Indigenous Peoples Day

Columbus Day was designated a National Holiday in 1934 and a Federal Holiday in 1968. In 1977, a group of Native people at the United Nations first proposed a day to celebrate and honor the contributions of Indigenous people in the United States.

It’s certainly a controversial topic, but more and more cities and states are now recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day, rather than, or in conjunction with Columbus Day.

I’m a mixed race person, with both Indigenous roots and European roots, but, chose to honor Indigenous Peoples Day, so, today, to you, I say “Happy Indigenous Peoples Day!”

Movie Review – Killers of the Flower Moon

“In May, when coyotes howl beneath an unnervingly large moon, taller plants, such as spiderworts and black-eyed Susans, begin to creep over the tinier blooms, stealing their light and water. The necks of the smaller flowers break and their petals flutter away, and...
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Five Tribes Therapy and Me – Part 3

When I was 26, I moved to San Diego, CA. It was the 80s - shoulder pads, hair bands, spandex, permed hair (the higher the better!) - and I was having a GREAT time! I worked at various places, made new friends, and found myself really enjoying the “bright lights, big...
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Five Tribes Therapy and Me – Part 2

In the 1960s and 1970s, Kansas, a state that derived its name from Indigenous Americans (the Kansa, or Kaw, of eastern Kansas and Oklahoma), was a predominantly mono-cultural place. The small town in western Kansas where I was raised was much the same. There were no...
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Five Tribes Therapy and Me – Part 1

On June 15, 2023, The Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 was affirmed by the Supreme Court of the United States, with a 7-2 vote. Being a “pre-ICWA baby,” born some years before ICWA was established in Congress, this was a very emotional and impactful day for me. As the...
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ACT Stage 6 – Committed Action

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) “To become a butterfly, you must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.” Winnie – the – Pooh We’ve been taking an in-depth look at Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). As I’ve covered in...
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ACT Stage 5 – Values

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) “We can select a valued action, never mind we’re feeling flat. Because a mood is only fleeting and there’s more to us than that. Corinne Shields  6 Core Psychological Flexibility Processes Stage 1 – Acceptance, to allow unwanted...
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ACT Stage 4 – Contextualized Self

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) “This above all. To thine own self be true.” William Shakespeare. 6 Core Psychological Flexibility Processes Stage 4 – Contextualized Self, to become intimate with the authentic self, the “real” self, as it is consistent and...
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ACT Stage 3 – Present Moment

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” Wayne Dyer Present Moment. Mindfulness. Groundedness. These are all concepts present, indeed, foundational, in ACT. I no longer notice that I am...
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ACT Stage 2 – Defusion

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) “When you accept things you have no control of, you give yourself the freedom to focus on things you do.” Aimmee Kodachian As we discussed in the previous Mental Health Musings, ACT is basically built on the concept of...
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ACT Stage 1 – Acceptance

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) “I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become.” Carl Jung. I’ve been working within the specialty of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) since I began my career back in the late 1990s. I started my career as a...
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Memberships

NASW - National Association of Social Workers