Medical Trauma Changes More Than Just the Body for Patients and Families—and How Somatic Support Can Help

by Katie Mattei | Jul 14, 2026 | Burnout, Education, Health

A medical diagnosis or unexpected hospitalization can change a family’s life in an instant. The same can happen when someone faces repeated hospitalizations, surgeries, or ongoing treatment for a chronic illness. While healthcare teams are focused on treating...

How Volunteering Informed My Philosophy of Social Work

by Kelsey Casto | Feb 27, 2026 | Charity, Education, Health, Helping, Volunteer

My philosophy of social work has developed over time, ever changing as I have changed and grown through my lived experiences. At this stage of my life, there is so much behind me to draw on, reflect on, and learn from, and the older I have gotten, the better able I...

Listening to My Body (Again): How I Used Somatic Tools After a Surprising Diagnosis

by Amy Pickett-Williams | May 15, 2025 | Education, Health

By: Amy Pickett-Williams, LCSW, RYT, Founder of LIGHT Movement Last week, I walked out of a doctor’s office holding news I didn’t expect. After months of escalating nerve pain and weakness, I was told I will need back surgery due to a pinched nerve. But that wasn’t...

Vicarious Trauma and Social Media: Protecting Your Mental Health in the Digital Age

by Matt Reffold | May 8, 2025 | Education

By: Matthew Reffold In our hyperconnected world, social media serves as both a window to the world and a faucet of distressing content. Graphic news, violent videos, and traumatic stories are constantly accessible on our phones at any moment, often leaving us...

Navigating Crisis Grief Through the Window of Tolerance: A Polyvagal Perspective

by Amy Pickett-Williams | May 1, 2025 | Education

By: Amy Pickett-Williams, LCSW, RYT, Founder of LIGHT Movement The United States is in the midst of a deep crisis. Political turmoil, social unrest, and widespread grief have left many feeling stuck in either a heightened state of fear and anger or in a numbed,...