Devika Bhushan Interview

Devika Bhushan, MD, is a pediatrician and public health leader on a mission to drive health innovation, resilience, and equity. As California’s Acting Surgeon General (2022) and its inaugural Chief Health Officer (2019-2022), Dr. Bhushan was a key public health advisor to the California Governor. In these roles, she led policy and practice innovation at a statewide level by co-leading the launch and implementation of the ACEs Aware initiative, focused on healing from childhood trauma.

Michael A. Singer is the author of #1 New York Times bestseller The Untethered Soul and New York Times bestsellers The Surrender Experiment and Living Untethered, which have been published worldwide.

Bessel van der Kolk, M.D., is the President of the Trauma Research Foundation, Professor of Psychiatry at Boston University Medical School and author of NYTimes Bestseller “The Body Keeps The Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma.

Join CPP Founder Fritzi Horstman and guests as they discuss the objectives and approaches involved in bringing trauma awareness and compassionate healing to the forefront of public conversation. After a twenty-year career in family practice, Dr. Gabor Maté began working in Vancouver’s Eastside area with patients who were challenged by addiction and mental illness. Dr. Maté is the best-selling author of four books published in over twenty-five languages, including In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction, When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress, Scattered Minds: The Origins and Healing of Attention Deficit Disorder and, along with Dr. Gordon Neufeld, Hold On To Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers.Dr. Maté is an internationally renowned speaker, highly sought after for his expertise on addiction, trauma, childhood development and the relationship between stress and illness. He is currently writing his next book entitled The Myth of Normal: Illness and Health in an Insane Culture, due out in late 2021.Dr. Maté developed a new therapeutic approach called Compassionate Inquiry which is now being studied by hundreds of therapists, physicians and counselors in their practices.2:32 – The system is working the way it was designed to. When They See Us – TV series discussed.3:50 – Quote from Gabor Maté’s book and Fritzi’s 8 ACEs.4:54 – Promiscuity, workaholics – the need to be lovable and valuable. Addiction patterns serve a purpose.6:30 – Society belittles people for their trauma coping behaviors.7:27 – Manifestations of trauma (violence, obesity examples) – society’s attitude and self judgement.8:17 – What if instead, everyone from schools to courts took trauma into account?8:50 – People in leadership roles are in fight or flight when making decisions about our lives.9:08 – Leaders (like Presidents) and their traumatized behaviors.10:42 – Lawmakers have no problem supporting wars, causes of poverty.11:10 – Traumatized people in positions of power.12:15 – Comparing President Carter with Presidents JFK and Clinton.14:52 – The system is running as it was designed to.15:29 – Traumatized people who volunteer for the military – PTSD and addiction.17:30 – Former Veteran in prison.18:02 – Society creates trauma in the first place then turns traumatized into enemies.18:40 – Protecting society from violent criminals doesn’t mean we need to put them in prison in its current format.19:50 – False equivalence between current prison system and protecting society.20:11 – How the system has failed.20:52 – We are only tough on lower class crime.21:44 – Accountability and the hypocrisy of the prison system.22:10 – Prisoners charged money to call families or buy enough food.24:24 – Correctional Officers are also highly traumatized.25:30 – Many professions have tremendous stress, but no one helps the employees.26:23 – Systemic ignorance of trauma and stress.27:16 – Self-care while under stress – Gabor describes his ordeal as an expert witness for the courts system. Courts don’t care about the truth, only who wins.32:19 – How can the average person deal with assaults and hostility within the courtroom?33:37 – Court appointment physicians thought the accused had a happy childhood. Gabor Mate’ discovered he in fact did not.35:55 – Addicts are not making a conscious choice – there is a good reason behind the behavior.37:11 – Addiction behaviors make people feel like a human being, alive and vital.38:55 – Protective shutting down of emotion by the brain during childhood trauma.39:20 – Medical professionals including a famous Psychiatrist who don’t understand trauma (ACEs).41:00 – Things are starting to slowly change for the better.41:36 – Trauma education is needed so that we can stop hurting our children.42:35 – Prevention of trauma should begin with prenatal care.

Over the last thirty years, Dr. Perry has been an active teacher, clinician and researcher in children’s mental health and the neurosciences holding a variety of academic positions. His work on the impact of abuse, neglect and trauma on the developing brain has impacted clinical practice, programs and policy across the world.

Dr. Joe holds a Bachelor of Science degree and is a Doctor of Chiropractic. His postgraduate training includes the fields of neuroscience and neuroplasticity, quantitive electroencephalogram EEG measurements, epigenetics, mind-body medicine and brain heart coherence as a researcher, lecturer, author and corporate consultant. His interests lie in demystifying the mystical so that people have all the tools within their reach to make measurable changes in their lives.

Stephen W. Porges, Ph.D. is Distinguished University Scientist at Indiana University where he is the founding director of the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium. He is Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina, and Professor Emeritus at both the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Maryland.

Dr. Levine is the founder of the Somatic Experience Trauma Institute. He's worked in the field of stress and trauma for over 40 years. He is the developer of the Somatic Experiencing Method.

Join CPP Founder Fritzi Horstman and guests as they discuss the objectives and approaches involved in bringing trauma awareness and compassionate healing to the forefront of public conversation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-VAUnGV1Vs&t=4s Dr. Vincent J Felitti, MD from Kaiser Permanente is the co-principal investigator, along with Robert F. Anda MD from the CDC, of the Adverse Childhood Experiences research study. The ACE study changed the way we understand the impact and predisposing influence childhood trauma has on adult health issues. It helped bring to the forefront the realization that we aren’t bad people but, rather, bad things have happened to us which have subsequently impacted our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. Dr. Felitti graduated from John Hopkins Medical School, starting his medical career as an infectious disease physician in 1968. Dr. Felitti founded the Department of Preventive Medicine at Kaiser Permanente San Diego and held the position of Chief of Preventive Medicine in 2001. He is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at University of California and a Fellow at the American College of Physicians. 2:05 – Origins of the ACE survey 3:23 – Obesity program uncovers hidden childhood trauma and sexual abuse 4:35 – Major study of 26,000 adults CDC and Kaiser Permanente 5:00 – 10 most common ACES selected that kept coming up with obese patients in weight loss program 5:50 – Initial sample was biased (74% white, middle class) 6:09 – 5% of people in initial study had family member go to prison 7:09 – Of 1000-person sample of those enrolled in obesity program, 55% experienced childhood sexual abuse 8:20 – Female prison population, nearly 100% experienced past sexual abuse 8:41 – ACE survey includes “often or very often” meaning repetitive emotional abuse 9:25 – Parents telling children to keep quiet about abuse, or not believing them, equates to parental neglect (adds another ACE) 10:15 – Unpredictable abuse leads to hypervigilance 11:04 – Domestic violence 12:38 – 440,000 patients over several years were surveyed by integrating ACE questions into medical history questionnaires 13:30 – Mathematician analyzed whether or not the ACE study had any effect on subsequent healthcare of patients 14:00 -- ACE survey results in amazing reductions in medical visits within following 12 months 14:25 – Vermont legislature invited Dr. Felitti to present, including ACE information in their state-run programs. Now 22 more states have passed similar legislation. 16:26 – Example of high cholesterol – is it genetics? ACEs? 17:24 – ACEs affect health in three categories including coping (crystal meth is street version of meth antidepressant from 1940s) 19:19 – One of Dr. Felitti’s more memorable patients – obese, heavy smoker, history of childhood molestation 22:46 – Neurochemical depression – life experiences cause chemical changes 23:37 – Prevalence of anxiety in society and 64% of Americans with at least 1 ACE 25:50 – Should we do ACE with the census? 26:55 – Patients appreciated medical staff acknowledging their “dark secrets” and still making them feel accepted 28:39 – Cities have published ACE survey in their newspapers 29:28 – School play idea – address abuse via fictional character development 31:45 – Awareness is key, rage is not who we are 32:37 – ACE awareness in prisons 32:55 – Why doesn’t the media address the childhoods of murderers? Wesley Purkey had an ACE score of 10. We executed him. 35:23 – 2000 ACE surveys have gone out to prisons 36:27 – 4 or more ACEs, seven times more likely to go to prison 36:54 – 3 pathways ACEs lead to disease: Coping mechanisms, toxic stress (brain chemistry) and epigenetics (influences on gene function) 41:58 – autoimmune issues associated with ACEs 42:24 – toxic stress and brain releases pro-inflammatory chemicals 44:45 – Need to improve parenting across the nation 45:57 – COVID and...

Join CPP Founder Fritzi Horstman and guests as they discuss the objectives and approaches involved in bringing trauma awareness and compassionate healing to the forefront of public conversation. https://youtu.be/FbITRNVNT3s Another road map to transformation with the unstoppable visionary Richard Mireles. This conversation will also be included in our Trauma Talks series and will be delivered to prison tablets across the nation! Richard Mireles is a dynamic public speaker and expert communicator with advanced leadership and communication certifications with the world-recognized Toastmasters International. He is Certified Career Coach having graduated under the tutelage of Master Coaches Christina Lee and Dr. Yvette Hall of Paradigm 360 LLC. An inspiring leader and powerful orator who delivered over 65 transformational coaching seminars and workshops. Richard possesses the uncanny ability to capture a room’s attention while conveying impactful messages to any audience. Having spent over 20 years inside the CDCR, Richard made abundant contributions as a co-founder of the Inside Solutions think tank and lead intern for CROP Organization’s programs offered within correctional institutions. Richard graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Healthcare Management from California Coast University. He has an advanced certification as an Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) (CADC II) counselor who received a certificate of recognition from the California State Senate for his contributions to the recovery community. He is a graduate of Initiate Justice's "Institute of Impacted Leaders" and has spoken as a criminal justice reform advocate at the California State Capitol on 5 separate occasions and has conducted 90 legislative visits. Richard is also the only known incarcerated person to earn the status of Associate Trainer from John Maxwell’s EQUIP Leadership. Richard was found suitable for parole at his initial Board of Parole Hearing and was released in March of 2019. Today he is the Director of Outreach and Engagement at CROP Organization and Host of The Prison Post Podcast. He trains transformational/personal empowerment seminars in carceral settings, community colleges, and leaders of nonprofit organizations. Note to listeners, our Youtube edition of this discussion has photos in some of the interview. Donate to our non-profit Compassion Prison Project