Personal and professional experience combined with healthy discernment can inform suicide prevention initiatives, which emphasize society-wide knowledge, skill, and ability where it matters.

People seem to want kids to be emotionally neutral in the classroom. The idea is that if they aren’t emotionally settled or calm (aka emotionally regulated), then they cannot learn. But cognitive processing does not require emotional neutrality. People are always thinking and feeling—emotion is not a barrier to learning (Pessoa, 2013). In many situations, it is a part of learning. Adults habitually trying to get kids “regulated” by teaching them “self-regulation strategies” a

Why I stopped trying to “overcome” and started building environments that work.

As a psychologist, I strongly oppose the universal application of coping-focused training—especially for children. Whether tied to thoughts or not, scripted “calm-down plans” reflect what people do when they’re overwhelmed and out of depth.

A raw and resilient personal story from Dr. Karin Hodges—of surviving trauma, swimming to safety, and choosing to dive back in to rescue others. A narrative of persistence, purpose, and systemic reform.

Assuming their basic needs are met, children are naturally emotionally contained by their environment. However, life happens—stress and challenges arise, such as loss, transgressions, or upcoming challenges—and kids will feel emotions!

Stress is neither good nor bad - it is an adaptive response to an internal or external stressor. Some stressors have use - like exercise that grows strength and fitness and meaningful schoolwork that enhances learning. Other stressors seems useless. They only tax the system for no other gain. And these can add up. Here are six causes of non-productive stress - those useless stressors in kids’ lives.