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Saturday, February 23, 2008

Compassion Fatigue and Dogs?


Who would have thought we could get tired from helping?!? We love to help! Don't get us wrong, we love our WORK, but we have learned that you can only work with so many emotions in one day before you are needing a long nap! We think everyone needs to find what their limit is to providing compassion and empathy...ours tend to vary on the topic the kids are processing that day. We are teaching Tara and learning ourselves when to know that our bodies and minds need to rest in order to be the best therapist we can be. Hopefully each of you reading this can find a way to identify when you can not provide the support to others without first taking care of yourself and figure out what your limit is. Rest up...we are!

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Helping the famous...

Sorry it has been so long since posting, however Tara has been really sick so we all have had so calm days at home. Bode and I didn't know what to do seeing her laying around all day because she is always going and going, but we all survived and everyone is almost back to being fully healthy (and the coughing is stoppoing)! Anyhow, just a quick note to tell you that Geoff took me to see Mama (that's his grandmother) today at the Rehab center, Bode watched Tara, and I got to meet a very famous person's mother. She was very sweet and I comforted her. She invited me up on her lap and I laid right now in a ball and let her love on me all she wanted. I love meeting new people and everyone seemed excited to know who this lady was, but I just treated her like everyone else...celebrities are real people too! I am so glad I can help in the Rehab center just like I help all the kids. I hope everyone has a great week--I am going back to lay down in Tara's lap to watch some TV--Good night!

Thursday, February 7, 2008

How is a walk theraputic?

W-A-L-K! I love to WALK!!! This week Tara and I went for a walk with a boy (he is 9 years old)who needed to find better ways to release his anger. I was not a good walker that day, but I think it helped him learn to keep his cool and help me learn the best way to walk down a side walk. I really wanted to visit all the cars and the guy dressed up like Lady Liberty with the tax people looked like he wanted a hug! (We usually walk in our neighorhood and this was down a big road near our office). This client did great at keeping up with me and reminding me that I had to be a good walker or we would return to the office. I heared he and Tara talking about how your heart rate increasing in productive ways helps reduce anger and stress. He did great at identiying ways to increase his heart rate and thus reduce anger within himself. Ideas he had were to skateboard, walk his dog, run with his friends, jump on the trampoline, swim in the pool, play football, and ride his bike. Remember sometimes a dog is a companion enough to work through emotions and other ideas would be to play catch with your dog, go for a run, or if you are big like me...sometimes gentle wrestling is fun and wears us both out! Another pointer for those looking for a way to talk to someone about something hard...Tara mentioned walking and driving in the car are great because you can naturally avoid eye contact in case it is a tough converesation!
Ok nap time for me...Abbey is already asleep! Thanks for reading!

Friday, February 1, 2008

Happy Birthday, Bode!


Bode is 2 today!! Happy Happy Birthday to Bode! Here is his picture the day we brought him home....he was 8 lbs and that was April of 2006! I picked him out, but now he is sooo big....Good thing we love each other! I love birthdays because we get goodies from the dog bakery...I love you Bode, Love Abbey!