Toxic Schools Worsening Toxic Stress:  The Destructive Reign of Standardized Education, Pathology, Medication, and Behaviorism in Schools This post is the first chapter of a book.  The names HAVE NOT been changed, as each individual profoundly impacted the author's...

Having been an educator much of my life and attended a lot of school, there is something powerful in my somatic memory about this time of year.  It’s a swirling dervish of anticipation, hope... fear, trepidation.   It all collides tightly in my belly.   I recall the...

My typically happy, well-adjusted 11-year old daughter was having a melt downs of all melt downs.  She was crying hysterically.  I could hear her wailing downstairs as she was upstairs.  I could feel my heart rate rising as her distress increased. I called up to my...

"I don't know if I can do this anymore, Kris.  I am just so discouraged." I sit with my dear friend on a sticky summer night trying to get my gut right. "Gut wrench" is an apt description.  It's invaded my body and overwhelmed my mind.  I can't think straight, see...

Have you ever had the experience of becoming the living embodiment of an illustrated children’s book character? Yeah, that’s happened to me.  I am Froggy.  The Froggy that goes to school Froggy. In the children’s story, Froggy feels anxious about his first day of...

Place matters. It was spring break of 1993 - my senior year of high school - and I was driving back from Virginia Beach with three close friends.  We passed signs for the University of Delaware.  I asked if we could take a quick detour to see the campus.  The one...