In this free eight module course, participants will gain an understanding of how children’s earliest experiences and the nature and quality of their attachment to their primary care-giver can impact their ability to feel safe in the world, to regulate their emotions, to trust other people, to learn, experience good physical and mental health, enjoy positive, reciprocal relationships and behave in prosocial ways. In particular, participants will learn about: Human brain development Attachment...

In this "How to talk policy and influence people" interview with Dr Stephen Porges, the developer of polyvagal theory, we discuss the vagus nerve, the evolutionary development of the mammalian autonomic nervous system and the human social engagement system. We discuss the importance of a felt sense of safety in the presence of other people, which starts with our experiences with our primary care-giver in infancy. We talk about common symptoms due to our bodies being in a chronic state of...

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...

In this "How to talk policy and influence people", I speak with Rebecca Lewis-Pankratz from the Essdack Resilience team in Kansas about how she learned about the impact of childhood adversity and trauma on human development, health and functioning and the difference this made to Rebecca in restorying her own traumatic experiences. We discuss the crushing lived experience of poverty and explore the community’s role in preventing ACEs and helping individuals, families and the people in entire...

In this "How to talk policy and influence people" interview with Mick Finnegan, National Expert by Experience Adviser at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health, we discuss his experience of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), including being a victim of child sexual abuse by a senior officer in St John Ambulance. We talk about the consequences of embodied trauma stemming from rape, including serious mental health problems and homelessness. We...

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...

In this "How to talk policy and influence people" interview with Fritzi Horstman, founder and CEO of the Compassion Prison Project (see http://compassionprisonproject.org/ ), we discuss childhood trauma, the significance of the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) science, offending behaviour, addiction, violence and the fact that the men and women who end up in prisons are often among the most traumatized members of any society. We talk about the power of the "Step Inside the Circle"...

In this special interview in the "How to talk policy and influence people" series of Law and Justice, I speak with Dr Wendy Ellis, Director of the Center for Community Resilience at The Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University. We discuss journalism, data gathering, analysis and stories. We talk about the significance of the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) evidence, resilience/protective factors, structural inequity, adverse community environments, the...

Here's a link to a summary of my notes on polyvagal theory from a training I attended with Dr Stephen Porges in Cork, Ireland in September 2019. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340309690_The_human_condition_we_are_all_on_a_quest_for_safety?channel=doi&linkId=5e835d7a299bf130796d959c&showFulltext=true I also conducted a Law and Justice podcast with Dr Porges on "The Science of Safety", accessible here: ...

(On 08 April 2019 I organised an event at the Firkin Crane in Cork on the topic of "Towards an ACE-Aware, trauma-responsive Ireland" (see https://soundcloud.com/jane-mulcahy/firkin-crane-event-towards-an-ace-aware-trauma-responsive-ireland) with a range of speakers, including those with lived expertise. Cormac kindly granted me permission to share his powerful contribution). Hello everyone, my name is Cormac. I was approached by Jane Mulcahy through the Cork Life Centre to come here today...

Check out my talk on "Preventing relational trauma and healing emotional pain: the role of communities" at the Shared Agendas event on Community Justice & Offending in Ballymun, Dublin back in April. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=AK52QnHKGiU

https://soundcloud.com/jane-mulcahy/firkin-crane-event-towards-an-ace-aware-trauma-responsive-ireland This event was an open discussion with survivors of childhood trauma and professionals working in the Early Years sector, education, health, addiction and homeless services about the desirability of raising public and political awareness of the prevalence and impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) in Ireland and the need for a collaborative cross sector trauma-responsive approach for...

I prepared these background notes to provide context for the "Towards an ACE-Aware, trauma-responsive Ireland" event I organised at the Firkin Crane theatre in Cork, Ireland on 08 April 2019. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332275178_Open_the_can_of_worms

This is a slightly abbreviated recording of a talk I gave in January 2019 in my children's school about the ACEs evidence, manifestations of relational and developmental trauma in the classroom, the importance of creating an environment of safety and emotional regulation so all children can learn and how the teacher child relationship can be a crucial buffer in a child's life, or lead to further relational rupture. https://soundcloud.com/jane-mulcahy/trauma-in-the-classroom

This Law and Justice special podcast was recorded live at the "Towards an ACE-Aware, trauma-responsive Ireland" event at Bewley's Cafe Theatre in Dublin on November 28th, 2018. The event, organised in conjunction with the Irish ACEs and Trauma-informed Forum, was kindly sponsored by Senator Lynn Ruane. It was an open discussion with survivors of childhood trauma. professionals working in the Early Years sector, education, health, addiction, criminal justice and psychotherapy about the...

At page 32 of the Law Society Gazette published in October 2018, you will find my short piece which makes the case for a constitutional right to rehabilitation and reintegration in Ireland by invoking the "unenumerated rights" doctrine, applying the ACEs evidence to the criminal justice context. https://www.lawsociety.ie/globalassets/documents/gazette/gazette-pdfs/gazette-2018/october-2018-gazette.pdf For those who are interested in reading a longer, more in-depth exposition of these...

In this extended Law and Justice interview with Scotsman, Kevin Neary, founder of Aid & Abet, we discuss the challenges of safely transitioning from prison back into society, childhood trauma, addiction, offending behaviour, recovery, the need for comprehensive, relationship-based community supports where basic needs are met, the utility of the Adverse Childhood Experience evidence, neuroscience developments and the ACE Aware Nation movement in Scotland, the fact that his family were...