differences

[PsychToday] America the Not-So-Beautiful?

February 4, 2014
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Another year, another Super Bowl, another music-related controversy… The 2014 Coca Cola commercial that aired during last night’s Super Bowl stood out to me for its beauty and simplicity. The images, the angelic tones of the voices—it was one of the few commercials that caused me to pause, listen, and enjoy. A contemplative moment. Apparently […]

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[Book Review] “The Reason I Jump”

October 24, 2013
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It often seems that the simplest things pack the biggest punch. That’s how I feel after reading The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida. I was first introduced to this book when watching Jon Stewart interview one of the translators, author David Mitchell, on his show. After hearing a brief summary, this book immediately jumped to […]

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Important Lessons from a Deaf Musician

February 23, 2011
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My husband introduced me to this TED talk by percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie. Glennie–who, incidentally, happens to be deaf–illustrates how “listening” to music involves so much more than using your ears. I’d like to share this video with you because I feel it contains several relevant and important reminders for us therapists. Aren’t we, too, […]

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How Should We View Autism?

February 2, 2011
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There’s an alien living in Ohio. Well, not really, but the blogger at Reports from a Resident Alien calls herself…well, a “resident alien.” And she admits in her tagline that “(t)his ‘Earth’ place sure is weird.” Reports from a Resident Alien is one of my favorite blogs. Chaotic Idealism (her user name) lives with autism […]

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A Disability is Only a Difference

July 22, 2010
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I am speechless. As a mother and as a therapist…speechless. And not the good kind. I read this story in the Kansas City Star yesterday. It’s about a couple in the area who gave birth to a baby girl (“M”) two months ago. The baby girl was perfect, healthy, and strong. The parents were excited […]

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And the Music Calmed Them

August 11, 2009

This is a post about mental illness. I know a little about mental illness and children, given that I work primarily with trauma-influenced kids. I know less about adult mental illness. But my husband and I just watched the movie The Soloist last night, which got me thinking. (The Soloist, by the way, is a […]

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POLL RESULTS TO Attention All Therapists: An Ethical Question

June 17, 2009

Last week, I posed a question to all the therapists out there. The question was an ethical one: what do you do when the beliefs of a family clash with the nature of your client, who happens to be a child? What’s your role as a therapist in this situation? I posted a survey, asking […]

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R-E-S-P-E-C-T-ing Unseen Differences

March 25, 2009

It’s March 25th and time to say: Happy Birthday to the Queen of Soul! Aretha Franklin has been an integral part of our music history since the 1960s. She continues to remain current, having sung at the inauguration of our 44th President, Barack Obama (and who can forget that FABULOUS hat!) But I’m not here […]

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