Lisa Ferentz - working with trauma

I am honored and proud to call Lisa Ferentz, Clinical Social Worker, Trauma Specialist, Author my colleague and friend - check out her interview on Fox Baltimore talking about the great work in her new workbook!

http://bit.ly/1vYvSWr

7 Subtle signs you are drinking too much... and what to do about it...

Do any of these signs sound familiar to you?

If so, please feel free to contact me privately to discuss how to help you address your use of alcohol.


http://news.health.com/2014/07/10/7-subtle-signs-youre-drinking-too-much-and-what-to-do-about-it/?xid=Time-drinking-071414

Robyn's endorsement of PACT...

So, today is clearly self-promotion day and I hope that is ok... :)

I love what I get to do for a living and learning more each day through education helps me continuously grow as a clinician.  Check out my endorsement of Stan Tatkin and the PACT model in PACT's latest newsletter...


http://us5.campaign-archive1.com/?u=dbbccbe020a33716e7efbf11f&id=819098128f&e=3f4b5563be

Robyn interviewed for an article in the Washington Post...

In case you are interested in seeing the interview I did with The Washington Post for an article with Saving Promise on helping parents teach their children how to have healthy relationships - it's in today's print version of the paper in the Local Living section.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/parenting/wp/2014/03/14/how-to-ensure-your-child-will-have-healthy-relationships/

Great article in the Washington Post to raise awareness about preventing DV featuring Saving Promise and an interview I did...

As some of you already know, I am working with this great organization called Saving Promise to help prevent domestic violence and help people learn how to build healthy relationships. The Washington Post decided to help us raise awareness with this great article. Enjoy!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/parenting/wp/2014/03/14/how-to-ensure-your-child-will-have-healthy-relationships/

April is Autism Acceptance Month!

April is Autism Acceptance Month!

Alexandria & Arlington Public School Districts present
Autism: the Musical
Thursday, April 10th
at 7:00 pm
Preceded by light refreshments at 6:30 pm

The award-winning documentary film will be shown at
T.C. Williams High School Auditorium
3330 King St, Alexandria, VA 22302

Free and Open to the Public

For more information and to RSVP, please contact:
Alexandria City Public Schools:
therese.margot@acps.k12.va.us 703-820-4997
Arlington County Public Schools: deborah.hammer@apsva.us 703-228-2133

"Working w/Adolescents & Their Families: A Collaborative Approach to Treating Substance Abuse"

A great video clip that shows again why their is a need for therapists to be trained in how to treat adolescent substance abuse using a collaborative approach that includes the family.

Denise Tordella, M.A., LPC and I will be teaching "Working w/Adolescents & Their Families: A Collaborative Approach to Treating Substance Abuse" at The Institute for Advanced Psychotherapy Training and Education, Inc. on Thursday May 1st, 2014. We hope you will join us!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdVwedcCYxU

The knowledge we have about the need for healthy attachment....

Healthy attachment, secure attachment... makes such a difference in the world!  This is an example of a more intense version of the effects of lacking secure attachment.  Attachment, health attachment is something we need to be sure all families are working toward...

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/02/20/280237833/orphans-lonely-beginnings-reveal-how-parents-shape-a-childs-brain

The need for more mental health treatment...

This is a link to the 60 minutes story with Creigh Deeds telling the sad story of how little mental health treatment actually exists for the youth... although I think there needs to be more mental health treatment for adults and the youth!

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/mentally-ill-youth-in-crisis/

Stan Tatkin teaching the PACT Level 1 training for the last time - in DC, starting in 2 weeks!

Hope you are enjoying the sunshine in DC melting away our snow!  

I wanted to send out one last email to you all (and this time I promise it will be the last) about the PACT training and Stan Tatkin coming to DC in just 2 short weeks.  I was just alerted that this is a bittersweet year for Stan and PACT’s Level I.  2014 is Stan’s last year teaching Level I and although he’s handing it off to a select group of handpicked, well trained, and talented instructors for 2015 and beyond, he loves teaching new students of PACT and he’ll miss getting to know all his PACT peeps from the very beginning of the program.  The instructors for 2015 and beyond each have their own teaching gifts that they are bringing to Level I and we’re very excited for them to take the reins, but if you wish to train with Stan for Level I then this is your year.  

Therefore, if you are wanting to train in Level 1 with Stan in DC – please register soon as the training begins in just 2 short weeks! http://stantatkin.com/threecolpage/washington_dc-2014/

Heroin - what you need to know

http://www.drugfree.org/join-together/addiction/what-you-need-to-know-about-heroin-addiction?utm_source=Join%20Together%20Daily&utm_campaign=bd752ae533-JT_Daily_News_What_You_Need_to&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_97f4d27738-bd752ae533-221355809

Teaming up with Saving Promise to prevent domestic violence...

I am excited to say that I was asked to team up with L.Y. Marlow and Saving Promise to help prevent domestic violence! 

Since February marks Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, be on the lookout for tips and ideas that we post to help families address this issue.

http://savingpromise.org/blog/

National Dating Abuse Helpline

Here is a link to the National Dating Abuse Helpline... you can use text, phone, chat, etc...

February is teen dating violence awareness month.


http://www.ndah.org/get-help/

More Face Time, Less Screen Time - good post from the ADDitude magazine

"Your teen gets lost in video games — so how can you bring him back now and then to life in the real world? Smart strategies for cutting down without cutting him off."

http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/10509.html?utm_source=eletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=February

Good News: New Studies Show No Association Between Antidepressants and Risk of Autism

http://womensmentalhealth.org/posts/good-news-new-studies-show-association-antidepressants-risk-autism/?utm_source=MGH+CWMH+Newsletter+List&utm_campaign=0d532bc7b1-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_abeadfbf4f-0d532bc7b1-153580293

An authentic post about how scary addiction is... even for those with some recovery time...

Like I have said, there are just a lot of great blogs and posts these days around addiction and the effects. Thank you Scary Mommy for this post to add to the collection here... and your authenticity in it!
http://www.scarymommy.com/the-day-philip-seymour-hoffman-made-me-cry/

more addiction related posts and information...

Lots of great blogs and press these days - Phillip Seymour Hoffman lost his life to a horribly, sad disease and his life is giving a gift to the world in bringing more awareness to addiction and how desperately it needs to be treated by well educated clinicians.

http://practicalkatie.com/2014/02/03/addiction-mental-health-and-parenting-why-you-need-to-connect-the-dots/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+practicalkatie+%28practicalkatie.com%29

Addiction - so sad!

Addiction is a horribly sad issue that can easily turn to tragedy! Get yourself help... you deserve it!

http://www.electricfeast.com/a-note-about-philip-seymour-hoffman-addiction-is-not-selfish/

Yes, the adolescent brain can be harmed by marijuana use!

To parents - please be aware that the adolescent (and older) brain can be harmed by marijuana use!


http://healthland.time.com/2014/01/23/why-its-still-a-big-deal-if-your-teen-smokes-pot/?utm_source=Join+Together+Daily&utm_campaign=cf3341c81a-JT_Daily_News_Growing_Number_of_Localities&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_97f4d27738-cf3341c81a-221355809#ixzz2rhzJBnAq

One more good addition to read before I sign off for this Friday night...

One more great post on trauma and the relief of a diagnosis... 

Hope you all have a great weekend!

http://blogs.psychcentral.com/after-trauma/2014/01/can-getting-a-diagnosis-be-traumatic/

Thank you, Elizabeth Vargas!

Thank you Elizabeth Vargas for going public with your story and making it ok for others to consider getting help for addictions and trauma!  I fully respect her and all others who address their use of alcohol/substances/addictions and the underlying issues that fuel these addictions.


http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2014/01/elizabeth-vargas-alcohol-for-me-is-no-longer-an-option-says-abc-news-anchor/?nwltr=icymi_2020_more

Links between substance abuse and violence

One more reason to address substance abuse issues...

http://www.michigandaily.com/news/study-discovers-link-between-prescription-drug-abuse-and-conflict

Snow day giving me time to talk to an organization called "Saving Promise"

Just had an interesting phone call with the founder of an organization called, Saving Promise about expanding their voice in the domestic violence prevention world - what a great idea, let's prevent domestic violence before it starts occurring!


http://www.savingpromise.org/

Money addiction

A colleague sent this to me - 

A colleague brought an article to my attention this morning, exclaiming,

"You have to read this!" She was right.  I was amused to read a gold-plated

opinion piece describing the gluttonous rabbit-hole of money addiction in

today's New York Times. What do Sam Polk's For Love of Money and my, For

Love and Money: Exploring Sexual and Financial Betrayal in Relationships,

have in common? Everything and then again, nothing.  Well.it's probably more

fitting to say that where Polk's piece, For Love of Money ends, For Love and

Money (FLAM) begins. For those who are not familiar first hand with the

excesses of Wall Street (other than what you recently viewed in, The Wolf of

Wall Street) the exhilaration and gluttony can be all consuming.  

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/19/opinion/sunday/for-the-love-of-money.html?_r=0

It's not your fault...

Good morning!    Here is a great quote from Bone Sigh Arts - I just love their quotes and how empowering they are!

it's not your fault

“it's not your fault.
you didn't know what to do,
who to tell,
where to go.
it's not your fault.
you didn't know.
it's not your fault -
and it's time now for you to hold that.
for you to hold her -
the little girl who is you.
hold her and love her.
hold her and love you.
hold her and let the other go.
it's time now.
you can do it.
women everywhere who share your story
are standing next to you.
love yourself. and let the other go.” 

http://www.bonesigharts.com/store/its-not-your-fault

Here's an amazing kid talking about happiness...

Here is an amazingly bright kid talking about happiness... with some neuroscience language and learning thrown in.

Wishing you all happiness!!!!

Amazing kid talking about happiness

2012 Gray Wilson TED talk on teens and porn

Here is a TED Talk from 2012 by Gray Wilson - it's a great TED talk on the teen brain and porn...

TED talk on teens and porn

The teenage brain on porn...

Teenage brain on porn

CRITICAL MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS

I thought some of you might find this list of resources helpful!

http://www.onlinecolleges.net/for-students/mental-health-resources/

College Students, PTSD, and alcohol... more about that relationship

Here goes... first post... 

This article is just more data on the idea that people use alcohol to cope and how that cycle can precipitate more trauma... what a terrible cycle to be in! Do something wonderful for yourself and see a therapist well versed in trauma, dissociation and the use of behaviors and addictions (alcohol, drugs, food, sex, self harming behaviors, gambling, just to name a few!) as coping skills!

Relationship of PTSD symptoms and college students with alcohol

Robyn's Dive Into Blogging

I'm going to give this whole "blogging" thing a shot... Stay tuned for more information, great articles, and helpful insight into the work the practice does. 

Thanks for reading!
Robyn