Sacred Journey Therapy Blog

This has been a practice for many years and it causes deep and lasting trauma to the patients as well as the mental health practitioners inflicting such treatment.

Sheryl Pedersen, a member of the MHCC Advisory Council and a mental health advocate who has dealt with mental health challenges described the trauma of her many seclusions and the forcible takedowns where she was stripped and injected with medication. “I’m terrified of going to a hospital because I don’t know what they’re going to do to me.”

… read more

https://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/catalyst-march-2018-mhcc-forum-seclusion-and-restraints

Last night I spent $2.49 CAD

After doing some noodling around on Gabor Mate’s web site I found a reference to a new documentary.  Letters from Generation Rx (2017), 1h 30 min, 18 July 2017 (USA), “This powerful film explores the science behind antidepressants, their effects on the brain and the horrific experiences endured by patients and their loved ones.”

I highly recommend this documentary! I believe it is important to make the best choices we can in difficult situations and the way to do that is by becoming informed, a fully informed choice is the best starting point.

Dr. Gabor Maté

Working from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside with patients challenged by hard-core drug addiction, mental illness and HIV. “Did you know that ADD/ADHD, MS, Prostate cancer, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) and many other diseases, as well as addictions of all kinds are linked to trauma? Gabor’s books, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, Scattered, and When the Body Says No go into depth with the research to support his assertions.”

Please check out this 50 minute podcast released April 7, 2017

http://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/id/5241791

This documentary is important for all to see. This is a part of our Canadian history and in many ways part of our ongoing Canadian culture. In my view it is important that we all have full disclosure and see the truth.

Healing starts to happens once the full truth is known and corrective action is taken. This documentary from (2006) is a window into a very dark part of our Canadian history.

"This award winning documentary reveals Canada's darkest secret - the deliberate extermination of indigenous (Native American) peoples and the theft of their land under the guise of religion. This never before told history as seen through the eyes of this former minister (Kevin Annett) who blew the whistle on his own church, after he learned of thousands of murders in its Indian Residential Schools." 

Mental Health continues to be an issue that bounces in and out of our lives. When you consider that one in five of us will experience some sort of mental health issue in our life time we may hope to “win” the lottery and avoid the issue. But, look around you and notice four people you love, four people you are close to at work, and four people you socialize with each week. Now consider that you … or one of the four people in each of those close circles will experience mental health issues.

Given the prevalence of mental health issues it is very important to consider how you support yourself and how you are able to support those around you.

Fast Facts about Mental Illness

For any of you who are Matthew Good fans this is a very interesting TED talk about mental health and his personal experiences riding the wave between genius and suffering.

Today I spent an amazing three hours with Jennifer Garland the Program Director/Owner at the Mane Intent. It was awesome, first meeting with Jennifer to work on a few grounding and awareness exercises, and then out to the barn to meet the herd, followed by some very special one-on-one time with Sunny.

I have deep gratitude for the opportunity to have this amazing experience with all the gentle beings at the Mane Intent and I look forward to connecting again soon.

www.themaneintent.ca
www.facebook.com/themaneintent.

Research from Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)  indicates that meditation has a positive and regenerating effect on our brain.

“Although the practice of meditation is associated with a sense of peacefulness and physical relaxation, practitioners have long claimed that meditation also provides cognitive and psychological benefits that persist throughout the day,” says study senior author Sara Lazar of the MGH Psychiatric Neuroimaging Research Program and a Harvard Medical School instructor in psychology.

Click here for more information ….

I completed Intermediate II training with Somatic Experiencing last weekend. It is an amazing process of engagement with academic rigour, intuition, and practical application.

Trauma has had a significant impact on so many people so it is truly amazing to find a process that effectively works with the fallout of traumatic events.

Thanks to Linda Stelte for her loving and compassionate teaching style. Also, thank you to all the other students and assistants in the class who are helping supporting this three year journey.

Meditation gives us the opportunity to become grounded and to open up to the core of who we are. We often dance between being lost in the detail of our daily lives or being flighty and lost in a sense of spirit. Through meditation I believe we can keep “a foot in both worlds”. Through grounded awareness we can wake up to what is, while staying out of judgement and fear.

The link directs you to a free 8 week mindfulness meditation program including guided meditations, articles, and videos.

Link to the FREE MBSR page – enjoy!

http://www.palousemindfulness.com/index.html