The Victim Assistant 🐼

Do you sometimes feel out of sorts, grouchy, out of balance, or in a funk? Life brings us challenges and stressors that cause our bodies to react and sometimes hold on to energy. Yes, we are made up of energy and sometimes that energy gets backed up like a dirty drain. As part of my self-care series on innovative practices, I want to introduce you all to chakra cleansing and energy release or clearing.   Let's be open- minded right now and consider that we do in fact have energy bundles throughout our bodies called, Chakras. Formally, chakras are swirling wheels of energy where the physical and consciousness meet. This energy is called Prana, the vital life force which keeps us vibrant, healthy, and alive ( https://www.holisticharmonyhealth.com/blog/view/what-are-chakras ). There are seven chakras and each chakra corresponds to certain nerve centers and organs in the body. The ideal for inner peace and health is to make sure that all chakras are aligned and open. The practice of yo...

Here are my selections for the best websites to support crime victims. Watch my video on Vimeo link below. The Victim Assistant- Always Advocating..... https://vimeo.com/426809213

Last week, I released my latest episode of The Victim Assistant Podcast and I talked about the option of letting go of toxic people, relationships and beliefs. So, I wanted to recap the discussion and add to it.  I was raised to honor and respect each other and accept people for who they are especially family. The struggles that I have recently experienced in my life has made me reflect on the art of letting go of people who no longer serve me in a positive way. When you have significant life changes occurring at once, you are forced to re-evaluate your life. I realized that right now we are getting a planetary reset with this global pandemic. We were forced to reflect, isolate, and make change for everyone's greatest good. For me, I'm valuing myself more and honoring my truth because life is too short. My truth has always been silent and part of that truth is that I no longer want to hold on to not only people, but beliefs that no longer serve me. A lot of these beliefs I...

This fall I became an empty nester and my daughter went off to college leaving me with a lot of emptiness because my whole life has been about her development, safety and care. When you focused most of your time on your family, it's hard to adjust your priorities in your life because it's so customary. I noticed that our relationship was changing and how you handle the changes determines whether there is growth or a fixed mindset. It was a challenge raising a daughter in this world of judgement, conflict and disillusion. There are so many obstacles to conquer in parenthood and it's especially hard when your partner is not on the same page. As a family, we had to address many disagreements and in this time in our daughter's life, I didn’t want to argue. There is so much more to argue about with young adults. I wanted us to go into the next stage of her life all of us being a team. You cannot go backwards and live in the past. When you start planning a family or picking p...

Are you practicing self care? If you are living the human experience and going through the ups and downs of life without self care practices than you should reconsider. Life can be stressful at times and even more challenging if we've experienced any form of victimization or trauma. Recently, I have experienced many life challenges: breakup of a 20 year relationship, starting over and reinventing myself, becoming an empty nester and being alone again. In the past year, I have had to release a lot of old patterns and remove toxic people and relationships that no longer serve me. I have come to know a more spiritual side of myself that I either didn't recognize or buried because my role in life was always supportive. I mastered a lot in my life but now I am living my truth and open for new love and opportunities if they present themselves. A few years ago, I was drawn to yoga. The pract ice of yoga and mediation combined has really helped me gain balance and stability. Yoga is a...

The pandemic, COVID19, has caused several concerns about victims of domestic violence being in isolation with their abusers. My concern is the increase of violence and the incidents that do not get reported to police. According to domesticviolencestatistics.org  , based on reports from 10 countries, between 55 percent and 95 percent of women who had been physically abused by their partners had never contacted non-governmental organizations, shelters, or police for help. Several years ago I responded to a case with detectives investigating a domestic violence call that resulted in the victim receiving serious physical injuries. Jane was newly married and just moved to Arizona from out of state. Her and her husband had only been in their house a short period of time. Jane did not have any family in Arizona and appeared to be isolated from her family based on her statement at the time of the incident. Isolation is a tactic that abusers use to gain power and control over their vi...

During this time of isolation, survivors of sexual assault and or domestic violence may be triggered or experience abuse and not know how to access support services. Staying connected to online support and resources is important now more than ever so if you are a survivor that needs support through this unsettling time please reach out to the following resources: thehotline.org National Domestic Violence Hotline 1 800 779-7233 or text loveis to 22522 National Sexual Assault Hotline 1 800 656-4673 Service providers, counselors,  and therapists please consider utilizing online tools to communicate with your clients during this isolation period and offer support remotely. Go to  techsafety.org  for an online guide for service providers with tools for services and remote workplaces. Stay healthy. Stay Connected. Support each other.  Listen to my Podcast: The Victim Assistant, Crime Victim Advocacy available on most outlets including ApplePodcasts, Spreaker, Stit...