Today, we’re diving into a topic that’s transforming how we understand public health education in this country: childhood trauma and its lifelong impact on the brain and body. For decades, adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, like abuse, neglect, or exposure to violence, were often seen as just social or emotional issues. But research has revealed the science of something much deeper: these experiences can rewire a child’s developing stress response system, leading to increased risks of chronic disease, mental health disorders, substance dependence, and even incarceration later in life.
Joining us for this conversation is someone who’s pioneered the charge in translating that science into statewide action. As California’s very first Surgeon General, Dr. Nadine Burke Harris helped put childhood trauma at the center of public health policy. She not only trained tens of thousands of providers to screen for ACEs, but pushed for major changes like linking juvenile justice reform to health equity. Dr. Burke Harris She brings a clinician’s insight and an advocate’s persistence to a conversation that challenges us to think bigger about prevention, healing, and what it really means to create environments that build holistically healthy and stable children.
About the Podcast
The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly conversation with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed Psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves.
Resources & Announcements
You can now catch episodes of the Therapy for Black Girls podcast on YouTube. Be sure to subscribe to get new episodes every week.
Did you know you can leave us a voice note with your questions for the podcast? If you have a question you’d like some feedback on, topics you’d like to hear covered, or want to suggest movies or books for us to review, drop us a message at memo.fm/therapyforblackgirls and let us know what’s on your mind. We just might share it on the podcast.
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Where to Find Our Guest
Stay Connected
Join us in over on Patreon where we’re building community through our chats, connecting at Sunday Night Check-Ins, and soaking in the wisdom from exclusive series like Ask Dr. Joy and So, My Therapist Said.
Is there a topic you’d like covered on the podcast? Submit it at therapyforblackgirls.com/mailbox.
If you’re looking for a therapist in your area, check out the directory at https://www.therapyforblackgirls.com/directory.
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Our Production Team
Executive Producers: Dennison Bradford & Gabrielle Collins
Director of Podcast & Digital Content: Ellice Ellis
Producers: Tyree Rush & Ndeye Thioubou
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