Happy Valentine's Day

 I like these vintage Valentines! You could say they cleverly represent same-sex relationships and open relationships!

Active Resolutions

Hair dryers are for hair on head only.

Following some very stereotypical cliche New Years resolutions I have started my quest for increasing my activity. With a job that requires so much sitting it is difficult to find time to move, attend to family life, eat healthy, sleep and everything else. I do have a rant stirring inside me about the lack of athletic clothing and gear for larger people. If you want folks to exercise and to participate in activities it means making comfortable clothing and gear in all sizes. We want Gortex, we want large-calved ski boots, we want quality snowpants, we want funky and cool styles too! And don't even get me started on how going to a pool for an aqua class and a gym to ride a bike feels like death for an outdoor adventurous. However, I was humored with this sign in the bathroom at a local pool.

Anything to maintain power

How can it be that on Jan 21, 2017 millions of women marched all over the world to highlight the need for change, to break glass ceilings, to challenge misogyny and the patriarchal, to have Russia put forth a bill to decriminalize domestic violence against women? WTF?

Women's March Vancouver

I attended the Women's March and it was so good to be a part of this awakening movement. Issues of local colonialism, the highway of tears and missing and murdered women were front and centre. There were also many creative and inspirational signs calling for us and our allies to stand together in solidarity. Glad to be one of three million people marching around the world.

Toddlers Grab. Adults get Consent.

Tragedy is not the story. BCASW Conference presentation

I will be presenting at the annual BC Association of Social Workers 2016 conference in Vancouver.

BEYOND THE BASICS OF GRIEF SUPPORT: TRAGEDY IS NOT THE STORY

Grief from loss of a loved one is a universal experience. But how we experience and process grief can be affected by whether this loss results from old age, accident or tragedy. Beyond learning about basic models, this interactive presentation will increase knowledge and skills in working with people impacted by tragic loss. By examining the complex grief reaction resulting from death by homicide as an example, participants will gain tools for practice and learn how to reclaim the story of loss.

Cut and paste this link to see how to register. 

http://www.bcasw.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/UPLOAD-conference-2016-Brochure-9-21-16.pdf

Unceded Coast Salish Tradition Lands

I was thinking that it makes us feel good when we acknowledge that we are living on unceded territory but that it stops short of really doing anything other then fashionable awareness.

What if we could pay a royalty to the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Wauthth First Nations every time we said this?!?

Debriefings - Transforming the Story of Trauma

I created this video of my experience doing debriefings and what it is like to work with others to transform the effects of trauma. Click on the link to view it in Adobe Spark.

Debriefings https://spark.adobe.com/video/Sy3GmsjY