Autistic Therapist

11/03/2025

We are relieved that the USDA is complying with the court orders to do what Hunger free Oklahoma and many others have called for from the beginning, release contingency funds for November SNAP benefits immediately. While this never should have needed court intervention, we are pleased there will not be an appeal by the administration. That said, using only contingency funds means SNAP benefits will only partially be funded for November. The delay has already and will continue to cause unnecessary hardship for hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans who rely on these benefits to feed their families.

Even with this decision, there will still be a delay in benefit issuance. In addition, the shortfall for November means that people will not receive their normal benefits and will be struggling shortly after benefits finally reach them. We urge everyone involved, federal and state level government to recognize the importance of bridging that gap for families and to continue finding solutions to fund SNAP for as long as the shutdown continues.

Congress must act now to fund SNAP in full or reopen the government.

For many Oklahoma families, every day of delay means impossible decisions of choosing feeding themselves and their families, or keeping the lights on, or paying rent. We can and must do better.

11/03/2025

Little, developing people need comfort.
They need mirroring. They need help understanding why they're overwhelmed, and they need reassurance that they're still good and lovable.

We need people who can say, "Of course it makes sense that that comment hurt. And even though it's not true, it's okay to feel sad that it happened."
Who can say, "It can be really disappointing when someone doesn't want to be your friend. It's okay to cry. But you're still a very good and a lovable person."

We need people who can ask us to put our feelings into words and to have them reflected back to us as real, important, and worthy of being witnessed.
We need people who can help us make sense of the event (the story we'll tell ourselves in the future when similar events happen) while also being safely present to the feelings.

The stories and reframing matter, but societally we tend to over-index on that part.
We need space to be safely present to big feelings. To let them move through us.
To let them show us how we feel about this situation.
And if we never felt safe enough to feel our feelings as kiddos,
we have to practice creating space to be present to our feelings as adults.
Understanding isn't enough.
There has to be space to let your body process the event, too, without rushing or trying to change what's there.
Safe, attuned, presence.
Then you can come back to the story, and with a lot more clarity and rationality, too!
The rumination will settle.

Enjoy these insights and don't want to miss out? The EQ School can send daily texts to your phone — which is great if you’re trying to spend less time on social media but still want pointed reminders that help you check in with yourself, and to remind you of why you’re doing the work.
https://hdly.me/theeqschool

11/03/2025

We know we can change ourselves when we realize that we are not dependent on how we feel, nor on how others feel about us, nor on what the situation is around us.
The values we hold, the choices we make within ourselves and for ourselves remain our prerogative.
In most situations, if we begin to change, to do our own inner work, to accept our own darkness and work toward consciousness, the situation will change.
We will begin to emanate a different energy, one that exudes a sense of autonomy and authenticity.This process of self-realization is the embodying of spirit in the fifth chakra.This is the throat chakra, and has to do with being able to speak one’s own truth.
Here one’s truth becomes the expression of a journey already undertaken, of facing the fear of aloneness, of refusing to listen to the voices of conformity that would smile and suck our lifeblood, and lay us in eiderdown to die.
This is an inward journey that usually begins on a wild, stormy night.
It takes great resolve to enter into the darkness of our own chaos, to give up the familiar path and begin to trust our own experience.The recognition and unconditional love of oneself is never a selfish journey.
Most people, if challenged to love themselves unconditionally for fifteen minutes, reel in embarrassment.
“What is love without judgment? How can I love myself so long as I am this assertive little prick? What does that mean—love unconditionally?”
Ultimately, that is what the journey is about....

Marion Woodman, Dancing In Flames
Art: Peter Birkhäuser

11/03/2025

"If you want to support someone who has dissociative identities, it can be helpful to educate yourself about dissociative disorders" Learn more here: https://ow.ly/BF0550QLwGc

11/03/2025

11/02/2025

Since 2013, West Virginia’s Rae Garringer has been documenting the untold stories of rural q***r and trans folks through Country Qu**rs, a multimedia oral history project and podcast turned book, Country Qu**rs: A Love Letter. From isolated beginnings to a movement connecting communities across the South and Midwest, Country Qu**rs' work challenges stereotypes and uplifts q***r joy beyond the city.

🔗 https://q***rkentucky.com/country-q***rs-project-shares-stories-of-rural-lgbtq-life-through-book-and-podcast/

11/02/2025

Billie Eilish called out several billionaires directly to their faces on Wednesday night at the WSJ Magazine 2025 Innovator Awards in New York City. "We're in a time right now where the world is really, really bad and really dark, and people need empathy and help more than, kind of, ever, especially in our country," the 23-year-old Grammy-winning singer-songwriter told the audience as she accepted the Music Innovator Award. "I'd say if you have money, it would be great to use it for good things, maybe give it to some people that need it. Love you all, but there's a few people in here that have a lot more money than me. If you're a billionaire, why are you a billionaire? No hate, but yeah, give your money away, shorties."

The bold statement was delivered at the Museum of Modern Art, where billionaire Mark Zuckerberg sat in attendance supporting his wife and fellow billionaire Priscilla Chan, who was being honored for her philanthropic work. Together, the couple has an estimated collective net worth of $280 billion.

Before Eilish took the stage, host Stephen Colbert revealed that she was backing up her words with action, announcing that the singer was donating $11.5 million -- nearly a quarter of her estimated $50 million net worth -- from her Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour to organizations fighting for food security, climate justice, and combating the climate crisis. Eilish has been a vocal advocate for environmental and social causes, using her platform to challenge those with far greater wealth to do more.

Billie's direct callout represents a rare moment of public accountability for billionaires, delivered with her characteristic bluntness at an event where the ultra-wealthy typically celebrate each other's success. Her call for the mega-rich to share their wealth comes at a difficult time for many Americans.

Nearly 42 million vulnerable people who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), many of them children and elderly, are facing suspension to their food aid due to Trump administration's refusal to use contingency funds to cover benefits. In the latest development, on Friday, a judge ordered the administration to use the emergency funds to pay for food aid, but Trump continues to claim that the funds cannot be legally used.

At the same time, the second-longest federal government shutdown continues as Republicans controlling all branches of government refuse to include enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidy extensions in funding bills, despite 78% bipartisan public support. Congressional Democrats are demanding an extension of the health subsidies, which currently help 22 million Americans afford health insurance and are set to expire at the end of the year. Without this extension, families will see their health insurance premiums more than double, according to KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research group.

Beyond SNAP, other critical programs helping struggling Americans will soon run out of funding. Over 6.7 million women and young children may lose access to infant formula and nutrition through WIC, nearly six million households could face heating service cutoffs as winter approaches, and over 65,000 children and families enrolled in Head Start programs may need to find alternative child care as early as next week. On top of that, inflation continues to rise, exacerbated by Trump's global tariffs, so working families are being hit with ever higher costs -- food prices are now 3% higher than they were one year ago.

This devastating squeeze on working families comes as the "One Big Beautiful Bill" that Trump signed in July delivered massive tax cuts flowing overwhelmingly to the wealthiest Americans. Thanks to Trump and Republicans in Congress, the top 0.1% of earners -- roughly 200,000 households with annual incomes exceeding $2 million -- will receive nearly $500 billion in tax cuts over the next decade. Ironically, studies have found billionaires paying as little as 8.2% in federal income taxes compared to middle-class Americans who typically pay 20-25% when all taxes are considered.

While further enriching the ultra-wealthy, Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill simultaneously slashed approximately $1 trillion from Medicaid and $186 billion from SNAP. This is not governance -- it is a return to gilded age excess, where the wealthy few prosper while millions lose access to basic healthcare and scramble to afford food and rent.

While the Trump administration claims to care about ordinary Americans -- as JD Vance insisted this week that Trump had "tried to do everything" in his power to make the shutdown painless -- in reality, Trump's actions since day one have been focused on delivering tax cuts to the wealthy while slashing the safety net programs that help struggling families put food on the table.

One thing is certain: thanks to Trump's relentless transfer of wealth upward, the ultra-rich have more money than ever -- plenty they could share, if they chose to. In other words, as Billie would say, get on it shorties.

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Fans of the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter can read more about her personal story in her memoir "Billie Eilish" at https://amzn.to/4oNObvt (Amazon) and https://bookshop.org/a/8011/9781538720479 (Bookshop)

For books for children and teens about people helping others in their communities experiencing hardship, visit our blog post "Cultivating Compassion: 20 Books About Financial Hardship Close to Home" at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog/?p=10049

For more contemporary stories that explore the issue of local poverty and financial hardship in a manner accessible to young readers, we recommend "A Chair for My Mother" for ages 3 to 8 (https://www.amightygirl.com/a-chair-for-my-mother), “Maddi’s Fridge” for ages 4 to 8 (https://www.amightygirl.com/maddi-s-fridge), and "Each Kindness" for ages 5 to 9 (https://www.amightygirl.com/each-kindness)

For books for children and teens about the importance of standing up for truth, decency, and justice, even in dark times, visit our blog post, "Dissent Is Patriotic: 50 Books About Women Who Fought for Change," at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=14364

For more books for tweens and teens about girls living under real-life authoritarian regimes throughout history, visit our blog post "The Fragility of Freedom: Mighty Girl Books About Life Under Authoritarianism" at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=32426

To see more stories from A Mighty Girl, you can sign-up for A Mighty Girl's free weekly email newsletter at https://www.amightygirl.com/forms/newsletter

11/01/2025

Before a child can manage their emotions, they first need to notice them.
That begins with interoception — the hidden sense that helps the brain read the body’s signals.

A racing heart, a heavy chest, butterflies, a tight tummy — these are the body’s early messages.
When a child can’t interpret them, emotions can appear “sudden” or “out of nowhere.”
They’re not ignoring how they feel — their brain simply isn’t getting a clear signal yet.

Understanding interoception helps us respond with patience, not punishment — and teach children how to recognise what their body is trying to say.

Explore Managing Big Feelings: The Toolkit for Parents & Educators — practical guidance to help children build awareness, understanding, and self-regulation. Link in comments below ⬇️ or via Linktree Shop in Bio.

11/01/2025

11/01/2025

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Btw two federal judges just ruled that the Trump administration cannot stop SNAP, as someone using it, grateful for this. I’ve also posted many places offering free food in the PNW in the stories because we should not rely on that just to be safe.
I love this, I feel like I never know what to say when folks ask “lmk what you need.” I do the same sometimes but plan to never again! Folks in crisis often can’t think straight or are super overwhelmed.
This list is not exhaustive and I can tell centers more for folks not in severe crisis or who have most of their needs met. I would add offering support to meet access needs, rides, body doubling, accompanying appointments, errands, cleaning, etc..

Text description:
“9 Things to Say Instead of
“Let me know what you need”
I. “I’m running errands later— can I grab you something?”
2. “I made extra food.
Can I drop some off tomorrow?”
3. “Want company?
Or just someone to sit with?”
4. “Can I take specific thing off your plate this week?”
5. “No pressure to reply - I’m just thinking of you.”
6. “I’m free this weekend if you want quiet company or help getting stuff done.
7. “I know calls can be draining-want me to text instead?”
8. “I’m grabbing coffee later.
Can I drop one at your door?”
9. “You don’t have to say anything
I’m not going anywhere.”
• When someone is struggling or grieving, even the smallest tasks can feel impossible. Asking them to “let you know what they need” adds yet another layer of responsibility: one more decision, one more message, one more emotional effort. Most of the time, they don’t even know what they need, let alone be able to ask for it. Real kindness moves without being prompted. It shows up gently, in the quiet ways that say: “you’re not alone and you don’t need to be okay for me to stay.” 💛

11/01/2025