam, but a commitment you make to yourself…
You don’t have to be a victim to experience trauma. Trauma can be experienced by those who witness traumatic events. Relatives or peers of the victim are at risk as well. You can even experience trauma by listening to the details of an event on the news or by someone telling you their traumatic story….
The experience of trauma is one of prolonged stress accompanied with worry, fear, anger, and sadness. Following trauma, memories are re-experienced in a person’s mind as images. However, they are also re-experienced as sensations in a person’s body because trauma is stored in sensory memories. The sensations experienced following trauma can be terrifying, evoking uncomfortable…
Trauma is an overwhelming experience for children and parents. Parents want to help their traumatized children but don’t always know what they can do. Providing parents with five ways to help their traumatized children will offer them reassurance for what they are already doing and ideas for how they can do more. 1. Understand Remind parents…
We’ve learned so much about trauma and resilience over the years. In fact, for the uninformed practitioner, the amount of information available nowadays can be daunting. So what do I talk about when I have friends or concerned parents approach me with questions about trauma or toxic stress affecting their loved ones? It all comes…