When Survivors Give Birth - a new understanding

It had been three months since I pushed a seven pound baby out of my vagina when I first heard of the book, When Survivors Give Birth (WSGB). Today, more than six years later, I facilitate my own WSGB sessions.

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How To Do Your Good Work, Better

Imagine you’re in the middle of a conversation. It’s going well. The person in front of you is opening up and it feels like they are starting to trust you. You say “tell me more” or “say more”. Suddenly, it feels like the air has been sucked out of the room.

What happened?

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Why does it take some people so long to get the care they need?

On a clear October morning, Bianca walked her standard poodle. Without warning, the dog yanked hard on the leash. Bianca felt a quick, tight pull in her right shoulder. Three months later, Bianca went to her doctor who confirmed that it felt "crunchy". Why did it take so long for Bianca to get the care she needed?

Black women (like Bianca) and Native women are more likely to be sexual trauma survivors. Sexual trauma survivors are a group that sometimes avoids healthcare.

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This Is The Most Effective Way to Deal With Challenging Clients

Challenging clients don't trust you.

It may not be not be personal. Your clients may not trust the system that you represent. (Because you do represent a system or institution, whether you like it or not.) It may be the "healthcare system", for example, that they distrust or any another large, powerful institution. Whatever it is, people act out in challenging ways because they don't feel safe in the "care" that their institution offers.

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