Social Workers are Essential

 March is Social Work Month and this year's theme is "Social Workers Are Essential". 

This past year has been a once in a life time experience. It has shown the importance of taking care of our mental health and the impact that physical distancing, racial unrest and basic needs have on our mental health. 

From changes in how we interact with other people, how we shop, what we wear to the fear of contracting an illness we don't fully understand, we have all be under a tremendous amount of stress/ trauma. When students returned to school and adults returned to work it was not the same as the schools and work environments we left. Many of us miss normalcy and being able to be affectionate with those we care about. 

When the winter storms hit Texas and Oklahoma many were without power, internet, and water. Not only were there deaths and physical discomfort but we also lost our remaining mode of connection and communication, even if for a short period of time. Many experienced a need that they were not familiar with. Others experienced an exacerbation of already difficult financial times. 

As a social worker/mental health professional the one thing that has been prominent during these unprecedented times is the increase asks from the community. The public became aware of the amazing work that teachers do and how integral nurse, doctors and other medical professionals are in the past year. One group that has often been left out of this conversation is social workers. In our work locations many of us are being asked to take on additional duties or tasks because it is such a hard time for all. We did not receive additional time in the day or additional time to handle our own responses to these unprecedented times. 

We know that rates of abuse/neglect have increased as families spend more time at home without the ability to leave (1). We also know that more people are in need of mental health support (2). Many are without work, working less hours and having other financial crises (3). All of these things fall to a social worker or social services agency to handle. 

This Social Work Month, how can you support the essential work that social workers do? How can you lift the burden for a social worker in your life? 

1. Intimate Partner Violence and Child Abuse Considerations During COVID-19

  https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/social-distancing-domestic-violence.pdf 

2. The coronavirus (COVID‐19) pandemic's impact on mental health  

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7361582/

3. Unemployment Rates During the COVID-19 Pandemic: In Brief

 https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R46554.pdf

Join my bi-monthly Dancing Mindfulness class

 The full calendar of upcoming Dancing Mindfulness classes now available on Eventbrite. Link to register for class

Dancing Mindfulness with Stacia will be held on the third Thursday of the month at 8 PM and the third Saturday of the month at 1 PM. Upcoming dates: 

• 
  March 18th
• March 20th
• April 15th 
• April 17th
• May 16th
• May 21st
• June 17th
• June 20th
• July 15th
• July 18th
• August 15th
• August 19th
• September 16th
• September 18th
• October 17th
• October 21st
• November 18th
• November 21st
• December 16th
• December 18th

In Dancing Mindfulness, participants use dance to achieve mindfulness. The act of noticing without judging how we move, feel and think is integral to the practice. During a dancing mindfulness class or individual session participants are not taught to dance or required to achieve any specific level of dance. Dancing Mindfulness is trauma informed and adaptable to different ability levels. You are accepted as you are and encouraged to do what you feel. The facilitator will make suggestions during the class, but they are just that suggestive. 

If you have questions about an upcoming class or would like to book me for a special event/one on one session please reach out at staciabarrett.therapy@gmail.com

Dancing Mindfulness

What is Dancing Mindfulness?

In Dancing Mindfulness, participants use dance to achieve mindfulness. 

Mindfulness-

• a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.

The act of noticing without judging how we move, feel and think is integral to the practice. 

During a dancing mindfulness class or individual session participants are not taught to dance or required to achieve any specific level of dance. 

Dancing Mindfulness is trauma informed and adaptable to different ability levels. 

You are accepted as you are and encouraged to do what you feel. 

The facilitator will make suggestions during the class, but they are just that suggestive. 

This great info graphic was created by Nicole Allen a fellow Dancing Mindfulness Facilitator. 

For more information please see the Dancing Mindfulness Website. 

What we get wrong about trauma

Trauma by now is a commonly used term. We know that it is a "bad reaction" that happens as a result of a "bad thing" happening to someone. But what do you consider a "bad thing"? And how does that line up with the person who experienced the "bad thing"?

I have presented to several groups of people over the years about trauma. Something that I like to make sure each group hears, is that trauma is an individualized reaction to a traumatic event. Only the person that experienced the event can make the decision about its ranking on their trauma scale. Though this decision is not a conscious one.

Most people would agree that witnessing a murder or being exposed to a sexual assault is traumatic. But not everyone would agree that viewing a telecast of a school shooting is traumatic, or that the words of someone that are not directly abusive can be traumatic. If the person that is witnessing the telecast identifies with the school shooting and interprets the coverage of proof of what could happen at their school, this could be traumatic. If the words that are spoken come from a person held in high regard or power over the person these words could be traumatic.

I have often heard people tell others not to let the words of others effect them, but that is not really a sensitive stance. I have personally been traumatized or negatively impacted simply by the words of others. I have never purposefully allowed this to be so. I would very much have liked to have let the words go in one ear and out the other. If only that is how the brain worked. Yes that car almost ran me off the road, but it didn't so my heart can stop pounding now. Just thinking these things does not make them so. It also doesn't work in less life threatening situations.

The next time a child, friend, or family member comes to you with a story that they keep telling and you don't understand why it is still crippling them, I have a challenge for you. Listen to how they describe their feelings about the situation. Before you tell them to just get over it or not to let others dictate their life going forward, empathize with them. It sounds like that situation really impacted you in ways I don't understand. What do you think could help alleviate its impact?

If you are the person who has been set back by words or situations others don't view as a "big deal" be understanding. Not only with the people in your life but also with yourself. Try to work through the situation, what are the thoughts associated with it? What are your feelings about the situation? Why was it so hard on you? Then begin the healing, not the "getting over it".

Respect your feelings they mean something.