debor016

Here is a card I just made and ordered to hand out to people who are interested in my book: Front:     Back: What do you think of it?      

Remembering Ana Grace Màrquez Greene I am sure that all of you know about the horrible killings in Newtown CT. A 20 year old gunman shot 20 first graders and six adults in the Sandy Hook Elementary school. Prior to going there he shot his mother. Finally, he shot himself. One of the children killed was the daughter of a Klingberg employee, Ana Grace Màrquez Greene. Her mother, Nelba Màrquez Greene, is the Director of our Family Therapy Institute. Her father, Jimmy Greene, is a jazz musician. I spent much of the week helping our Klingberg community absorb this tragedy. Staff and clients were deeply impacted by these deaths, Ana’s and the other 26. As an administration, we wanted to provide space for staff to discuss the events and to explore their feelings and reactions. We transformed our former reception area into a Room of Reflection. We added soft lighting from lamps, plants, pictures and stuffed animals. We had a bulletin board. I originally thought that would be for staff ...

The shootings in Newtown Connecticut are close to us geographically. And they have been brought even closer because one of the children shot was the daughter of one of our Klingberg employees. Nelba Marquez-Greene is the new Co-ordinator of our Family Therapy Institute, and a wonderful new addition to our staff. She and her husband, the jazz musician Jimmy Greene, lost their daughter Ana in the shooting. I have been thinking about Newtown, Nelba and their family almost constantly, as I am sure many others have. There have been many different clamors for many different solutions. More gun control! Easier access to mental health treatment! We wish so badly that there was a solution, something to do, a law to pass. As a person who teaches others about treatment, I of course think of the shooter. Do we know what treatment would keep this from happening? I have read speculation that the shooter had Aspergers.   If he had received the most caring and skillful treatment possible, co...

This past week we held our annual Day of Learning and Sharing for Risking Connections â trainers. My colleague Steve Brown gets credit for both the vision and the implementation of this event, which offers in-depth training on an important topic in trauma treatment. This is one of our most excellent achievements. The warmth in the room is obvious, as the community of trainers greet old friends and catch up on the latest events. This is a group of the clinical leaders in Connecticut, all of whom have attended Risking Connection training and an additional three days to become trainers. They have also attended Consult Groups and Recertifications to keep their knowledge current. They are seeped in a trauma-informed approach to their clients. They are our partners in changing the world. This year our guest speaker was Ruta Mazelis. Ruta is a popular speaker and trainer who presents nationally on behalf of Sidran on issues surrounding self-inflicted violence, trauma, and trauma informed c...