Mental Health
Mental health issues are among the most common vulnerabilities we face: in our communities, in our families, in ourselves. My professional work focuses on mental health in a variety of ways, and the articles in this section reflect the diversity of that work. I specialize in the confluence of mental illness, addictions, and trauma – which, for most people who struggle with these issues, are all aspects of one thing and not three different things. I emphasize current research and the many ways we can build resilience and wellbeing both for ourselves and our communities.
How Early Experiences Shape Who We Become
The Developmental Foundation of Mental Health and Addiction
Oct. 31, 2025
Pick up a stone from any beach and turn it in your hand. Notice its shape, its smoothness, the way light catches the striations of mineral deposits laid down perhaps millions of years ago. This sto...
Belonging, Not Steps
What Actually Heals in Recovery
Oct. 27, 2025
One of the most common conversations in my work is about the pathways of recovery that people choose. Clients in addiction treatment have often participated in a variety of programs, many of which ...
Why We Resist What Works
Movement, Mental Health, and the Nervous System's Need for Real Challenge
Oct. 26, 2025
The research is unequivocal, even monotonous in its consistency: physical activity outperforms pharmaceutical interventions for most mental health conditions. It rivals or exceeds the efficacy of p...
Essentials of Trauma-informed Practice
Considerations for recovery, healing, and well-being
Nov. 9, 2024
Trauma is an experience that exceeds our ability to manage stress. Clinically, it disrupts containment: we lose our capacity for self-regulation, become drawn into instinctive coping, and often rem...
Working with Grief, Trauma, and Related Challenges
Museums Offer Much Potential for Healing Work — But Safety Must be a Primary Concern
June 24, 2021
Adapted from Museum Objects, Health and Healing , by Brenda Cowan, Ross Laird, and Jason McKeown. New and powerful museum exhibition trends include a greater focus on emotional engagemen...
Resilience and Well-being in Turbulent Times
A presentation for the Ontario Museums Association
June 30, 2021
During a time of turbulence and stress, how can we stay emotionally healthy and connected to ourselves and those around us? What kinds of coping are normal and helpful? ...
Therapeutic Objects at the 9/11 Museum and Beyond
The Meaning and Use of Personal Objects in Complex Trauma
June 24, 2021
Tragedy strikes New York on September 11, 2001. Afterwards, survivors, first responders and victims’ relatives experience the healing impact of donating personal objects to what will become the 9/1...
Mental Health Considerations for Museums
An Emerging Field of Practice and Discovery
June 23, 2021
For information about workshops and training offered by Ross Laird, please visit this page or contact Ross directly. There is a growing trend in museum practice to evo...
Why I Use Ecological Dynamics
A Framework for Understanding Human Complexity
Oct. 31, 2025
An old and persistent part of me resists simple explanations. I learned early that human suffering does not submit to tidy formulas. In my work I have grown accustomed to the surprises, the unpredi...
Running as Nervous System Medicine
Trauma Responses and the Power of Movement
Oct. 28, 2025
Trauma is an experience that exceeds our ability to manage stress. It disrupts our emotional containment: we lose our capacity for self-regulation, become drawn into instinctive coping, and often r...
The Deep Skill of Empathy
A primer on consistency, congruence, and care
Nov. 9, 2024
When asked, most people report that they are good at showing empathy toward others. However, the skills of empathy can be observed and evaluated, and when we do that, we find that most people are ...
Trauma-Informed Practices
Skill development for those who work with trauma
June 30, 2021
Those who work in public safety, medical and health fields — and, increasingly, the cultural sector — often experience direct or vicarious traumas and stressors on the j...