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What are Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)?  Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood (Ages 0-17), such as neglect and experiencing or witnessing violence. ACEs can cause Toxic Stress and have lasting effects on physical health and mental well-being into adulthood. The CDC-Kaiser Permanente adverse childhood experiences (ACE) study between 1995 … Continue reading Adverse Childhood Experiences and Toxic Stress

One area of mental health that Heartland Therapy Connection aims to treat and raise awareness for is the impact of sexual abuse and assault. The discussion of awareness starts with knowing the proper terminology. There is power for a victim, or survivor, of sexual abuse and assault to identify what injustice they experienced. When diving … Continue reading Defining Sexual Harassment and Assault

For those who are new to the therapeutic process, therapy may seem quite intimidating. Like many other things, the media doesn’t always portray therapy in an accurate light, leading to a large discrepancy between the expectations and reality of the therapeutic experience. In actuality, therapy is a safe space that helps facilitate personal insight, the … Continue reading The Truth About Therapy

Like it or not, TikTok is a reigning champ on the social media scene today.  According to recent statistics, it is currently the sixth most popular social media site, with almost 70% of its users falling under the age of 40.  Amid the tutorials, challenges, and pet videos, however, there is a new category of … Continue reading Mental Health TikTok: Positive Impacts

For the year 2023, the theme for Women’s History Month is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories." This theme is an ode to the power of storytelling throughout history and in current news. Why is storytelling so important? Recounting Events. Storytellers were the original historians. They are the reason we know of past events and … Continue reading The Power of Storytelling

A prominent figure during Women’s History Month, as well as in the field of counseling, is Brené Brown, a PhD in Social Work from the University of Houston in 2002. She is well known as a mental health pioneer and shame researcher who studies human connection -the power and nature of vulnerability, courage, and empathy, … Continue reading Brené Brown: Leader, Pioneer, and Researcher

At Heartland Therapy Connection we have a number of therapists who are trained in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. We believe DBT is a therapeutic modality that can help many persons, especially those who face Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Marsha Linehan is a forerunner and woman in the field of psychology and psychotherapy who created DBT in … Continue reading Marsha Linehan: Creator of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy

A tidbit of women's history you might not know.... Like the rest of us, Dr. Francine Shapiro had problematic experiences.  Yet, her troubles led to a discovery that could treat trauma.   As many of us have done, Dr. Francine Shapiro went on a walk to think about something troubling her.  She had been darting her … Continue reading Women’s History Month: A Discovery That Changed Trauma Treatment

As we close out Black History Month, I felt it would be a good exercise to consider Black contributions to the field of psychology. In many of the classes I took to become a counselor, we would often comment about how the field of psychology is dominated by “old, white men.” Too often, we primarily … Continue reading Honoring Black Contributions to Psychology

As a white, female mental health counselor in-training, it is my duty to continue building upon my cultural competency. This can include my being mindful of my whiteness, the privilege that comes with it, and power differentials that can result from this privilege. Additionally, to build competency, I often read books written for people of … Continue reading Black Mental Health Literature