Isn't that the most encouraging headline? Too few articles about ACEs offer any hope about what can help. For so long, researchers, writers and activists have been trying to make the point and "prove" that ACEs matter, ACEs matter and oh yeah, ACEs matter !
There have not been enough funding or focus on what can be done, individually and systemically, in general or as parents, in particular, to counter the impact of ACEs.
“If you want to interrupt ACEs, you have to help the adults heal,” he said.
If you want to interrupt ACEs, you have to help the adults heal.
Director of the Women’s HIV Program at UCSF
In recognition that parents who have unresolved ACEs will have their parenting skills affected, Lieberman’s treatment helps heal both children experiencing adversity and the children’s parents or caretakers. Called Child-Parent Psychotherapy, the technique brings the two together to alleviate impact of ACEs on the child by helping the parent become a better protector for the child.
After treatment, not only are the physical and mental health indicators much better for the child, but they are much improved for the parent as well.
In an imperfect world where children do experience stress and trauma, a bit of good news is that there considerable evidence of great variation between children in their responses to stress and adversity.
“I feel tremendously encouraged by research being done at UCSF and elsewhere to determine the factors that contribute to a child’s resilience,” Boyce said. Good parenting, a good diet, social support and strong communities are likely candidates. “But we already know that supporting young families and children – financially, psychologically and educationally – really helps with prevention of these stress-related disorders.”
Full article by Mitzi Baker.
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