It’s been a while. Between waiting for my new laptop, public access training with Azula, The Wisdom of Trauma courses, the International Trauma Research and Recovery Network, writing project proposals, trying to get information from organizations and having houseguests, writing took a backseat. Especially the public access training took its toll. For someone who suffers…
Author: Julie
Julie is a renaissance woman. Mental health patient advocate. Certified compliance professional. Avid reader. Amateur writer. Passionate dancer. Animal friend. Life-long student. Free speech proponent. Human rights champion. Devil’s advocate debater. Dutch by birth and nationality, international by blood, previous residency, education, mind and heart. Fluent in English and Dutch - with a smattering of Papiamento and Spanish. Spoke Mandarin and French at one point.
The Wisdom of Trauma featuring Gabor Maté Recommended Watch
This week I watched The Wisdom of Trauma featuring Gabor Maté. Maté is a Canadian physician, renowned speaker and author, who is a well known expert in the trauma community. His compassion, research and knowledge of topics such as addiction and the effects of childhood trauma on both the body and the mind, is vast,…
Introducing Ron, the first Chairperson of the Supervisory Board for the Jeffry Stijn Foundation
We’re proud to announce that Ron has agreed to be our first chairperson of the Supervisory Board for the Jeffry Stijn Foundation for Mental Health and Patient Advocacy. Ron’s strong ties to the community, extensive experience in health care management and passion for information management and technological advances, makes him an awesome addition to the…
International Trauma Conference 2023 – Impressions Day 1
Today the 34TH ANNUAL BOSTON INTERNATIONAL TRAUMA CONFERENCE began, and it’s left a mark. From Empathic Distress to Compassion: Building Resilience in the Face of Trauma “From Empathic Distress to Compassion: Building Resilience in the Face of Trauma” was this morning’s first session. It was presented by Tania Singer and Ronald Siegel. Especially Tania’s research…
The Body Keeps the Score 4 – Looking into the Brain
Chapter 3: Looking into the Brain. The Neuroscience Revolution Previous post keeping a journal while reading: The Body Keeps the Score 3: Mind and Brain People have physical reactions during Flashbacks. Heart rate and blood pressure go up. The fear center of the brain gets activated. Being able to speak goes out the window. Images…
Sometimes you’ve got to force the issue
Week in Review 8 – Sometimes you’ve got to force the issue. I really don’t like it, but sometimes you’ve got to stand up for yourself. And force people to take notice. It goes against my nature, but if it needs to be done, it needs to be done. Jeffry Stijn Foundation We finally got…
The Body Keeps The Score 3 – Mind and Brain
Chapter 2: Revolutions in Understanding Mind and Brain The Body Keeps the Score 3. Yesterday I finished writing about Chapter 1: Lessons From Vietnam Vets. This morning I finished reading Chapter 2. It’s an incredibly interesting chapter about the physical manifestations of trauma and stress. It discusses similarities between behaviors of patients with traumatic histories,…
The Body Keeps The Score 2 – Lessons from Vietnam Vets
Chapter 1 – Lessons from Vietnam Vets The Body Keeps the Score 2. Yesterday I started reading The Body Keeps the Score and keeping a journal of what touches and triggers me as I read. I’ve just finished reading Chapter 1. I’m tense, shaking, anxious. My brain feels like mud. And grief is battering at…
The Body Keeps the Score & Healing Trauma: A First Step
Over the past 4 and a half years I have been slowly but surely learning about complex trauma and complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. During that journey, one of the names that consistently kept popping up in articles, dissertations and studies was Bessel van der Kolk, MD. One of the first things that caught my eye…
We’re Attending the 34th Annual Boston International Trauma Conference
Thanks to a scholarship from the Trauma Research Foundation, Dr. Fleur and I will be attending the 34th Annual Boston International Trauma Conference virtually. Its theme is Psychological Trauma: Neuroscience, Embodiment And The Restoration Of The Self. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to expand our knowledge where psychological trauma is concerned. Stay tuned for…
