Amy Makice, Author at Bloomington Center for Connection

Supported Vulnerability

Supported Vulnerability is a foundational concept in RCT. It refers to the conditions that allow emotional risks within a relationship, trusting the other person to respond with empathy and acceptance.

Behind the eye roll

Irritability in teens is a common symptom of mental health challenges. It can be a catchall for the intense emotions of puberty and social changes, a protective mechanism, or the means of expressing their feelings that feels most familiar and accessible to them. It’s usually a sign that they are suffering, and are asking for help, they’re just doing it in a way that makes it challenging to reach through it.

People standing by a window wearing party hats

Therapish

Not everyone needs therapy, but everyone benefits from healthy connection!

Using Insurance for Mental Health Services

BCC started accepting insurance in an effort to be both sustainable and accessible. Prior to accepting insurance, we used a sliding scale model, but we found the sliding scale model either didn’t go low enough to be truly accessible, or it didn’t allow us to pay our clinicians a living wage. Many folks struggle to understand their insurance benefits, so we have collected a few useful tips and definitions here. Medical Necessity: for insurance to […]

Fighting Time

Amy Banks, MD, was 17 when her father was murdered while visiting NOLA for a conference– Isaac Knapper was 16 when he was wrongfully arrested and quickly convicted of the murder. They’ve come together to share their journey.

The story Amy and Isaac bring is accessible to a wide range of people who are just beginning to explore systemic issues with our justice system. Maureen Walker will be offering cultural context to bring us more deeply into Amy and Isaac’s story, and Luci Englert McCean is emceeing the evening.

A card reading Mutuality is the experience of affecting one another. This requires emotional availability, an openness to influence and change. Non-mutual relationships abstruct growth of all people, but particularly the development of subordinate or marginalized groups.

Mutual Meltdowns

We are tired. We need healing. It’s likely we’ve lost people, dreams, cherished ways of being, and not been held in our grief because we were all too busy surviving. Slow down. It’s impossible to rush wellness. Lean into each other. Allow ourselves to mourn together, to mutually hold each other. Trust that allowing mutuality leads to healing. We are in collective pain, and the antidote is messy, authentic, mutuality.

I see you

Standing just far enough away that your toddlers feels independent, just close enough to catch them should they tumble off the playset. Sitting quietly next to your weeping child. Researching pediatric mood disorders and scanning your family tree for clues about your teenager’s intense ups and downs. Packing a bag with pencils and a notepad for the inevitable waiting time. Trying to learn new math so you can help with homework. Plotting out the best […]

2021-2022 Relational Cadre

We have a few openings for individuals or organizations to join our first ever Relational Cadre! If you join as an organization, you can select representatives to participate and share their explorations with your team. If you’re ready to sign up, click here! If you want more information, continue reading! The Relational Cadre is a series of six small-group discussions focusing on different aspects of a central theme, through the lens of Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT). […]

Bridging Middle School to High School

This group includes expressive arts, (supplies provided by the BCC) relational skills, and specific stress management skills. Participants will leave with ideas on how to push back against peer pressure, managing difficult behaviors such as procrastination, getting better sleep, and identifying thought distortions.

Group fun

An overview of the activities in our stress reduction group Want to know more about our upcoming six-week relational group for your stressed out fifth and sixth graders? Each week covers one aspect of healthy and mutual relationships, along with a type of coping skill to address a variety of stressors. Below is an overview of the topics covered. Most weeks will incorporate art-related activities, with supplies provided by BCC! Week One: Connecting with others […]