Mental Health Panel on Trauma to be Held at UD in Conjunction with Dubuque County Reads

DUBUQUE, Iowa - A Mental Health Panel on Trauma will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 27, 2025, in Babka Theatre, Heritage Center, University of Dubuque. The panel discussion will be hosted by UD's Charles C. Myers Library in conjunction with the third annual Dubuque County Reads, a county-wide initiative that encourages community members to read and discuss a common book.

"We think it's important to be involved in the larger Dubuque community as well as the larger library community," said Becky Canovan, MA, assistant director for library instruction and public services at UD. "Dubuque County Reads is about bringing people together and inspiring dialogue about important issues and ideas, all things we value at the Charles C. Myers Library."

This year's book is What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma by New York Times bestselling author and acclaimed journalist Stephanie Foo. Copies are available to borrow from the Charles C. Myers Library and other participating Dubuque County libraries. For a list of participating libraries, please visit www.bit.ly/DubCoReads25.

The Mental Health Panel on Trauma is free and open to the public.

Elyse Acompanado, MA, sexual assault therapist at Riverview Center, will serve as moderator for the panel of local mental health experts. Panelists will be Katie Kopp, PhD, clinical psychologist with the Department of Veterans Affairs; Mae Hingtgen, MFCS, chief executive officer at Mental Health/Disability Services of the East Central Region; Brian McLauchlin, SVD, MA, instructor of interdisciplinary studies at Divine Word College in Epworth, Iowa; Tricia Borelli, MA, LMHC, director of counseling services at Loras College; and Nathan Hough, MS, associate professor of psychology at UD.

"Each year, we've added a bit more to the program for Dubuque County Reads," Canovan said. "The first year, we just had book discussions. Last year, we included an additional screening of a play written by a local author that connected to the book. This year, we're excited bring Stephanie Foo, the author of this year's title, to town. Because the book is about her experience with trauma and healing from complex trauma, we thought an educational panel about what trauma is, what trauma looks like, and what local resources are available was an important way to start the program. We wanted to provide some context and background for readers who may not have experience with a topic this heavy."

What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma is a powerful, enlightening, and hopeful memoir. It shares a brave narrative that reckons with the hold of the past over the present and the mind over the body as well as examines one woman's ability to reclaim agency from her trauma.

A writer, radio producer, noted speaker, and instructor, Foo's work has aired on several National Public Radio programs like This American Life, Snap Judgement, and Radiolab. Her writing has been published in Vox and The New York Times.

The Mental Health Panel on Trauma is the first of a series of events and discussions related to this year's Dubuque County Reads. Additional events will be held Tuesday, April 1, 2025, through Monday, April 14, 2025. For more information, please visit www.bit.ly/DubCoReads25.

Dubuque County Reads is organized by nine Dubuque County libraries: Carnegie-Stout Public Library, Clarke University's Nicholas J. Schrup Library, Loras College Library, UD's Charles C. Myers Library, and Wartburg Seminary's Reu Memorial Library in Dubuque, Iowa; Cascade Public Library in Cascade, Iowa; Divine Word College's Matthew Jacoby Library in Epworth, Iowa; Dubuque County Library District with branches in Asbury, Epworth, Farley, Holy Cross, and Peosta, Iowa; and James Kennedy Public Library in Dyersville, Iowa.

Sponsors and partners for the Dubuque County Reads program this year include the Loras College Father Ray Herman Center, Theisen's More for Your Community Grant, River Lights Bookstore, Dubuque County Disabilities Council, and the Dubuque Area Library Information Consortium.