Healing Focused Care

Ensuring Accessibility in Human Services: Building a Foundation of Respect and Safety

Leave a Comment / Healing Focused Care, Motivational Interviewing, Trauma-Informed Care /
A disabled man sits in an office chair beside his wheelchair, during a therapy appointment.

Accessibility isn’t just a checkbox we need to mark off in our interactions. It’s a cornerstone to providing effective human services. Effective is accepting (nonjudgmental) and create a space where people feel a sense of belonging. We hear a lot about accessibility as a buzz term these days, but what does it really mean?   […]

Ensuring Accessibility in Human Services: Building a Foundation of Respect and Safety Read More »

Building Connections on Shaky Ground: Handling “Hostile Clients”

Leave a Comment / Healing Focused Care, Trauma-Informed Care /
A woman holding a megaphone yells at a man standing next to her, as her covers his ears and leans away from her.

To begin, let’s reframe “hostile client.” This term is used because it is a term practitioners are searching for. Let’s sit with what might result in someone becoming “hostile”. Let’s do it in a word: powerless.    We’ve all had to do things we don’t want to do. Whether it’s a trip to the DMV,

Building Connections on Shaky Ground: Handling “Hostile Clients” Read More »

The Epidemic and Antidote: Opioid Overdose Training Essentials

Leave a Comment / Healing Focused Care, Motivational Interviewing /
A photo shows a view point of a dark staircase looking up, towards a light-filled arched doorway at the top of the stairs.

Our primary contribution as MI practitioners is to listen. Through Motivational Interviewing (MI) skills and practices, we empower those in our care to find their own reasons and motivation to make positive changes. Over 40 years of science clearly show this is the impact of utilizing an MI approach to fidelity.   In addition, MI

The Epidemic and Antidote: Opioid Overdose Training Essentials Read More »

What We Can Do to Combat the Effects of Loneliness

Leave a Comment / Healing Focused Care /
A man sits on a couch in a dark living room, resting his head tiredly in his hands and covering his face.

Recently Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared loneliness to be a health epidemic. The effects of loneliness and isolation are very real and devastating for many. But there is hope. By building human connections through social interactions, we can reverse the trend.   Here’s what we can do as professionals to help clients and colleagues combat the

What We Can Do to Combat the Effects of Loneliness Read More »

Recovering from Gaslighting with Effective Trauma-Informed Care

Leave a Comment / Healing Focused Care, Trauma-Informed Care /
A woman sits on the floor, her back up against the back of a gray couch. She holds her hand to her chest, and has a distressed look on her face.

We see people with a wide range of experiences. It’s common that some people we encounter in our work are recovering from gaslighting—a term that has grown in awareness in recent years. Trauma Informed Care (TIC), can help guide us to be supportive of those we serve who are recovering and healing through gaslighting experiences.

Recovering from Gaslighting with Effective Trauma-Informed Care Read More »

4 Tips for Minding Your Own Wellbeing as a Recovery Coach

Leave a Comment / Healing Focused Care /
A woman walks through a dark tunnel towards and opening of light, her shape silhouetted by the bright natural light.

Wellbeingness is vital for those working in many different fields, but for those in human services, and especially recovery, minding your own mental health is critical. If you work in recovery support services, you likely know that burnout and exhaustion are very real concerns.   So, how can we be aware of our own mental

4 Tips for Minding Your Own Wellbeing as a Recovery Coach Read More »