The idea of survivor-led care is gaining traction in groups that help victims of sexual exploitation, human trafficking, and abuse. Karen Campbell, program manager of community initiatives at the Canadian Women’s Foundation, which funds programs to prevent and respond to sexual violence. “Listening to the people who are affected is the first step to figuring out what a strong and good intervention looks like.”

Everyone knows that trauma in childhood can cause problems later in life, but until recently, we totally misunderstood how this happens. Here are four myths that have dominated our understanding of Childhood PTSD, and convoluted our approach to treatment: Myth 1: Childhood PTSD is a psychological wound. What we know now: We now know that the damage from early abuse, neglect and chronic stress is largely neurological -- in other words, it causes brain and nervous system changes. These...

To pave the way for a truly strengths-based approach to full healing and recovery for both service users and burned out staff, we must educate them on (1) the central role of primal body responses to trauma (past and present), and (2) the early development of adaptive thoughts and behaviors in response to traumatic experience.

Governor Carney on Wednesday signed Executive Order #24 making Delaware a trauma-informed state. This Order provides direction for the Family Services Cabinet Council to help mitigate the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and build resilience in children, adults and communities. ACEs can include physical, emotional, or sexual abuse; physical or emotional neglect; household dysfunction, including substance abuse, untreated mental illness, or incarceration of a household member;...

I know that you have thought of the childhood roots of your toxic ties in adulthood. A toxic tie is when you feel yourself being held hostage in a relationship in which you feel yourself losing power. You don’t want to feel this way, but you don’t seem able to stop. One common root of this is being raised by parents who had a toxic tie to one another. We cannot change our past, but we can change our present for a brighter future, and in so doing. support our children in developing healthy...