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You might be familiar with talk therapy, art therapy, or even music therapy. But have you heard of cuddle therapy? Today on In The NoCo we’ll hear how cuddle therapy works and how it helps people get more comfortable with physical touch.

Cassandra Armas is a frontline worker fighting to rein in a crisis. Her job, as an in-school therapist was created by a community-wide effort in Eagle County to change the bleak narrative of rural childhood mental health in the region by putting therapists in the schools. Today there are 17 therapists who see students at every school in the district. In 2017 there were none.

Books, supplies and homework — children bring these items into the classroom every day. But they may also carry the effects of trauma due to parental neglect, community violence or COVID-19, and teachers are often the first to notice. That’s why Colorado now requires behavioral health training for teachers and for those studying to become one. But one university has already been incorporating trauma-informed practices into their curriculum.

What happens to you in childhood can affect your health for a lifetime. New data show a link between childhood trauma and disease later in life. Prevention is critical, public health experts say.