During our lives, we grow and develop and change. At 40 years old, I wanted different things than I wanted when I was 20 and at 50, I had different dreams than I had when I was 30. Life is full of transitions and possibilities. Many times we find ourselves at a crossroads where weRead more
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When I mention “this time of year” what comes to mind? I’m referring to the time after Halloween and into the New Year. Do you envision rushing around, crowded parking lots and way too much to do? Do you tend to feel depleted or irritable and wonder why this is referred to as the seasonRead more
This Veterans Day, we honor the brave women and men who have served and sacrificed to protect our freedom. We recently spoke with NJ Army National Guard Master Sergeant Sabrina Sienkiewicz who is currently deployed in Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria to assist with relief efforts. Sabrina has dedicated 21 years toRead more
In college, one of my philosophy professors would frequently have the class debate a hot topic. He’d randomly divide the class in half and have each side present their best argument in support of their assigned position. Regardless of how you felt personally, you were expected to gather as many facts as possible to presentRead more
If you know six men, the odds are that at least one of them is a survivor of sexual abuse. And if those are the statistics we have right now, chances are the number of men who have experienced or will experience sexual violence is, in reality, higher than 1 in 6. Every person whoRead more
During the weekends, I tend to watch more TV, and my viewing consists of various news shows, news reports, and Harry Potter. This past weekend, news reports were flooded with Harvey Weinstein and the stand against sexual harassment and assault. Then, on Monday morning, I found myself typing on my Facebook Status “ME TOO.” IRead more
Family legacies are the unique ways the family in which you grew up felt, understood, and interacted within key relationships. Self-talk, our inner dialogue about who we are, our wishes, how much we feel deserving and willing to give respect and love, is rooted in a person’s family legacies. Here is a fictional overview ofRead more
We want you to be safe. Safe to be with your family, to work, to travel – to go about your daily life after you or a loved one has experienced sexual violence. And, equally important: safe to speak about that experience. What better time to observe YWCA’s annual global Week Without Violence, October 16Read more
On September 3rd my Mother-in-law passed away after battling cancer for over three years, which got me to thinking about how we live life. She was a young woman, only 59 years old, with so much zest for life. Working as a city employee for over 30 years, she raised four amazing children (my husbandRead more
In a recent announcement and subsequent media interviews, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos communicated that her department will review and likely rescind Title IX guidelines including the Dear Colleague Letter established by the Obama administration in 2011. A little background… Title IX is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexRead more
