Trauma is one of the leading threats to a human’s physical and emotional health. While adults can be affected by traumatic life events after age 18, childhood ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) can have the greatest effect on our lives. We’ve chosen seven podcast episodes that can help you better understand the deep-seated effects of ACEs and stay trauma-informed.
Please note: the following episodes may contain instances of abuse, trauma, or mature language. Listener discretion is advised.
Jump to:
- How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across A Lifetime
- A Crash Course on Trauma-Informed Teaching
- Racialize Trauma is Solvable
- Traditional Parenting vs. Trauma-Informed Parenting
- How Trauma Lodges in the Body
- What Happened to You (Part 1, 2 and 3)
- Additional Resources About Trauma
How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across A Lifetime by Nadine Burke Harris
Dr. Nadine Burke Harris is emphatic about protecting children’s mental health, specifically in low-income areas of the United States. During her TedMed talk, Dr. Harris addresses the single largest public health threat we are facing today: childhood trauma.
The CDC found that childhood trauma dramatically increases the risk of death for adults – an almost 20-year difference in life expectancy. ACEs affect brain development, the immune system, hormones, and even the way our DNA is read. Studies also show that children living at or below the US poverty level are much more likely to experience ACEs from birth to age eighteen.
Listen to Dr. Harris’ TedTalk about acknowledging, treating, and preventing childhood trauma in our nation.
A Crash Course on Trauma-Informed Teaching by Truth for Teachers
How do you cultivate and maintain a trauma-sensitive classroom? Often times, we may mistake our students’ negative actions as personal or intentional. In reality, they may be responding to their current or past trauma.
In this episode of Truth for Teachers Podcast, Angela Watson offers a simple guide to shaping a trauma-informed classroom. This includes simple preventative and interventive measures as well as the importance of setting boundaries.
iTunes | Spotify | Listen online
Racialize Trauma is Solvable by Solvable
What is generational or intergenerational trauma? What role does American slavery and racism play in it? Jacob Weisberg from Solvable chats with Resmaa Menakem to address these questions. Resmaa is an author and psychotherapist working in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As a specialist focused on racial trauma, he helps people metabolize intergenerational pain and pay attention to the cues their bodies are communicating rather than burying them.
iTunes | Spotify | Listen online
Traditional Parenting vs. Trauma-Informed Parenting by The Forgotten Podcast
Raising a child that’s experienced traumatic life events may look a little different than traditional parenting. Perhaps your child has experienced extreme food insecurity, domestic abuse, a house fire, or the loss of a parent. Simple events like a family pillow fight or a book dropping to the ground may cause a child to react in flight (running away), fight (becoming hostile or worked up), or freezing (not speaking or isolating themselves).
Jami Kaeb and author/seasoned foster parent, Kristin Berry, provide practical insight for parents, foster parents, and guardians who are longing to connect with their children. Particularly those who have been traumatized by big life events.
Please note: This episode has religious undertones with a trauma-informed central message. ChildSavers is a non-religious, non-partisan organization with an appreciation for all people working to improve children’s mental health and development.
iTunes | Spotify | Listen online
How Trauma Lodges in the Body with Bessel van der Kolk by On Being
You won’t want to miss Peabody Award-winning broadcaster, Krista Tippett, as she interviews psychiatrist and Boston University professor, Bessel van der Kolk. During this hour-long conversation, you’ll learn how some experiences imprint themselves in not just our mind, but our body as well.
iTunes | Spotify | Listen online
What Happened to You (Part 1, 2 and 3) by Terrible, Thanks For Asking
Terrible, Thanks for Asking (TTFA for short) is about as real as it gets. Throughout this three-part series*, Nora McInerny urges us to ask “what happened to you” instead of “what’s wrong with you?” Listen to Brit’s 3-part story of building resilience to her childhood trauma.
*Please note these episodes contain mature language and instances of verbal abuse.
Part I Episode 85: iTunes | Spotify | Listen online
Part 2 Episode 86: iTunes | Spotify | Listen online
Part 3 Episode 87: iTunes | Spotify | Listen online
Additional Resources About Trauma
These trauma-informed podcast episodes are a great first step to learn about the effects of trauma on our brains, bodies, and lives. The next step? Engage in training opportunities and explore additional, free resources.
Trauma and Resilience Training
ChildSavers offers a multitude of free and fee-based trauma training opportunities for parents, caregivers, community leaders, and organizations. We also offer workshops and trainings specific to topics like self-care, regulation, and behavior management for educators, clinicians, social services, healthcare workers, and others. Check out our upcoming training calendar and register.
Learn more about trauma and resilience
It’s important to learn about the impacts of trauma but we also must inform ourselves on resilience building and coping with trauma. Below are a few videos and articles from our mental health professionals that may be useful on your journey to becoming a trauma expert:
- What Does Truma-Informed Mean? Trauma Basics (5-minute read)
- Bruce Perry’s Neurosequential Model: Regulate, Relate, Reason (4-minute video)
- Trauma-Informed Discipline (Part 1-4; short videos)
- The 5 Pillars of Resilience (2-minute video)
- The Difference Between ADHD and Trauma (1.5-minute video)
- What Does It Mean to Flip Your Lid? (2-minute video)
- Racism as Trauma (4-minute read)
- Why Do We Need Trauma-Informed Schools? (3-minute read)
ChildSavers‘ mission is to guide our community’s children through life’s critical moments with trauma-informed mental health and development services. With nearly 100 years of service in Richmond, VA, our staff works relentlessly to ensure all children can be safe, happy, healthy, and ready to learn.
