Marina Bluvshtein, Ph.D., Director for the Center for Adlerian Practice and Scholarship at Adler University, was featured on WBEZ’s Reset. The episode discussed community mental health and the effects of community violence, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bluvshtein framed the rise in community violence as a public health issue, not a crime issue.

“We’re seeing trauma to a sense of belongingness on a fundamental level.” Bluvshtein said. “When disaster strikes, humans usually respond by coming together and reaching out. The pandemic brought these unique challenges: We can’t get together, we can’t go to weddings and funerals, we can’t hug each other or smile at each other. I think it’s a trauma to human belongingness.”

Listen to the Reset interview, “How to Maintain Good Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic.”