From TED: "Pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris noticed a disturbing trend as she treated children in an underserved neighborhood in San Francisco: that many of the kids who came to see her had experienced childhood trauma. She began studying how childhood exposure to adverse events affects brain development, as well as a person’s health as an adult.Understanding this powerful correlation, Burke Harris became the founder and CEO of the Center for Youth Wellness, an initiative at

At some point in our past, we all have been guilty of responding in an insensitive manner. Our spoken words were not intended to hurt or criticize, and yet were hurtful and critical, nonetheless. In these moments, we often react defensively, not understanding how our spoken words were misperceived, misinterpreted, or twisted. We present, as evidence, the literal interpretation of our spoken words to this upset person as justification that our words were harmless. Despite our

In years of research on child maltreatment (emotional, physical and sexual abuse, neglect), we have learned a very powerful lesson. Trauma can have a multigenerational impact that creates risks across generations. In this blog, we will explore some ways that trauma impacts families over decades and generations. To get started, I would like to share how I came to be interested in this topic myself, and why it has continued to captivate me for 20+ years. The first may be becaus

Many of us will make plans for a new start, including resolutions for the New Year. We will resolve to lose weight, have a different attitude, have better relationships, and engage in self-care practices. This is often based on our past accomplishments or adversity. For years I would set the goal to lose weight. Two years ago, I purchased a gym (where I never attended) membership with the vision of losing the unwanted pounds from the previous year. Last year I set the same g