Resiliency Reimagined: Recent Episodes
Center for Strength
Resiliency Reimagined, recorded at the Center for Strength in Highlands Ranch Colorado, is a podcast centered around mental health, and trauma recovery. We will focus on both traditional and alternative methods of trauma recovery, sharing stories, celebrating victories within our community, and furthering the mission of the Center for Strength. The Center promotes recovery and resilience for the community impacted by the tragedy on May 7, 2019 at STEM School Highlands Ranch through social connection and wellness programming. stemcenterforstrength.org
Simi Basu, STEM School teacher and parent during the shooting in May of 2019, speaks about the impact of her Indian culture on trauma recovery.
Simi highlights the importance of recognizing and acknowledging the impact of a traumatic event on herself and her family rather than the cultural norm of ignoring mental health.
Simi elaborates on her development of a new reality, her acceptance of being misunderstood, in finding new social groups and support systems, as well as the impact of cultural competence among providers such as therapists.
Simi is passionate about speaking the unspoken, and helping others recognize that they are not alone in their journey in trauma recovery.
Heather Martin, one of the founders of the Rebel's Project and Columbine shooting survivor shares about her journey following the shooting, and things that have helped her to cultivate resiliency. Heather discusses how she came to discover what her "new normal" is, the importance that she has found in community of other survivors, what the Rebel's project is, normalizes the non-linear path of life following a shooting.
The resource mentioned at the beginning is theNational Mass Violence Victimization Resource Centerhttps://www.nmvvrc.org/
Heather Dearman, CEO of the 720 Foundation, describes the nuances in her, her family's, and her community's, journey in recovery from the 2012 shooting at Century 16 movie theater in Aurora Colorado. She considers her definition of resiliency and things that have been impactful in her journey.
Heather highlights the power of community following tragedy. How support systems, and seeking support have shifted for her, while also acknowledging how her perspective on seeking support has changed. She reflects on how her views related to who is impacted by mass violence have changed, as well as how it has been beneficial for her to shift into advocacy related to gun violence.
She discusses the impact of one child in Missouri inspired the creation of the memorial for the theater shooting, and continues to inspire many to send support to other's following mass violence through the creation of paper cranes.
Heather discusses the Survivors of Tragedy Outreach Program (STOP) and the importance of peer to peer support in trauma recovery, whether through this program or through the Rebel's project.
Further information on the 720 Foundation can be found: https://www.7-20memorial.org/
The Rebels Project: https://www.therebelsproject.org/
STOP: https://www.tuesdayschildren.org/our-programs/community-resilience/#:~:text=The%20Survivors%20of%20Tragedy%20Outreach,to%20help%20other%20communities%20heal.
Also, to see what we are up to at the Center for Strength visit: https://www.center4strength.org/
MacClain Figueroa is the guest on this episode. MacClain is a parent of two children who were at STEM School in Highlands Ranch during the shooting in 2019. MacClain discusses resiliency, factors that have helped him and his in cultivating resiliency, and ways that martial arts can be impactful for people both who have experienced trauma and in general. MacClain provides insight into how honoring trauma responses, developing grounding techniques through breathing, and double backflip dragon kicks can impact a persons perspective, frustration tolerance, and life in general.
Check out MacClain's martial arts groups at the Center for Strength, and reach out with any questions you have.
Center4strength.org
Bethany Laurie is a facilitator at the Center for Strength, and is an impacted community member as her children were at school during a shooting in 2019. Bethany shares how her views related to trauma recovery have evolved following 2019, and things that have helped both herself and her family in their recovery journey.
Bethany discusses how community decreases feelings of isolation and how her partnership with the Center for Strength has impacted community for herself. Bethany discusses empowerment in understanding more about the impact of trauma through reading, and facilitating groups based on The Body Keeps the Score, and how this has helped shape her understanding of recovery as a non-linear process and challenged the idea of "getting over" traumatic events. She discusses how mindfulness and exercise has impacted her, while highlighting that differences in trauma recovery journeys, and the things that help people can be as unique as they are.
Check out our calendar on Center4Strength.org to learn more about the events discussed in the episode and to look into joining an upcoming book club or art activity Bethany is facilitating.
Jordyn Russo, LCSW is our guest on this month’s resiliency re-imagined. Jordyn is one of our clinicians at the Center for Strength and has a passion for working with this community.
Within this podcast, Jordyn discusses factors which she has seen impacting her client’s resiliency, how she cultivates resiliency, and the importance of checking-in with yourself. She discusses means of creating competency and confidence, and how this impacts a person’s journey in healing from trauma.
Jordyn has found that finding balance between “want tos,” “get tos,” and “have tos” is both important for herself and has been very impactful for her clients. We often focus only on the “have tos” whether it be school, work, or tasks; often these being things that we feel we can control, and the things that “fill your cup” get pushed to the side.
Jordyn uses somatic (body awareness) work within her practice and discusses how this is impactful following a person experiencing a traumatic experience. Jordyn mentions how this can impact both hyperarousal (panic, anxiety, etc.) as well as hypoarousal (disassociation, zoning out). She further discusses how developing relationships and insight with trauma symptoms can be more impactful in the healing process vs. trying to ignore or push away the symptoms.
If you are hoping to work with Jordyn through the Center for Strength, please reach out to the Center either on our website or giving us a call. If you are looking for more information on Jordyn’s work outside of the Center for Strength, check out the website for Moving Mountains Counseling Center.
Frank DeAngelis, former principal of Columbine High School is our guest on this month's episode.
Frank has been a massive ally to the Center for Strength and an advocate for both school safety and community recovery following school shootings.
Frank discusses his own recovery following a shooting, as well as his community's recovery. He details lessons learned both personally and professionally, from the importance of vulnerability within leadership, bringing communities together, and "putting his own mask on" first.
During this conversation, Frank does discuss things which may be activating for some listeners, including gun violence, medication/substance use, and mental health challenges (including but not limited to depressive symptoms, anxiety, suicidal ideations). If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties due to these topics, please consider the support resources provided at https://www.stemcenterforstrength.org
Frank recently worked with a community of principals to create a guide related to returning to school after a shooting. He mentions this in the episode and this guide can be found at https://www.nassp.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/PRN-Guide-FINAL.pdf
In this episode, Kathy Hulley, founder of the Mane Mission, defines resiliency, discusses how animal assisted therapy and adventure experiences impact individuals, and discusses her partnership with the STEM Center for Strength. Kathy discusses her motivation to work with individuals impacted by mass violence, and the journey that led her to her current work. Kathy highlights how experiential therapy can be impactful for individuals who have tried other types of therapy without success, and also discusses the journey some of her animals have take on their way to the Mane Mission. Ryan Gosling, the goose at the Mane Mission chimes in toward the end of the episode to affirm his belief in the importance of the work Kathy is doing out at the Mane Mission.
The Mane Mission is a 501c3 Non profit. More information about the Mane Mission can be found at: https://www.themanemission.com/
Beth Horowitz is a teacher, a yoga instructor, and a survivor of the shooting that occurred at STEM School in Highlands Ranch in 2019. In this interview, Beth discusses her take on resiliency and the importance of moving with and recognizing the impact of trauma on a person vs. trying to move on from the experience. Beth discusses things that have helped her in moving with, things that she has been surprised by in the recovery process, and ways that this difficult experience has impacted the way she teaches and connects with others.
An Interview with Tammy Horlacher, the STEM Center for Strength's Activities Coordinator.
Tammy elaborates on her journey related to recovery from trauma, how activities and community can be helpful in a recovery journey, and what the STEM Center for Strength is doing to support the Community surrounding the upcoming memorable date of May 7, the day the shooting occurred at STEM School in Highlands Ranch, and the reason The Center exists.
Kendrick's Kindness Movement is Introduced: https://www.stemcenterforstrength.org/kendrick-kindness-movement/
For further details regarding any of the activities discussed in this episode can be found on our website: https://www.stemcenterforstrength.org/calendar/
Episode two features one of the Center's Compassionate Clinicians, Jenny Robbins.
Jenny's work focuses on trauma, grief, and bereavement.
Listen as Jenny and I discuss stomping around outside, self-compassion, art, mindfulness, community, our shared admiration for Brené Brown, and how all of these relate to healing. Jenny eloquently describes the relationship between trauma and grief, how these impact each other, and the sense of loss that STEM from both.
Listen to our determined leaders, Evan Forster, Clinical Lead, and Jess Monda, Administrator, discuss what the Center offers, why we are here, and who we serve.