Priscilla C Butler, PsyD

Important to understand as we celebrate the anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education…

This Map Lets You See How School Segregation Has Changed in Your Hometown The new interactive tool accompanies a study of school enrollment data, which shows that segregation has worsened in recent decades

Inclusion is not a separating out.
It is not assumptions.
It is not about add ons or a few extra bits.
It is definitely not a sifting out.
It is not highlighting or even celebrating.
It can't be decided by someone else.

It is flexibility.
It is getting to know.
It is really taking an interest.
It is based on strengths.
It is recognising personal big wins.
It is a meeting where they are at.
It is a whole ethos and culture.

Not othering.

Hierophant Publishing ❤ ❤ ❤

Many first dates these days are like a job interview. It’s people asking each other common questions. It’s lifeless. It doesn’t elicit curiosity.

I sat down with Business Insider to share my tips on how to make a first date more fun. A date that gathers data is deadly. A date that evokes curiosity, discovery, serendipity, happenstance — that becomes interesting.

Visit the link below for 5 steps to transform your next first date.

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-make-first-dates-stop-feeling-job-interviews-2024-2

Feeling seen is a feeling of connection.

Sketchnote via Sylvia Duckworth

Thank you, Joy of Autism ❤️

Are You Ready to Spend Time With Family This Holiday Season? Here’s the Ultimate Mindful Guide to Complicated Dynamics Let's face it, no matter what holidays you celebrate, there are countless reasons we may be managing difficult emotions (and social situations). The good news is that our mindfulness practice is here to support us and help us make space for self-compassion and maybe even a bit of ease.

7 Self-Compassion Reminders for Parents of Kids Who Are Struggling When your child is having a hard time, it can be isolating, confusing, even exhausting. One way to help both parent and child is by practicing self-kindness and grounding in the knowledge that you’re not alone.

📸 Look at this post on Facebook

How Music Can Be Mental Health Care In music therapy, clients play and listen to music as treatment for stress, depression and anxiety. Here’s how it works.

How can you make a difference in su***de prevention? Learn about what to do if you think someone might be at risk for self-harm by reading these 5 Action Steps for Helping Someone in Emotional Pain:

Wonderful to learn about this program!

At City's Mental Health Clinics, Artists Help With Healing Process The Chicago Arts & Health Pilot for Creative Workers will place 10 artists in five mental health clinics throughout the city.

"What is Attachment-Focused Therapy?" The term “attachment style” has grown increasingly popular over the past decades, commonly popping up everywhere from parenting blogs, relationship quizzes, and a multitude of books on self improvement and self-understanding. With any buzzing term that attempts to categorize big, dynamic processes, such as how we connect with each other and how our past may influence our present, misunderstanding can easily arise. So, what are attachment styles, why are they focused on so much, and why do clinical practices such as Shared Vision Psychological Services emphasize their importance when it comes to therapeutic growth and self-understanding? Read more in our September 2023 Newsletter:https://sharedvision.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/september-2023-newsletter.pdf

Food for thought…

How to talk with your kids about bodies and weight Finding healthy ways to talk about our bodies can be complicated. If you’re not sure where to start with your kids, try these tips from Rebecca Puhl, PhD.

“Today’s actions will help the more than 150 million Americans with private health insurance better access mental health benefits through their own plan. With more stable reimbursement from insurers, we expect much more access to needed care. For the many families out there who are paying out-of-pocket for the care their loved ones need: Help is on the way.”

Of course, insurers rightly say that a shortage of in-network mental health workers is part of the parity problem (I saw one statistic saying that the number of people in the US seeking mental health care increased 108% since the start of the pandemic...). BUT these new provisions are *way* overdue.

White House unveils plan to make insurers cover mental health care A White House plan could help end decades of whack-a-mole between regulators and insurance companies over covering mental health and addiction treatment.

Bears repeating…

“I think midlife is when the Universe gently places her hands upon your shoulders, pulls you close, and whispers in your ear:

I’m not screwing around. It’s time. All of this pretending and performing – these coping mechanisms that you’ve developed to protect yourself from feeling inadequate and getting hurt – has to go.

Your armor is preventing you from growing into your gifts. I understand that you needed these protections when you were small. I understand that you believed your armor could help you secure all of the things you needed to feel worthy of love and belonging, but you’re still searching and you’re more lost than ever.

Time is growing short. There are unexplored adventures ahead of you. You can’t live the rest of your life worried about what other people think. You were born worthy of love and belonging.

Courage and daring are coursing through you. You were made to live and love with your whole heart. It’s time to show up and be seen.”

Brené Brown

"Getting regular exercise and eating a balanced diet are good lifestyle choices for everyone, not just those with obesity. But patients usually need another intervention for successful weight management."
https://www.medscape.com/s/viewarticle/994056

A daily, 15-min podcast directed toward elementary age kids and their parents...
"The funniest, smartest, most creative educational podcast on the planet! WHO SMARTED? uses hilarious storytelling, cool characters & surprising sound effects to teach curious Kids (5+) and their Adults amazing Science & History facts on just about any topic!"

An Educational Podcast for 5 to 10 Year Olds I Who Smarted? Designed to teach more than just facts and figures - but also critical thinking skills. Each bite-size episode is only 12 minutes long, perfect for kid-sized attention spans. But just enough time for them to learn and give Mom & Dad a little break.

I always hesitate to share self-care advice because it can often end up feeling like admonition (causing shame), or like it just doesn't fit. Please take this as a simple FYI... and if anything seems helpful, great!

6 mental health tips psychologists use Research shows the importance of having a routine, exercising, and meditation.

How to Practice Mindful Listening - Mindful Listening takes time and effort, and it’s a skill that requires honing. Learn how to practice mindful listening with this simple exercise.

This is good advice for loving anyone in your household, but specifically relevant for tween/teens.

Via Parenting Teens and Tweens ❤️

I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.

~ Brené Brown
Artist: Unknown

An important take on a very big issue.

Opinion | American teens are unwell because American society is unwell A frantic hunt is on for ways to stop kids from hurting. But if we want to make any lasting difference, it is adults who need the intervention.

"Every moment
of light and dark
is a miracle."
~Walt Whitman



Artist: Lowell Birge Harrison, USA
Source: The Art Guide
https://charterforcompassion.org