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“You’ve Got a Friend in Me” And… I’m Relentless for School Change

Art of different faces in bright and pastel colors by @ivetavaicule

James Taylor sums up a lot of life lessons in his songs—one of which is the importance of being a friend. Life’s painful for all of us sometimes (if not traumatic). While humans hurt one another, we also need each other to heal and grow. In this post, I explain how trauma-sensitive school relationships are […]

Answers to Trauma-Sensitive Questions in Ms. Jen’s Quick Guides

Repeating patterns in a plant

I teach trauma-sensitive teams how to notice the need and meet the need with individuals, groups, and entire school systems. Often, educators in live seminars respond with really good questions. Other folks likely have similar wonderings but may not be present for my responses. That’s why I’ve created new quick guides co-authored with different trauma-informed […]

Moving from Reactivity to Intentionality

Photo of the upper part of a bridge with several lines crossing over one another as part of the structure

This school year I’ve asked educators to consider what they’d like to move away from and what they’d like to move towards as they continue to build trauma-sensitive schools. Many have shared that they would like their teams to shift from reactivity to intentionality in their trauma-sensitive practices. I have responded with an enthusiastic, “Yes, […]

Addressing Pandemic Schooling Behavior

Photo of orange fraying rope with blue background

My early parenting years inspired this piece. As a new mom to a six-year-old, I never rocked my girl to sleep as an infant or toddler. When she moved in, we had no established bedtime rhythm together, and nights were not easy for either one of us. If you’ve ever cared for a little one […]

Unpacking Big Stress with Rock, Paper, Scissors

Yellow background with a rock, paper, and scissors

Big stress is impacting educators—it’s influenced by a lack of substitute teachers, student behavior concerns, heated conflicts (e.g., over mask mandates, how history should be taught, or affirming gender identities), and more. Together, it creates distress that can increase school personnel’s vulnerability for burnout. That’s because ruptures in relationships take a toll. Many educators feel […]

Foster Self-Compassion by Listening to Your Body

Once a therapist said to me, “Self-love may be too hard; aim for self-compassion.” Self-compassion, though, can be difficult too. What gets in the way? Would clearly defining compassion and self-compassion help? And, how can educators deepen their compassionate practices by listening to their bodies, particularly when nearing the end of an incredibly stressful school […]

The Anniversary of the Pandemic’s Beginning

This month marks the one year anniversary of the time when many people started staying home as much as possible due to the pandemic. It’s important for educators to acknowledge the anniversary of the pandemic’s beginning. Not doing so would gloss over the changes, harm, injustice, loss, and resilience that is part of our collective […]

Trauma-Informed Play Therapy: Attunement is Key

Pastel drawing of a house trees, and nature by Iveta Vaicule

Play therapy is a powerful approach to working with children, including those who have experienced trauma. As a school-based registered play therapist, I’ve used play therapy in my work with both children and adolescents. What is play therapy, and how does it benefit youth? Also, what is trauma-informed play therapy? And, how might licensed professionals […]

Using Plants to Encourage Taking Good Care

Black and white plants on blue background by Iveta Vaicule

Layers of stress, trauma, and grief continue to impact people individually and collectively as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. As a leader you may be wondering how to tend to your people as well as students in meaningful ways. In this blog post, Ms. Jen explains one idea for using images of plants to encourage taking […]