Happy New Year!! Whether this is your first time visiting the blog or you’ve been part of the BraveBrains community for a while now, I’m glad you are here! We need each other. As I write this, we are heading into 2022. I want to invite you into a season of nurturing your upstairs brain. Not sure what that means? Check out this short video or this webinar to learn more. We have been living...
The Relationship-Building Power of Repair
We, the adults in this messy world of adoption, are going to mess up. ⠀ Here’s the good news: Repair is possible AND good for the brain. ⠀ Think of a relationship that was able to weather a conflict or difficult time? Did you come out the other end knowing each other a little better? Maybe even a little closer? ⠀ When I’ve had a blow up with my child, sometimes I need to talk...
Why Saying “Use Your Words” Isn’t Working…
Find yourself wondering why kids can’t use their words sometimes? This is true of all of us, but especially true for brains that have been impacted by trauma. Here’s an excerpt from Riley the Brave’s “afterword for grown-ups” to help make sense of this complicated topic… The brain has two main operating systems, social-approach/engagement mode (“the upstairs brain”) and defense mode (“the downstairs brain”). At birth, the downstairs brain is the operating system at work....
What Do These Big Behaviors Really Mean?
“She’s so manipulative!” “He is only nice when he wants something.” Have these thoughts ever run through your mind? Maybe you’ve heard something like it from families you work with? It doesn’t feel good! No one likes it when someone else is pulling the strings. And it feels even worse when it’s paired with other squirrelly behavior, like lying or stealing. Let’s dig a little deeper. If we’re honest, what is the story we are...