One Village Counseling, PLLC

This is Nikki Addimando, and her story is important. Many of you know about Nikki, but some of you don’t. Nikki is a gentle and loving mother, sister and friend. She is also a domestic violence survivor who was convicted in April of second-degree murder after shooting and killing her abusive partner out of fear for her life. She’s been ripped away from her two children (now ages 4 and 6) for almost two years. Beginning today, a hearing will take place in Poughkeepsie NY to de...termine if she is eligible to be sentenced under the newly passed Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act (DVSJA). This landmark legislation is intended to help restore humanity and justice to the way we treat survivors of severe abuse who act to protect themselves survivors exactly like Nikki. The DVSJA gives judges the flexibility to sentence domestic violence survivors convicted of offenses related to their abuse to shorter sentences or alternative-to-incarceration programs. Domestic violence organizations have been advocating for this legislation for the past decade, and it was an emotional moment when Governor Cuomo finally signed it into law in May 2019, just weeks after Nikki’s conviction. Now Nikki’s case is likely to be the first case in New York State to test the full intent of the law. We want people all over the country to pay attention to this case, as the outcome will set a precedent both in the county and state for other victims of domestic violence. I’ll be posting about Nikki and the hearing over the next few days, please help me spread the word. I've put a link the comments so you can read more about Nikki and who she really is. #FreeNikki #StandwithNikki #DVSJA Link for the comments: https://westandwithnikki.com/this-is-nikki Via Dragonfly Holistic, LLC

A message from California's first Surgeon General: "The physical toll placed on these young, growing bodies and brains comes at a tremendous cost to the indivi...duals, their families and communities, and ultimately, to our national conscience. There’s one price no child should have to pay: a shortened life." See more

Each of us needs to imagine how we will respond, and if you have an answer that allows you to support this or stand passively by while this is happening, think deeply about whether it will stand the test of time. Think deeply about how you will defend it on your deathbed and beyond. Think also about those who have separated children from their parents, those working at the border who have been the instruments of cruel action. If they are not yet parents, imagine them as new p...arents holding their child lovingly in their arms. Will political reasoning enable them to justify what they did? Or, looking again into a child’s eyes, will they feel overwhelmed by the gut-wrenching pain of wrong? Will their parenting and families be haunted by their past actions? -Chandra Ghosh Ippen If you would like to add your name, you can comment on the original post adding your name and title as you would want it listed.

The book that keeps on giving, The Body Keeps the Score, on interplay between the capacity to play and imagine and the shattering effect of traumatic experiences. rp @imaniperry