It’s the end of the year for so many of us. Students, teachers, administrators, bus drivers, librarians – goodness! So many of my favorite people! For some, there are culminating events, for others, it’s simply onto the next year. But you know what? YOU made it! Whether you’re celebrating simply surviving or a major milestone […]

For the past several weeks, we’ve been talking about a compassionate approach to understanding others, called the suitcase analogy. If you missed it, you should check it out! Last week, I literally got my suitcases out and traveled, for the first time ever, to Europe. It’s been since the holidays since I put my feet up […]

We’ve been talking about suitcases the past two weeks. If you missed these, you can check them out here. And speaking of suitcases, I am out of the office this week! It’s been a busy spring season, and I’m taking a much-needed break before my team moves into busy summer trainings, in-services, and workshops. We still […]

If you missed our chat last week, we talked all about a trauma-responsive approach to every day interactions. It’s called the suitcase analogy and you can check it out here. Today, we’re taking this another step and asking ourselves, “What do we do with all of this baggage?” I’m outlining FIVE things you can do right now […]

Educator friends, skip to the end of this newsletter and grab your spot for our free workshop this week! The rest of you, read on for a dose of compassion!! We’re carrying around a lot right now. When I explain the weight of what we carry during presentations, I use the “suitcase analogy.” As we enter into another […]

If you’re a professional working with kids and families and want to do so in a trauma-informed way, in community with other like-minded professionals, we’ve got you covered. In May, we’re hosting TWO open houses in our ConnectEd Collabs for professionals and you can find your link to join us below! Does this sound familiar to you?   If this […]

My team and I had an AMAZING TIME at the National Head Start Conference this week. I had the honor and privilege of presenting as their keynote speaker for the 51st Annual Conference in Portland. Hearts were inspired, souls were lifted! If you’re interested in inviting me to speak, reach out soon because our summer and fall dates are […]

I’m returning from a fantastic weekend of business AND pleasure! Here’s a fun re-cap and a little insider scoop into my very busy past few months! I just spent the past 5 months working with a wonderful healthcare organization, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), on trauma-informed practices. It’s been inspiring, challenging, and soul-filling to […]

This past week, our family vacationed in Hawaii. I’ve been taking my kids there since they were little and I’m sure it’s part of their core memories, as most family rituals become. We’re a friendly crew and as we waited on the beach we began chatting with another family. My children, at 17 & 19, […]

If you’re paying attention to social media of late, there’s a book that’s getting a LOT of attention. It’s called Bad Therapy, written by Abigail Shrier. The basic summary is that children are being over-therapized without reason. She vilifies therapists, parenting experts and other school-based programs, often lumping these professionals together. She posits that well-intentioned […]