The Neurological Impact of Abuse

Ten years ago, when Jennifer was teaching high school, she was inadvertently pulled into an emotional and physical crisis where students reported on four teachers who were repeatedly emotionally and physically abusing them. Jennifer came face to face with ACES unfolding in real time, especially since administrators and ultimately government regulators chose to cover up and re-victimize the thirteen students who reported. This crisis galvanized Jennifer to write The Bullied Brain: Heal Your Scars and Restore Your Health. The good news is- our brains are innately wired to repair and recover when we follow evidence-based practices. Highly-awarded neuroscientist, Dr. Michael Merzenich says The Bullied Brain is “THE most completely, scientifically thorough treatment of the subject on planet earth.”

Dr. Jennifer Fraser has a PhD in Comparative Literature. Her lived experience led her to focus on what brain scientists know about the impact of bullying and abuse on the brain. Twenty years of extensive, peer-reviewed, replicated research shows that ALL forms of bullying and abuse have the capacity to cause physical damage to brain architecture. The neurological scars are visible on brain scans. Brain science gives us an empowering and inspiring way to talk about and put into action practical strategies to help all those who have suffered adverse childhood experiences at the hands of adults. Brain science is a way for us to break the intergenerational cycle and respond to the harm done with healing so hurt brains become stronger, healthier, happier, and more high-performing.