Dr. Bruce Perry, a renowned neurobiologist and trauma expert, joins co-interviewer Bianca Harris to discuss how reframing our questions can transform our understanding of trauma. They emphasize the shift from 'what's wrong with you?' to 'what happened to you?' as a path to healing. Topics include the impact of trauma on mental health, the role of empathy in personal growth, and the effectiveness of therapeutic approaches like EMDR. Perry's insights on community support and the dual nature of trauma provide a compassionate perspective on resilience and recovery.
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insights INSIGHT
Reframing the Question
Reframing "what's wrong with you" to "what happened to you" encourages a historical perspective on present issues.
This shift helps understand behaviors by considering past experiences, especially trauma.
insights INSIGHT
Value of Reframing
Shifting from blaming to understanding promotes compassion and connection, essential for healing.
This change in perspective is crucial for addressing problems in education, mental health, and child welfare.
insights INSIGHT
Normalizing Trauma
Recognizing trauma's broad scope, from major events to everyday stressors, helps validate personal experiences.
This understanding normalizes trauma's impact and encourages self-compassion instead of self-judgment.
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Through deeply personal conversations, Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Bruce Perry explore how traumatic experiences in early life shape behavior and identity. The book emphasizes the importance of understanding and addressing past traumas to clear a path for future healing and resilience. Winfrey shares stories from her own past, while Dr. Perry provides scientific and emotional insights, highlighting the need to ask 'What happened to you?' rather than 'What’s wrong with you?' to foster a deeper understanding of human behavior and promote healing[1][3][5].
A Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog
And Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist's Notebook--What Traumatized Children Can Teach Us About Loss, Love, and Healing
Bruce D. Perry
Bruce Perry's "A Boy Raised as a Dog" uses case studies to illustrate the profound impact of early childhood trauma on brain development and behavior. The book highlights the importance of understanding the neurobiological effects of trauma and the need for trauma-informed care. Perry emphasizes the resilience of the human brain and the potential for healing through appropriate interventions. He challenges traditional approaches to understanding and treating trauma, advocating for a more holistic and compassionate approach. The book is a powerful testament to the importance of early intervention and the potential for recovery from even the most severe forms of trauma.
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The radical shift in perspective that can come when we change our question from “what’s wrong with you” to “what happened to you?”
Dr. Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D. is the Principal of the Neurosequential Network and a Professor (Adjunct) at the School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria Australia.
Over the last thirty years, Dr. Perry has been an active teacher, clinician and researcher in children’s mental health and the neurosciences holding a variety of academic positions. His work on the impact of abuse, neglect and trauma on the developing brain has impacted clinical practice, programs and policy across the world. Dr. Perry is the author, with Maia Szalavitz, of The Boy Who Was Raised As A Dog, a bestselling book based on his work with maltreated children and Born For Love: Why Empathy is Essential and Endangered. Dr. Perry's most recent book, What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing(2021), co-authored with Oprah Winfrey, has been translated into 26 languages and has been on the New York Times Bestseller list for over 100 weeks after becoming #1 on the list in April of 2021.
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