There’s so much being published about mindfulness these days that it can be overwhelming trying to sort through all the different options. Of the dozens of books I’ve read over the past few years, here are four that I think are particularly useful for the helping professions. How to Train a Wild Elephant, & Other …
Here are four books I’ve found particularly helpful in understanding the challenges of today’s youth and how adults can effectively support them. 1) What Works with Teens: A Professional’s Guide to Engaging Authentically with Adolescents to Achieve Lasting Change by Britt Rathbone, MSSW LCSW-C and Julie Baron, MSW LCSW-C Rathbone and Baron start with an overview …
Dr. Sam Himelstein recently described ‘4 Different Approaches to Leading Groups of Youth’: Presenter: includes lecturing and direct instruction Facilitator: includes guiding discussions and eliciting contributions from the group Supporter: includes empathizing with and encouraging students Confronter: includes intervening to stop disruptive or dangerous behavior. We each tend to have a preferred role, and it’s …
3 Ways to Make Sure You’re in the Appropriate Teaching Role Read More »
The expectation that we can be immersed in suffering and loss daily and not be touched by it is as unrealistic as expecting to be able to walk through water without getting wet. Kitchen Table Wisdom, Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen, p. 52 2020 was an overwhelming year for anyone who works in health care, counseling, …
I don’t think there’s a youth anywhere in the world who isn’t having a hard time these days. The question isn’t whether they’re suffering, but how severely, and what we can do to help. The challenge is that caring adults were already overwhelmed, even before the triple whammy of COVID-19, the protests for social justice, …
4 Tips for Helping Youth During Times of Crisis and Confusion Read More »
These are challenging times for all of us. We each have a unique set of circumstances, depending on our family situation, the nature of our work, and the conditions in our local communities. On the other hand, there are a few themes that are pretty much universal at this point: confusion, distress, and lack of …
3 Ways Mindfulness Can Help in Crisis Situations Read More »
The above photo shows the type of stereotypical image that’s often used to illustrate ‘mindfulness’ or ‘meditation.’ To be fair, it can be challenging to find an image that accurately represents an abstract idea, like a state of awareness. But it’s important to do our best not to spread inaccurate depictions of mindfulness. Three typical …
Three Dangerous Misunderstandings About Mindfulness Read More »
It’s common for adults to tell youth to “stop overreacting.” That’s usually not very helpful, especially if the adult is yelling at them to calm down! It’s much more effective to be a good role model of skillfully responding, and to teach them what’s going on in their brains and how they can self-regulate when …
One of my most sobering moments as an English as a Foreign Language teacher came during a discussion about Martin Luther King’s ‘crusade for justice.’ Some of the students didn’t know what ‘crusade’ meant, so I asked for a volunteer who could define the word. A young man from Saudi Arabia raised his hand. “I …
4 Tips for Culturally-Sensitive Teaching Guest post by Catharine Hannay In his book on Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness, David Treleaven tells the story of Nari, a young woman born and raised in the United States. Nari was on her first meditation retreat, looking forward to her first private appointment with the teacher. Unfortunately, he started the session …
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