For Love of Country - Military Policewoman

I will be at York University, Vari Hall, showcasing, selling and signing my books, from about 0900 to 3:00 pm, Tuesday 12 Nov 19. Why not stop by and say hello. If you wish to buy a copy on line go to www.silvaredigonda.com “Silva, upon learning of your pending retirement from the Canadian Forces I had to stop and reflect at how old I am getting, since our days together in Germany. I remember many of the firsts within the trade which you were involved in: One of the first women in the Military Police, one of the first female Military Police in Europe and one of the first female Military Police with the Multinational Forces and Observers. Having survived Toronto for so long, I have no doubt that you will do well in retirement. MWO J. Williams The first in Europe… the first in the Middle East… not the first Military Policewoman… . We had been in for about a year already. Oh, Jim. You wanted to come up for a weekend and I was so busy with things to do; I must remember to call you. Bill did not seem to tire from reading the messages. I was sure that people would soon become bored. I had attended so many functions throughout the years. It does not seem that it has been almost twenty years ago that I met you. Upon receiving your retirement message, it gave me a reminder that we are growing older and eventually we all will have to make the inevitable decisions. While I sit and ponder what I should say, I reflect back on QL3 and QL5 and think of the good laughs and times we had during those days starting out, and of the different characters and personalities of the course instructors. There are some fond memories. I will not make an attempt at describing any embarrassing anecdotes and will just say that I personally congratulate you on your retirement and wish you prosperity, health and happiness for the future. ” Excerpt From: Silva Redigonda. “For love of country : military policewoman.” iBooks. Order on line today at www.silvaredigonda.com

CAMFT/ACTCF-AGM/AGA 2019

CAMFT/ACTCF-AGM/AGA 2019

Badge of Life Canada

Since I last wrote to you, I have attended two seminars/workshops, both having to do with Trauma. I shall talk a bit about both so I don’t fall behind. Next month I shall be attending more meetings, seminars and taking mini vacations etc……I will not be seeing clients but will be taking appointments beginning 2 Dec. I will also be doing paperwork required for my own college. I will be available all month except Sundays and holidays. Next year I shall take December off. I attended the Badge of Life, Best Practice For Organizational Wellness. There were interesting speakers from Homewood, from Australia, and from Police and Firefighters. I do encourage any veterans, and EMS suffering from PTSD to consider contacting them. I had attended a function two years ago but had to miss last year due to conflicting schedules. I usually book whatever conference I see first of interest, pay for it and then even though something more interesting comes up, I have already committed myself and my money. They did have a gala which I did not attend. There was another party I missed as well. This function was held in Woodbridge, bordering Etobicoke. The food was amazing though they didn’t have a vegetarian platter of sandwiches - my loss. The rice cheese balls were the best I ever tasted. It was held at The Jewel Event Centre, which I won’t forget. They certainly took care of our palate. I find that as soon as I venture from Toronto, vegetarians are forgotten, although that is rapidly changing. I had the honour of speaking to a Metis elder who educated me on some of my ignorance. I listened to stories from EMS suffering from Trauma which I won’t share because it is not my place to do so. It is their stories and for them to share with whom they wish. I listened to the psychologists speaking of their own stories and research. There is nothing really new that I haven’t shared with you. I was glad to learn that they too are using brain stimulation as those for the American Army though it seems slightly different. My own studies and text books were mostly from the Americans and when I asked why, it was simply not being written by Canadians. That is changing and I am just completing reading 600 pages of a text book regarding Personality Research Theory, which was written by Gordon Flett from York University. They have an excellent Psychology program and I don’t say that because that is where I earned by degree. I say it because it impressed Uof T Psychology department when I went to inquire. I ended up taking a Masters in Ministry and Spirituality at UofT simply because they called me first and accepted me immediately after my interview. I had actually been waiting for a response from Ryerson, psychology department as well. Snooze and you lose. Life is a book of knowledge. So, I want to break down some of the support Badge of Life Offers, incase anyone is interested. I know that there are veterans and EMS reading my Blog. If you feel you can benefit from any of these resources don’t hesitate to contact them. Badge of Life is led by Toronto Police veterans. I am always amazed and pleased how many people try to help their own and try to incorporate volunteer programs for those who have worn the same boots. I would also encourage other EMS persons who are now therapists to consider attending one of their meetings. I still find it routine that therapists, psychologists, etc…..though interested in helping EMS still do not fully comprehend the culture. I have talked about that before so won’t get further into it. Badge of life does have a web site: badgeoflifecanada.org. They offer weekend and six day programs according to their brochure for “first responders dealing with moral injury and operational stress injuries.” There is H.E.L.P Equine for Military, Police, Fire, Corrections-EMS-911 dispatcher. “Setting the standard for Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy and personal development for Military, First Responder and their families affected by PTSD and operational stress injuries. This is located in the country setting. If interested you may look up their web site at www.HELP-PTSD.com. “Badge of Life is a peer-led charitable volunteer organization committed to supporting police and corrections personnel who are dealing with psychological injuries diagnosed from service.” It was a full day for me listening all day and networking. Hallowe’en is coming up and so I have been taping horror movies. I am not into the slashing and dashing that is so popular nowadays. I do make exceptions for Stephen King. There is one of his movies coming out that I want to see next month. Anyhow, I was watching “Poltergeist” night and was pleasantly alone with one of my pets sitting on my lap. I was stretching out and sometimes I have both pets stretching out on my lap and legs as well. I am telling you this story because for the next work shop I used this as an example of my igniting my sympathetic nervous system. I am watching the movie and my sensories are increasing I am on alert, I then feel someone touching me on my left shoulder from behind and I jump. Do I flee, do I fight, do I freeze? It was my male pet placing his paw on my left shoulder, ready to climb over me. I was so fixed on the movie that I never noticed him. I didn’t think he had such a big paw. We all jump and the two ran out of the room. So, I begin laughing and of course they come back in once they know that they are safe. Safety is paramount. They had me laughing, a nice flow of recovery. So in this benign situation, I used it to explain the embodying of the practice of befriending our nervous system. This seminar was very technical with terminology which I won’t bore you with. I am a firm believer in KISS. I had a math teacher who treated us as if we could not figure out 1+1. I got my highest grade in high school that year. She was an author of teaching math books. She was actually amazing. In this seminar we talked about Complex Developmental Trauma in therapeutic work with clients, working with somatic practices and therapeutic interventions. It was a fun day and I picked up some tid bits which I can use in group therapy to encourage a safe place or with private clients suffering trauma. There was also some handouts to assess trauma. I also got to catch up with my previous supervisor and mentor, what an amazing man. Since there were all therapists in the room and we were sharing therapeutic techniques, I will use it for my practice. So, I hope some of this has been interesting. I don’t only work with trauma. I do not specialize. I work with everyone from what ever they are suffering from, it may be a specific problem such as problems with a co-worker, having anger issues, suffering from grief, shame etc…..I work with couples who want to work on their relationships. I won’t work with a couple if one is having an affair and won’t give him or her up. This is only because I don’t think you are serious about working on your own relationship with your partner. I also stop seeing couples if there are ulterior motives, aside from working on their relationships. I work with families as well. One thing I found interesting at the latter workshop is about EMTR. I don’t use that practice. I was talking to one young therapist at the Badge of Life who informed me that she uses it and has found it to be most effective. At the work shop where the psychotherapist has trained only in trauma and all clients suffer from trauma, said that one of her clients who had EMTR came to see her. She could not come out from that experience and it took a while. I found that very interesting. I am not saying that to discourage anyone but to alert you if you have had the same experience. You can come out of it with treatment if required. I had almost considered taking a course about that and have changed my mind. What I do mostly is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. There are other therapies I use depending on the client. We are all different and what will work for one, will not on another. I focus on whatever research is happening and is effective. That provides so much promise and hope for people who are suffering. Have a nice week. I hope some references will be useful for you. Happy Hallowe’en. Keep safe. Who is that behind you? What do you think? Coffee break.

Exercise Eases Traumatic Injury

Legion Periodical Sep/Oct 19 pgs 12 - 13 reports that traumatic brain injury changes the way brain cells communicate with one another. Genetic alternations can lead to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease as well as other neurodegenerative conditions. Veteran Affairs Medical Centre in San Francisco found mild concussions double the risk of a veteran developing Parkinson’s disease. Veterans with both mild Trauma brain injury and PTSD have an enlarged amygdala ( tied to emotions that is key in triggering PTSD symptoms. The British Military Researchers found disturbance in balance and eye movement is common following concussion caused by blast and blunt trauma and worsens when combined. This predicts poor long-term mental health. A lead researcher, David Johnson is assessing the effects of intensive exercise on Trauma brain injury and will be releasing the results this year. I shall be attending a few seminars talking about Trauma and will be reporting any news to you. I have begun writing my fourth book, which I promised to write and dedicate to a friend of mine dying from cancer. I have stalled to long. She wants it to be funny. I can do funny. However, I have to kill some people in the process. No one shall be harmed. If you are interested in any of my books, you may order a book to be mailed to you or download a copy of my second or third. Have a good weekend. www.silvaredigonda.com

Voting on the Brain - Monday is quickly upon us. Who are you voting for? Why? These are rhetorical questions.

This has been an awful period, trying to determine who to vote for. I have listened to all the candidates, listened to all the “false news” (I pay close attention to who spreads hate of any kind and it is only reflective for me, on who is responsible for it). I was getting really nervous and wondered if I would be staring at the voting list on Monday and still not know who to vote for. I have never been in that position before. I have been selecting different candidates at different times during the day or week, and I have never been this undecided, when it comes to voting. Last night I watched Peter Mansfield interviewing Canadians across Canada and I heard more voices, some reflecting my own concerns. I have also payed attention to the polls. So with all this information how do I deduce who I think is best to lead our country? I have given this a lot of thought because voting is a big deal. Who best represents my own views? So here goes. What has my own interaction with politicians been like? In my neighbourhood the Liberals are very active. Last election here, the NDP won in my riding which came as a surprise to many. I have never had a NDP representative come to my door. The liberals come in droves. They are educated, well spoken and generous with their time. They fight hard at the municipal and provincial level. They are often on the news speaking on behalf of our concerns. At the provincial and municipal level, they serve me well. Then there are the Conservatives. For the first time last summer I met the Conservative in my area. He came with his mom. I found I had a lot in common with his mom. How many people bring their moms to work with them? I recommend not bringing your mom for a work interview. I talked shop with his mom. He has followed up an email now that the campaign is on. When I told him he was the first Conservative candidate I saw at the door, he revealed that he had heard that a lot. Today I have my door open and screen door locked and am waiting to see who will be coming to the door. I never saw any other representatives. Will that change today? When I spoke to a Green Party representative at Word on The Street and mentioned I never heard a peep in my neighbourhood, he said there weren’t enough to go around. Ok! That can be a problem Huston! Ok, what have I got from the Federal Level? There is Pierre Trudeau. Can I forgive the SNL disaster? Can I forgive buying a pipe line? Has there been a request for forgiveness? Yes, for the “black face”, but does anyone really think that Trudeau is prejudice? He has done much for immigration. Interesting how that came out just before the elections. He was a Drama teacher. Show me a play where you do not dress up the best you can for a production. That may include changing your colour. Ok, maybe it wasn’t the smartest move but who hasn’t done something dumb in their lifetime? I wouldn’t be able to stop counting. Anyone perfect out there? I just got an email from the Conservatives asking me to volunteer. That is two emails now. He is very simpatico. I do get a lot of emails from Ford’s nephew at the municipal level and his nephew does work hard in his community. Ok I have had no communication with any other party. Why? Where are their volunteers? How come I have no one knocking on my door right now? My priority concern right now is global warming. There are still people who don’t understand or believe in global warming. That is a problem if they are in a position where they can do something about it. There is a generation of young people right now out there, becoming loud for immediate action. Are they being heard? Their generation will be the most affected. I attended a three day lecture regarding global warming over 10 years ago and at the time we were informed that it was too late. Not our generation and not our children but after that life as we know it is over. We were told that we were at edge. We were told that we could do nothing to change that but we could make it sooner if we were not careful. Careful was not the word used. So, it is evident that global warming is a serious concern for me. I empathize with the youth because we have made a mess for them, that they may not be able to overturn. Do the Conservatives take that serious? When one sent me an email wishing me a Merry Christmas, I indicated my concern of global warming. He did not respond. Sometimes, silence speaks volumes. Sheer does want to do something about crime. That is also a concern of mine. Then there is the NDP. Singh understands that global warming is a serious concern. He wants to make some changes which are favourable. Then there is the Green Party who probably has the most effective change for climate warming but she also wants to make changes that I am very much against. She wants to legalize drug possession. How can I vote for that? She wants to consider pulling out from NATO. That is a no no for me. How can I vote for that? Can I for the sake of serious work at delaying global catastrophe? What I also heard last night was how older people seem to be loyal to certain parties for better or worse, while younger people do not. I can understand that. There was a time where loyalty counted a lot, but it worked both ways. People worked for companies for a very long time, some got pensions or other bonuses, people could afford homes, a car etc……Young people today are more educated, but have more difficulty finding a standard of affordability etc……Of course they are going to vote for who can help them get back on track for a positive future. So, I feel more prepared to go to the voting polls. I may not stand there looking at names and wondering who should I vote for? Am I still undecided? Yes. But, I know what I don’t want and do want when it comes to issues. I’m more prepared than I was a week ago. Of course there might be someone knocking on my door today who may just sway me one way or another. There might be a knock that will encourage me to better understand something I may be missing, that they can provide to help me decide to vote. Who you vote for is your business. However, please vote. There was a time when women could not vote. There was a time when persons of colour could not vote. There are places in the world where people do not have a choice. There is no such thing as democracy. Just look at Hong Kong whose people are trying so hard to fight to retain their freedom. We live in a beautiful country and a beautiful world. We have a responsibility to take care of it and our freedoms. We are stewards who have not done a great job in protecting those who cannot protect themselves, we have failed our wild life. We have failed at preventing hunger. Maybe a prayer is in order to discern to make the right choice. Every vote counts. We are reflective of our leadership. What do you think? I think I hear a knock at the door.

Signs and symptoms of Compassion Fatigue and Vicarious Trauma... continues from notes

Somatization - How we get stress and hold it in our body - eg. headaches, muscle aches etc… Avoidance of Clients - not returning calls or taking time. Impaired ability to make decisions - not knowing where to go with person or not knowing what to wear. Silencing Response - change topic- can discourage a client- minimize client’s stress. Wishing or suggesting clients get over it and move on. We may become angry or sarcastic - use humour- fake interest or listening. Discussion: Are there any specific clients whose stories I have difficulty listening to? How do I silence my clients? What am I defending against? What do I need to be clinically effective? There are two kinds of debriefing. 1. Formal Debriefing - supervision, case conferences 2. Informal Debriefing - AD HOC conversations between colleagues, variety of setting and times. Low impact disclosures: Are you “sliming” your colleagues? Are you being slimed? Can you still be properly debriefed if you don’t give all the details? She says yes. Four Steps: 1. Increased self awareness. 2. Fair warning. Prepare to hear difficult story. 3. Consent - Is it ok that I do that with you? 4. Low Impact disclosure - start with lowest to highest. Can say she was raped with no details. Colleagues appreciate it and you don’t re-traumatize yourself. Sometimes you need to tell the whole story. Strategy # 2 - Taking stock of where you are. Pro Quo - Professional Quality of Life Scale. Use the tool every 3 to 6 months. If drastic changes can increase or decrease tool use. Can download at www.tendacademy.ca tabB - calculates it for you and it is user friendly. TAKE CARE OF ME. Wash, brush teeth, dress, make coffee, feed pets, etc…..what is your routine……. Wake up, go out - dancing, skating etc……. Wake up: go shopping etc….. travel etc…… Couples: Money and work style Strategy # 3. Early Warning System: television and radio announcements. Weather warnings, amber alerts, codes in health care, emergency or health action plans. Develop an early warning system. Job satisfaction, personal life going well, good self-care, absence of all but a few signs and symptoms. Pro Quo: High or average on compassion…..etc…… yellow: consistent. Scores not as good as last. Job satisfaction challenges. Strategies: good self care in practice. What factors are contributing to yellow zone? Make whatever changes, even small ones. Therapy/ supervision if need it. Ensure solid work/life. Early warning: Consistent prescience of signs and symptoms. Low job satisfaction, cynicism, exhaustion, experience trauma system. Red Zone: don’t minimize, get help, make changes for self care. Strategy: Get professional help. Make changes to move back. Strategy # 4. Self Care: Helpers are not good at putting self care strategies in place - we don’t follow our own advice. We feel guilty when we do self care. Develop a transitional ritual. That’s enough about compassion fatigue for now. I normally hand out a stress tip brochure for clients as well as a stress test which was given to me in undergrad. A certain degree of stress is required for optimal performance such as an exam, however, stress can lead to physical illnesses if not controlled. For myself, I have been practising self care since my first career without even realizing it. I try to maintain a balance life style which is productive in my personal life. I suggest that you think about where you are at in your own lives? How do you really feel? What changes can you make in your own life to enhance it? What is stopping you from making positive change? What do you think?

Tiresome scams - don't fall for it.

Greeting to you, my name is Burrick Richard Maxwell, I'm an Lieutenant General. and I work under the United Nation here in Afghanistan. I decided to contact you to see if it can Interest you to join in this deal. Please reply back to me so that we can communicate and I will give you more details. I will be waiting to hear from you. Via this email below