The House That Resilience Built with Tom Glaser
Stan, Clarence, Barry, and the Health Chatter team chat with Tom Glaser, licensed psychologist and author, about his new book The House That Resilience Built: A Psychologist's Approach to Healing Childhood Trauma.
Tom Glaser is a master’s-level licensed psychologist with over 40 years of experience, specializing in working with trauma survivors. His professional work is deeply shaped by his own journey from childhood trauma to resilience, which informs both his clinical approach and his writing. He is also the author of Full Heart Living: Conversations with the Happiest People I Know, an Amazon bestseller that inspired both a live performance piece and a documentary.
In this episode, Tom shares insights from his latest book, an empowering exploration of how individuals can find their voice, reclaim their story, and rebuild their lives after trauma. Blending personal narrative with clinical expertise, he introduces the Seven Building Blocks of Trauma Resilience and offers a compassionate look at how therapy supports the journey from surviving to thriving.
Lear more about Tom and his work here.
Purchase Tom's new book The House That Resilience Built: A Psychologist's Approach to Healing Childhood Trauma on Amazon or Itasca Books.
Join the conversation at healthchatterpodcast.com
Brought to you in support of Hue-MAN, who is Creating Healthy Communities through Innovative Partnerships.
More about their work can be found at https://www.huemanpartnershipalliance.org/
Statistics and Quick Facts on Childhood Trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are defined as preventable, potentially traumatic events that occur among persons aged <18 years and are associated with numerous negative outcomes, Examples include:
Experiencing violence, abuse, or neglect
Witnessing violence in the home or community
Having a family member attempt or die by suicide
Substance use problems
Mental health problems
Instability due to parental separation
Instability due to household members being in jail or prison
Nearly two thirds of U.S. adults reported at least one ACE, and approximately one in six U.S. adults reported four or more ACEs.
U.S. Child welfare authorities look into the safety of more than 7.5 million kids annually
Child abuse hurts minds, bodies, and futures. → The trauma of child abuse causes children to lose their sense of safety and trust in the world, and harms their relationships. Left untreated, the trauma of child abuse can lead to:
Mental health problems like depression, anxiety and PTSD symptoms;
Behavioral changes like substance use disorders, risky sexual behaviors, or increased risk for violence against oneself and others; and/or
Physical health problems like infections, injuries, heart disease and diabetes later in life.
Resilience
What is resilience? Resilience is the ability of a child to recover and show early and effective adaptation following a potentially traumatic event
What does resilience look like in children? Following a traumatic event a child’s pathway to resilience could include these elements:
Responding with minimal distress or effect on daily functioning.
Exhibiting a temporary dip in ability to cope followed by an early and effective return to a child’s usual level of functioning.
What factors might enhance resilience in children after traumatic events? Children’s resilience may be enhanced by these factors:
Support from parents, friends, family, school, and community.
Resources that help to buffer negative consequences on daily life.
Feeling safe at home, school, and in the community.
Having high self-esteem—an overall positive sense of self-worth.
Possessing a sense of self-efficacy—a child’s belief that he or she can be successful in different areas of life.
Having a sense of meaning in one’s life, which might include spiritual or cultural beliefs, connections with others, or goals and dreams.
Possessing talents or skills in certain areas (e.g., the arts, athletics, academics).
Possessing a variety of adaptive and flexible coping
How do the systems in which children live affect resilience?
The quality of the systems and supports in a child’s life can greatly assist children’s resilient recovery. Feeling close to or having a sense of belonging with other family members, peers, and community members can help children cope with trauma. When children experience a traumatic event, they often look to family and friends to help make sense of their experience and deal with difficult emotions. Resilience may be fostered in children who have these:
A strong, positive relationship with a primary caregiver who acts to ensure safety and protection after a traumatic event.
A circle of family members who are committed to each other, share time together, resolve problems and conflicts effectively and efficiently, celebrate successes, hold shared values and beliefs, practice meaningful rituals, and have predictable routines.
A school that provides a positive social environment, works to foster and develop the child’s cognitive skills, and promotes student safety and belonging through the support of school counselors, school social workers, school resource officers, teachers, and other school staff (e.g., bus drivers, cafeteria workers).
A community that ensures access to quality essential services such as childcare, after-school programs, healthcare, and mental health services; has safe neighborhoods; provides green space, quality food sources, and healthy recreational activities; fosters a sense of community and connectedness; and has an equitable and diverse culture.
Sources
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7226a2.htm
https://www.nationalchildrensalliance.org/betherenow/
