RWW September 18, 2019 Guest Psychologist Dr. Carolyn Miller “Stress and PTSD during Hurricane Season and Beyond”

Guest: Dr Carolyn Clansy Miller, 
Clinical Psychologist/ Ashar Counseling and Psychological Services 

Conversation Questions; These are for guidance only the conversation takes on its own energy. We begin with the first two questions for all our guests.

1.     What does wellness mean to you?

2.     What do you do to support wellness in your life, especially given your training and expertise?

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1.     As individuals and as a community we are all still recovering from Hurricanes Irma & Maria. Hurricane Dorian came our way and has devastated the Northern Bahamas. The anniversary of Maria is this week. It is indeed Hurricane season. Briefly share what you have learned about yourself that is helpful as you move forward in the recovery process and the start of hurricane season?

2.     Watching the images from Hurricane Dorian has been gut wrenching. What is PTSD? Persons use the term to describe a variety of reactions.

3.     Talk about the impact of imagery in our wellness and triggering our hurricane experiences.

4.     What have you observed in your clinical work in the progress persons have made since IRMARIA?

5.     What are individuals and families continuing to find most challenging?

6.     Let’s talk about traumatic experiences and the ways that persons can help themselves to possibly interrupt negative memories from becoming debilitating and ingrained in our brain structure?

7.     I realize that all challenging experiences are not traumatic. What makes the distinction for one person compared to someone else?

8.     Are there examples of community wide PTSD programs / interventions? I have heard individuals make those statements. How would that work. Is there basic information on PTSD that is helpful for all of us to know?

9.     Sometimes individuals need professional support? Please talk about the role and value of counseling / psychotherapy. How does it help?

10. The weather forecast indicated initially that Dorian was going to impact St. Croix. We in St Thomas were very surprised with the shift to hurricane status with the eye passing over us. What can help to manage the anxiety that gets creates from this reality? We hope that this was an exception and not anything more regular.

11. Can you share some in the moment strategies / tools to deal with in the moment arousal / distress from nature? Sort of like an internal hurricane preparation kit. What should be inside?

12. We have had a wide variety of guests on the show sharing wellness strategies for mind, body, and spirit. What are some ongoing wellness strategies / ways of living that you have seen to be very beneficial over the short and long term?

13. Please share your contact information and the range of services that are offered in your practice.

Closing thoughts or words of encouragement to the audience. What’s the take away for those who are listening?