I was digging through some of my archived ideas for blogs today – trying to shake off a “Monday Blog Fog” and came across a flagged website: www.healingresources.info. On that site, one particular video is of great interest to me -- Trauma, Brain and Relationship: Helping Children Heal. And I’ll come back to that for future blogs.

But today, an interview with Dr. Bruce Perry that the video clips were based on caught my eye. A transcript... more

My final thought as I read the article on inmates in the Supermax prisons being driven crazy by the 23-hour-a-day solitary confinement was the question that has been the title of this series, “Why do we want to torture the already tortured?” I’ve seen it happen time and time again. On one level I understand why dealing with a rageful person evokes rage. And even the best of us gets a slight twinge of satisfaction when we are able to get back at someone who is lashing out at us.

Yet my logical brain reminds me that these people... more

Thinking further about the Time Magazine article leads me to the often-debated practice of “time out” where traumatized children are concerned. Time out seems so benign to us who grew up during the era when spanking was the punishment of the day. And, let’s face it, just getting the child out of the situation and up to their room is often both good for cooling of the child and the parent.

But there are times, and children, for which time out can trigger feelings... more

One really nice benefit of a long car ride is the chance to scour magazines I rarely have time to read. Of course I’m scouring them for blog topics. And a story in this week’s (February 5, 2007) issue of Time magazine obliged. Entitled The Paradox of Supermax, the article is about the treatment of inmates in the prisons that have the highest level of security – the Supermax prisons, where every inmate is in solitary lockdown for 23 hours a day (one hour of exercise).... more

There are four types/areas of therapies that are emerging as important for treating traumatized children, those with PTSD or C-PTSD.

1. EMDR. The EMDRIA website defines it as: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a method of psychotherapy that has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma. EMDR is a set of standardized protocols that incorporates elements... more

If the diagnosis of Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) makes it into the DSM-V (due out in 2010) or even if it doesn’t, the next logical question after learning about C-PTSD is “what can be done to treat it?”

Well, there are some treatments that are successful with addressing trauma in children. The problem with traditional therapeutic approaches is that many of them require extensive talk therapy. And that doesn’t work with traumatized children for... more

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network has formed a Complex Trauma Task Force that includes experts in childhood trauma, such as Bessel van der Kolk. The Task Force is hard at work defining a new category that may be included in the DSM-V, due to be published in 2010. The category: Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The definition of C-PTSD, also known as “complex trauma”, sounds a great deal like many of the “combo platter” issues that are faced by adopted and foster children... more

Again, there is so much about Amy Eldridge’s open letter to those adopting from China that needs to be heard. And one of those things is that being raised in an orphanage changes who you are. And that being taken away from everything you know (even if it’s not a healthy situation, even if it’s an orphanage) causes further grief and trauma.

Now most people know that on the surface. We laughed during our recent viewing of A Night at the Museum, where Ben Stiller’s character confronted Attila the Hun, who ultimately broke down in sobs as Ben described Attila’s rough childhood and lack of love and affection and how that made him into... more

The following is the fourth of a four-part open letter written by Amy Eldridge, Director of Operations for Love Without Boundaries. Amy brings up many interesting observations and opinions based on her experiences helping families adopt from China. While I don't agree 100% with everything she writes, I see her point. And do totally agree with her that EYES WIDE OPEN is the ONLY way to approach adoption of a post-institutionalized child.

The aunties are trying... more

The following is the third of a four-part open letter written by Amy Eldridge, Director of Operations for Love Without Boundaries. Amy brings up many interesting observations and opinions based on her experiences helping families adopt from China. While I don't agree 100% with everything she writes, I see her point. And do totally agree with her that EYES WIDE OPEN is the ONLY way to approach adoption of a post-institutionalized child.

Because our foundation... more