Follow Your Heart
Kim was recently featured in Integrative Education’s speaker spotlight. EXCERPT: Kim has a rich educational and professional journey which has granted her the opportunity to build a truly holistic approach to occupational therapy (OT) as well as share her wealth of knowledge with others as an educator. In a recent conversation, Kim shared her journey with me and I was continually astounded by the connections she has developed with other well-known OTs as well as her consistent willingness to take chances and follow her heart.
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WHY Neurobiology Matters
Whether we know it or not, there is always a reason for our behaviour. Knowledge of how the brain works is fundamental in attempting to understanding human actions and reactions. It is the curiosity to understand what lies behind challenging or complex behaviour that leads to our compassion – the mindset that sits at the very heart of trauma-sensitive living. It is only when we become consciously curious for what’s going on for another that we move beyond judgement.
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Between Horror and Hope: What Happens in the Body
Grateful for this collaboration with Bodynamic International in support of Ukraine.
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Helping is Healing - a Reminder to Ourselves
When we turn on the news we’re seeing war. When we look at how COVID is doing, uncertainties remain. There are more than enough reasons to feel stress; for most of us it’s both from far away and close to home. We know chronic worrying causes the stress chemistry inside us to build up which negatively impacts our immune systems, our sleep, our regulation, and our relationships. While there are a lot of stressors we can’t do much about, thankfully there are some ways we can influence our state of mind.
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Help Us Support People In Ukraine
Kim & the Relationship Matters team are helping an effort to directly support the provision of ambulances, medical equipment, food and water to all the areas in the Ukraine that may need it. Please find ways to support this effort in our post.
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Where Am I In Space?
How often do we ask ourself this question? When our brains are working well, we rarely contemplate this question as our body awareness typically operates on auto-pilot, running in the background, keeping our being informed without conscious focus. With the onset of our new series “Vestibular-Visual Matters” this coming week, the spotlight shines upon a part of our nervous system that has profound impact upon our day-to-day function and well-being. Our sense of who we are as a being separate from the world around us and from each other, relies upon integral information coming from our senses.
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Podcast: Lessons from the Playroom - Ep #112
Kim was so honoured to be a guest on Lisa Dion’s Lessons from the Playroom podcast! The Synergetic Play Therapy Institute’s “Lessons From the Playroom” Podcasts are a series of FREE, recorded podcasts designed to help therapists understand the little lessons that kids teach us that make a big difference in the play therapy process. Lisa and Kim discussed Polyvagal Theory & Sensory Processing!
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The Origins of Attachment
We are all wired for connection. Neurobiologically, physiologically, we are driven towards safety in relationship regardless of the context we find ourselves in. The study of Attachment Theory spans over 70 years and seeks to understand the rationale for some of the curious behaviour patterns we display in relationships throughout our lifespan, especially when we are under significant stress. In our newly revised online workshop “Becoming a Behavioural Detective”, we strive to look at all the factors that may influence complex behaviour. Within BABD, we aim to instill a combination of curiosity and compassion rather than the judgement that can come all too naturally through our reactions.
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Podcast: Living Your Greatness
In this podcast episode, Kim starts by talking about what inspired her to become an occupational therapist and do her post-graduate work in neurobiology and motor control. She then explains what is occupational therapy and which area of the field she is most passionate about. Kim no longer believes that; (1) Occupational therapists are here to fix people. Instead, they are here to support individuals in being the best that they can be throughout their lifespan. (2) Science is static. It’s not - what we know is constantly changing.
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Post-Traumatic Growth
Looking through a trauma lens, there is always a myriad of compounding stressors and traumatic events going on throughout the world. To some, life’s circumstances can appear unrelenting and even hopeless. For many whose intense stressors continue to be part of their current life, understandably, the idea of post-traumatic growth may seem very far off in the distance. At the same time, it is possible to acknowledge and then move outside of the feeling of overwhelm in a healthy way. Into this New Year, my intention is to remember that with each aspect of suffering from trauma we have an opportunity to shift toward resilience, stability, even conscious growth.
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Movement Challenges in Autism
Compared with the most common Autistic features of communication and social engagement limitations, and sensory processing and behavioural challenges, the motor system is typically the most neglected aspect in its holistic assessment and intervention. But why aren’t movement challenges in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder more often explored?
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The Theo Fleury Podcast - Conversation with Theo
Grateful for this conversation with my friend and colleague Theo Fleury. Getting real about addiction, divisiveness, self-compassion and evolution of the human spirit.
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Towards Understanding Aggression and Violence
When we hear the words “aggression” and “violence”, we can feel the negativity in our body. The words create images that elicit memories from experiences that directly relate to pain and suffering. This COVID era with its unrelenting stress, uncertainty, isolation and division seems to have unveiled this aspect of humanity in both expected and unexpected places and people. Given that we are all capable of aggression and violence, aiming to understand its dynamic might be helpful.
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Parenting in the Trenches: Neurodiverse families: The ins & outs of Sensory Processing challenges
Is your child sensitive to sound, touch, light, change? Or maybe you have a kid like Karen Peters does, who is sensory-seeking. Like, hunts it down on the daily. I spoke with Karen on her Parenting in the Trenches podcast and we discussed sensory processing, integration, and supportive parenting. Have a listen!
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Kim Barthel & Kelly Beins Sensory Processing Polyvagal & OT
Kim and and Kelly Beins of Sensory OT Consulting sat down to discuss OTs using Polyvagal Theory on Facebook live a few weeks back! Check out their conversation here.
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VLOG: A Conversation about Emotional Intelligence with Kim & Hilary
Kim and Hilary sit down to discuss Emotional Intelligence. Check out their conversation here.
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Conscious Parenting Instagram Live Discussion with Sensational Spaces
SENSE-ational Spaces was co-founded by two pediatric occupational therapists with a passion for family-centered care, regular modulation breaks, developing routines that set us up for success, and engaging children in foundational activities through play! Kim discussed Conscious Parenting with them on Instagram Live on September 24th, 2021! Here's the recording.
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Clinical Conversations featuring Dr. Porges and Kim Barthel
Kim Barthel joined Dr. Stephen W. Porges, author of Polyvagal Theory, on their September 17th session of Clinical Conversations hosted by Unyte-iLs. With shared passions for neurobiology, Polyvagal informed practices and understanding the roots of complex behavior, Kim and Dr. Porges explored the integrative nature of our biology and psychology, bridging the worlds of Clinical Psychology, Occupational Therapy and Mental Health, delved into clinical observations by sharing video clips of working sessions and addressed the importance of integrating both top down and bottom up approaches in therapy.
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CBC Radio Conversation with Kim: What Does Back to School Look Like in Lytton?
CBC Daybreak Kamloops with Shelley Joyce
Kim speaks to Shelley Joyce about her work with the Gold Trail School District and Trauma-Sensitive Education. Ninety percent of Lytton was destroyed by wildfire, but the newly renovated school is still standing and this week, the school bell started ringing again. Shelley checked in with Teresa Downs, the Superintendent of the Gold Trail School District, followed by her conversation with Kim.
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Listening Matters
Listening is much more than just processing sound and making sense of language! Sound waves energize many aspects of the whole brain. Approximately 60% of the brain’s arousal and alertness arises from the processing of sound. Why are movement and sound perceived by the same structure (the vestibulocochlear apparatus)? It is because movement and sound are connected. Some sounds are felt by the body as vibration and prompt us to move. When we move while we perceive sound, sounds become spatially mapped in relation to our bodies.
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