Hello! I am Helen, the founder of the THRIVE program. I’m passionate about the field of psychology (especially childhood adversity) and have made it my mission in life to increase awareness of the long-term impact of ACEs and help survivors of childhood adversity thrive!

It all started in 2016 when I—like millions of others around the world—first saw the picture of a young boy sitting covered in dust and blood in the back of an ambulance following an airstrike in Aleppo, Syria. I had welcomed my second child only months earlier and the picture made me cry over the impact this trauma must have on his growing brain and body. I spent the next four years reading all I could about childhood adversity, childhood trauma, and the long-term mental health impact of both. And I learned that while everyone would acknowledge the trauma inflicted on individuals during a war, there was much less awareness and dialogue about childhood trauma from adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) that commonly happen right here in the US—such as physical or verbal abuse, neglect, parental divorce, or parental mental health issues (to name but a few).

Given what we know about the long-term health impact of early life stress and childhood adversity, I’ve made it my mission to raise awareness about the long-term mental health impact of ACEs and equipping survivors with everyday tools and strategies to address their psychological vulnerabilities.

I hope you’ll join me!