Jo Keogh

25/02/2022

Trauma survivors, I see you. I know that for many of you the events in Ukraine - horrific in and of themselves - are triggering deep, old feelings of helplessness, of being stuck in a world gone crazy, of being threatened by powerful people doing terrible things that you cannot control or change.

Remember, if you can, that you are not powerless. That you have resources now that you could never have imagined in the moment - or years - when you were being threatened and hurt. That it’s absolutely valid to feel anxious or depressed, wired or exhausted. That your life has value. That you are loved.

06/01/2022

I'm so excited to teach my first class for the Connecticut Women's Consortium! Treating Survivors of Ge***al Mutilation & Cutting: A Culturally Responsive and Trauma-Informed Approach was created for mental health practitioners interested in working with women who have been cut. Feel free to PM me for more information, or sign up here:

2 CECs - Trauma Treatment

17/10/2020

I am proud to be a sponsor of Madison, CT's first PrideFest! Hope to see you there! 🌈

06/07/2020

01/07/2020

For me, self care looks like spending time going inward after a period of flurried activity. I'll be away from social media for the next few days, resting and reconnecting with myself. I wish all of you a very happy 4th of July weekend!

30/06/2020

I have a confession: I absolutely hated frogs and toads for most of my life.

I was quite overweight as a child, and often felt very self-conscious and uncomfortable around other children. One summer, I found myself running with a group of kids trying to catch a small frog near a lake. I somehow got to the head of the pack, and, in my desperate desire to prove myself, stumbled and stepped on the poor creature. The other children were horrified, and I felt a deep sense of shame around what I had done. For years afterward, every time I saw a frog or toad, I was reminded of that shame.

The shame of harming a living creature. The shame of being fat. The shame of feeling awkward and clumsy. The shame of never fitting in.

It wasn’t until I moved to Guilford that I was able to start unwinding that shame. This was not a conscious process: it was the songs of the spring peepers, tree frogs, and bullfrogs that captivated me and began to heal my heart. And then, over time, toads began to appear in my back yard. I discovered that if I approached them slowly, they did not fear me. And so I was able to stop fearing myself, and to understand that my size had never been the issue, but rather my insecurity, and the feeling that I had something to prove.

Nature can be a powerful ally in our healing. All we have to do is pause, and be aware of the ways in which we are stirred by it.

29/06/2020

This is the season that brings fiery clusters of daylilies to my yard. This year, they are a poignant reminder that when passion, anger, and rage ignite in the heart, something powerful can be created from the flames that burn within. May we channel this energy wisely during these times of change, and use it to create something fresh and beautiful in the world.

27/06/2020

Did you know that shamanic healing can be done from a distance? To find out more about shamanic healing services, visit https://jokeogh.com/post.php?pid=8.

26/06/2020

When I am among the trees,
especially the willows and the honey locust,
equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,
they give off such hints of gladness.
I would almost say that they save me, and daily.

I am so distant from the hope of myself,
in which I have goodness, discernment,
and never hurry through the world
but walk slowly, and bow often.

Around me the trees stir in their leaves
and call out, “Stay awhile.”
The light flows from their branches.

And they call again, “It’s simple,” they say,
“and you too have come
into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled
with light, and to shine.”

-Mary Oliver

25/06/2020

Kale. Oft maligned for its bitter flavor, it produces tiny, delicately-scented blossoms when it is not harvested. Even that which seems most bitter may also prove to be sweet, with time.

24/06/2020

If you've ever thought about establishing a Human Rights Commission in your town, here's an eight-step guide based on how we did it in Guilford, CT. To download free templates and documents to help you on your journey, visit https://jokeogh.com/post.php?pid=21.

And don't forget to share with anyone who might find this helpful!