Carol J. Strand, Art Therapist

07/16/2025

Silly things I carry in my work bag.
https://emergencyclownnose.com/

05/15/2025

This is a great article to bookmark. Perimenopause can also aggravate neurodivergent brains. Seek help, talk to friends and know you are not crazy!

From headaches and fatigue to hair loss and sleep troubles, the symptoms marking the transition to menopause can overlap with other conditions. Here's what to know and how to get help.

04/24/2025

I have news about the "Autism Registry". According to a trusted colleague, you can contact your insurance company and opt out of research. She also recommends checking with your other other doctors and providers if they participate in any data sharing. It's not a lot but it is something you can do for yourself.

Take care and hydrate!

04/17/2025

I am a Minnesotan, so when I say I am "disappointed" in RFK Jr, please know it's a big deal.

03/20/2025

My plant friend, Fern, and a positive potato for the first day of spring.

03/10/2025

I remember asking this question as a child in the 70's. A Mighty Girl is a great resource!

"Ma'am? How come we've only been studying about men in history? Aren't we going to study about women?" -- Lucy from the "Peanuts" comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, 11/8/1976.

At a time when the stories and photos of women and minorities are being erased from government websites and the Department of Education has launched an Orwellian 'snitch form' where people can report K-12 schools for doing anything perceived as promoting diversity or other "divisive ideologies," celebrating and honoring diversity is an act of resistance!

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For parents and teachers looking for uplifting titles celebrating girls and women, as well as children's books that explore sexism, diversity, and social change, to share during March's Women's History Month and all year around, you can find many reading recommendations as follows:

* A Mighty Girl features the world's largest women's history collection for young readers. To browse our collection of over 1,300 titles -- which is sortable by recommended reader age using the left menu filters -- visit https://www.amightygirl.com/books/history-biography/biography

* You can also sort our biography collection by the various role models' specializations from science to the creative arts at https://www.amightygirl.com/books/history-biography?cat=206

* A Mighty Girl's "S*x & Gender Discrimination' book section has over 600+ titles, sortable by reader age using the left menu filters, at https://www.amightygirl.com/books/social-issues?cat=69

For a wide variety of titles for children and teens about the importance of fighting for what's right and standing up for others, visit our blog posts:

* "Dissent Is Patriotic: 50 Books About Girls & Women Who Fought For Change" at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=14364

* "60 Mighty Girl Books About Standing Up For Others" at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=13481

* "25 Children's Books That Teach Kids to Be Kind" at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=19359

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- To read about the Trump administration's vast purge of women and minorities' stories and image from federal website, visit https://apnews.com/article/dei-purge-images-pentagon-diversity-women-black-8efcfaec909954f4a24bad0d49c78074

- To read about the words, including 'women,' that are now suspect on federal websites, visit https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/03/07/us/trump-federal-agencies-websites-words-dei.html?unlocked_article_code=1.204.Bo2H.MgV1RMdNVFDE&smid=url-share

- To read a commentary about the new Department of Education snitch form, visit https://www.npr.org/2025/03/07/g-s1-52515/if-you-see-something-woke-say-something

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To see more stories about pioneering girls and women throughout history, you can sign-up for A Mighty Girl's free weekly email newsletter at https://www.amightygirl.com/forms/newsletter -- and follow us on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/amightygirl.com

01/29/2025

A sweet way to practice breathwork...

01/21/2025

To my trans family, friends, clients and folx I don't know yet, I see you, I will continue to fight for you and I am so glad you are in this world!

01/11/2025

MPSI Psychotherapy Center has immediate openings for sliding fee clients, 20 to 75 dollars, who cannot use or have no insurance coverage.
The Center provides access to quality, affordable, psychodynamic psychotherapy that promotes personal development and freedom from unsatisfying or painful patterns of living. Special attention is paid to the replications of past relational patterns in the present, the interaction of personal and interpersonal experience, body and mind, fantasy and reality, and the unconscious and conscious experience.
We deal with problems of living, such as depression, anxiety/stress, trauma, grief, loss, life transitions, relationship issues, school/work issues, and maladaptive life patterns.
Anyone interested can call and make an appointment at 612-824-3800.

The Psychotherapy Center is a good option for folks in addition to Walk-in Counseling Center, who do not have insurance, and they offer longer-term therapy relationships. Let me know if you have any questions or want to know more!

12/17/2024

Self care for the holidays...
It's hygge season: How to embrace the Danish lifestyle of being cozy

The weather is cooling down and it's time to take a load off and snuggle under the blankets. NPR's Life Kit podcast shares 11 ways to embrace leisure and relaxation this fall season.

11/22/2024

An import reminder as we approach the holidays.

Holiday gatherings of family and friends give parents a special chance to teach their daughters an empowering lesson: you don't owe anyone your physical affection. To read more from experts on why this matters, especially for girls, visit https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=21616

To start teaching children -- girls and boys alike -- from a young age about the need to respect others and their personal boundaries, we highly recommend "Let's Talk About Body Boundaries, Consent, and Respect" for ages 4 to 7 at https://www.amightygirl.com/body-boundaries

For older kids, check out the excellent "Consent (for Kids!)" for ages 6 to 10 at https://www.amightygirl.com/consent-for-kids

There is also a charming picture book about a young lovebird who learns there are many ways to show that you care, "Rissy No Kissies" for ages 3 to 7 at https://www.amightygirl.com/rissy-no-kissies

For more books for young children that establish an early foundation of respect for personal boundaries and bodily autonomy, visit our blog post "Body Smart, Body Safe: Talking with Young Children About Their Bodies" at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=11069

Thanks to Safe kids, thriving families for sharing this image!