How does a community hold together when faced with sudden, extreme external pressure? In this episode of Facing the Moment, host Toufic Hakim, PhD, explores the human dimension of crisis with Jody Nelson, EdD, LMFT, a veteran family therapist and senior advisor to Change, Inc..

Together, they discuss through a humanistic lens the ”Metro Surge” in Minneapolis and St. Paul, where the arrival of thousands of federal agents for mass deportations has created a climate of intense fear and social strain. Jody describes the internal toll of this environment, noting how individuals—especially educators and vulnerable families—experience a protective ”numbness,” ”chaos brain,” and ”moral injury” when their core values of safety and care are violated.

Drawing on her decades of experience and the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model, Jody offers a roadmap for Self-leadership. She explains how to navigate “internal curtains” of rage and fear to find the clarity needed to act. The conversation highlights the inspiring rise of ”neighboring as a verb,” where hyper-local communities utilize mutual aid, upstander training, and even simple whistles to stand up to bullies with goodness.

From the physiological importance of ”the happy juice” (serotonin and dopamine) for resilience to the power of being ”the water” that eventually beats the rock, this episode is a profound look at staying human in challenging times. As Jody reminds us, citing the late Paul Wellstone, ”we do better when we all do better”.

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