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Safe Space Radio

The show about subjects we'd struggle with less if we could talk about them more.

  • Mental Health
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childhood trauma

Childhood Humiliation

May 11, 2015 by ssradmin

This episode of Safe Space Radio looks at the ways children are humiliated in school, both intentionally and inadvertently, and how it can significantly impact the way they feel about themselves well into adulthood.

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Filed Under: Emotions, Family and Lifecycle, Mental Health Tagged With: childhood, childhood trauma, education, mental health, school culture, school system, Shame, stigma, teacher, teaching, Teens

Disrupting the Vicious Cycle with Sandy White Hawk

March 2, 2015 by ssradmin

Maine Wabanaki Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner Sandy White Hawk discusses the ways in which centuries of removing native children from their families have created a pattern of trauma and corresponding struggle that has made ongoing removal of children more likely. She talks about alternative approaches that support families in difficulty and expresses her hopes for …read more »

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Filed Under: Conflict, Family and Lifecycle, Social Justice Tagged With: Adoption, childhood trauma, Forced adoption, identity, indigenous, native, Parenting, Restorative Justice, Truth and Reconciliation, Wabanaki

Intergenerational Trauma with Sandy White Hawk

February 22, 2015 by ssradmin

In Safe Space Radio’s second conversation with Maine Wabanaki Truth and Reconcilitation Commissioner Sandy White Hawk, she talks about intergenerational trauma and helping white people better grasp what it means to lose your culture.

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Filed Under: Conflict, Family and Lifecycle, Social Justice Tagged With: childhood trauma, Forced adoption, identity, indigenous, native, Restorative Justice, TRC, Truth and Reconciliation, Wabanaki

Breaking the Silence with Maria Girouard, Esther Anne, and Stephanie Bailey

February 2, 2015 by ssradmin

This episode of Safe Space Radio features Maria Girouard, Esther Anne, and Stephanie Bailey of Maine Wabanaki REACH. They discuss the process of gathering the untold stories of the many people affected by the longstanding practice of removing native children from their families and their tribes.

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Filed Under: Conflict, Family and Lifecycle, Indigenous Peoples, Social Justice Tagged With: Adoption, childhood trauma, Forced adoption, identity, indigenous, maine, Maine Wabanaki Truth and Reconciliation Commission, native, Restorative Justice, Truth and Reconciliation

Wabanaki History in Maine with Maria Girouard and Esther Anne

January 26, 2015 by ssradmin

This episode of Safe Space Radio features Maria Girouard and Esther Anne of Maine Wabanaki REACH. They discuss the history of federal and state policies toward Native Americans here in Maine. We focus on the many attempts throughout the years to erase Wabanaki people and their culture, including the practice of removing native children from …read more »

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Filed Under: Conflict, Indigenous Peoples, Social Justice Tagged With: Adoption, childhood trauma, community, Forced adoption, identity, indigenous, maine, Maine Wabanaki Truth and Reconciliation Commission, native, organization, Truth and Reconciliation

Childhood Phobia with Maiya

October 8, 2014 by ssradmin

Ten-year-old Maiya takes us into the world of childhood phobias, describing what it was like to live with overwhelming anxiety about sickness, and how she found help. Now she is creating a website of fear-reducing games to help other kids who suffer with anxiety.

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Filed Under: Emotions, Mental Health Tagged With: Anxiety & Fear, childhood, childhood trauma, children, fear, germaphobia, health, illness, Parenting, phobia

Recovery Through Music with Michael Skinner

May 20, 2013 by ssradmin

Songwriter Michael Skinner used music as a way to heal from the abuse he suffered as a child. Michael talks about his adult experiences with PTSD, his often-frustrating encounters with the mental health system, and his efforts to resist the stigmatizing label of “mental illness.” He also explores songwriting as an important healing tool in …read more »

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Filed Under: Emotions, Mental Health Tagged With: art, childhood trauma, healing, mental health, mental illness, music, PTSD, surviving trauma, survivors, Trauma

Emotional Abuse in Violent Homes with Brie Masselli

April 29, 2013 by ssradmin

Child advocate Brie Masselli discusses her own experience growing up in a home with domestic violence. Brie tells the story of running to school to escape her stepfather’s violent outbursts, and how her childhood struggles in and out of school were missed by those who might have helped. Brie speaks about the ways that children …read more »

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Filed Under: Family and Lifecycle, Mental Health Tagged With: advocacy, childhood trauma, Domestic Violence, education, Emotional Abuse, Parents, resiliency, step-families

Child Abuse and Physical Health 25 Years Later with Vincent Felitti

April 15, 2013 by ssradmin

Dr. Vincent Felitti talks about his groundbreaking research to show that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s, like abuse, neglect and severe family dysfunction) are correlated not only with mental illness and addiction, but also with physical illnesses like heart disease, lung disease and even auto-immune diseases.

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Filed Under: Family and Lifecycle, Mental Health, Sexuality Tagged With: ACE study, adverse childhood experiences, childhood trauma, mental health, mental illness, physical illness, research

Child Abuse and Physical Health with Vincent Felitti

April 1, 2013 by ssradmin

This episode of Safe Space Radio features Dr. Vincent Felitti talking about his groundbreaking work discovering the high prevalence of child sexual abuse among those who are obese. In his clinic, 55% of patients coming in for treatment of obesity had histories of child abuse. When the patients were asked, many discussed eating as a …read more »

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Filed Under: Mental Health, Sexuality Tagged With: ACE study, adverse childhood experiences, childhood trauma, Eating Disorders, Obesity, physical health, research

Yoga for Survivors with Deirdre Fay

January 2, 2013 by ssradmin

Yoga teacher and therapist Deirdre Fay talks about her experience of discovering her own trauma history through yoga, which softened her defenses to the point that her body began to relive previously forgotten memories of trauma. She narrates the journey of using yoga to navigate PTSD and how she advocates for and supports survivors now.

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Filed Under: Emotions, Mental Health Tagged With: advocacy, body memory, childhood trauma, healing, internal family systems, meditation, PTSD, survivors, Trauma, Yoga, yoga for depression, yoga for PTSD, yoga for sexual abuse, Yoga therapy

Pediatric Medical Trauma with Nancy Kassam-Adams

May 19, 2012 by ssradmin

This episode of Safe Space Radio features psychologist and researcher Dr. Nancy Kassam-Adams. She talks about children’s medical experiences as a source of PTSD and gives helpful suggestions for how parents can identify trauma in their kids after painful medical procedures or hospitalizations. Nancy described an innovative program to treat adolescent cancer survivors and their …read more »

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Filed Under: Mental Health, Sexuality Tagged With: childhood trauma, children, hospitalization, hospitals, medical encounter, Medical Trauma, Parenting, PTSD, teenagers, Teens

Children’s Fear of the Doctor with Chris Nee

May 16, 2012 by ssradmin

This episode features Emmy Award-winning television writer and executive producer, Chris Nee, talking about her show, Doc McStuffins. Chris wrote the show in order to help her own son, Theo, who suffers from severe asthma.

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Filed Under: Family and Lifecycle Tagged With: asthma, childhood trauma, doc mcstuffins, fear, medical encounters, Medical Trauma, pediatrician

Childhood Domestic Violence with Paul LePage

March 28, 2012 by ssradmin

This episode features Maine Governor Paul LePage talking about growing up in a home with domestic violence. Governor LePage describes the moment when he decided he had to leave home: when his father tried to pay him to lie to a doctor about the cause of his injuries. He describes living with the fear that …read more »

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Filed Under: Family and Lifecycle, Mental Health Tagged With: Child Abuse, childhood trauma, Domestic Violence, Parents, Sexual assault

International Adoption with Deb Gallagher

December 7, 2011 by ssradmin

Deb Gallagher created her family through “the messy miracle of international adoption.” Deb talks about the homophobia she encountered as a lesbian seeking to adopt a child both domestically and internationally, and the way she had to hide parts of her identity to have any chance at adoption.  She describes her grief at bringing a …read more »

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Filed Under: Conflict, Emotions, Family and Lifecycle Tagged With: Adoption, childhood trauma, culture, discrimination, gay parents, Homophobia, international adoption, lesbian parents, LGBTQ parents, Racism, White Privilege, Whiteness

Adoption and Parenting with Joyce Maguire Pavao

November 16, 2011 by ssradmin

This episode of Safe Space Radio features author, adoptee and clinician Joyce Maguire Pavao as she talks about parenting an adopted child. Joyce describes the changing demographics of adopted children, and how adopted children are increasingly older and may have experienced trauma as well as the loss of their birth family. Joyce asserts that “adoption …read more »

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Filed Under: Emotions, Family and Lifecycle Tagged With: Adoption, biological parents, birth family, birth parents, childhood trauma, children, family dynamics, identity, loss, Parenting, parenting adopted children, youth

Secrets, Confiding, and Health with Jamie Pennebaker

September 28, 2011 by ssradmin

This episode features an interview with author and social psychologist Jamie Pennebaker about his research into the benefits of confiding painful experiences. Jamie suggests that one of the reasons that childhood sexual abuse may be so destructive is because it is so often kept secret. He describes experiments where people are invited to write for …read more »

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Filed Under: Emotions, Mental Health Tagged With: childhood trauma, communication, confession, difficult conversations, healing, Secrets, Sexual Abuse, Trauma, writing

Trauma, Fear and Denial with Jessica Stern

February 16, 2011 by ssradmin

Research professor Jessica Stern is an expert in the connection between trauma and terrorism. In this interview she talks about her experience following a rape at age 15, and how her story was not believed by the police—resulting in more than 40 other children being targeted. Jessica describes living with PTSD, and experiencing a confusing …read more »

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Filed Under: Emotions, Mental Health Tagged With: Anxiety & Fear, childhood trauma, healing, Loneliness, mental illness, police, PTSD, Rape, Rape Culture, Sexual assault, sexual violence, survivors, teenagers, terrorism, Therapy, Trauma, triggering, triggers, Violence

Trauma and the Brain with Bessel van der Kolk

December 22, 2010 by ssradmin

An interview with psychiatrist and trauma researcher Bessel van der Kolk about the impact of trauma on the brain. Bessel outlines the way in which traumatic experience in children shapes the development of the brain, and how our brains can get hijacked by triggers that make us feel we are in a life and death …read more »

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Filed Under: Mental Health Tagged With: brain, childhood trauma, developmental trauma, EMDR, healing, internal family systems, neurofeedback, neuroscience, research, Therapy, Trauma, trauma in the body, trauma response, traumatic repetition

The Ingredients of Recovery with Mary Auslander

November 10, 2010 by ssradmin

This episode of Safe Space Radio features therapist, advocate and trauma survivor, Mary Auslander. She discusses the nature of trauma, the ingredients of recovery and what a person can realistically hope for as they heal from trauma. Mary describes giving up her child to adoption after a history of childhood sexual abuse, and the painful …read more »

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Filed Under: Emotions, Mental Health Tagged With: advocacy, Child Abuse, childhood trauma, healing, healthcare system, psychiatric care, psychiatric system, psychiatric trauma, Recovery, Sexual Abuse, survivors, Trauma, trauma in the body

The Legacy of a Mother’s Suicide with Nancy Rappaport

April 7, 2010 by ssradmin

Child psychiatrist Dr. Nancy Rappaport discusses her mother’s suicide, which happened when Nancy was four. Nancy undertakes a detective-like 18 year journey to discover who her mother was, and to understand what she was going through. Nancy describes the terrible consequences when a distorted belief that ones life is expendable, is combined with impulsivity. She …read more »

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Filed Under: Family and Lifecycle, Mental Health Tagged With: childhood trauma, daughters, death and dying, Hidden Emotions, identity, loss of a parent, mothers, Suicide

Working with Bereaved Children with Joanne Anning

February 10, 2010 by ssradmin

An interview with Joanne Anning about working with bereaved children in England. She describes the incredible resilience of children going through loss and the importance of including children in processes around death, explaining what to expect, and helping them cry.

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Filed Under: Emotions, Family and Lifecycle Tagged With: Bereavement, childhood, childhood trauma, children, community, death and dying, emotions, greiving, grief, loss, loss of a parent, resiliency, Therapy

Youthanasia with Dennis Embry

May 13, 2009 by ssradmin

This interview with Safe Space Radio features child psychologist and researcher Dennis Embry on “Youthanasia,” his name for the policies and practices that result in shorter projected lifespans for younger generations. He looks at the causes of mental health problems, substance abuse, violence, obesity and suicide and shows how the same interventions can prevent all …read more »

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Filed Under: Family and Lifecycle, Mental Health Tagged With: adverse childhood experiences, childhood trauma, life span, teenagers, Teens, youth, youthanasia

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Generously supported by:

  • The Annie E. Casey Foundation
  • The Lucy R. Sprague Charisma Fund
  • The Equity Fund
  • The Fleming Family Foundation
  • The Hope and Grace Fund
  • Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation
  • The Lerner Foundation
  • The Matthewson Foundation
  • The Pinkerton Foundation
  • The Pink House Foundation
  • The Rines Thompson Fund
  • The Sam L. Cohen Foundation

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