We often hear about how our nervous systems can trigger responses such as “fight or flight” when we sense stress or danger — read on for strategies to develop a healthy relationship with our nervous systems to parent more effectively and model regulation for our children.
Do you experience doubts and fears along your fostering journey? Reading this blog article by Erin Bouchard, MA will help to normalize this experience as you forage a new path in your family life, plus get strategies to validate your doubts and refocus on your mission.
JoAnne & Mark Morris founded Help One Child 30 years ago to support fellow foster families when they recognized “it takes a village” — read on for her wisdom on why support and respite from families and friends is essential for the resource parents’ marathon and the children in their care.
By Carey A. Gil, LCSW As a therapist and TBRI Practitioner working with people who have experienced many different types of trauma, I often give the same surprising advice—have more fun! This is often met with skepticism, confusion or outright resistance. Managing the thoughts, emotions and behaviors that accompany trauma and stress usually leaves us…
by LauraBeth DeHority, PsyD, LMFT What is Compassion Fatigue? This term describes the physical, emotional and psychological impact of helping others. Caregivers of traumatized children experience daily behaviors that make them feel exhausted, helpless and sometimes even detached or numb. Parents of children with high needs become worn down from the constant need to quickly:…
By Erin Bouchard, MA Foster Care: A Calling My husband and I felt called to our journey of foster care. It’s something that from our early days of marriage we felt strongly was our mission field. We jumped in with both feet and we had two placements before our forever kids came to our home….