Regulated & Relational

In this Episode, Julie interviews Joe Brummer and Marg Thorsborne about their new book, Becoming a Trauma-Informed Restorative Educator .  Both Joe and Marg have years of experience and are experts in the field of restorative justice. Marg talks about how we can move away from punishment and the harm of behaviorism, and encourages us to look at how to build lagging skills and view behaviors throug...

In this episode, Julie and Ginger welcome Ingrid Cockhren into the studio to discuss parenting in today’s society…or, as Dr. Gabor Mate calls it, Horticulture on the Moon.   Dr. Gabor Mate, a renowned expert, brings a unique perspective to the table. He points out that Western society has taught us to ignore our parenting instincts. He cites indigenous parenting practices as examples, which were m...

In his book, The Myth of Normal, Dr. Gabor Mate points out that all children have 4 irreducible needs:   a sense of security trust in the world interrelationships with others connection to your authentic emotions… And the way that they get these needs met is the availability of an attuned, non-stressed and emotionally reliable caregiver.  The more stressed or distracted the caregiver, then the sha...

In this episode, Julie and Ginger talk with Rabbi Heather Altman about Attachment, Yoga, and Somatic Experiencing. She is a trauma specialist and a parent coach. She specializes in disruptive behavior in families. Her goal is to help her clients experience more comfort, more calm, and more compassion in their lives. She helps families develop deeper connections between the parents and children. Is...

In this episode Julie and Ginger talk about the 3Es of trauma. SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the US government, coined the term “the 3Es” and this has become core to the definition of trauma. The 3Es is a very basic concept but, while it is very basic, it isn’t simple. To determine if something is traumatizing, we can’t judge based on whether we think the...

In this episode, Julie and Ginger invite Robyn Gobbel into the studio. Robyn loves cultivating deep, resonant connections with anyone who is up for it, and especially loves teaching anyone who will listen how to harness the power of neuroscience so they can cultivate deep, resonant connections, too. Robyn says, “Really, what would change in the world if we could all see, be with, feel, and deeply...

In this episode, Julie and Ginger invite Yvonne Johnson into the studio. Yvonne is the 58th president of the National PTA. She is committed to being intentional about creating more inclusion and diversity in schools, and she focuses on strengthening family and school partnerships. Yvonne has been involved in the PTA for over 30 years! The PTA’s mission is “Making sure that every child reaches thei...

In this episode, Julie and Ginger invite Jen Alexander and Jennifer Dickey into the studio. They have come to talk about executive function skills and working memory. You may recognize Jen Alexander, as she has been in the studio several times. She is an educator, national certified counselor, school based registered play therapist and a leader in the movement to build trauma-sensitive schools. Je...

Today, Julie and Ginger invite Dr. Susan Hopkins into the studio. Dr. Hopkins, along with Dr. Stuart Shanker, will be keynoting at ATN’s 7th Annual Creating Trauma-Sensitive Schools Conference in February 2024. Dr. Shaker is the MEHRIT Centre and Self-Reg Founder, and Dr. Hopkins is the Executive Director of the Self-Reg organization. Together they have authored several books. They are a powerful...

In this episode, Julie and Ginger invite Lorraine Schneider into the studio to chat about the episodes from season 3 and there were some really great ones! Lorraine is a member of the ATN hard-working staff and one of her responsibilities is to edit the podcasts. As a result, she has listened to every one of them! As Lorraine says, “Yes, I have listened to each podcast and every one has great nugg...

In this episode, Julie and Ginger welcome Dr. Aimie into the studio.  Basically, Dr. Aimie is amazing.  She is a double board-certified physician, boarded in both preventive and addiction medicine.  Additionally, she is a foster mom and an adoptive mom. Through her journey, trauma became her own personal story.  She realized that we talk about feelings but there is a biological piece that has been...

In this episode, Julie and Ginger delve into the definitions of trauma-informed. While this seems very simple, there are many definitions floating out there and we wanted to clarify exactly what ATN uses in its definitions. When ATN was created, there was no true concept of trauma and its effects on our children.  Thankfully, the trauma-informed movement has gained momentum throughout the last dec...

Today Julie and Ginger are talking about the 3 G’s: Gratitude, Grounding and Glimmers.  These are basic mindfulness strategies that provide emotional safety in both the home and the classroom. This is a hard time of year for those of us who are emotionally stressed, and our stressors really start to build up with work schedules, school schedules and work schedules during the holiday season. People...

In this episode, Julie and Ginger talk about the school to prison pipeline with Leonard Webb. What an important topic this is!  Leonard retired from law enforcement and now uses his experience to address the issues of exclusionary discipline, implicit biases, and structural racism.   His goal is to improve the educational outcomes of students by improving relationships between administrators, teac...

In this episode, Julie and Ginger discuss the Vagus nerve and other occupational therapist topics with Allison Morgan.  Allison is the founder and CEO of Zensational Kids, an educational company with the vision of providing schools and organizations with professional development focused on boosting mental health and well-being and learning for the entire school community. Allison creates programs...

In this episode Julie and Ginger talk about the Inner Working Model.   This is basically the blueprint for how we connect with others.   John Bowlby says it best – “All of us, from cradle to grave, are happiest when life is organized as a series of excursions, long or short, from the secure base provided by our attachment figures.”  What is a secure base? What is the attachment cycle? Why does it...

In this episode, the studio is full.  Julie and Ginger have Jen Alexander and Anna Paravano as guests. Jen Alexander is a veteran educator, counselor, and long-time ATN friend. She is a passionate leader in the building of trauma-sensitive schools. Anna Paravano is also a long-time ATN friend and previous board member.  Anna’s background is in interior design. She is a professional interior design...

In this episode, Julie and Ginger are talking about relationships between parents and teachers with their guest host, Jessica Harris.  Jessica was a teacher with 17 years of experience until she began the CLIMB program.  As an alternative to out of school suspensions, the CLIMB program provides students with intensive instruction and support while keeping them in school.  Through this program, Jes...

In this episode, we have invited a guest host, Kimberly Smathers, into the studio. Kimberly is on the Board of Directors of the Attachment & Trauma Network, and she is a true champion of ATN’s work. Kimberly is talking with Ginger Healy about her recent book, Regulation and Co-Regulation: Accessible Neuroscience and Connection Strategies that Bring Calm into the Classroom (15-Minute Focus). Yo...

In this episode, Julie and Ginger talk about Belonging.  And what an important concept that really is! Love and belonging are crucial human needs and Brene Brown says, “You can’t study emotions and experiences that define being human without constantly bumping into the concept of belonging.”   It is that primal! Listen in to learn the difference between fitting in and belonging. Spoiler alert – it...

In this episode, Julie and Ginger explore the concept of grief by welcoming Emelio Parga into the studio.  Emelio is the founder and Executive Director of the Solace Tree, a grief and loss support center for children, teens and adults in Reno, NV.  He coordinates support groups there and in the schools in Nevada.  Emelio has collaborated to create The Good Grief Project for K-12 students who have...

In this episode, Julie and Ginger are deep-diving into the concept of curiosity.   Brene Brown defines curiosity as recognizing a gap in our knowledge about something that interests us and becoming emotionally and cognitively invested in closing that gap though exploration and learning. This differs from simply being interested in something. Interest is just a state.  Curiosity can be both a state...

In this episode, Julie and Ginger dive into anger!  Brene Brown defines anger as an emotion we feel when something gets in the way of our desired outcome, or when we believe there is a violation of the way we believe something should be. She says that anger is both active and activating. Anger is an emotion we all experience, and it causes us to go into a fight or flight response. This means we sh...

In this episode, Julie and Ginger invite Connie Persike into the studio to talk about interoception, one of our hidden senses.    Interoception is the ability to process information from inside our bodies that affects our behavior, our health, and our well-being. Connie is a highly experienced Speech Language Pathologist and educational consultant with more than 20 years’ experience in the educati...

In this episode, Julie and Ginger invite a special guest, Bill Zee, into the studio. Bill is the Chair of the Education Law Group at Appel, Yost & Zee in Lancaster PA. Bill has over 15 years of experience in school and special education law. He is both an educator by degree and an early childhood trauma survivor.  As a result, Bill is passionate about the journey of making schools trauma infor...