The Living Room Collective Blog

Bystander Behaviour: An Interview with Dr. Alan Berkowitz

By The Living Room Collective | September 14, 2023

Posted by Suzanne Brogger on December 08, 2017 at 8:20 AM @ http://www.upstanderprojects.com/bystander-behaviour-interviewThe news right now is full of stories of sexual harassment and abuse. From Cosby to Trump, to Weinstein, Louis C.K. and so many others, the story seems to be the same. A powerful man uses his position to get away with harassment and even rape. Now, as women are finally stepping forward to speak out against these high-profile aggressors, we are also hearing that many others knew about the abusive behavior going on. Take the Harvey Weinstein case, for example. Many celebrities, like Jane Fonda, Quentin Tarantino and Seth Macfarlane are now coming forward saying that they knew that Weinstein was an abuser but failed to speak up until the news was already out. The question on everyone’s mind? Why didn’t anyone say anything?This question is one that researcher Alan Berkowitz has thought a lot about. Dr.…

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Bystander behavior in sexual abuse

By The Living Room Collective | November 21, 2022

Why do families, religious institutions, and universities – fail to intervene when sexual abuse is disclosed? Why do laws favor the perpetrators instead of the victims of abuse? How do sexual predators groom their victims and manipulate bystanders into looking the other way? How has “rape culture” permeated our media, our campuses, and our society? Our goal is to not only educate and create awareness; but most importantly, to create meaningful and lasting change in bystander behavior in order that we might support victims to not just survive, but to THRIVE after abuse. We need to Change The Culture! Watch our video about Bystander behavior in sexual abuse

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ADHD Medication ODs Rising in U.S. Kids, Teens

By The Living Room Collective | December 8, 2020

By Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter MONDAY, Dec. 7, 2020 (HealthDay News) — Growing numbers of younger kids are overdosing on stimulant medications commonly used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a new study indicates. The researchers called for greater efforts to identify kids at risk for overdose, and more education on safe storage of prescription and over-the-counter medications for parents and caregivers. “Stimulant prescribing has been on the rise among youth, and as more prescribed stimulants are in the public, there is greater potential for misuse among all populations,” said study author Douglas Roehler, an epidemiologist at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “We need a better understanding of effective interventions for youth who are at risk for stimulant overdoses.” For the study, Roehler’s team reviewed charts from close to 90 million emergency department visits for nonfatal overdoses that took place over three years among U.S. kids in three age…

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PTSD: the plague of our times

By The Living Room Collective | December 7, 2020

PTSD (Post-Traumatic-Stress Disorder) is not only a growing concern for the medical world, but a socioeconomic issue, as more and more people are diagnosed with it, whole new groups like inmates and C-section born are vulnerable and the cost of dealing with it, either by treatment or suffer the social consequences of non-treatment, are huge. New developments, like more specific biomarkers, the role of certain hormones and the consequences for life-expectancy and health, shed light on what is as yet atoo broad a diagnosis (in the DSM-V), while understanding the underlying dissociation and substitute identity formation mechanisms can help to find better diagnostic and therapeutic tools and procedures. PTSD is associated with reduced cognitive and psycho-social functioning, fractured relationships, in ability to maintain employment, substance abuse, and increased risk of depression and suicide. Click here to Download the full article by Luc Sala from October 2019.

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The crystal bowls, Tibetan singing bowls, and planetary gongs used at events such as the recent “sound bath” at Grace Cathedral.Photo: Kara Cooper, Kara Cooper Photography.

Go with the flow in a meditative sound bath

By The Living Room Collective | July 17, 2020

Written by Jennifer Maerz on July 14, 2016 for sfchronicle.com. Quoted from article: “On a Friday evening in May, 1,000 people lined the steps of Grace Cathedral, clutching blankets, pillows, yoga mats, eye masks and sleeping bags, awaiting entry to a sold-out event. A latecomer bounded up the steps, her disco jacket reflecting the scene in thousands of silver sequins. Her outfit offered flashes of color against the Patagonia-vested seniors and twentysomethings outfitted for camping trips. Everyone here paid roughly $25 to experience a “sound bath.” That’s the popular name for the highly relaxing, deeply meditative and occasionally psychedelic experience involving practitioners playing crystal bowls, Tibetan singing bowls and planetary gongs, among other healing and ritualistic instruments on the night’s lineup. Guests absorbed this cosmic concert while lying bundled up on the floor. The pop-up sound bath is one of many eccentric meditation experiences that San Franciscans are seeking out…

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Healing Narratives From the Holistic Healing Arts Retreat

By The Living Room Collective | June 26, 2020

This article examines the subjective experience of the Holistic Healing Arts Retreat to improve both trauma-related and resilience outcomes for trauma. In this article, we assessed the extent to which the conceptual model of the Holistic Healing Arts Retreat, termed the Healing Arc, characterized retreat participants’ actual experience based on narratives recorded in real time while participating in the retreat. This study was part of a larger randomized control trial involving 109 women who reported histories of child abuse, sexual assault, or domestic violence and who were randomly assigned to 5-day residential retreat (retreat now) or to wait-list control (retreat later) conditions. For this study, narrative data from participants in the retreat now condition, only, were collected using audio digital recorders during the period that participants were in residence at the retreat. Framework analysis was used to analyze the narrative data against a predetermined conceptual framework. This analysis identified 6…

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A Holistic Healing Arts Model for Counselors, Advocates, and Lawyers Serving Trauma Survivors: Joyful Heart Foundation Retreat

By The Living Room Collective | June 26, 2020

Secondary traumatic stress and vicarious traumatization present a burden that counselors, advocates, and lawyers risk when working with survivors of childhood sexual abuse, domestic violence, and sexual assault. While effective trauma interventions provide one option for addressing the effects of secondary traumatic stress, the focus of these treatments is typically on clinical symptom reduction, rather than a broader emphasis on healing the whole person. Unlike modern Western medicine, holistic healing is anapproach that attends to mind, body, and spirit. The primary objective of this study was to pilot test the standardized procedures for delivering the Joyful Heart Foundation (JHF)’s Holistic Healing Arts Retreat and to gather preliminary data on the its effectiveness for improving well-being and supporting resilience. Results of an open trial of the 4-day JHF Retreat found support for improvements in stress related outcomes (posttraumatic stress symptoms, insomnia, somatic symptoms, perceived stress, depression symptoms, fatigue, general life satisfaction,…

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Plant A Tree

By The Living Room Collective | June 26, 2020

Tree Sisters Inspiring a Reforestation Revolution What if everyone started giving back to the natural world in ways that restore the global forest? How fast could we make a difference in the face of climate change?

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Stretching To Relieve Stress And Anxiety

By The Living Room Collective | May 30, 2020

Exercise has tons of mental health benefits, but sometimes it’s hard to do during this coronavirus pandemic. Enter these stretches. This articles is from HuffPost.com and written by Kate Bratskeir on April 24, 2020. Click here to read the full article. Quoted from the article: “The world is currently very scary and weird. We’re all acutely aware that exercise can help us get out of a mental funk during the coronavirus pandemic, but sometimes nothing sounds worse than a home workout. But know this: However much or little you are moving, you are doing just fine. There is no guidebook for coping with this endless bombardment of headlines, bad news, sluggishness and disruption in your routine. You are no less worthy if you’re not exercising. So how can you reap the mental benefit of exercise when you just can’t fathom working up a sweat? There is one move you can do…

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The Living Room Comes Alive

By The Living Room Collective | February 14, 2019

On a late summer evening, we brought together friends and family to greet our new space.  Last night, we hosted our (first!) gathering at The Living Room Collective space in Mill Valley, and it was everything we had hoped it would be and more: new faces became old friends amongst the orchids and antiques, beautiful and important conversations were sparked, and music was made. It was so rewarding to see such a magical array of individuals enjoying the space. Every time I looked around the room, I saw people connecting with one another; sometimes they were laughing, sometimes they were healing; sometimes they were challenging deeply held views. But all of it felt welcoming, all of it felt warm. For me, one of the most profound aspects of the party was actually the week leading up to it. The days leading up to an event can typically be pretty stressful;…

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Recent Posts

Bystander Behaviour: An Interview with Dr. Alan Berkowitz
Posted by Suzanne Brogger on December 08, 2017 at 8:20 AM @...
Bystander behavior in sexual abuse
Why do families, religious institutions, and universities – fail to intervene when sexual abuse...
ADHD Medication ODs Rising in U.S. Kids, Teens
By Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter MONDAY, Dec. 7, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Growing numbers of...
PTSD: the plague of our times
PTSD (Post-Traumatic-Stress Disorder) is not only a growing concern for the medical world, but a...
Go with the flow in a meditative sound bath
Written by Jennifer Maerz on July 14, 2016 for sfchronicle.com. Quoted from article: "On a...