In this episode of "How to talk policy and influence people", I speak with world-renowned child psychiatrist, neuroscientist and author Dr Bruce Perry about the challenges of presenting important knowledge about the human condition to policy-makers and having them act upon it appropriately or, indeed, at all. We talk about the human brain, attachment, safety and modern child-rearing practices where care-givers are often isolated from crucial sources of social support. We discuss the importance of relational health over the life-course, how empathy is established primarily within the attachment relationship with our primary carer. We explore the links between offending behaviour and childhood trauma, poverty and social dislocation and consider the merits and limitations of "ACEs science", the "ACEs movement" and how groups who should be natural allies in working together to prevent trauma and structural violence can become caught up in undermining one another. We discuss Dr Perry's exciting writing project with Oprah Winfrey on a new book about trauma, and the challenges of developing a shared language and understanding of key concepts like "trauma-informed care". We chat about following the "regulate, relate, reason" approach when engaging with traumatised children and adults, and the benefits and challenges of applying the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT) in youth justice settings and prisons. Finally, we consider the role of the community in promoting safety, health and connection for individuals, families and the common good.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0bs1nz4D1A
Image: Efferent Distribution of Primary Regulatory Networks copyright B. Perry
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