ACEs and Families

Hi everyone. So it's still the 25th and apart from expressing how important it is to use appropriate language when discussing child trafficking and exploitation, we do have another post for you on this important topic of ACEs and Human Trafficking. Mrs Harmony Grillo, a Survivor Leader and founder of the nonprofit Treasures, recently did a TEDx Talk titled, The Oldest Oppression in the World. As you can expect, she is referring to the sexual exploitation of primarily women and girls in...

Hi everybody. It's Friday and we want to share some ACEs research wirh you that you can digest over the weekend. 📖 This is a heads-up on a recently published study from the USA on intergenerational trauma and ACEs and how it is transmitted and can be prevented. Angela J. Narayan, Ph.D., L.P. and her colleagues published it in April 2021. Here is an excerpt from the abstract. "In recent years, research and practice on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have shifted from delineating effects...

Good morning everyone! Happy Wellness Wednesday - This post is to reinforce the truth that we are not living in isolation. We're all born into a family, community and nation. When one of us is struggling or feels overwhelmed, because we are born into and live in community, it means we can and should have access to help from others around us. Being present, they have the opportunity to help in the interest of supporting the community. In a sense, therefore, self care is linked to community...

Good Tuesday morning everyone. As we navigate the various systems of our nation, one in which trauma often manifests is the penal and criminal justice system. In our nation, thousands of men and boys and hundreds of women and girls are warehoused in some form of youth detention, pre-trial detention or incarceration after having been failed by dysfunctional or abusive families, and ineffective educational institutions. Often bursting at the seams due to overcrowding, these places of detention...

In observance of Mental Health Awareness Month and World Day of the Boy Child (WDBC) on May 16, 2021, ACEs Caribbean Community will be hosting its first "Live" online chat on the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences in the Caribbean. In a virtual discussion titled " ACEs & The Boy Child ", we will speak with the founder of World Day of the Boy Child, Dr. Jerome Teelucksingh, and explore Mental Health and the effect of Adverse Childhood Experiences on boys with consulting psychologist,...

Hi everyone. If you missed the Feature Address of Picower Institute's symposium on Early Life Stress and Mental Health, you missed a treat. Bryan Stevenson blew everyone away with his flawless talk on racial injustice and how this has shaped the American judicial system to the devastation of persons, many of whom have suffered childhood and generational trauma. It was one of the most powerful opening talks of any conference I have ever heard! We shared excerpts of his talk using Twitter...

Good Monday morning, dear friends. We hope you are healthy and had a pleasant Mother's Day yesterday. Well, the day we told you about last week is finally here. It's the free symposium from the Picower Institute at MIT on Early Life Stress and Mental Health. Speakers will include Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris, Mr. Bryan Stevenson and a mix of 'neuroscientists, policy experts, physicians, educators and activists'. They will discuss 'how our experiences and biology work together to affect how our...

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mothers, nurturers, biological or surrogates throughout the Caribbean and the world! Empirical data shows that 42% of our Caribbean families are single-parent in nature. From my observations in Trinidad and Tobago, many such homes are led by a lone woman caring for more than 1 child. With all that you have experienced - your own adverse childhood trauma, the trauma of adulthood, and the challenges of Covid-19 - we salute you! We cheer you on, admire...

Friday is here again! Who's excited for the weekend? This weekend may be triggering for some people as most of the world observes Mother's Day. If you have been a victim of child abuse or rejection or neglect by a parent, please seek to get support to undo the harm. Hurt like that may be a catalyst for you to repeat what happened to you as you engage in marriage, parenting or other relationships. May you be compassionate and loving toward yourself as you journey towards healing. Have a great...

Good morning everyone. Last month was Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month in several countries. With all the webinars, symposia and other informational sessions, one message came across loud and clear: The days of ignorance need to remain behind us as we seek to undo the trauma of harmful parenting practices. Some Caribbean parents used to adopt the perspective that "no mistake will go unpunished". Their children would literally tremble if they made a mess or did anything which might...

Good morning everyone 😀 and welcome to the end of the work week and the end of yet another month. As we move into the weekend, let us be inspired to continue healing from the trauma of what happened to us. Put in the work and know that the sacrifice is worth it. Do not believe that because you had multiple ACEs that you must pass on to your children what you received from your parents. You are the disruptor in the family! Break the cycle and be to your children what you wished you had...

Around the world, the 1 year anniversary of Covid-19 interrupting our lives was observed in different ways. For many, the concern is for the children and young people who are experiencing Covid-19 as an adverse childhood experience. The clinical observations of a Canadian psychotherapist may well be true for the Caribbean region as it relates to how children are coping one year on. Alyssa Strachan, based at the Delton Glebe Counselling Centre in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada has been helping...