Building a trauma-informed service system in Victoria

🌍 Pioneers of the ACE Study: A Lifelong Collaboration for Healing When people speak about the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study, they often recognize Dr. Vincent Felitti and myself, Dr. Brian Alman, as pioneers—not only because of the study itself, but because our collaboration began before the study even launched. At Kaiser Permanente, Dr. Felitti brought me in as the MindBody expert to help patients who weren’t improving with traditional approaches. Our colleague, Dr. Al Ray, initially called me “the doctor of last resort.” But after seeing years of breakthroughs, he changed that title to “the doctor of first resort.” Dr. Felitti later named me Founder and Clinical Director of the ACE Programs. Since then, we’ve been meeting and collaborating every week for decades—training professionals, leading patient groups, and creating solutions that continue to evolve. ✨ Together we have: • Expanded the original ACE questionnaire from 10 → 12 questions. • Created the Positive Childhood Experiences (PCE) assessment, which also grew from 10 → 12 questions. • Developed the Adverse Adult Experiences assessment (because trauma doesn’t stop at age 18). • Created the Positive Adult Experiences assessment. • Designed specialized Adverse Life Experience tools for parents, and for children ages 5–12 and 13–18. • Co-developed the enlightn app (enlightn.me) to deliver science-based daily tools for stress relief, resilience, and healing worldwide. • Co-authored the upcoming book From Trauma to Enlightenment (launching Christmas 2025). Our mission is clear: to ensure ACE awareness and solutions are available in every community, in the U.S. and across the globe. We’re deeply grateful for the partnerships that make this possible. Healing from trauma is not only possible—it is practical, measurable, and accessible. When healing begins with one person, the ripple effect transforms families, workplaces, and entire communities. #ACEStudy #PCEs #HealingTrauma #Resilience #MentalHealth #TrueSage #enlightn #VincentFelittiMD #drbrianalman

🌍 Pioneers of the ACE Study: A Lifelong Collaboration for Healing When people speak about the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study, they often recognize Dr. Vincent Felitti and myself, Dr. Brian Alman, as pioneers—not only because of the study itself, but because our collaboration began before the study even launched. At Kaiser Permanente, Dr. Felitti brought me in as the MindBody expert to help patients who weren’t improving with traditional approaches. Our colleague, Dr. Al Ray, initially called me “the doctor of last resort.” But after seeing years of breakthroughs, he changed that title to “the doctor of first resort.” Dr. Felitti later named me Founder and Clinical Director of the ACE Programs. Since then, we’ve been meeting and collaborating every week for decades—training professionals, leading patient groups, and creating solutions that continue to evolve. ✨ Together we have: • Expanded the original ACE questionnaire from 10 → 12 questions. • Created the Positive Childhood Experiences (PCE) assessment, which also grew from 10 → 12 questions. • Developed the Adverse Adult Experiences assessment (because trauma doesn’t stop at age 18). • Created the Positive Adult Experiences assessment. • Designed specialized Adverse Life Experience tools for parents, and for children ages 5–12 and 13–18. • Co-developed the enlightn app (enlightn.me) to deliver science-based daily tools for stress relief, resilience, and healing worldwide. • Co-authored the upcoming book From Trauma to Enlightenment (launching Christmas 2025). Our mission is clear: to ensure ACE awareness and solutions are available in every community, in the U.S. and across the globe. We’re deeply grateful for the partnerships that make this possible. Healing from trauma is not only possible—it is practical, measurable, and accessible. When healing begins with one person, the ripple effect transforms families, workplaces, and entire communities. #ACEStudy #PCEs #HealingTrauma #Resilience #MentalHealth #TrueSage #enlightn #VincentFelittiMD #drbrianalman

What will it take for you to live your best life? 2 things! Watch or listen to this video to find out what the two things are and where to find them! Healthy, supported employees drive inclusion and belonging—enlightn helps every person feel seen, supported, and resilient. From the ACE Study to Lifelong Healing: A 40-Year Evolution, and Global Collaboration Did you know the groundbreaking Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study is now 40 years young—and its impact continues to grow every year? Long before the ACE Study officially launched, Dr. Vincent Felitti was noticing something remarkable in his obesity clinic at Kaiser Permanente. Patients who were successfully losing weight were dropping out at high rates—and through careful conversations, we discovered a common thread: many had experienced childhood trauma. This observation sparked a revolutionary collaboration with Dr. Robert Anda at the CDC, leading to the ACE Study, which has since transformed our understanding of how childhood experiences affect health, relationships, and lifelong well-being. Enter Dr. Brian Alman. With decades of experience in mind-body healing, stress management, and trauma recovery, Dr. Alman recognized the profound implications of the ACE Study and began collaborating with Dr. Felitti to translate research into practical tools for healing. Together, they have pioneered approaches that connect scientific discovery with real-world impact: • Expanding the ACE framework with tools like the Adult Adverse Experiences (AAE) questionnaire • Integrating trauma-informed practices into clinical and educational settings • Launching platforms such as the Enlightn™ app, designed to help individuals process past trauma, manage stress, and build resilience Their work is about more than research—it’s about empowering individuals to heal, grow, and thrive. Over four decades, their collaboration has inspired clinicians, educators, and families worldwide to approach childhood trauma with both understanding and actionable strategies. As we celebrate 40 years of the ACE Study, it’s a reminder that healing and inner resilience are possible—and that collaboration, insight, and compassion can change lives. If you want to learn more about practical tools for trauma recovery or how ACE-informed practices can be applied in your workplace, clinic, or home, the work of Drs. Felitti and Alman offers a remarkable blueprint. #ACES #ChildhoodTrauma #MentalHealth #TraumaInformedCare #Resilience #MindBodyHealing #enlightn

How CCT’s Insight-Oriented Tool Expands Therapists Toolkit One of our motivations for developing Cue-Centered Therapy (CCT) was to address the common challenges we faced in conducting trauma therapy for children. In this series I highlighted seven challenges our team has encountered and how CCT offers innovative solutions that are relevant to these experiences. CCT is an evidence-based therapy for youth with chronic traumatic stress. Challenge 7: A key impetus for creating CCT is the recognition that therapists require a diverse range of techniques to effectively address trauma. We understand that there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution when it comes to trauma therapy. Each individual’s experience with trauma is subjective and may necessitate different techniques, which calls for a precision medicine approach to treatment. Solution: CCT aims to provide therapists with another evidence-based tool specifically designed for addressing complex or chronic trauma histories. This approach places a strong emphasis on insight development, recognizing that knowledge is power. By fostering greater insight into their experiences, children can gain agency over their healing journey. CCT equips therapists with the necessary strategies to support children in navigating their trauma, ultimately empowering them to take charge of their narratives and outcomes. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gevzE8VR #youthmentalhealth, #ptsd, #adversechildhoodexperiences, #traumatreatment, #resilience, #childadvocacy

🍀Trauma Informed Care in Practice🍀 Trauma-informed care (TIC) is defined as a strength- based framework for human services that assumes that individuals are more likely than not to have a history of trauma and acknowledges the role that trauma may play in the lives of service users, care providers, and the public. TIC was first described by Harris and Fallot in 2001. They envisioned how human services, such as hospital settings or schools, should commit themselves to providing services in a manner that welcomes and is appropriate for the needs of trauma survivors. TIC is holistic and integrates six guiding principles: 👉safety; 👉 trustworthiness and transparency; 👉 peer support; 👉collaboration and mutuality; 👉empowerment, 👉voice, and choice; and cultural, historical, and gender issues. These principles ensure that the human services are trustworthy and person-centred, targeting trauma survivors’ needs.

Today we recognize World Mental Health Day and reaffirm our collective commitment to promote mental health for all. 🌍 At Vennue, we dont just advocate; we activate. We mobilize pharmacists as change-agents -- empowering them with knowledge, tools and confidence to integrate mental health into their daily interactions with patients, caregivers and co-workers. Vennue's results-oriented approach helps reduce stigma, increase early detection, improve medication managment, and strengthen patient referrals -- while also helping to address health workforce burn-out and attrition. In the past year alone, nearly 500 pharmacists from 25 countries completed our one-of-a-kind program "Mental Healthcare + Pharmacy." Special thanks to Mandip Pokharel for showcasing this program at the FIP 2025 World Pharmacy Congress and inspiring all of us to join the Global Mental Health Movement, stating: "Mental Health is an absolutely vital component of public health. But stigma is strong and services are lacking. We pharmacists can help fill the gap by promoting mental health and outreach in our workplace and our communities -- not just today, but every day. " Be a change-agent. Access Vennue's free Mental Healthcare + Pharmacy resources today and share them with a friend: https://hub.vennue.org/s/

How CCT Addresses Barriers to Caregiver Participation in Youth Trauma Therapy One of our motivations for developing Cue-Centered Therapy (CCT) was to address the common challenges we faced in conducting trauma therapy for children. Over the next few posts, I’ll highlight seven challenges our team has encountered and how CCT offers innovative solutions that are relevant to these experiences. Challenge 2: In communities where children experience multiple adversities, significant barriers often prevent caregiver participation, such as transportation challenges, work responsibilities, and caregivers' own distress. Solution: CCT limits the number of sessions requiring caregiver involvement. While we strive to maximize caregiver participation when possible and clinically indicated, our intervention is designed to be effective even with minimal commitment from caregivers. This flexibility ensures that support is accessible to those who need it most. Don’t want to wait for the series? Download our free info brief: https://lnkd.in/gevzE8VR #cptsd, #youthmentalhealth, #mentalhealthtraining, #childtrauma, #traumatreatment, #ptsd

We recognize World Mental Health Day and reaffirm our collective commitment to promote mental health for all. 🌍 At Vennue, we dont just advocate; we activate. We mobilize pharmacists as change-agents -- empowering them with knowledge, tools and confidence to integrate mental health into their daily interactions with patients, caregivers and co-workers. Vennue's results-oriented approach helps reduce stigma, increase early detection, improve medication managment, and strengthen patient referrals -- while also helping to address health workforce burn-out and attrition. In the past year alone, nearly 500 pharmacists from 25 countries completed our one-of-a-kind program "Mental Healthcare + Pharmacy." Special thanks to Mandip Pokharel for showcasing this program at the FIP 2025 World Pharmacy Congress and inspiring all of us to join the Global Mental Health Movement, stating: "Mental Health is an absolutely vital component of public health. But stigma is strong and services are lacking. We pharmacists can help fill the gap by promoting mental health and outreach in our workplace and our communities -- not just today, but every day. " Be a change-agent. Access Vennue's free Mental Healthcare + Pharmacy resources today and share them with a friend: https://hub.vennue.org/s/

From Transactional to Relational: Reflections on FND and Whole-Person Care Last week I had the privilege of speaking at a multidisciplinary study day on Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) in Inverness, organised by colleagues from the FND Research Group and NHS Highland. Throughout the day, we heard from a wide range of health professionals about the importance of relational approaches to care and of shifting the conversation from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What do you need to feel safe, cope, and even thrive in the face of symptoms?” This represents a profound shift in how we define health — from seeking to eliminate symptoms, to supporting healing, agency, and the capacity to cope and even flourish in the presence of ongoing symptoms. I was invited to share the Six-Step Framework for Whole-Person Consultations — a model I’ve developed through my work as an NHS GP in a remote community and through Wild-Ness Health, which brings together clinicians, creatives, and people with lived experience to reimagine health. To open the session, I asked the audience of 150 health professionals to choose one word to describe how they feel when talking to patients about FND. The word cloud below captures their responses — uncertain, anxious, inadequate, apprehensive, unprepared — emotions that once reflected my own feelings when faced with consultations about what I then referred to as “medically unexplained symptoms.” Now, with a new understanding of how these symptoms can represent signals of stress — how neuroplasticity offers both an explanation and a path toward recovery — and how a relational framework can help cultivate trust and spark agency, I feel empowered and hopeful. These conversations no longer fill me with dread, but with curiosity, compassion, and belief in patients’ capacity for change. If you’d like to learn more or explore how to bring this approach into your own practice: 🌿 View the Study Day Programme → https://lnkd.in/ej_PVNcx 🍂 Download our free Roadmap to Sustainable Practice → https://lnkd.in/d37tBtFD 🌳 Learn more about the Four Seasons of Learning and The Sustainable Healer Conference 2.0 — March 2026, Inverness → wild-ness.co.uk #FunctionalNeurologicalDisorder #FND #SustainableHealerConference #WildNessHealth

Texas made history with HB 1802, which launched the nation’s first state-funded psilocybin clinical trial for veterans with PTSD at Baylor College of Medicine, and again with SB 2308, which created the nation’s first state-funded ibogaine research program. But that was just the beginning. As Texas leads, the Nation follows, and our work continues through education, advancing research, leading community outreach, and shaping legislation with Texas lawmakers to expand safe, evidence-based access to promising psychedelic-assisted therapies. Follow our page Texans for Greater Mental Health to stay informed on the latest in psychedelic research and policy in Texas & beyond. Learn more about our mission and how to get involved: https://www.t4gmh.com/