by Cathy Tompkins, MA | Dec 15, 2021 | Thoughts for Families, Uncategorized
I’m going to focus on a concept possibly unfamiliar but worth your attention. Dosing is a word used by Dr. Bruce Perry of the Neurosequential Model to describe the role a caregiver has in controlling how much stress children with chronic trauma histories can...
by Cathy Tompkins, MA | Nov 11, 2021 | Thoughts for Families
I should apologize now. This feels more like a term paper than a blog but in my effort to be as clear as possible, it just became more and more academic sounding. I will try to wrap up in simpler language by the end! Last week in a support group, something was said...
by Cathy Tompkins, MA | Oct 11, 2021 | Thoughts for Families
I used to explain way too much by referring to hypervigilance. These days, I’ve come to understand better the variety of factors that can cause the meltdowns we see in our kids from hard places. I want to briefly explore: the intimacy barrier, sensory overload, will...
by Cathy Tompkins, MA | Sep 9, 2021 | Thoughts for Families
We’ve gotten glib about this very complicated issue. “I identify as she/her, white, mother and Texan.” Or “I identify as a black American.” Though not an adoptee, I am very aware of my experience with identity development. My chaotic family fell short in comparison to...
by Cathy Tompkins, MA | Aug 16, 2021 | Thoughts for Families
I usually talk to you about how to take care of yourself first so you can take care of others. This time I want to explore the art form known as a family. I could pick any of several metaphors for this: a car, the human body, a track ball mouse, or a crib mobile. They...
by Cathy Tompkins, MA | Jul 15, 2021 | Thoughts for Families
I have to remind myself to offer my credentials occasionally to those readers who may wonder why I write the way I do. Though I have a Master’s degree in Psychology (and have let my counseling license lapse); it is not this that I feel is the best source for my...
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