Uvalde: A Cultural Tipping Point

Available for Interviews: Dr. Hope Umansky

Dr. Hope Umansky is an American Culture College Professor with a PhD in Clinical Psychology. She is also an author on educational reform, equity, inclusion, and social justice.

What Dr. Hope can say in an interview on
Uvalde, an educator and mother’s point of view:

“. . . I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart. What is done cannot be undone, but one can prevent it from happening again.” –Anne Frank, The Diary of Anne Frank, 1947)

    • Seeing the truth of the Uvalde failure of grown officers to save kids with over an hour to do so—as an educator, and a mother, I cannot help but think of this quote of Anne Franks.
    • At the Uvalde board meeting last night, the parents who will be grieving for the rest of their lives, whose hearts are forever shattered said to the board and the politicians, the same question Anne Frank asks: When will enough be enough?

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Talking to Our Children About School Violence

Available for Interviews: Dr. Pete Loper

Dr. Pete Loper, MD, MSEd, FAAP, is a triple board-certified physician in pediatrics, psychiatry, and child psychiatry. He is also a professor and executive coach and is dedicated to mental health and wellness advocacy.

What Dr. Loper could say on
How to Best Support Our Children’s Mental Health
When Tragic Current Events Unfold
:

The horrific school shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas has brought trauma and anxiety at once to a community that is now mourning the loss of 19 children and two teachers—and has brought collective trauma to our country as the conundrum concerning violence at our educational institutions rages on year after year.

Some ways that we can best support our children’s mental health and to help them process and cope with the often unpredictable and upsetting news events can fall into three categories:

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Grief and Loss: How We Can Help Others During a Pandemic

Interview with Dr. Colleen Cira:

Dr. Colleen Cira is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who specializes in Women and Trauma, and has worked with hundreds of people struggling with mental health issues.

 

Talking Points from Dr. Cira
On How to Help Others Cope with Grief & Loss:

We are all experiencing a collective trauma, which means to some extent, we are all experiencing some amount of grief and loss. Here are a few things to consider when trying to cope or help others cope.

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3 Red Flags: How Technology & Social Media Can Fuel Anxiety in Us

Available for Interviews: Dr. Colleen Cira, Psy.D.

Dr. Colleen Cira, Psy.D., is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who specializes in Women and Trauma, and has worked with hundreds of people struggling with mental health issues.

Talking Points From Dr. Colleen Cira
On Technology & Social Media’s Negative Impact:

We live in a scary world and the 24/7 access to all of the scariness due to the technology era and social media is too much for anyone to handle. Most of us struggle to watch or read about real-life atrocities and may have some mild anxiety symptoms as a result. We may avoid the content entirely, experience intrusive and/or ruminating thoughts about the disaster, feel inclined to research it more, or talk about it excessively. When we witness or read about something incredibly disturbing, these are all commonplace and should fade in a matter of days.

How do we know when there’s an issue?  Here are 3 red flags to consider:

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How to Cope With COVID-Related Seasonal Affective Disorder

Interview with Dr. Colleen Cira:

Dr. Colleen Cira is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who specializes in Women and Trauma, and has worked with hundreds of people struggling with mental health issues.

Talking Points from Dr. Cira
On Seasonal Affective Disorder:

The question of whether or not more people are being affected by SAD/Depression due to COVID is an easy one to answer: YES. 1,000% yes. People who have never experienced mental health issues in their lifetime are experiencing difficulties now due to COVID, so for people who are already prone to SAD/Depression, this is even more difficult. 

COVID makes life harder for so many reasons:

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3 Reasons Why the #MeToo Movement Isn’t Enough

Available for Interviews: Dr. Colleen Cira, Psy.D.

Dr. Colleen Cira, Psy.D., is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who specializes in Women and Trauma, and has worked with hundreds of people struggling with mental health issues. One of her primary areas of specialty is the treatment of relationship problems and sexual abuse/assault.

What Dr. Cira can say in an interview about the
#MeToo Movement:

The #MeToo movement has been incredible in so many ways—calling out perpetrators, holding perpetrators accountable, helping to remove some of the stigma associated with being a survivor among many others – but it’s not enough.

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Experts Available Through the Thanksgiving Weekend

Experts Available in These Categories

HEALTH & MEDICINE

Available for TOPICS on COVID Prevention, CDC Protocols, Obesity, Pain Management:
Dr. Tammy Penhollow, DO, specializing in anesthesiology and pain management, and has a passion for regenerative medicine and holistic healing.

Available for TOPICS on Work-Life Integration, Stress Management, Sleep/Rest, Self-Care:
Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, MD, board-certified internal medicine physician and work-life Integration Strategist, international speaker, and bestselling author of Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity.

Available for TOPICS on Public Health/Policy, Healthcare Reform, Skin Cancer:
Dr. Reagan Anderson, DO, specializing in general Dermatology and served in the United States Navy. Author of Universal Death Care: A Solution for Healthcare in the Age of Entitlement, he is passionate about changing healthcare in the U.S.

Available for TOPICS on Weight Loss, Nutrition, Exercise, Women’s Health, Self-Care:
Dr. Mimi Secor, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, nurse practitioner and fitness & health advocate. Author of Debut a New You: Transforming Your Life at Any Age.

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The 5 Causes of Depression and Actionable Advice

Interview: Dr. Colleen Cira, Psy.D. on The Causes of Depression.

Dr. Colleen Cira is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who specializes in Women and Trauma, so I’ve worked with hundreds of people struggling with Depression. There can be several causes of depression with some accompanying ways to cope with this condition.

Here are some talking points for an interview exploring The Causes of Depression:

  1. Genetic/Chemical: Some of us have a genetic predisposition toward depression due to our family history (yay, genes!) which can make everything seem a little harder especially when you’re in college and have so many new things to figure out.

In this case, research is very clear that therapy and medication are the best ways to manage depression when it seems clear that there is a genetic and/or chemical component. Research has also proven that both exercise and meditation can also be incredibly helpful (possibly just as helpful if not more than medication) as they both directly address the chemical component of depression for the better.

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Ariana Grande & Trauma

Interview: Dr. Colleen Cira, Psy.D. on Ariana Grande and trauma.

Dr. Colleen Cira is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who specializes in Women and Trauma, so I’ve worked with hundreds of people trying to cope with traumatic experiences. Here are some of her talking points on celebrity Ariana Grande’s recent response to some traumatic events that she has experienced over the last couple of years.

Ariana Grande has been coping with a multitude of difficult experiences, primarily performing at a venue where a suicide bomber killed 22 people in addition to the death of her ex-boyfriend and the break-up of her engagement. There are a few things that she’s doing that are really helpful and adaptive:

1. Talking about it. Ariana seems to be frequently asked about all of these painful experiences and it seems that at least some of the time, she is actually answering these questions. When you experience a trauma, our instinct is to avoid it, which makes sense! Humans have survived and evolved as a species because we learned to stay away from things that bring us pain. And when that comes to fire, that’s a great thing! But when that comes to emotional pain, avoiding it is just about the worst thing we can do. Fighting to get rid of your emotions is kinda like being in quicksand: the harder you fight, the deeper you sink. So the fact that she’s talking about her experiences, even though that’s a difficult thing to do, is incredibly adaptive.

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