childhood trauma

Childhood Abuse Is More Prevalent Than You Think

It is estimated that annually, three million cases of child abuse are reported to authorities in the United States (source: Childhelp.org). Childhood abuse comes in many forms and can be anything from physical abuse, sexual boundary violations, and neglect of medical and physical needs to emotional and social maltreatment and… Read More

Adopted Children Often Face Mental Health Struggles as Young Adults

By GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC Adoption is a delicate process that comes with many different considerations. The relationship between an adopted child and his or her adopted parents is unique, and in many ways unlike that between parents and their biological children. It is difficult to predict how a child… Read More

All of the Feels: Accepting the Gifts of Emotion

By Brenna Gonzales, MS, LPC, Rio Retreat Center at The Meadows Therapist In our culture, we are taught that certain feelings are off-limits. There is a general sense that if you’re not happy most of the time that you’re doing life wrong. Read More

Looking for ‘The One?’ First, Look Into Your Trauma

There seems to be an assumption these days that people in their 20s are all caught up in “hookup” culture. Supposedly, young adults are not at all interested in committed relationships and use dating apps like Tinder only to have a series of casual, no-strings-attached, sexual encounters. Read More

If Nothing Changes, Nothing Changes

Natalie felt lost. She didn’t quite understand why, but everything just felt wrong somehow. Even though it was hard for her to admit that she needed help, she reached out. She found The Meadows Survivors workshop where, for the first time, she began to understand where she came from, where she was going, and where she wanted to be. Read More

How Trauma Creates Toxic Masculinity

By Dan Griffin, MA, Senior Fellow at The Meadows Last week, I was surprised to see a huge conversation about masculinity happening on Twitter. The hashtag #MasculinitySoFragile was started by Anthony Williams, a sociology major at UC Berkeley, to call attention to violence against women. I appreciate the intention behind… Read More