The Healing Place Podcast – Dr. Kristina Brinkerhoff: Educational Consultant

I very much appreciated the opportunity to chat with Dr. Kristina Brinkerhoff, Educational Consultant, to discuss such topics as:

adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
classroom management and teacher self-care
her personal story of triumph over trauma and the impact of her trauma history on her mission today
her role as an educator, principal, superintendent, adoptive mother of five foster children, and now as an ACEs advocate and consultant in the education arena
resilience
and more!

Welcome to The Healing Place Podcast! I am your host, Teri Wellbrock. You can listen in on iTunes, Blubrry, Spotify, Deezer, Google Podcasts, Podbean, and more, or directly on my website at www.teriwellbrock.com/podcasts/. You can also watch our insightful interview on YouTube.

Bio:

“Dr. Kristina Brinkerhoff, a consultant, keynote speaker, presenter and trainer, leverages over 20 years of experience as a teacher, principal, superintendent and adoptive mom of five foster children, to help educators gain an understanding of the effects Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and the importance of trauma informed practice in schools. Her work focuses on the direct impact ACEs have on a child’s ability to self-regulate and successfully function in the classroom and school setting, and what schools can do to help students build self-regulation skills and resilience strategies. Participants will gain an understanding of specific strategies designed to help school educators navigate how to address the impact of ACEs, recognize student needs, establish caring and responsive trauma informed classroom and school expectations, and respond to difficult behaviors with compassion and self-control.”

What Participants Are Saying!!

“Really great info, one of the best PD sessions I’ve ever attended!”

“The presentation and materials were excellent!”

“This was the best session I have ever attended!”

“Love your personal connections !”

“Thank you for getting the mind thinking!”

“Thank you, this was an awesome use of my time!”

“Great charisma as a presenter!”

“It was awesome, thanks for everything!”

“Excellent. I wish I knew this at the beginning of my career and know now as I am at retirement.”

“Mrs. Brinkerhoff is confident, poised, and well-versed when it comes to delivering ACE strategy training to teaching/educational staff. She is able to build quick rapport with the staff which then allows her to work directly with them when faced with a challenging scenario.” Valerie Uhlorn, Principal Amity Elementary

“Dr. Brinkerhoff presented to our K-5 administrative group about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE). I was so impressed with her presentation that I asked if she would be willing to come and speak with my staff before the school year had started. This was an area, that my staff was not super familiar with and I felt that bringing her in as an outside source would give a different perspective. She spent half the day with us and really spoke to the depths of childhood trauma and the disruption to the learning environment. The understanding that my staff had after her presentation allowed us to start our year off with compassion and patience for those kids in need. She has the experience and the gift to present with influence and impact for our educators. ” Tony Bonucelli, Principal, Moscow Charter School

“Dr. Brinkerhoff connected her research to personal stories from her days teaching and being an Elementary Principal. Her on-the-ground experience, warm personality, and sense of humor allowed her to relate well to her audience of over 100 administrators. In my eight years of attending the IASA annual conference, Dr. Brinkerhoff was by far the best keynote speaker we have had at the final IAESP session. In fact, once she was finished, a fellow administrator immediately booked her to present at a fall back-to-school training for their charter school staff. ” Dr. Kendra McMillan, Ph.D, Lena Wittmoore Elementary

Learn more about Kristina and her mission at: https://www.facebook.com/drklbrinkerhoff

Peace to you all!
Teri

Hope for Healing Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/741bdf08d718/hope-for-healing-newsletter-may-2019

Book Launch Team: https://www.facebook.com/groups/unicornshadows/

The Healing Place Podcast: Matthew Bennett – Connecting Paradigms

What a joyous, informative, powerful conversation I savored with Matthew (Matt) Bennett as we discussed his work as a speaker, author, podcaster, trainer, and healer. Thank you, Matt, for teaching me even more about ACEs (adverse childhood experiences), trauma recovery, your books Connecting Paradigms: A Trauma-Informed & Neurobiological Framework for Motivational Interviewing Implementation and Connecting Paradigms, Talking about Trauma & Change: A Connecting Paradigms’ Supplement, and so much more.

Welcome to The Healing Place Podcast! I am your host, Teri Wellbrock. You can listen in on iTunes, Blubrry, Spotify, or directly on my website at www.teriwellbrock.com/podcasts/. You can also watch our insightful interview on YouTube.

Bio:

“Matt Bennett, MBA, MA, has a master’s degree in community psychology and executive development (nonprofit management), as well as a master’s in business administration in health care. Mr. Bennett specializes in the delivery of trauma-informed care, quality improvement, results-based leadership, and Motivational Interviewing. Mr. Bennett has successfully combined his academic pursuits as a researcher, blogger, podcaster on the Trauma-Informed Lens Podcast, and published author of articles and the book Connecting Paradigms: A trauma-informed and neurobiological framework for Motivational Interviewing Implementation, Talking about Trauma & Change, and Trauma-Sensitive Early Education with his practical experience in leading nonprofit organizations and educational institutions to develop research-based solutions to improve the health of individuals, organizations, and systems.

As a sought-after trainer, Mr. Bennett utilizes a participant-centered approach, which includes interactions and adult learning activities to maximize learning, retention, and application. These approaches, combined with a strong mastery of the topical research, allow delivery of in-depth subject matter in a practical manner, targeted to the audience. Mr. Bennett’s presentations are a dynamic dance of innovative research, practical applications, and a passion for the art and science of helping others.”

Find out more about Matt’s mission at http://connectingparadigms.org.

Peace to you all!
Teri

Hope for Healing Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/741bdf08d718/hope-for-healing-newsletter-may-2019

Book Launch Team: https://www.facebook.com/groups/unicornshadows/

The Healing Place Podcast: Ingrid Cockhren & Sue Fort White – Our Kids Center

I am ever so grateful for the opportunity to sit down with Ingrid Cockhren, ACEs Connection Midwest Regional Community Facilitator, and Sue Fort White, Executive Director of Our Kids, Inc. Thank you, Ingrid and Sue, for the incredible work you are both doing to help create a more trauma-informed world and helping those who are on the healing journey.

Bios:

Sue Fort White, Ed.D.

Our Kids Executive Director

For more than 30 years, Sue Fort White has mobilized resources for underserved populations, including victims of domestic violence, teens and families in crisis, children in foster care and families affected by child sexual abuse. Sue’s work at Our Kids starting in 2006 was a natural progression of her deep commitment to social justice and her desire to connect children and families with the services they need.

Sue is an experienced nonprofit and community leader with specialized skills in:

Fund development
Advocacy and ambassadorship
Program development and promotion
Coalition building
Strategic planning
Board development
Community outreach
Leadership development

Education and certifications

Doctorate degree and masters of education in human development counseling from Peabody College at Vanderbilt University
Bachelors degree in psychology and literature from the University of Tampa

Awards

2013: Distinguished Alumni Award — Ensworth School
2010: YWCA Academy for Women of Achievement
2007: Hope Award — Tennessee Youth Advisory Council
2005: Human Relations Award — National Conference for Community and Justice

Ingrid Cockhren

ACEs Connection Midwest Regional Community Facilitator

As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, Ingrid Cockhren knows first-hand how impactful trauma and toxic stress can be on children, families and communities. Subsequently, she has dedicated her professional life to investigating and educating the public about the link between early trauma, early adversity, Adverse Childhood experiences (ACEs) and possible negative outcomes across the lifespan.

Mrs. Cockhren graduated from Tennessee State University with a B.S. in Psychology and from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College with a M.Ed. in Child Studies specializing in early interventions for children from minority and low-income families. Her research areas are African American parenting styles, Adverse Childhood Experiences, historical trauma and intergenerational transmission, brain development, developmental psychology and epigenetics. She is currently an adjunct professor specializing in developmental psychology at Tennessee State University and the TN & Midwest Regional Community Facilitator for ACEs Connection.

Mrs. Cockhren is also a member of leadership with ACE Nashville, a collective impact in Nashville, TN dedicated to the mitigation of ACEs in the Greater Nashville area. She is currently Chair of ACE Nashville’s Parent & Community Education Committee and serves as an advisor on both Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research’s Community Engaged Research Core Advisory Council and the Lloyd. C. Elam Mental Health Center’s Advisory Board. In addition, she is the creator and
moderator of The State of the Black Woman-Nashville. Ingrid’s experience and affiliations also include Metro Nashville’s Public Schools, Tennessee’s Dept. of Children’s Services, Tennessee’s Office of Child Safety, Meharry, Vanderbilt University’s Peabody Research Institute & Special Education Dept. and Youth Villages, Inc.

Ingrid Cockhren is a Clarksville, TN native who currently resides in Nashville, TN with husband Jurnell Cockhren, founder of Civic Hacker, a software development consulting agency. Ingrid loves painting, cooking and spending time with daughter Yves.

Find out more about these amazing women and their inspirational work at whatifitoldyou.com, ourkidscenter.com, and acesconnection.com.

Peace to you all!
Teri

Hope for Healing Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/9813e51db66b/hope-for-healing-newsletter-december-2018

Book Launch Team: https://www.facebook.com/groups/unicornshadows/

The Healing Place Podcast: Jim Sporleder – Trauma-Informed Consulting & Paper Tigers

I am so very grateful to have had the opportunity to sit down with this compassionate soul whom I personally consider to be a trauma-informed guru in the trauma movement. Thank you, Jim Sporleder (I now know how to properly pronounce your name! Ha!) for all you have done and continue to do to spread awareness about the critical need of becoming trauma-informed individuals so as to meet the growing need in our schools and society.

Bio (per his website):

“Jim Sporleder retired in 2014 as Principal of Lincoln High School in Walla Walla, WA. Under Jim’s leadership, Lincoln High School became a “Trauma Informed” school, gaining national attention due to a dramatic drop in out of school suspensions, increased graduation rates and the number of students going on to post-secondary education. These dramatic changes at Lincoln caught the attention of Jamie Redford, who spent a year filming the documentary, Paper Tigers, which tells the Lincoln story. The documentary was released at the May 2015 Seattle International Film Festival and received positive reviews.
Jim is currently working as a trauma-informed coach / consultant as well as a trainer with the Children’s Resilience Initiative, based in Walla Walla. His travels as a consultant, keynote speaker, presenter and trainer have taken him all over the United States.
Jim is married, has three daughters and six granddaughters. In his spare time, Jim enjoys fishing, hunting, but most of all spending time with family.”

Find out more about Jim’s inspirational work at https://jimsporlederconsulting.com/.

Peace to you all!
Teri

Hope for Healing Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/9813e51db66b/hope-for-healing-newsletter-december-2018

Book Launch Team: https://www.facebook.com/groups/unicornshadows/

The Healing Place Podcast Interview: Julie Brand – A Wise Retreat

Welcome to The Healing Place Podcast! I’m your host, Teri Wellbrock. You can listen in on iTunes, Blubrry or directly on my website at www.teriwellbrock.com/podcasts/

I was thrilled to engage in a beautiful conversation with Julie Brand – founder and executive director of A WISE Retreat program for women. Julie is an addiction specialist, domestic violence counselor, youth educator, and trauma-warrior with a personal ACEs score of 9+. Please join us as we discuss Julie’s heart-felt mission to provide a space for holistic healing for her clients.

As shared from A Wise Retreat website:

A Wise Retreat specializes in the holistic restoration of women. Our services are tailored to the unique needs of each individual at a comfortable, private, and culturally sensitive location where women can get the care and treatment needed. Our services include but are not limited to;

Dual Diagnosis Treatment

Addictions counseling

Domestic Violence Counseling

Trauma Informed Care

Family Treatment

Bio Chemical Re-balancing

Intensive Out Patient

After Care

A Wise Retreat is a private drug & alcohol residential treatment facility exclusively for women. Located 30 miles North of beautiful San Francisco, A Wise Retreat sits on a hillside surrounded by luscious tall trees that provide shade, privacy, peace and serenity in a home-like setting.

Women Inspired, Supported & Empowered!

Please be sure to follow, visit, and reach out at http://www.awiseretreat.com/ or call 855-500-WISE (9473).

Also, check out Julie’s book series In the Eyes of Innocence on Smashwords!

Peace to you all!

Teri

Trauma-Informed Care

First I will offer a definition of trauma-informed care, then explain what it means to me, as a trauma-warrior. The feedback I receive from those who hear my “story of hope” is that they connect with my story because of it’s rawness, realness, and relatability, I want to use that here with the concept of trauma-informed care.

As defined by The Tristate Trauma Network: “Trauma-informed care (TIC) is an approach that takes into account the prevalence of trauma, acknowledges the role trauma plays in people’s lives, and uses this knowledge to respond in appropriate ways to those affected by trauma.”

Beautiful! ♥

With that, I will share a story of trauma-informed care in action, outside of the mental health arena:

I had decided to attend a writers’ workshop in Orlando, FL. This was going to require a flight and some highway travel. Both of which normally result in increased anxiety for me (one of my triggers, resulting from two different bank robberies I was in, is a sensation of feeling trapped with panic attack symptoms surfacing). Therefore, my senses were heightened as I made my travel plans.

Upon contacting The Omni Championsgate Resort, I was advised that they could not guarantee me a lower level floor. The young woman on the phone stated she would put it in the notes and if anything was available upon check-in then I could have it. Yeah, that was not going to work for me. The idea of traveling up fourteen floors brought on more increased anxiety symptoms as thoughts of a busy elevator and heights beyond my comfort level started surfacing.

So, I did what I do best and reached out to management via email, sharing my “story of hope” along with a request for help. I stayed polite, yet truthful to my needs. The response I received was a perfect example of trauma-informed care in action!

“Good morning, Ms. Wellbrock,Thank you for the additional information, and what an amazing woman you are! I am happy to assist and have taken the liberty of blocking your reservation into a room on a lower floor and barring any unforeseen circumstances, there should be no problem honoring your request. Though a hug is not necessary, it’s always welcome! If you know your approximate arrival time, I’ll add to your reservation and hopefully will have a chance to meet you on arrival. Please let me know if there is anything else I may do to assist you, and thank you for your loyalty.”

Again . . . beautiful! ♥

Falling in line with the definition of trauma-informed care, this organization recognized the prevalence of trauma in a guest’s life, acknowledged the role it plays in my life (as well as my anxiety-inducing triggers), and used that knowledge to respond in an appropriate way to my trauma needs.

P.S. I utilized coping skills on my trip and had a panic-free, low anxiety trip filled with laughter, enlightenment and grace. I colored with gel pens on the flight, meditated and talked to a newfound trauma therapist friend on the highway shuttle ride, and enjoyed my third floor view of the scenic lazy river at the gorgeous resort.

The Power of Self-Care

As I continue on this journey of healing, I am amazed on a daily basis by the number of resources coming across my path. Articles on ACEs (adverse childhood experiences) will show up in a Facebook news feed or I’ll receive an email discussing trauma recovery. I love when the universe aligns the stars just so and the answer I was seeking magically appears.

I worked in school settings for years, as a teacher and in a mental health professional role. Helping children learn to cope with anxiety, bullying, overwhelming emotions, unstable home environments, the after-math of abuse, and so much more, had my own inner-child longing for more solutions.

The kids and I would work on filling their “tool box” with coping skills, such as using manipulatives like stress balls to ground themselves or release energy, simple breathing exercises for centering, free art to express something they might not have words to convey, and so on. Allowing kids the opportunity to express themselves in whatever way they were comfortable, while I listened respectfully and without judgment, created a space filled with compassion and tranquility. I once had a fifth grade child, whose home life was in the midst of chaos, tell me, “I like your energy. You have white light around you. I feel safe here.” To say I was blown away by that message would be an understatement. Knowing this child was picking up on the energy I was sending to her as she learned to cope, heal, and empower herself, made my sappy heart dance with joy.

This morning as I scrolled through the amazing articles on ACEs Connection, I came across an article titled, Why Adults Need Social and Emotional Support, Too by Mathew Portell. In it, he discusses the needs of his school, not just in regards to the students, but in relation to the staff and parents’ care, as well.

Pointing out norms they have implemented in their school structure, this blogging principal sets a shining example of trauma-informed care in action. Self-care is critical in all aspects of our lives. I think about those funny memes that state, “If momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!” #truth

The point being . . . when we learn to take care of ourselves, we fill our own coping tool box with beneficial energy we can share with others: compassion, understanding, patience, kindness, and love.

As you move toward healing in your own life or reach out a helping hand to others who may be struggling to find their footing along their path, make sure to heed the advice offered in 25 Self-Care Tips for the Body & Soul. Learning to live in the “now” and allowing myself to experience joy on a soul level has been life-altering. A great read, and a catalyst for change in my own life, is the book, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, by Eckhart Tolle. In it, the author advises us, “All the things that truly matter-beauty, love, creativity, joy and inner peace-arise from beyond the mind.”

Empower yourself with self-care and watch your life transition. Then share your tranquility with others as we move toward a world filled with compassion and joy.

Peace to you,

Teri

Daily Release Feb 5

Today I release any stored negative energy held within my body as I continue to cleanse out that old negative trauma energy and allow the light of God and Holy Spirit to fill me instead. I find comfort in knowing I am loved and guided along this healing journey.

Weekly Update – Book Proposal

Weekly update!

This week has been fairly quiet on the book-front. The completed proposal is in my editor’s hands. She will have it back to me by the first week of February. Then I can edit away!

As for the book itself . . . I am so excited to have an outline to work with and a plan for it. Finally. As I’ve told so many, I’ve been writing this book for years. In, what feels like, circles. Always coming back to “what is it I am really trying to say?” I knew in my heart and soul I didn’t want it to be a “woe is me” story all about my trauma. I wanted it to be about hope and healing and the journey toward joy, yet knowing the trauma has to be a part of it.

There is a connection that happens between our souls when we have those “me, too” moments. The haunting beauty of my story is that it paints with a broad trauma brush, touching different people in different ways . . . yet, the vast majority of those folks are striving to live a more joyous, peaceful and purposeful existence. And many are stuck. Not knowing quite how to do move forward.

This is my tale from trauma to triumph, the “how to” for getting oneself unstuck from the muck.

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Tomorrow, I have a meeting to discuss the website development. Excited to move forward with that, as well! Wish me luck.

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A beautiful and incredibly talented friend painted this unicorn shadow for me. It hangs next to my desk in my writing space. I smile at it every day.