Lark Eshleman, Ph.D.

Recently I learned that Color Me Closer is being used with children in Guatemala waiting adoption! And it's continuing to be used in Romania with children from Ukraine waiting (hoping) to go home. It's been a comfort and healing tool for so many -- I'm very grateful to work with Jane Gordon, main contributor to this project, for the hands-on tool to promote healing for so many!
hashtag hashtag -Coloring! hashtag ! !

So very exciting to be with brave Ukrainian women in Cluj, Romania, to celebrate their bravery in the face of war & offer respite & tools to support them! I am incredibly fortunate to be in this circle of love

Hello ... hello ?

Hi Friends, I'll be presenting here (prevention and early resilience-building), along with several esteemed colleagues and friends. Please join -- look forward to seeing you (virtually) at the conference!
DoctorLark

Positive Change Virtual Conference The goal of this collaborative event on March 22 & 23, 2023 is to offer practical, immediately applicable tools, as well as inspiration and encouragement, to those working in helping professions where addiction is present. The theme for this this year, Rebuilding Connection: Creating Resilience, foc...

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Thank you, Christina Renee, for kind words and share ❤️ . Also, I love your "U" ~ Everyone welcome 🤗❣️

Part 2 of this podcast series, Understanding Our Anxious Kids & Supporting Them Well - listen here!

Parenting in the Trenches with Karen Peters | Understanding Our Anxious Kids & Supporting Them Well - Part 2, with Dr. Lark Eshleman Dr. Lark Eshleman is back to help us understanding the Anxiety we see in our Children, how we can effectively support them and how to know when to reach out for additional help.

Podcast Part 1 of 2: Understanding the types and forms of anxiety we may see in our kids - Listen here!

Parenting in the Trenches with Karen Peters | Understanding Our Anxious Kids & Supporting Them Well - Part 1, with Dr. Lark Eshleman Dr Lark Eshleman is back! I have the pleasure of chatting once again with Lark, who is an author, therapist and educator. This is the first of two episodes in which Lark and I are discussing Anxiety in children and how we can best support them through it.

Hi Friends, i've been off of FaceBook for several months, still working with families, agencies & schools though.
Hope you all are doing well as we crawl out of 2 years of COVID & peek out at a much-welcomed spring 🌷🌱🌼.
I have lots to share and look forward to hearing from you, too. Please be well 🌞❣️

DOCTORLARK ™️ is collaborating on the
Collaborative 4 Resilience.
Meet the collaborators http://collaborative4resilience.com
Wellness Works In Schools
Fizika Group, LLC.
Forged in Fire Trauma Education Programs

Collaborative 4 Resilience Mindful, trauma informed collaborative families and schools

Lark Eshleman, Ph.D. updated their information in their About section.

I'm forever telling frustrated colleagues, "Go out for a walk! You'll feel much better!" Well I've now heard from "Short Afternoon Walk," telling me to think a little harder. Let's give each other more suggestions of how we can stay on an even keel and take care of ourselves. It's almost spring, and I can think of a few ways, can't you?
All best, My Friends! TTYS, DoctorLark
PS Heading out for a Short Late Morning Walk now....

I’m a Short Afternoon Walk and You’re Putting Way Too Much Pressure on Me Hey, it’s me: Short Afternoon Walk. As you may have noticed, you’re all turning to me an awful lot these days. Don’t get me wrong, I love what we h...

For many parents, the daily stress of raising a family during the pandemic is leading to high levels of burnout.

So in the video below, Lynn Lyons, LICSW, shares some ideas for parents to help cut through the stress and create moments of joy in their families.

How Parents Can Create Impactful Moments of Joy for Their Children For many parents, the daily stress of raising a family during the pandemic is leading to high levels of burnout. You might have a client, friend or family me...

Dear Friends, as screen compulsion and addiction (or just over-reliance) becomes an increasing problem, it's great to have trusted friends with reliable answers. I'm happy to share this announcement! I'll be watching, too!
Please stay safe, see you soon,
DoctorLark

I wanted to share this as I know many of us struggle with a healthy balance of technology with our kids whether it being too much time on video games, constantly on social media and causing school issues.

Here's another SUPER reason to keep our kids (and ourselves) moving! Drinking plenty of water (especially important for stressed brains), functioning within a schedule, talking or writing about our feelings (now more than ever), getting good rest/sleep, and ... moving! Exercising our bodies! Sending oxygen-enhanced blood to our brains to keep us sharp and focused -- so very important!

How Exercise May Bolster the Brain Exercise prompts the liver to pump out a little-known protein that appears to rejuvenate the brain, a new study found.

Only 4 minutes but explains so much. A great listen for expecting and new parents, and for us to understand some behavior for older kids, too. I love the way Dr. Felitti makes it so easy to understand so we can get a handle on the best ways to nurture a baby's development.

InBrief: The Science of Early Childhood Development This edition of the InBrief series addresses basic concepts of early childhood development, established over decades of neuroscience and behavioral research,...

Oh my gosh! Isn't this great! Thanks, New York, for doing the right thing! Please, Friends, stay safe out there 💕
DoctorLark

New York Taps Family First Act Fund to Prevent Aging Out Amid Pandemic After months of appeals from youth and advocates, New York found a funding source it can use to prevent youth from aging out of foster care

Friends, I'm not saying this is "the answer." Each parent has to make her or his own decision.
But she has some good points ~~ and there are many valid points for considering this dilemma.
Just thought it might be good to share from an anguished (now relieved) parent's perspective.
All best wishes to each of you during these unprecedented times,
DoctorLark

15 Reasons I’m Keeping My Kids Home Next Year I drove myself and my family bonkers trying to weigh the pros and cons of this decision.

A DOCTORLARK(tm) presentation with LINK:

Trauma through the Lifespan

What is early emotional trauma? What is the ACE study and how do we define these experiences? This two and a half hour webinar will address these questions and so many more as Dr. Lark’s presentation will take everyone on a journey investigating the possibilities of behavioral, mental health and physical health outcomes, especially brain changes; learning to recognize resistance to healthy relationships; how does all this change for the better if we have support from trusted, healthy

caregivers?; “Healing from the inside out” and what can we do to make a difference now, if we have been living with the effects of early trauma for our lifetime? This webinar touches on aspects of life about which so many of us have questions and concerns. Register today to be a part of this important conversation.

- FREE to attend - 2 CEs approved

for more info send email to [email protected] NASW-PA has approved and will award two CEs for this Webinar.

"NASW-PA Chapter is a co-sponsor of this workshop. 2 CEs will be awarded for completion of this course. NASW has been designated as a pre-approved provider of professional continuing education for social workers (Section 47.36), Marriage and Family Therapist (Section 48.36) and Professional Counselors (Section 49.36) by the PA State Board of Social Workers, Marriage & Family Therapists and Professional Counselors." NOTE: There is a fee for Continuing Education certificates which must be paid by the person requesting the CEs.

Here's the article:

It’s Not Children’s Education We Should Worry About, It’s Their Mental Health

Nick MorrisonContributor

Education

Learning to play with their peers is one of the most important things children learn at school ... [+]

The decision on when to re-open schools has become one of the most hotly contested issues around easing the coronavirus lockdown.

But while the debate has largely focused on the loss to children’s education while schools have been shut, a bigger concern is the effect on their mental health.

While President Trump has taken issue with his own infectious diseases adviser over when it will be safe to reopen schools, while in the U.K. the government is locked in a battle of its own over a planned return for students.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, desperate to get the economy moving again, has said he aims to reopen schools to some students in England from the beginning of June, with all children of primary age - up to 11 - returning to class before the summer break.

Teaching unions have rejected this and set out their own five tests before schools can fully reopen, including more testing, effective social distancing and adequate supplies of protective equipment.

And their trust in government advice that reopening can be done safely has not exactly been enhanced by a catastrophic response to the virus that has left the U.K. with the highest death toll in Europe so far, and the second highest in the world, after the U.S.

The ensuing battle has seen a level of vitriol and bitterness that quickly dispels any feelings of solidarity in the face of a common foe.

Teachers have been accused of shirking their duty and refusing to step up when others have done so, while teachers have accused their critics of using them as human guinea pigs, putting both them and the children they teach at risk.

But while the debate around what’s best for children revolves around closing the gaps in their education, this misses the real impact of the lockdown.

Just as important as their formal education - perhaps even more so - are the social lessons children learn at school.

They learn to play with other children and to form and maintain relationships, as well as a host of skills including co-operating, negotiating and the art of compromise.

Through relationships with their peers, as well as with their teachers, children also learn how to regulate their emotions and develop social skills, skills that will be at least as important for their future lives as anything else they learn in the classroom.

Deprived of the opportunity to play and interact with their peers in person, young people risk losing those skills and instead of developing confidence and self-assurance are instead in danger of feeling isolated and insecure.

On top of this, they are likely to have feelings of despair, fear and helplessness as the virus disrupts their lives.

In between the tragedy of the lives lost to Covid-19 and the impact on the economy, we are in danger of underplaying how traumatic this whole experience is and will be for everyone, particularly for young people whose characters and personalities are still being formed.

The impact on young people’s mental health is likely to be significant and long-lasting, and far in excess of the impact of losing a few months of education.

This is why, when schools do return, the focus should be on easing children back into the classroom environment and encouraging them to play with their friends, rather than cramming them with as much of the ‘missing’ material as possible.

It is why reopening schools but preventing children from playing with each other is both misguided and risks causing further harm.

And it is also why talk of running summer schools to help children ‘catch up’, or making children repeat a year, are wide of the mark.

It is true that students with important exams coming up next year will have missed large chunks of the syllabus.

But instead of embarking on a learning frenzy to make sure they fit the exams, we should tailor the exams to fit the student. We need to recognize that young people have been traumatized and make allowances. And we need to make sure we pay as much, if not more, attention to their mental health as to their education.

This videoclip by Dr. Ruth Lanius is just so lovely. For many of us who are struggling to help others who may feel disempowered or "beaten up" by all they've had to confront -- medical, counseling, emergency workers, decision-makers, and especially the "unsung," like the hourly workers who have to clean and disinfect rooms in which extraordinary measures were applied but patients still died (who would ever want to do that job, and yet they're doing it daily), plus the people who are helping to prepare and bury our dead, or provide rehabilitation to those who have survived -- so many people who are doing so much. I met a woman at the food bank recently who cried because she couldn't give/do more.

I think a lot of us are feeling that way.

So Dr. Lanius is describing a gentle yet powerful way to support all of us who are asked to help the helpers. Thanks, Ruth. This is truly beautiful, and offers us a positive and supportive path.

My very best to each of us who is in this difficult position of helping others heal, and to lead the way through the re-entry process. Please think of us, too, as leaders. And let us be gentle with ourselves.
DoctorLark

Working With Moral Injury During the Pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic has put immense strain on healthcare workers around the world. They’ve had to make impossible decisions, work in unsafe conditions, and...

Dear Friends, sending thoughts of support and feelings of empathy to each of you. ❣

Just a friendly reminder...

(via Peaceful Mind Peaceful Life)

Hi Friends, during this time of tumbling feelings and uncertain days -- maybe now is the time to help our children learn to cook? Or set the table? Or wash or fold the laundry? Or some simple life skill that is important in your family?
Learning family-centered life skills help children feel capable and competent and an important part of your family.
Please be patient while you help them learn, even making a game out of it (take turns, do it to the rhythm of a favorite song, try it backwards(!), or first do it quickly then slowly, or silently)....
There are so many ways to help our children come out of this difficult time feeling that it has been a growth and positive experience🌷
What's one important life skill in your every day life that you might help your child learn while we're physically-distancing (and socially connecting)? Feel free to share!
All the best wishes to each of you💕,
DoctorLark

How cooking became a coronavirus anxiety outlet Cooking and baking provide entertainment and community as well as sustenance.

Dear Friends,
Please. Please. Please! Don't put tablets in babies' hands. Board books! Toys! Blankies & "Stuffies"! Babies need board books & to cuddle & be read to. Please❣The research is there. And in our hearts, we know it's best for our babies, don't we?
DoctorLark

Toddlers engage more with print books than tablets: Study “The print book is a really beautiful object," said Dr. Tiffany Munzer.

The power of positive relationships ❣

Just one supportive adult cuts the chance an LGBTQ youth will attempt su***de by 40% 0ver 1.8 million young LGBTQ people considered su***de each year. Any supportive adult can make a difference - not just a parent...

The positive power of healthy relationships: nurturing resilience ❣

Affection. It comes in many "shapes and sizes," but it all matters. Let's be more intentional in our interactions with these precious children in our lives -- stop, take a breath, think about what you want most for your child, and give a hug. A warm, long hug.
I'm sending you one through this message -- please feel my heartfelt blessings to each of you 💕
"DoctorLark"

How a Parent’s Affection Shapes a Child’s Happiness for Life How often do you hug your children? We all live busy, stressful lives and have endless concerns as parents, but it is clear that one of the most important things we need to do is to stop and give our kids a big loving squeeze. Research over the past decade highlights the link between affection in ch...

Simply perfect! Please watch, be inspired, understand & make a difference ❣

Stress and Resilience: How Toxic Stress Affects Us, and What We Can Do About It When the stress in your life just doesn’t let up, and it feels like you have no support to get through the day—let alone do everything you need to do to be the best parent you can be—it can seem like there’s nothing that can make it better. But there are resources that can help, …

Related: Pause For Love ~ Remember Who You Are, Why You Are Here and What Matters Most http://bit.ly/2g2zogEK

Dear Friends, it isn't about who "wins," truly. It's about who plays, and how fun it can be. Put down your work, call your family together, and just, well, PLAY! It's good for the soul, and it's great for relationship-building, communicating, and healing. Great article, and time to do it! Enjoy, and happy playing 😅

Vince Gowmon - Healing for a New World Spiritual teacher, healer, author, poet and musician, Vince offers online group ceremonies and private healing sessions for people around the world seeking healing, empowerment and awakening.