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Bear Psychology Podcast


Dr. Anna Baranowsky is a Canadian Clinical Psychologist, CEO of the Traumatology Institute, Founder and President of the Board at Trauma Practice. She is the author of two books on trauma, numerous courses to help train professionals in trauma mental health and the developer of the Trauma Recovery Program for Self-Guided trauma care. She works with trauma survivors and those with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) on post-traumatic growth and recovery.

Through her work she believes that when we share, dialogue and feel supported, it provides a powerful foundation for forward movement in our understanding and the care needed. In her own words "I have found that the most profound changes occur when a person truly feels heard and understood - I like to think of it as deeply BEARING WITNESS to life evolving. We can feel incredibly stuck when we live with our fears, stressors and troubles in isolation."

Dr.Baranowsky is the host of the Bear Psychology Show, focusing on bearing witness to Evolving Mood, Mind, Health. Her talks revolve around recovery, relationships, work and life adventures.

She is dedicated to assisting organizations and health professionals who help trauma survivors to ensure a trauma informed lens of care can grow in community health networks. With that vision in 1998, the Traumatology Institute Canada (TIC) was established. TIC has trained thousands of individuals nationally and internationally.

Dr. Baranowsky serves on the board of directors of the Academy of Traumatology and is a Board Certified Expert in Traumatic Stress through the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress and is recognized by The National Center for Crisis Management. She has published in the area of Post-Traumatic Stress, Compassion Fatigue, and therapeutic relationships (the Silencing Response).

Copyright:  Dr. Anna Baranowsky, 2020

Jan 28, 2021

Let's talk about what led to the storming the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.  From my point of view, this includes the lure of relevancy or a fear of loss of power; a fire hose of lies within a bubble of misinformation; isolation during COVID; a longing to belong; fear of a changing world; a psychosis of delusion and an acute sense of entitlement.  There are other elements to this, however,  given the confusion, fear and uncertainty that this event provoked... it is a timely conversation.

On January 6, 2021, I watched with great sadness as the U.S. Capitol was stormed by Trump supporters encouraged by a president who would not accept election results unless he was the victor.  His supporters were primarily white and unwilling to allow anything to stand between them and their sense of entitlement to power at all cost.

There are those who stormed the capitol that are now paying the price of possible prison time, job loss, injury and even loss of life.

  • Why would so many be willing to lose so much?
  • Who would sign-up for such an event with so much at stake?
  • What type of people attended and why?

Christopher Buckley of LaFayette, Georgia, is an Afghanistan war veteran. He is a former White supremacist. He says he needed to "fit in". He launched the organization Life after Hate to help people leave White Supremacist groups.

Let's discuss the meaning of this event, how it impacted you, and what you hope for going forward.

I do have to say that my U.S. friends, colleagues and friends were a source of inspiration to me in their courage and conviction to guide the world to a better place.  One friend told me he was nervous about going outside for anything and choosing to stay as close to home as possible.  He admitted that it is just not safe for him to go out.

I want to give a special shout out some (but not all) of my heroes who helped me make sense of these events, and those of a wild 2020.

  • Stacey Abrams
  • Raphael Warnock
  • Joh Ossoff
  • Michael Moore
  • Steven Colbert
  • Samantha Bee

And Amanda Gorman who stuns with her magnificent heart lifting poem that she read at the pivotal inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. https://youtu.be/whZqA0z61jY

The list above is a short one.  Are there people who inspired you while you were facing fearful moments or wondering whether democracy would survive?

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