Trauma Responses Explained: Fight, Flight, Freeze, Appease
Trauma is pervasive and often overlooked. By understanding how our survival instincts (also known as trauma brain or fight, flight,...
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The Art of Trauma-Informed Care
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Shenandoah Chefalo
May 215 min read
Reflections on Power and Privilege from a Trauma-Informed Expert
There are ways I am disadvantaged by the systems we live in, AND there are privileges I am afforded by the systems we live in. This is...
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Shenandoah Chefalo
Apr 93 min read
5 Ways to Mindfully Develop Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is a superpower in today's workforce. And, leaders need to prioritize their social-emotional skills if they hope...
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Shenandoah Chefalo
Feb 273 min read
Discover the Power of Trauma-Informed Change: Transforming Lives & Organizations
Trauma-informed change is a revolutionary approach that acknowledges the far-reaching impact of trauma on individuals, communities,...
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Shenandoah Chefalo
Feb 206 min read
11 Practical Tips for Building Secure Attachments and Healing from Trauma in Relationships
Understanding attachment theory helps us make the important first step of the trauma-informed paradigm shift. Once we make the shift, we...
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Shenandoah Chefalo
Feb 134 min read
Trauma-Informed Attachment Theory: How Childhood Experiences Impact Adult Relationships and Attachment Styles
Attachment styles can help us understand how our trauma impacts our relationships—and what we can do about it. I work with many...
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Shenandoah Chefalo
Feb 64 min read
7 Characteristics of a Healthy Relationship
Whether you’re considering your romantic, platonic, or professional relationships, knowing these 7 characteristics of a healthy...
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Shenandoah Chefalo
Jan 303 min read
9 Phrases for Building Relationships at Work
Whether you're collaborating closely on projects together, passing projects off, or simply brushing shoulders your coworkers have a...
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Shenandoah Chefalo
Jan 163 min read
Words of Affirmation: 7 Things You Didn't Know You Needed to Hear
Sometimes, we know we need something, but we don’t know what that thing is. You might find it here. In the journey of self-discovery and...
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Shenandoah Chefalo
Dec 19, 202310 min read
15 Tools to Stay in Your Executive Functioning
If you’re someone who’s always looking for one more trauma-informed resource to add to your toolkit, you’re in luck. This list of 15...
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Shenandoah Chefalo
Dec 12, 20234 min read
One Life-Changing Trauma Informed Approach You Can Implement Today
Of all the trauma-informed phrases I use, “yes, AND” might be the most common. “Yes, AND” represents a way of thinking that is essential...
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Shenandoah Chefalo
Dec 5, 20237 min read
7 Subtle Self-Harm Strategies You Might Do
This blog discusses self-harm and suicide, which can be sensitive topics to many readers. Please establish your safety before reading,...
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Shenandoah Chefalo
Nov 28, 20237 min read
9 Types of Safety Most People Don’t Know About
Safety is a crucial topic for trauma-informed systems, and understanding how your community defines safety is no small task. If I asked...
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Shenandoah Chefalo
Nov 21, 20235 min read
Why is Safety Important in a Trauma Informed Approach?
No matter what model you use, SAMHSA or Sanctuary, safety is a core value of trauma-informed care. Safety is arguably one of the most...
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Shenandoah Chefalo
Oct 31, 20234 min read
What Are the 12 Executive Functioning Skills?
Trauma disconnects us, making it difficult for us to access the parts of our brain responsible for executive functioning skills. When we...
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Shenandoah Chefalo
Oct 24, 20233 min read
The Science of Substance Use: Trauma and Addiction
There is a strong connection between childhood trauma and addiction, which is why preventative trauma-informed interventions are crucial...
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Shenandoah Chefalo
Oct 11, 20236 min read
Unraveling Financial Trauma: How Our Past Experiences with Money Affect Our Attitudes & Behaviors
Talking about money is taboo, but we need to have difficult conversations if we want to improve our relationships with our wallets....
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Shenandoah Chefalo
May 17, 20234 min read
Adoption Alternatives: 7 Other Ways to Help Children in Need
Adoption is a common family planning tool, and foster care is often overlooked in favor of adoption. However, foster care is a viable...
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Shenandoah Chefalo
Jan 4, 20235 min read
11 Trauma-Informed Boundary Phrases to Use at Work
Trauma-informed leaders know that healthy boundaries are essential for healthy relationships—in and out of work. But setting and...
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Shenandoah Chefalo
Nov 29, 20224 min read
Empathy is a Professional Superpower
All human beings are born with a capacity for empathy, but ultimately, empathy is a learned behavior—much like language. Just as language...
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