Resiliency Within

Elaine Miller-Karas, LCSW
  • 4.8 (10)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Elaine Miller-Karas will amplify the message of hope, healing and resiliency she has learned from our world community as she has traversed the globe after human made and natural disasters. Hope often springs forth in response to suffering and trauma. Our beliefs and our wellbeing are being challenged during these unprecedented times. The program Resiliency Within is about cultivating individual and community resiliency. Resiliency is the capacity to lean into our strengths with compassion during the most challenging of times and to remember what else is true? about our lived experience. Her guests are inspiring global leaders actively promoting healing and resiliency from a variety of backgrounds. The goal is to spread wellbeing and give individual and community examples to inspire how wellness skills, including ones based upon neuroscience and the biology of the human nervous system, can be integrated into one's life, family and community during challenging times.

  1. 2D AGO

    Crisis Recovery for Kids, Parents, and Teachers

    Crisis Recovery for Kids, Parents, and Teachers   Children worldwide are living during very difficult times within the United States and globally. Current policies are impacting our schools - our children, teachers, and school staff.    Inez Tiger and Elaine Miller-Karas will discuss how educational systems worldwide are increasingly confronted with the impact of natural and human-made crises - war, genocide, wildfires, ICE raids, and community violence.   These events disrupt the stability of whole communities with profound implications to children and those who care for them. Join our host, Elaine Miller-Karas, and Educator Inez Tiger for this encore show on implementing the Community Resiliency Model in a systematic, phased approach to support resilience for children, educators, and school staff. _______________ About Our Guest: Inez Tiger, LMFT, brings over 30 years of experience as an educator, school leader, and mental health professional. She has served as an elementary and middle school teacher, counselor, principal, and most recently as Director of Wellness at The Pressman Academy. Inez is a certified teacher of the Community Resiliency Model® (CRM), a practitioner of the Trauma Resiliency Model® (TRM), and a longtime facilitator and trainer in the practice of Council.  Specializing in self-regulation, trauma healing, and the power of storytelling, Inez recently transitioned from her role as a school-based educator to focus more deeply on healing and wellness. A collector of stories, she finds meaning in listening to the resilience of students, parents, and teachers as they navigate their school journeys.  Originally from South Africa, Inez lives in Los Angeles with her partner and their two children. She finds joy in art-making, meaningful collaboration, and long walks with their dog, Chase. One of her guiding mottos comes from Maya Angelou: "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

    58 min

  2. MAR 5

    Supporting Refugees: Refugee Jumpstart Coaching with Bev Weise

    On this episode of Resiliency Within, Elaine Miller-Karas welcomes Bev Weise, MBA, ACC—leadership coach, social entrepreneur, and co-founder of Refugee Jumpstart Coaching. Bev shares the inspiring story behind the organization she co-founded in 2021 with Syrian refugee Hussein Alzribi to help educated and highly skilled refugees rebuild their professional lives. Refugee Jumpstart Coaching connects refugees around the world with a global network of pro bono leadership, wellness, and career coaches, as well as job search, entrepreneurship, and industry mentors. Their innovative work empowering displaced professionals earned the organization the International Coaching Federation's Global Social Impact Award in 2024. That same year, Refugee Jumpstart Coaching became a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in California, expanding its ability to support refugees seeking opportunity, dignity, and meaningful work. Bev brings more than 35 years of experience in corporate and nonprofit leadership development. She is an ICF-certified Leadership Coach and the founder of Leadership Talent Solutions, a consulting firm dedicated to helping organizations identify, develop, and retain leadership talent. Her career has included roles such as Executive Director of Interlaw Ltd., an international association of law firms, and Corporate Director of Executive Planning and Development at Northrop Grumman Corporation. A turning point in Bev's life came in 2016 when she volunteered in a refugee camp in Chios, Greece. The experience deeply moved her and inspired her commitment to helping refugees recognize their strengths and rebuild their futures. In this heartfelt conversation, Bev shares how compassion, leadership, and global collaboration can help transform adversity into opportunity—reminding us that resilience often grows when people are given the chance to rediscover their gifts and purpose.

    56 min

  3. FEB 26

    The Prophetic Lens-Chronicling Black History

    Resiliency Within welcomes back Dr. Phillip Allen.  Dr. Allen is a theologian and ethicist whose research and writings include the intersections of social structure, race, culture, and theology and ethics of justice. He has authored two books: Open Wounds: A Story of Racial Tragedy, Trauma, and Redemption and The Prophetic Lens: The Camera and Black Moral Agency From MLK to Darnella Frazier. He is an affiliate assistant professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, where he completed his PhD in Theology. He is also a poet and documentary filmmaker. Dr. Allen founded the nonprofit Racial Solidarity Project based in Pasadena, CA. As a former Division 1 college basketball player at North Carolina A&T State University, he has enjoyed opportunities as a guest chaplain for college and pro sports teams.   Dr. Allen will talk about the nonprofit he started, the Racial Solidarity Project and his book, the Prophetic Lens. The Prophetic Lens takes an important look at the use of the video camera as an indispensable prophetic tool for the security of Black lives and greater possibility for racial justice. He will share how the camera can be a catalyst for cultural change, using Walter Brueggemann's Prophetic Imagination as a framework for understanding the concept of "prophetic." Chronicling the use of the camera, particularly in film from J.D. Griffiths' Birth of a Nation to Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing, Allen's historical approach reveals how effective this technology has been in achieving the goals of its respective storytellers. Dr. Allen's work is an example of the importance of chronicling the richness of black history.

    56 min

  4. FEB 19

    Finding Light In the Darkness

    In a time of deep division, uncertainty, and crisis, Finding Light in the Darkness will explore how we can maintain our well-being, integrity, and hope. Hosted by Elaine Miller-Karas, an internationally recognized trauma expert and resiliency advocate, she will illuminate practical strategies for navigating today's complex social and political landscape. Elaine hopes this episode will provide a beacon of light—insights on staying grounded, fostering compassion, and building resilience in the face of adversity. Elaine is dedicated to empowering listeners to cultivate inner strength and create ripples of change for themselves, their families and their communities. Join Resiliency Within as Elaine uncovers pathways to healing, unity, and action—because light can be found even in the darkest times. ___________________________________ About Elaine Elaine Miller-Karas, LCSW, is a social worker, trauma therapist, author, lecturer, consultant, VoiceAmerica  podcast host, Psychology Today blogger, and social entrepreneur. She has been called an "ambassador of hope" in the fields of trauma therapy and community resiliency. As a co-founder of the Trauma Resource Institute, Elaine serves as the Director of Innovation.  She has led the development of the Trauma and Community Resiliency Models, which have left an indelible global footprint, impacting over 75 countries. Her book, "Building Resiliency to Trauma: The Trauma and Community Resiliency Model, Second Edition (2023)," has been recognized by the United Nations and Taylor and Francis.  She is a regular contributor to Psychology Today. She has presented internationally at Oxford University's Skoll World Forum, the United Nations, Resiliency 2024, Medscape, Psychotherapy Networker, the Global Fund, the Carter Center, and the Centers for Disease Control. Elaine believes in a world where every person is treated with dignity and our differences are acknowledged and respected.

    43 min

  5. FEB 12

    Youth Healing Youth: TRI's Youth Ambassador Program (YAP)

    In this encore episode, Elaine Miller-Karas, host of Resiliency Within, welcomes back Kevin McLeod, Director of Business & Community Development at the Trauma Resource Institute (TRI), for a powerful conversation about teens, healing, and hope. In this episode, Kevin addresses the Trauma Resource Institute's inspiring work bringing the Youth Ambassador Program (YAP) to teens in Georgia's Juvenile Justice System—and how this innovative program can be brought to schools, teen centers, and community clubs everywhere. YAP has recently been applied to the Disaster Relief Mobilization-Community Resiliency Model Program. YAP empowers teens with simple, science-based wellness skills from the Community Resiliency Model (CRM)—tools that help calm the nervous system and restore well-being after stress or trauma. Through hands-on, experiential training, youth become CRM Teen Ambassadors (CRM-TAs) and learn six easy-to-use skills they can apply for self-care and peer support. What's more, these young leaders go on to share the skills with their friends and classmates through short, engaging "share-backs" that bring the skills to life in everyday settings—from classrooms to living rooms. YAP is more than a program—it's a movement to build resilience, foster connection, and inspire hope—one teen at a time.

    49 min

  6. FEB 5

    What Else Is True? The Strength in the Whole Story

    In this episode of Resiliency Within, Elaine Miller-Karas sits down with Edith Boyle, LCSW—President & CEO of LifeBridge Community Services—for a meaningful conversation about the power of balancing the narrative and why the stories we tell about our communities shape their future. Bridgeport, Connecticut is often described through statistics of hardship—high poverty rates, community violence, limited access to mental health care, and chronic school absenteeism. These realities are significant and deserve attention. But when a place is defined only by its struggles, something vital is lost. Research calls this deficit framing or spatial stigma—a lens that can lower expectations, reinforce bias, and quietly erode hope, dignity, and well-being. So the question becomes: What else is true? Bridgeport is also home to deep cultural pride, resilient families, committed faith and neighborhood leaders, strong nonprofit partnerships, and generations of community strength. Edith shares how LifeBridge embraces both truths—acknowledging adversity while actively cultivating possibility. Through trauma-informed school and community mental health services, integrated pediatric behavioral health, community resiliency training, and arts-based healing initiatives, LifeBridge helps individuals and neighborhoods expand their narrative beyond survival toward empowerment. This conversation explores how a balanced narrative doesn't deny pain—it widens the lens. It reduces shame, restores dignity, supports nervous system regulation, and strengthens resilience not just in individuals, but across entire communities. Join us for an inspiring dialogue about reframing stories, reclaiming identity, and rediscovering what is possible.   About Our Guest: Edith Boyle, LCSW President & CEO, LifeBridge Community Services Edith Boyle, LCSW is President & CEO of LifeBridge Community Services in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and a licensed clinical social worker committed to advancing healing and resilience in communities impacted by stress and adversity. A first-generation college graduate, she holds an MSW from Western NewMexico University and a BA in Psychology from Arizona State University. Since 2022, Edith has led LifeBridge's expansion of accessible, trauma-informed outpatient mental health care for children, adults, and families—integrating talk therapy and clinical art therapy to support both mind and body. She also champions practical, neuroscience-informed resiliency skills in everyday settings through Community Resiliency Model (CRM) trainings for frontline professionals and community members, helping people feel calmer, more focused, and more connected during challenging times. Edith is advancing community-based models that bring care closer to where families live and learn, including embedding clinicians in schools and pediatric practices across Fairfield County. Under her leadership, LifeBridge joined the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, strengthening the organization's capacity to serve children and families impacted by trauma. She also founded Connecticut's first Trauma-Informed Community of Practice (TI-CoP), convening cross-sector providers to deepen shared learning and strengthen trauma-responsive care throughout the region.

    1 hr

  7. JAN 29

    Resilience as Continuity: Healing Through Community Recovery

    In this conversation, Maryam Zar reflects on resilience as an act of continuity—how individuals and communities carry memory, identity, and care forward after profound disruption. Drawing from her leadership in post-wildfire recovery and her partnership in Art for Healing and the Legacy Family project among other initiatives, Maryam explores how healing is supported when survivors are seen as keepers of story, connection, and meaning. She shares insights on the emotional toll of displacement, the importance of community-led recovery models, and the role of creative and practical structures in helping people feel grounded. The discussion highlights how resilience is often quiet and relational—rooted in showing up, creating safe spaces, and allowing grief and hope to exist side by side. Maryam offers a perspective on recovery that is focused on rebuilding structures and recovering community with a focus on meeting people where they are - even as that evolves. __________________ About Our Guest: Maryam Zar is a longtime community leader, civic convener, and recovery advocate based in Pacific Palisades. She is a founder of the Palisades Recovery Coalition and plays a central role in guiding community-centered recovery efforts following wildfire-related displacement and loss. Her work focuses on restoring not only physical infrastructure, but also trust, continuity, and belonging—particularly for families navigating prolonged disruption. Maryam's leadership emphasizes collaboration across residents, local institutions, mental health practitioners, designers, and policymakers, with a strong belief that recovery is both a logistical and emotional process. Through initiatives such as the Legacy Family project, Community Recovery Labs, and healing-centered convenings, she has helped create spaces where grief, resilience, and forward momentum can coexist. Her approach is grounded, inclusive, and informed by lived experience, with a commitment to ensuring that recovery efforts honor memory while supporting long-term well-being.

    57 min

  8. JAN 22

    Resilience, Health, and Hope: Advancing the Beloved Community Across the Life Span

    Dr. Rebecca Shasanmi Ellis joins Resiliency Within to explore how we can mobilize models of care that strengthen resilience, promote health equity, and advance Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision of The Beloved Community across the life span. Drawing on her expertise as a community mental health nurse and a Community Resiliency Model (CRM)® Teacher, Dr. Ellis brings a grounded, systems-level perspective on how social and structural determinants of health shape individual and community well-being. She has taught nurses and other clinical, public health, and social service providers how to manage their own psychological stress while sharing practical resiliency skills that support more equitable, patient-centered care in both facility-based and community settings. Her wisdom is informed by nearly two decades of work in health systems readiness for maternal and child health—globally and domestically—including her current work with communities in Washington, DC. Notably, in 2014, Dr. Ellis served as project manager for a $9 million USD World Health Organization initiative in Nigeria, addressing critical frontline reproductive health workforce shortages during the Ebola crisis. In this conversation, she reflects on lessons learned from global and local contexts, and how resilience-informed, community-centered approaches can foster healing, hope, and connection in times of both crisis and renewal. ________________ About Our Guest: Rebecca Shasanmi Ellis, PhD, MS, MPH, BSN, RN is an Assistant Professor at Georgetown University's Berkley School of Nursing. Her long-term research agenda focuses on the intersections of health workforce and health systems development, mental health, and structural determinants of health, with the goal of reducing health disparities in underserved and resource-limited communities globally. With more than 20 years of experience as a field-trained health professional, Dr. Ellis brings deep expertise in program management, implementation science, and interprofessional education across research, clinical practice, health system strengthening, and policy. This multidisciplinary background uniquely positions her to design, lead, and evaluate complex, collaborative programs that bridge nursing, public health, and global health practice. Dr. Ellis currently serves as Chair of the Public Health Nursing (PHN) Section of the American Public Health Association(APHA) and is a member of the Council of Public Health Nursing Organizations. Prior to joining Georgetown, she was an instructor at Emory University beginning in 2018. She also provided direct patient care as a registered nurse in mental health and women's health settings at SisterLove, Inc.—the first Black women–led HIV organization in the U.S. South—and at Our House Health (formerly CAPN Clinics), delivering care within homeless shelters in Atlanta, Georgia. Since 2014, Dr. Ellis has also served as a research collaborating consultant with the Center for Patient Safety at the University of Sao Paulo College of Nursing in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, contributing to international efforts to advance patient safety, workforce development, and equitable health systems.

    55 min
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4.8
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Elaine Miller-Karas will amplify the message of hope, healing and resiliency she has learned from our world community as she has traversed the globe after human made and natural disasters. Hope often springs forth in response to suffering and trauma. Our beliefs and our wellbeing are being challenged during these unprecedented times. The program Resiliency Within is about cultivating individual and community resiliency. Resiliency is the capacity to lean into our strengths with compassion during the most challenging of times and to remember what else is true? about our lived experience. Her guests are inspiring global leaders actively promoting healing and resiliency from a variety of backgrounds. The goal is to spread wellbeing and give individual and community examples to inspire how wellness skills, including ones based upon neuroscience and the biology of the human nervous system, can be integrated into one's life, family and community during challenging times.

Information

  • Creator
    Elaine Miller-Karas, LCSW
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    235
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Elaine Miller-Karas, LCSW
  • Show Website
    Resiliency Within

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