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Meridian K

Consulting & Coaching

karen@meridiankconsulting.com

Karen C Simms

Looking Back to Move Forward

Don't Be Scared!

Nov 19, 2019
3 min

Don't Be Scared!

Despite years of campaigns and marketing, there is still a lot of stigma around mental health. This stigma is especially pronounced in communities of color and among people with constant financial stressors. All too often, many people see seeking help or getting help for themselves or their children as a sign of weakness. Sometimes, families are more comfortable with talking about addiction, behavioral problems, or even criminality rather than looking beneath the surface and

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Understanding ADHD

Sep 8, 2019
3 min

Understanding ADHD

August marks the start of the back-to-school season for many families .While some are excited about the start of school, many families with children who have been identified as having ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) can feel increasingly anxious as school approaches. The children may have done well over the summer, but the start of school can mean more frustrations, more calls and notes, and sometimes even work interruptions with demands that a child be picked

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Just Say No!

Mar 11, 2019
3 min

Just Say No!

Shondra Rhimes, creator of Gray’s Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder, wrote a book called Year of Yes: How to Dance it Out, Stand in the Sun, and Be our Own Person. It is a wonderful book that recounts the year she decided to move out of her comfort zone and live in the “space of yes.” For her, “the space of yes” was a period of freeing herself from the “shoulds”, limits, and restrictions that she placed on her life. Her book is a feel-good, inspirational rea

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The Messiness of Love

Feb 10, 2019
3 min

The Messiness of Love

February is full of “love hype.” Singles and couples frequently feel caught up in the external trappings of Valentine’s Day. Everywhere you look—from the grocery store, TV commercials, to social media—everyone seems to be talking about and defining love. This hype can be stressful and can lead people to compare themselves to others. Although you might understand intellectually perfect relationship don’t exist, Hallmark, romantic books and movies can delude you. They gloss ove

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Reflections on our stuff

Jan 1, 2019
3 min

Reflections on our stuff

Ntozake Shange, author of the famous choreopoem For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf passed away this year on October 28. She was an award-winning playwright celebrated for telling women’s stories in women’s voices. In 2010 Tyler Perry transformed her trailblazing work into a movie. One of the monologues from the choreopoem is called “Somebody Almost Walked Off wid Alla My Stuff.” It’s about what happens when a woman gives/allows her “stuff’—

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Truth Telling = Be Fearless

Dec 14, 2018
3 min

Truth Telling = Be Fearless

“Speak the truth, even if your voice shakes” is one of my favorite quotes. It captures the angst associated with truth-telling. Standing in your truth requires real courage. Unfortunately, it feels like all too often, truth-telling, honesty, and transparency are not valued. Additionally, listening, hearing, and responding to truth can be even more challenging for many of us. A passage in a little-known part of the original early Christian Bible says, “If you bring forth what

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Without Protection

Oct 16, 2018
3 min

Without Protection

This post was written pre-confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court of the United States. I am writing this during “investigation week,” which for me has been emotionally exhausting. I have shared my own MeToo story here. In the midst of the news of his alleged abuse of women and violations of power, this week in my own life and work I have also heard the stories of men who have been wounded and violated physically, emotionally, and spiritually. There are a lot of

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“Partnering for Healing & Hope”

Jun 12, 2018
3 min

“Partnering for Healing & Hope”

What would you say if I told you that researchers, doctors, cities, states, and national organizations have found a way to help prevent the top 10 causes of death? What if I told you that this discovery would improve academic and behavioral outcomes; create safer and stronger communities; and help communities bounce back after tragic events? What if individuals who received this “cure” gained the tools needed to learn and recover better; reduce violence; and improve workplace

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