"All people are dot people"

My first Social Work teacher started class one day by drawing a small, black dot on the wipe board. He turned to the class and asked, "What is this?" Several of us tried to answer, but mostly we were confused. Finally he said, "All people are dot people. All they know is what is inside of their dot. All they know is what they have experienced. It is all inside of this dot. Our job is to provide them with information about things outside of their dot, so their dot can grow." In that moment, I was given the most vivid word picture for my own story. It was the first time that I had a clearer picture of why I had so often felt like there was something missing, but I just could not put my finger on it. By the time I was taking that college class, I had already gone through about 15 years of healing from my past experiences, but there were still so many missing pieces that I struggled to put together that would help me to better understand who I was, why I struggled in certain areas of life, and why things had happened in my life that I could not explain. It has taken until this year for me to put some of the most significant pieces of this puzzle together. As each piece has fallen into place, I have finally been able to see what I did not know before which has shed light on so many of the burning questions that have always compelled me to keep asking questions and searching for answers.

After I graduated from my masters program, I decided to complete a certification training focused on trauma. I was intrigued about the idea of learning how traumatic experiences impacts the way our brain functions and our capacity to connect with others. The concepts and knowledge I gained from this course was another major step toward piecing together more of my story. I began to understand some of my choices, behaviors, and fears like never before. It helped me to see others and myself so differently. Learning about the way our brains have been designed was fascinating! The longer I have worked with the children and families that come to see me, the deeper my understanding becomes of how much the experiences we have had, or that have taken place throughout our family history impact us physically, emotionally, and relationally. These are the very things that either promote or prevent bonding and connecting with others. These are the very reasons that I founded finding hope institute - to share information with others who are struggling to put the pieces together in their lives. To shed light on the source of the mental, physical, and often spiritual distress that seems to have no solution or end.

It is my hope to provide opportunities for learning and growing in a safe environment to help strengthen families, to shed light on the things that are preventing individuals from forming deep connections with others, and to offer hope that things can get better.