Tips for Coping with Race-Related Trauma

By Dr. Karisse Callender

When we talk about trauma, we refer to events that are deeply disturbing or cause extreme stress. These experiences may be direct (it happened to you) or indirect (you know it happened to someone else). Specifically, race-related trauma refers to the cumulative negative impacts of racism or discrimination and microaggressions. Experiences of racism may cause severe emotional distress which can be overwhelming and affect the ability to cope with life circumstances.

As Dr. William Welburn shared in his reflection, “we are tired, overwhelmed, and fearful.” We might also be feeling sadness, anxiety, anger, isolation, or resentment. I want to share some tips to help you cope during this time, and hopefully, you find one or more things helpful. These are suggestions and I recommend that you adapt one or more of these as you need to fit your needs. Please, be kind to yourself during this time.

• Monitor your newsfeed intake: While it is important to stay informed, it may not be necessary to take in the news consistently during the day. You may want to consider limiting time on social media or taking a break from it. Taking a break does not mean you don’t want to be informed, instead, think of it as pressing the pause button so you can re-set your mind and body.
• Seek counseling: You are not alone in this situation. Many counselors are providing tele mental health so you can still receive services while we need to maintain physical distancing. You must find a counselor with whom you are comfortable sharing.
• Move your body: Find ways to get some movement in. You can take a short walk, exercise, do yoga, or dance! You can take a walk around your room or neighborhood and even doing household chores can help you move your body. Take a moment to stretch or take your pup for a walk.
• Journal: Write down how you feel so you can get the thoughts out of your mind. It doesn’t mean you will forget about it, instead, journaling gives you a chance to express your thoughts and feelings about your suffering.
• Talk with those you trust: Connect with people who believe are safe, who you think you can trust, and who you believe will provide the support you need. It is okay to be selective about who you choose to talk with.
• Meditation and Mindfulness: Focus on the present moment, the here-and-now. What are you feeling? What do you need to feel safe? Pay attention to your painful emotions using RAIN meditation. You can also try doing a body scan to help you tune in with your emotions. Permit yourself to feel and to sit with your emotions. If you need to cry, that’s okay!
• Breathwork: Take a moment to focus on your breathing. Take long slow inhales through your nostrils and long slow exhales through your mouth. You can count as you inhale and exhale or repeat a calming, nurturing mantra that will help you feel safe.
• Prayer: connect with the religious and spiritual values that make you feel safe and supported. Reach out to others in your religious and spiritual community for virtual fellowship.
• Connect with the things that bring you joy: What are some simple things you can easily do that usually make you happy? Make a list of pleasant activities that you can do to help you improve your mood.
• Practice self-compassion: Be gentle and kind to yourself as you cope with how you feel. When you notice you are having a difficult time, don’t ignore it, and resist the urge to judge yourself. Be warm and understanding toward yourself and say comforting, kind words.

Dr. Karisse Callender is an Assistant Professor in the Counselor Education Counseling Psychology department within the College of Education. Her research focuses on how mindfulness based interventions may improve wellbeing and quality of life. 

Reflections from a Double Alumnus

By Brock Borga, Ed ’12 and Grad ’19

My name is Brock Borga. Receiving my Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Sociology and my Master’s Degree in Educational Policy and Leadership (with license in both principalship and director of curriculum), Marquette University has been a huge part of my life. I have been part off the Archdiocese of Milwaukee for the past eight years at St. Anthony School of Milwaukee. The first seven years of my journey at St. Anthony had me teaching 3rd grade, and I have moved positions this school year to the Dean of Instruction.

In my new role, I observe teachers every other week and have coaching sessions with the teacher after the observation. In these coaching sessions, we reflect on what teaching practices went well and what could have gone better. It is from those reflections that we create an action plan together and I come back to observe the action plan in action. I started off teaching in the Muskego-Norway School District, and while my time there was great, I didn’t feel connected with the students, staff, or community around me. I knew that there was somewhere for me to feel accomplished with my teaching. I remembered my time as an undergraduate at Marquette University and the schools I was able to work with through my courses, and knew that schools throughout Milwaukee were my calling. Because Marquette has instilled faith throughout its courses in my undergraduate courses, I began looking at schools through the Archdiocese. It is there I found St. Anthony School of Milwaukee. My time there has been wonderful. The students are eager to learn, the parents repeatedly state how blessed they are to be a part of the school, and the faculty is eager to continue their professional growth for the community we teach.

Before I was in this administrative position, I was been given additional opportunities to grow at my school that would not have been possible otherwise. I was able to have two student teachers from Marquette University be with me in the classroom (one from August 2017-January 2018 and the other from January 2019 – March 2019). It was an amazing experience not only giving back to Marquette, but practicing many of the leadership skills I was learning about in my graduate courses. I apply many of the practices that were discussed in my graduate courses in my new position, ranging from leadership styles to having effective conversations with teachers.

Marquette has helped me achieve these additional opportunities, outside of helping me achieve my administration license / master’s degree. I am both blessed and honored to say I have been a part of Marquette University for my entire undergraduate career and my graduate career. It is all thanks to the Catholic Schools Personnel Scholarship that I am able to continue my professional growth and achieve the goals I have set.

 

Mindfulness Research in the Time of COVID-19

Dr. Karisse Callender and her Mindfulness and Quality of Life research team are investigating how COVID-19 is impacting quality of life and also how individuals are practicing mindfulness during this time, specifically focusing on mindfulness based mobile apps.

Study 1: Understanding the Psychological Impact of COVID-19 (Marquette IRB HR-3601)

The purpose of this study is to understand the psychological impact of living in the time of the pandemic. The study involves completing a demographic survey and three assessments about COVID-19 related stressors, trauma, and personal growth.

Interested participants can access the survey online.

Study 2: Mindfulness during COVID-19 (Marquette IRB HR-3604)

 

To participate, you must have downloaded or accessed a mindfulness based mobile application since COVID-19. The purpose of this study is to learn more about mindfulness practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also want to know more about the mobile applications used in your mindfulness practice. The study involves completing a demographic survey and three assessments about COVID-19 related stressors and mindfulness.

Interested participants can access the survey online.

Participant Details

For both studies, participants must be 18 years or older and all responses are anonymous. Participation is voluntary and each study should take 10-15 minutes to complete!

If you have any questions about the studies, you can contact Karisse A Callender at karisse.callender@marquette.edu. If you have questions or concerns about your rights as a research participant, you can contact Marquette University’s Office of Research Compliance at (414) 288-7570.

Dr. Leeza Ong and Dr. Praveen Madiraju Receive $20,000 NCAA Grant

Dr. Lee Za Ong and Dr. Praveen Madiraju (Marquette University Department of Computer Science) has received a $20,000 grant from the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA)to build an online application to support peer health educators in the Marquette University Athletic Department.

Although peer education is widely utilized as a health promotion method on campuses, the appropriate competency training of peer educators remains inadequate. At Marquette University, peer support for student-athletes is offered through the Athletic department’s Student Health Allies & Peer Educators (SHAPE) program. This project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of SHAPE competency training by measuring peer support ability and how that support affects the well-being of student-athletes. This is a multidisciplinary collaboration between Athletics, Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology, and Computer Science to provide SHAPE competency training and to monitor the well-being of student-athletes through web applications.

 

To Our 2020 College of Education Graduates

Great happiness and celebration should have been the spirit of the day.

May 17, 2020, stood as a date that all College of Education faculty, staff, and graduating students, along with their families and friends, had marked on their calendars long ago.  When the academic year began last August, no one could have envisioned how today would turn out.  All went according to plan until February.  Then soon afterward, EVERYTHING changed.

The insidious COVID-19 virus has profoundly rocked our world, now claiming over 300,000 lives and destroying the fabric of far too many families.  No one has been left untouched.  The  rhythms of our professional and personal lives have been thoroughly disrupted, and this very day the disease has stolen the momentous celebration all Marquette University graduates, like you, so richly deserved.

Maybe it’s fitting that it never stopped raining and the clouds refused to part.  Almost nothing seemed likely to raise our spirits anyway.

Frankly, I pouted all day. Genuine mourning. Every time I looked at the clock, my mind turned to what I should have been doing instead.

First off, at 7:00 a.m. I would have been getting ready for the University commencement.  On the road by 8:00 to arrive at Fiserv Forum and park. Head to the dressing room to get robed along with my University leadership colleagues and the stage party, then visit with faculty next door. Line up around 9:15 to enter the arena, and emerge to the wonderful sight of our graduates and tens of thousands of guests in the audience. That always makes my heart beat faster. Then I’d take in the full ceremony – from the invocations to the degree recognitions to various show stopping “pyrotechnic displays” – as well as the many words of wisdom and the singing of the Alma mater.  Just plain glorious, and it gets me every time.

Then around 11:30 I’d hustle to the Pabst Theater for the College of Education reception and our own more intimate ceremony. There is no event all year long that is more meaningful, joyous, and gratifying to me, nor to the rest of our faculty and staff. Marching in with the graduates to “Pomp and Circumstance,” then having the opportunity to savor our own Jesuit-inspired invocation, a musical tribute to the students and their parents, the graduation address, and most prominently, the awarding of the individual degrees.

Literally nothing in my role as dean gives me greater pleasure than watching our excited graduates walk across the stage, one by one as their entourage cheers. The brightness in their eyes and the enormous promise it portends electrifies me. And when I hand them a diploma and shake their hands, it’s genuinely humbling. What an honor it is to offer heartfelt congratulations for an achievement that represents so much hard work and dedication, including the sacrifices they and their loved ones have made.

When the ceremony concludes, the faculty and I process out to the song Set the World on Fire by Britt Nicole. Go ahead, click on the title and give the tune a listen right now. Why?

Because I did about halfway through writing this message, and much to my surprise, my spirits were lifted even if it was through teary eyes.

Right then and there, EVERYTHING changed yet again. But this time for the better.  No more funk. My focus shifted from gloom and doom to a deep appreciation for all the gifts we have been given, and most importantly today, the privilege to have joined you on your journeys to well-earned Baccalaureate, Master’s, and Doctoral degrees. What a treat it has been for our faculty and staff.

Speaking of whom, I also thought about the significant efforts they put forth to create videos to acclaim and congratulate many of you, and the modest tokens they sent to bachelor degree recipients (until something more substantial can be given to all graduates later)!  These gestures are done out of respect for, pride in, and care for you. Cura personalis after all…

Graduation from Marquette University signifies a significant tribute to your intellect, your perseverance, your skill acquisition, and your commitment to social justice. The sinister coronavirus couldn’t stifle any of it. In fact, it made you and all of us in the College of Education resilient and stronger. So, try to think of May 17, 2020, as a case of delayed gratification, because on August 30, God willing, we will be able to accomplish most of what should have happened today for all of you who can make it.

And with luck, the sun will be shining.

In winding down, I encourage you to pay attention to the lyrics of our final processional, an homage to God and the plans He has for you.  My favorite stanzas are:

….take my dreams
Come and give them wings.
Lord with you
There’s nothing I cannot do.

I wanna feed the hungry children.
And reach across the farthest land
And tell the broken there is healing
And mercy in the Father’s hands.

And finally, I came across a prayer today that feels like a nearly ideal gift for our situation, and it appears below.

My parting words to you now are, just as they would be at our College ceremony, “May you hold Marquette University, the College of Education, and the Society of Jesus forever in your hearts.”

God bless you, our beloved graduates.

Dr. Bill Henk, Dean
College of Education
Marquette University

A Prayer for All Graduates Facing an Uncertain Future
By Debbie McDaniel

Dear God,

We pray for our graduates today and lift them before you. We thank you so much for these we love and for the work you are continuing to do in their lives. They are a gift to us and to many others. And during this season of new beginnings, we ask that you would make their way clear. We ask that you would keep their footsteps firm and remind them that you are with them, always. May they sense the freshness of your Spirit over their lives in amazing ways, may they be strengthened, instilled with hope, for the new roads you have in store.

And today, again, we release our children straight into your tender care. Because we know that’s the best place they could ever be. We thank you in advance for all you have in store, for this day, for this year, for their lives.

We pray for protection, for your covering, that you would surround their lives as with a shield. Protect their coming and going. We ask that you would help them to live aware in a dark world and keep harm or evil intent far away. We ask that you would hide them in the safety of your powerful presence.

Our world is currently anxious, fearful and uncertain. We pray our graduates are filled with your courage and strength, that they may be a light to their friends and neighbors in this uncertain time.

We ask for your wisdom and clear direction over their lives, that you would give them understanding beyond their years. Thank you that your timing is perfect. We pray that you would direct their steps, that your plans for them would prosper; that every place you have determined for them to walk would be paved clear. We ask for you to open doors that need to be opened and close every one that should be shut tight. Allow every gift and treasure you have placed inside their lives to grow, develop, and flourish, to bring you glory.

We ask that you would remind them every day how very much you love them, that they would find security and confidence fully in you, knowing that you are trustworthy and true.

We ask that you would teach them your ways and fill them with an unquenchable desire to learn your Word. Give them a compassionate spirit, and the wisdom to look beyond outward appearances to the heart within. We pray that you would surround them with friends and leaders who would challenge them to press closer to you.

We ask for your peace to cover them. We ask for laughter and joy to fill their days. We pray that you would give them boldness and courage to face challenges set before them, with the confidence and peace that can only come from your spirit.

We ask that you would raise up greatness in their lives, greatness in this generation, willing to stand strong and true, passionate for you, believing that you have designed them for purpose and good works, which you have planned and prepared in advance for them to do.

Be a lamp for their feet, and a light to their path. Shine over them. Fill them with your spirit. Bless them with your favor and peace.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

Using Mindfulness to Cope During the Pandemic

By Karisse A Callender, Ph.D.

There’s no doubt that we are living in a very anxiety-provoking time. You might be feeling a lot of fear, anxiety, and worry about what is happening now and what the future looks like. Guess what – it makes sense that you might be feeling that way! We are not living under “normal” circumstances and the uncertainty about how things will unfold is enough to cause some confusion or frustration about the way we move through life. While we may be feeling anxious or worried, we can also find ways to take care of our mental and physical health. In other words, we can take a dialectical approach to life – we can integrate opposites (eg., anxiety and calm) to help us get “unstuck” from overwhelming emotions or states of being. We can use mindfulness as one way to cope with distress or anxiety during this time. In simple terms, to be mindful is to be fully present in the moment and being aware of what is going on within and around us.

One of my favorite mindful practices is the RAIN of self-compassion: recognize, allow, investigate, and nurture with self-compassion. The acronym RAIN was originally developed about 20 years ago by Michelle McDonald and is taught by Tara Brach. This meditation can be done alone or done with any other mindful or contemplative practice. You can flow through the steps as many times as you need.

Recognize what is happening: What are you thinking? How are you feeling? What is affecting you? It’s easy to slip into self-judgment and to find a reason “why” you think or feel a certain way. As tempting as that might be, resist it as you recognize what is happening.

Eg., “Right now I think this pandemic will never end because of everything I see and read in the news!”

Allow the experience to be there, just as it is: Let whatever you are thinking or feeling happen without trying to change or “fix” it, and without suppressing or avoiding it. In other words, sit with what you are thinking and feeling.

Eg., “It makes sense that I feel worried right now”

Investigate with interest and care: Be curious about what you are thinking or feeling. You can ask yourself “how am I experiencing this in my body?” “what does this thought/feeling need from me?”

Eg., “I can feel this worry as a tension headache and pain in my stomach…what does my body need from me right now? maybe I need to get off social media and take a short walk around my neighborhood to help me relax.”

Nurture with self-compassion: Self-compassion is an important part of this process. As you recognize and investigate what is happening. Self-compassion refers to being warm and understanding to yourself when you are experiencing difficult times. Give yourself intentional kindness to help you feel comforted.

Eg., “I can feel worried and still feel love and kindness toward myself. In this moment, I am safe, I can find the beauty around me while I’m on my walk.”

You can practice RAIN alone or with a friend or loved one. Do what you need, in the way you need it.

Be well and stay well.

Dr. Karisse Callender is an Assistant Professor in the College of Education’s Counselor Education Counseling Psychology department with a research focus on how individuals use mindfulness. Most recently, Dr. Callender has launched two studies related to how COVID-19 is impacting quality of life and also how we are practicing mindfulness during this time.

Remarks from Dr. Cynthia Ellwood for the Class of 2020

Although we cannot hold our commencement ceremonies as we typically have, many of our faculty and staff have shared their best wishes for the Class of 2020. Below are remarks from Dr. Cynthia Ellwood for the students completing their Masters in Education degrees this spring.

My good friends and colleagues:

In some other world, right about now, many of you would be gathering in the Pabst theater to be celebrated by us. That’s not what we’re living right now, but it’s still a milestone. So, let’s take a moment.

When you were admitted into the Educational Policy and Leadership programs, whether Educational Administration or Educational Policy and Foundations, it was because we saw in you someone who shared the values and aspirations of our program – a commitment to justice and opportunity for all people, an appetite for rigor, and the desire to pursue your studies as part of a community.

Now a few years later, here is what I see in you. You have come together as family across many personal histories and educational sectors. “Cohort” does not begin to capture you have become as a community.

High demand and high support has become a watchword phrase among us. You not only speak it, you live it. You have challenged and nurtured each other through this program. More importantly, you have increasingly found new ways to challenge and nurture the young people you serve. We saw this change in you from your first semesters in the program. And as your convictions have grown over the years, we have seen you exercise the courage to advocate among other adults for change that better challenges and supports our young people. You’ve become leaders.

 We have seen each of you grow dramatically more capable and confident in wielding the skills of leadership. But much more importantly, you have become adaptive leaders – people who recognize the underlying complexities and human dynamics of the challenges educators confront. You have become people who know how to pursue thoughtful, creative, systemic change.

Finally I see in you a group of individuals who show a deep, critical, independent understanding of what justice looks like. Each of you has wrestled with what words like “social justice” actually mean, each of you has examined inequities in your own personal and professional worlds, and, in the face of this ever-deepening understanding, you have found opportunities for action.

You have not waited to act, you have already begun. And you have developed a hopefulness and a resolve that absolutely humbles me.

You are the beacons that light our future and the future of our young people. Thank you for letting us be part of your journey.

Please check out our YouTube channel or follow the College of Education on Facebook or Twitter to hear more from our faculty as they congratulate our graduates.