Unconscious Bias “Humans are allergic to change. They love to say, ‘We’ve always done it this way.’ I try to fight that. That’s why I have a clock on my wall that runs counter-clockwise.” – Rear Admiral Grace Hopper Hopper’s words are true for how we have recruited, screened, interviewed, and onboarded employees for decades. It’s time for change, but it does not have to be scary. When looking at an employee lifecycle, we need to look through an unbiased lens. So how do we get there? If you’ve completed the Implicit Bias Test, you’ve become aware of your unconscious bias and you’re willing to [...]

Love with limits. These “limits” are the healthy boundaries we all must set in relationships with those close to us. You can love a friend, with limits. You can love a child, with limits. You can love your partner, with limits. Limits protect us and the people around us, and they help others better understand us and respond to our needs. Boundaries are parameters, lines we draw with people. They are determined by what we deem as OK and not OK, ethical and unethical, moral and immoral. We have varying distances depending on how well we know someone. You may have more or stricter boundaries with [...]

Joshua Grondahl has had many losses in his life. Even at a young age he suffered from depression. He attempted suicide in sixth grade. The years 2015 to 2017 came many hardships. He lost his dad. His house burned down. He divorced. He felt the ultimate low and knew he had to do something before going down another dangerous path. Joshua participated in The Village’s Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), a program in which clients receive education and support, develop coping skills, and problem-solve life’s ongoing stress and challenges in a group setting. Joshua says The Village taught him that [...]

In 2018, Thad Stafford was arrested for driving while intoxicated in his hometown, the city where he’d served on the police force for more than two decades. He entered treatment as a means to save his career, to ensure he could continue to provide for his wife and four kids. But shortly into his stay at an inpatient center, he realized there was more to his story. The stress and trauma of his job as a sergeant who investigated child abuse cases had created deep wounds that he had buried. The drinking was a symptom of greater issues. “Over 20 years, crumb by crumb, it starts to pile up. I wasn [...]

The body has an amazing ability to heal itself from trauma. This fairly new type of therapy uses a client's visual field to uncover unprocessed trauma, negative emotions, and pain. Identifying and utilizing “brainspots” can allow us to access deeper emotions and traumatic memories that we maybe didn’t even know we were hiding from ourselves. Digging those experiences out of our body’s memory can help us face them head on and process them the right way. To put it more simply, your brain can tell you how you’re feeling based on where you look. What is Brainspotting? Brainspotting, which was [...]

When something bad happens to us, the whole body remembers it. Negative thoughts can get stuck in places where talk therapy just can’t reach. Kids might not be able to express traumatic or disturbing memories – “icky” or “mixed up” thoughts and feelings, as Grand Forks Village therapist Janet Amundson describes them. That’s one reason Janet loves a type of therapy called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR. EMDR is an evidence-based tool that helps clients replace negative beliefs with positive ones by alternately stimulating the two sides of the brain through sight, sound [...]

EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing. It is a type of therapy used to treat a variety of mental health issues. EMDR involves reprocessing memories that have essentially become stuck in the brain. Sessions involve stimulating the hemispheres of the brain through visual, auditory, or tactile means until the memory is less disturbing. More positive thoughts and beliefs replace the prior negative thoughts and belief. Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapy technique that has been used for years with adults and children to treat a variety of psychological [...]

As spring comes into bloom, it often brings a sense of renewed energy. The season brings to mind spring cleaning and becoming more active and involved. It means the end of school for the year is near, and we begin thinking about summer plans – what activities, events, games, and vacations we will participate in. With so much forward focus – and potential for stress to arise – this is a great time to talk about mindfulness: what it is, how to do it, and how to use it. What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and [...]

For Danielle Klapper, a blank canvas and plastic cups filled with thin paint could be the makings of an art therapy session for a client who struggles to let go of control. Danielle would give a directive – pour the paint on the canvas – and then help the client process what they experienced. What was it like to not have control as the paint flowed around the canvas? What could be controlled in this situation? Danielle is an art therapist with The Village Family Service Center. Her office at The Village’s Moorhead, Minn., location features the traditional couch and chairs of any counseling [...]

You made a poor decision to drink and drive and got caught. Now what? If you’ve been arrested for driving under the influence (DUI), it can be a very scary and uncertain experience. After getting a DUI, you may have to appear in court. In most states there will be a loss of driving privileges for a certain amount of time. Some states offer a hardship license that allows you to drive to work or school during the time your license is revoked or suspended, but your driving privileges will be limited. In North Dakota, drivers will need to have an evaluation completed by a Licensed Addiction [...]