so this noise that is the lid rate that explains was that stressful yes no a
explains was that stressful yes no a
explains was that stressful yes no a little bit that noise especially the
little bit that noise especially the
little bit that noise especially the police sirens can be more or less
police sirens can be more or less
police sirens can be more or less stressful for some folks and rightly so
stressful for some folks and rightly so
stressful for some folks and rightly so I mean stress is normal but healthily
I mean stress is normal but healthily
I mean stress is normal but healthily responding to stress is critical I’m a
responding to stress is critical I’m a
responding to stress is critical I’m a psychotherapist working here in a
psychotherapist working here in a
psychotherapist working here in a Seattle area and in my practice I
Seattle area and in my practice I
Seattle area and in my practice I primarily work with youth of color and
primarily work with youth of color and
primarily work with youth of color and with our current political schism people
with our current political schism people
with our current political schism people are stressed yes even our youth are
are stressed yes even our youth are
are stressed yes even our youth are extremely stressed and rightly so every
extremely stressed and rightly so every
extremely stressed and rightly so every day we are met with a barrage of
day we are met with a barrage of
day we are met with a barrage of stressors so commuting to work or for
stressors so commuting to work or for
stressors so commuting to work or for instance being stuck in traffic or
instance being stuck in traffic or
instance being stuck in traffic or having to fit a really important
having to fit a really important
having to fit a really important exercise regimen in to move our bodies
exercise regimen in to move our bodies
exercise regimen in to move our bodies or we might have an assignment that we
or we might have an assignment that we
or we might have an assignment that we need to complete so whether it be for
need to complete so whether it be for
need to complete so whether it be for work or for school all of these are
work or for school all of these are
work or for school all of these are stressors that we often experience and
stressors that we often experience and
stressors that we often experience and they can leave us quite depleted so what
they can leave us quite depleted so what
they can leave us quite depleted so what we know though is actually stress is
we know though is actually stress is
we know though is actually stress is normal and there are two types of stress
normal and there are two types of stress
normal and there are two types of stress so you stress and distress do people
so you stress and distress do people
so you stress and distress do people know that two types
know that two types
know that two types I know I learned this – so you stress is
I know I learned this – so you stress is
I know I learned this – so you stress is a positive stress so this is the stress
a positive stress so this is the stress
a positive stress so this is the stress of getting on a roller coaster all that
of getting on a roller coaster all that
of getting on a roller coaster all that excitement or have
excitement or have
excitement or have challenging but really manageable work
challenging but really manageable work
challenging but really manageable work assignments to complete so that’s you
assignments to complete so that’s you
assignments to complete so that’s you stress these stress on the other hand is
stress these stress on the other hand is
stress these stress on the other hand is negative stress so these are the little
negative stress so these are the little
negative stress so these are the little stresses we experience everyday or
stresses we experience everyday or
stresses we experience everyday or stressors that can be traumatic over
stressors that can be traumatic over
stressors that can be traumatic over time so the death of a loved one or an
time so the death of a loved one or an
time so the death of a loved one or an illness that may leave us incapacitated
illness that may leave us incapacitated
illness that may leave us incapacitated these are all things that can lead to
these are all things that can lead to
these are all things that can lead to very traumatic and negative stress and
very traumatic and negative stress and
very traumatic and negative stress and overtime these are some of the things
overtime these are some of the things
overtime these are some of the things that we can experience and they can
that we can experience and they can
that we can experience and they can leave us leaving feeling like this
leave us leaving feeling like this
leave us leaving feeling like this so headaches nausea panic attacks right
so headaches nausea panic attacks right
so headaches nausea panic attacks right these are all things that I’m sure some
these are all things that I’m sure some
these are all things that I’m sure some of us have experienced dealing with
of us have experienced dealing with
of us have experienced dealing with stress so as I’m sure all of you can
stress so as I’m sure all of you can
stress so as I’m sure all of you can also name there are some groups or some
also name there are some groups or some
also name there are some groups or some experiences or some identities that it
experiences or some identities that it
experiences or some identities that it may experience more stress right so
may experience more stress right so
may experience more stress right so women for instance or people of color
women for instance or people of color
women for instance or people of color with the many discrimination that
with the many discrimination that
with the many discrimination that happens throughout our daily lives these
happens throughout our daily lives these
happens throughout our daily lives these are all groups that may experience more
are all groups that may experience more
are all groups that may experience more stress so for instance how would a young
stress so for instance how would a young
stress so for instance how would a young latina mother and student be experienced
latina mother and student be experienced
latina mother and student be experienced in life what are her challenges what are
in life what are her challenges what are
in life what are her challenges what are her stressors how may a young newly
her stressors how may a young newly
her stressors how may a young newly immigrated primary student be
immigrated primary student be
immigrated primary student be experiencing life what are her
experiencing life what are her
experiencing life what are her challenges so in my practice I had the
challenges so in my practice I had the
challenges so in my practice I had the pleasure of meeting Sasha it’s not a row
pleasure of meeting Sasha it’s not a row
pleasure of meeting Sasha it’s not a row name but it is an ode to Beyonce so I
name but it is an ode to Beyonce so I
name but it is an ode to Beyonce so I met Sasha and I guys got a happy on stay
met Sasha and I guys got a happy on stay
met Sasha and I guys got a happy on stay with me and she was this vibrant
with me and she was this vibrant
with me and she was this vibrant fifteen-year-old young lady and I could
fifteen-year-old young lady and I could
fifteen-year-old young lady and I could see that she was smart she was spunky
see that she was smart she was spunky
see that she was smart she was spunky she was engaged but as we’ve heard today
she was engaged but as we’ve heard today
she was engaged but as we’ve heard today she was struggling as a student she was
she was struggling as a student she was
she was struggling as a student she was challenged she could not complete our
challenged she could not complete our
challenged she could not complete our assignments and as I was talking to her
assignments and as I was talking to her
assignments and as I was talking to her more I learned that she couldn’t sleep
more I learned that she couldn’t sleep
more I learned that she couldn’t sleep at night you know she felt really down
at night you know she felt really down
at night you know she felt really down right you start to really uncover some
right you start to really uncover some
right you start to really uncover some things and as I was speaking to her we
things and as I was speaking to her we
things and as I was speaking to her we spoke a lot about self-care right which
spoke a lot about self-care right which
spoke a lot about self-care right which is very popular and very cool and very
is very popular and very cool and very
is very popular and very cool and very current and so we talked a lot about how
current and so we talked a lot about how
current and so we talked a lot about how self-care was radical right and that was
self-care was radical right and that was
self-care was radical right and that was something that I love to discuss caring
something that I love to discuss caring
something that I love to discuss caring for ourselves which is very very
for ourselves which is very very
for ourselves which is very very important but as I was speaking to Sasha
important but as I was speaking to Sasha
important but as I was speaking to Sasha it became pretty apparent to me that the
it became pretty apparent to me that the
it became pretty apparent to me that the singular experience that she was having
singular experience that she was having
singular experience that she was having was actually completely connected to her
was actually completely connected to her
was actually completely connected to her community so as I spoke to her more we
community so as I spoke to her more we
community so as I spoke to her more we arrived here community care is radical
arrived here community care is radical
arrived here community care is radical and community care was radical in
and community care was radical in
and community care was radical in particular for Sasha because there was
particular for Sasha because there was
particular for Sasha because there was not any hospitals an area there was not
not any hospitals an area there was not
not any hospitals an area there was not a job in which her mother could be
a job in which her mother could be
a job in which her mother could be adequately compensated in her
adequately compensated in her
adequately compensated in her neighborhood there was not a local
neighborhood there was not a local
neighborhood there was not a local program or after-school program or
program or after-school program or
program or after-school program or resource center for the young people so
resource center for the young people so
resource center for the young people so truly it was impossible for Sasha to
truly it was impossible for Sasha to
truly it was impossible for Sasha to ever reach the limit or to peak in
ever reach the limit or to peak in
ever reach the limit or to peak in self-care because our community had not
self-care because our community had not
self-care because our community had not received the care needed so community
received the care needed so community
received the care needed so community care is radical for two reasons the
care is radical for two reasons the
care is radical for two reasons the first reason is especially as Americans
first reason is especially as Americans
first reason is especially as Americans or people who live within the US we are
or people who live within the US we are
or people who live within the US we are taught to be individualistic in our
taught to be individualistic in our
taught to be individualistic in our pursuits community care takes into
pursuits community care takes into
pursuits community care takes into consideration the person as a part of
consideration the person as a part of
consideration the person as a part of the whole
the whole
the whole the second reason community care in
the second reason community care in
the second reason community care in particular is radical is because it
particular is radical is because it
particular is radical is because it allows vulnerable populations to receive
allows vulnerable populations to receive
allows vulnerable populations to receive the resources and care that they deserve
the resources and care that they deserve
the resources and care that they deserve and need so community care looks like
and need so community care looks like
and need so community care looks like these three things for me in my practice
these three things for me in my practice
these three things for me in my practice this is what I learned
this is what I learned
this is what I learned awareness affirmation and access so
awareness affirmation and access so
awareness affirmation and access so awareness what is happening in my life
awareness what is happening in my life
awareness what is happening in my life how am I
how am I
how am I connected to my community how am i
connected to my community how am i
connected to my community how am i impacted by the macro mezzo and micro
impacted by the macro mezzo and micro
impacted by the macro mezzo and micro decisions that are made about my life
decisions that are made about my life
decisions that are made about my life how are we all politically connected
how are we all politically connected
how are we all politically connected socially connected emotionally connected
socially connected emotionally connected
socially connected emotionally connected so being able to have an awareness about
so being able to have an awareness about
so being able to have an awareness about where we situate ourselves okay the
where we situate ourselves okay the
where we situate ourselves okay the second thing was affirmation so
second thing was affirmation so
second thing was affirmation so affirming that we are all having this
affirming that we are all having this
affirming that we are all having this experience that may leave us broken that
experience that may leave us broken that
experience that may leave us broken that may leave us also in positive situations
may leave us also in positive situations
may leave us also in positive situations but being able to have a conversation
but being able to have a conversation
but being able to have a conversation especially with my young people
especially with my young people
especially with my young people affirming and telling them that their
affirming and telling them that their
affirming and telling them that their experience matters and it’s important
experience matters and it’s important
experience matters and it’s important and then access so I spoke a little bit
and then access so I spoke a little bit
and then access so I spoke a little bit about this but resources what is
about this but resources what is
about this but resources what is available to our youth what kind of
available to our youth what kind of
available to our youth what kind of education are they receiving what sort
education are they receiving what sort
education are they receiving what sort of hospital and medical benefits are
of hospital and medical benefits are
of hospital and medical benefits are they able to acquire these are all
they able to acquire these are all
they able to acquire these are all really important things to consider when
really important things to consider when
really important things to consider when we think not just of self care but how
we think not just of self care but how
we think not just of self care but how it can be more radical in community care
it can be more radical in community care
it can be more radical in community care the great poet scholar activist Audrey
the great poet scholar activist Audrey
the great poet scholar activist Audrey Lorde said caring for myself is not
Lorde said caring for myself is not
Lorde said caring for myself is not self-indulgence it is self preservation
self-indulgence it is self preservation
self-indulgence it is self preservation and that is an act of political warfare
and that is an act of political warfare
and that is an act of political warfare so to close I would like to actually
so to close I would like to actually
so to close I would like to actually read a piece written by me and it is
read a piece written by me and it is
read a piece written by me and it is titled
titled
titled a letter to my folks
hey uh you know our parents our
hey uh you know our parents our grandparents our ancestors how
grandparents our ancestors how
grandparents our ancestors how uncompromising how astute talented we’re
uncompromising how astute talented we’re
uncompromising how astute talented we’re here we survived some of us not enough
here we survived some of us not enough
here we survived some of us not enough have thrived how grand how deserving and
have thrived how grand how deserving and
have thrived how grand how deserving and with this at our backdrop I want to
with this at our backdrop I want to
with this at our backdrop I want to remind us as we move forward we don’t
remind us as we move forward we don’t
remind us as we move forward we don’t have to be burdened we don’t have to be
have to be burdened we don’t have to be
have to be burdened we don’t have to be limiting in our vision for ourselves our
limiting in our vision for ourselves our
limiting in our vision for ourselves our communities our people our world we can
communities our people our world we can
communities our people our world we can be radical and kind and complex we can
be radical and kind and complex we can
be radical and kind and complex we can build strong ethical loving families
build strong ethical loving families
build strong ethical loving families relationships leadership’s communities
relationships leadership’s communities
relationships leadership’s communities governments were here we’re ready we’re
governments were here we’re ready we’re
governments were here we’re ready we’re survived we’re talented
survived we’re talented
survived we’re talented we’re multi-dimensional we will continue
we’re multi-dimensional we will continue
we’re multi-dimensional we will continue to rise we will continue to nurture
to rise we will continue to nurture
to rise we will continue to nurture ourselves our communities our offspring
ourselves our communities our offspring
ourselves our communities our offspring for what else do we know so we must dig
for what else do we know so we must dig
for what else do we know so we must dig deep cover one another build with our
deep cover one another build with our
deep cover one another build with our vulnerable neighbors we can be radical
vulnerable neighbors we can be radical
vulnerable neighbors we can be radical we can take care in solidarity
”
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