When your child suffers

Craig Peterson poignantly reminds us of the daily struggles that some of our kids have faced, still face, and may always face. https://adoptingfaithafathersunconditionallove.org/2016/12/12/coping-when-a-child-suffers-daily/

The Trauma Van

by:  Craig Peterson I chose to laugh, not cry.  My minivan looks like a wreck. But the two of us could never part ways. We’ve shared too much history together. In 2001 with two new sons in tow, my family of seven needed more space. So while the rain came down in sheets, I negotiated […]

The Borderline in My Daughter’s Personality – Part 3

This is the final installment in a three-part series that ran earlier this week.  The first installment can be found here, and the second here. by:  Julie Beem “Borderline feels like I’m going to lose my mind You just keep on pushing my love over the borderline…” Madonna As I read further into this article, I […]

The Borderline in My Daughter’s Personality – Part 1

Today’s post is the first in a series of three blogs about Julie’s daughter and borderline personality disorder.  Parts 2 and 3 will run Thursday and Friday. by:  Julie Beem “Borderline feels like I’m going to lose my mind You just keep on pushing my love over the borderline…”  Madonna We’ve been at this whole […]

I’m So Strong . . .

by: Julie Beem

“I’m so strong that I could destroy this whole house.” His declaration was matter-of-fact, not launched as a threat but to gauge my response. “Really?” I responded, “why would you want to destroy my house?” “Because I’m powerful enough.”

Resilience – Inborn or Learned – Part 2

By: Julie Beem

The listing of factors that make children resilient from Resilience Theory: A Literature Review by Adrian DePlessis VanBreda made total sense to me. But the paragraph of conclusion supposedly based on these factors did not:

Getting Their Ticket Punched

By: Marc Deprey

I’m not sure this is some great revelation, but this idea came to me this morning and it put a lot into perspective for me. We all know as adults (or at least I hope we all do) that we can’t expect the world to fit to us, that we know down deep that we need to fit the world and meet its basic requirements. That’s a fundamental truth we accept almost unconsciously and it allows us to navigate things pretty successfully overall.

April 29, 2013 — Fourteen Years

By: Kathleen Benckendorf

ATN is delighted to welcome Kathleen Benckendorf as a guest voice on Touching Trauma at its Heart. Kathleen, a parent member of ATN’s Board of Directors, is a relentless researcher and seeker of answers. An engineer by education and experience, Kathleen has also trained as a bodyworker and in as many other therapeutic approaches and interventions as she has been able to convince the providers to let her attend. Her website, www.attachmentandintegrationmethods.com , describes these approaches and others.

A Therapeutic Top Ten List: Why Therapists Should Incorporate Parents into Therapy Sessions

ATN is delighted to welcome Carol Lozier as a guest voice on Touching Trauma at its Heart. Carol, a member of ATN’s Board of Directors, is a clinical social worker in private practice in Louisville, Kentucky. Her website, www.forever-families.com, offers a blog, free downloadable tools for families, an excerpt of her book, and a supportive community of adoptive and foster parents.

Shake Off the Bad Mood

By Gari Lister

This morning I started off my day with a cascade of nastiness from my usually reasonably-fun-to-be-around fifth grader. “I’m not going to eat those pills. Are you serious? Is that what we’re having for breakfast? Well, of course, we’re going to be late because of her [the sweeter younger sister].” First, I spent a moment thanking my yoga teacher for helping me to understand equanimity.