Year: 2019

The Incarceration Experience (CJ 720)

I wanted to dig deeper into the trauma experienced by individuals who have been incarcerated. In reading and writing the “react to readings” in our discussions this past week, the topic has really resonated with me. I had expressed that I have zero pity for inmates. Reading DeVeaux’s (2013) paper did not provoke sympathy, and […]

To be heard

Many people are raised with the idea that children are supposed to be seen and not heard, which often means that one does not speak unless spoken to first, and the response must be short, well thought out, and most of all polite. Starting in the 1950s it was believed that if children were shown […]

Benefits of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

In the book The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, Bessel Van Der Kolk discussed the therapeutic approach of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR is a form of psychotherapy that was originally created to “alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories” (emdr.org). EMDR consist of an […]

Forgotten Innocence: Plight of War Victims

Many believed that the great wars ended during the 40s, but for others, war is their truth. Wars are transpiring in every part of the world which resulted in death, destruction, and displacement for many hopeless citizens. Wars have robbed children of their childhood experience and separated families. Wars yield no champions, only failures. Both […]

Rape Culture in Hispanic Communities

“Rape culture” is a hard pill to swallow for most communities but it is in fact alive in thriving in places closer to home than we might fully understand.  Growing up in a primarily Hispanic community, there is a certain level of masculinity that is perpetuated in an unhealthy, and an increasingly common way – […]

The Controversy Surrounding Animals & Trauma Treatment

The use of animals in therapeutic approaches for patients who have suffered a trauma is becoming increasingly common: we can all attest, anecdotally, to the increased popularity of this approach and the frequency with which we see animals employed in a helping role in our daily lives. However, despite the recent rise in popularity, this […]