What Now? with Trevor Noah Rachel Yehuda: The Biology of What We Carry
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Jan 22, 2026 In this insightful discussion, psychiatrist and neuroscientist Rachel Yehuda, an expert on trauma and resilience, delves into the fascinating concept of intergenerational trauma. She explains how trauma can be inherited biologically, yet resilience can also be passed down. Yehuda highlights the nuanced effects of environmental safety on recovery and the surprising role of cortisol levels in PTSD. Furthermore, she explores emerging therapies like psychedelics and the profound impact of empathy in healing, shedding light on how understanding trauma can help foster healing across generations.
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Why Trauma Affects People Differently
- Rachel Yehuda studies why some people develop PTSD after trauma while most do not and how responses vary across individuals.
- She focuses on resilience, intergenerational effects, and how current environment shapes ongoing survival responses.
Trauma Is Both Brain And Body
- PTSD shows as both psychological symptoms and measurable bodily changes like hyper-responsive amygdala and altered hormones.
- Yehuda emphasizes finding places of safety and social support to signal the body it can stand down from survival mode.
Trauma Is Relational And Societal
- Trauma affects not just individuals but relationships and communities; recovery depends on social context and whether others calm or revitalize you.
- Neuroscience validates biological change but doesn't capture the full relational ecosystem of trauma.
