In this extended "How to talk policy and influence people" interview with Christine "Cissy" White, a writer (see healwritenow.com), mom, trauma survivor (including child sexual abuse) and staff member of Aces Connection, we discuss the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) science and the importance of attachment and a felt sense of safety for health and human flourishing. We explore some criticisms of the ACEs framework, the benefits and risks of ACEs screening and problems with the concept of resilience. We also talk about the Black Lives Matter movement and structural inequity. We consider the harmfulness of silencing trauma survivors, the limits of talk therapy for healing trauma symptoms and the development of somatosensory approaches for processing autonomic dysregulation. We discuss the need for policy-makers and practitioners to share power by listening to and being led by "those closest to the pain" (Rebecca Lewis-Pankratz) and consider how peer mentors can be instrumental in healing and recovery.
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