Amy Makice, Author at Bloomington Center for Connection

Relational-Cultural Therapy: Getting Started

Join us for an Relational-Cultural Therapy training session covering relational assessment, initial sessions, and consultation calls. We assess current and past relational patterns and skills, barriers to connection, and personal and/or cultural trauma, while creating a safe place for our relationship to grow. RCT seeks to initiate healing through growth-fostering relationships. As clinicians, we need to articulate how connection heals in order to set the foundation for our work. How do we assess current and […]

A picture of children's drawings including the phrase "unicorns rule the world"

Constructing RCT

Just as RCT challenges the cultural imperatives of individuation that isolate marginalized people, it challenges us to expand our understanding of human connection beyond the gender binary.

Transforming Together: Gender as Work in Progress

These are some excellent starting points, with the caveat that we are all works in progress, as is the journey into a deeper understanding of gender identity. Best practices involve continuing to learn and grow, allowing curiosity and connection to guide you.

An image of a brain with colorful arrows going in it; decorative

CARE Assessment

The CARE assessment by Dr. Amy Banks, is a practical tool to apply Relational-Cultural Theory to your daily life. It highlights relationships that support your mental health and well-being, as well as naming relationships that are create barriers to connection. Because it measures individual qualities across relationships, you can identify areas to improve and relationships that provide safety and support. You can learn more from Dr. Banks’ book, Wired to Connect. The CARE Model assesses […]

Supported Vulnerability

Supported Vulnerability is a foundational concept in RCT. It refers to the conditions that allow emotional risks within a relationship, trusting the other person to respond with empathy and acceptance.

Behind the eye roll

Irritability in teens is a common symptom of mental health challenges. It can be a catchall for the intense emotions of puberty and social changes, a protective mechanism, or the means of expressing their feelings that feels most familiar and accessible to them. It’s usually a sign that they are suffering, and are asking for help, they’re just doing it in a way that makes it challenging to reach through it.

People standing by a window wearing party hats

Therapish

Not everyone needs therapy, but everyone benefits from healthy connection!

Using Insurance for Mental Health Services

BCC started accepting insurance in an effort to be both sustainable and accessible. Prior to accepting insurance, we used a sliding scale model, but we found the sliding scale model either didn’t go low enough to be truly accessible, or it didn’t allow us to pay our clinicians a living wage. Many folks struggle to understand their insurance benefits, so we have collected a few useful tips and definitions here. Medical Necessity: for insurance to […]

Fighting Time

Amy Banks, MD, was 17 when her father was murdered while visiting NOLA for a conference– Isaac Knapper was 16 when he was wrongfully arrested and quickly convicted of the murder. They’ve come together to share their journey.

The story Amy and Isaac bring is accessible to a wide range of people who are just beginning to explore systemic issues with our justice system. Maureen Walker will be offering cultural context to bring us more deeply into Amy and Isaac’s story, and Luci Englert McCean is emceeing the evening.