Contributions from Lucy Miller-Suchet and Wendy D’Andrea at the Trauma Research Foundation
August 14, 2025 – The Trauma Research Foundation has been at the forefront of advancing research, education, and clinical innovation around the impact of trauma on individuals, families, and communities. With a strong emphasis on childhood and early trauma, the Trauma Research Foundation plays a critical role in deepening global understanding of how trauma shapes development and behavior, and in promoting evidence-based healing practices. In light of rising global crises—from conflicts to climate change—the Trauma Research Foundation’s insights are more urgent than ever.
The Trauma Research Foundation recently hosted its 36th Annual Boston International Trauma Conference from May 14 to 17, 2025. We spoke with their team to learn more about the Foundation’s work, current priorities, and how they are responding to today’s most pressing challenges for children and families affected by trauma worldwide.
How does the Trauma Research Foundation define early trauma, and why is addressing it in childhood so critical to long-term well-being?
Trauma is incredibly hard to define! The field has struggled with this issue for years, and it seems as though each attempt to refine the definition introduces new problems. Trying to find a decent common definition of trauma is one of the reasons we need more research. As we approach the question, we know that we want to think about trauma in a way that is inclusive and nimble, contextual and complex.
So, if we cannot readily define trauma, how do we approach the definition in a way that helps us address the problem?
At the Trauma Research Foundation, we suggest that we collectively refuse the premise of the question, the premise being that a specific and detailed definition of trauma is essential to moving forward. Rather, sitting down and attempting to define trauma is an intellectual exercise—an important one—that highlights the complexity of trauma. And it drives us to a core understanding of the texture of trauma—not necessarily a list of what is in and what is out—but rather, what, about trauma, is essential. That is, rather than defining trauma, articulate what you value in an approach to understanding trauma. Embrace the complexity.
What we value is understanding the context of trauma: an approach that looks at exposure to trauma broadly defined, in context, including intrapsychic, relational, developmental, and societal. This allows us to step out of the difficulty of defining “who has it” and focus on empowering people who want to understand it to define it in ways that suit their community.
This is particularly true for early trauma. Children who experience trauma early in life often experience a wide range of symptoms and various added difficulties throughout their lives—including mood, anxiety, or disruptive behavior disorders—that may not immediately lead a practitioner to recognize trauma as the underlying cause. We must acknowledge that early trauma is not defined by one characteristic or event, it is complex and often results in myriad difficulties throughout development. Children who are supported with comprehensive approaches to complex trauma—whatever form that trauma takes and however the symptoms look—have a significantly higher likelihood of achieving better mental and physical health outcomes.
How does the Trauma Research Foundation translate scientific findings into practical interventions or programs that can be applied globally?
We are creating a global community of clinically-informed trauma researchers who utilize meaningful and creative methodological approaches to research to fill gaps in the programs, clinical practice, manifestations, mechanisms, interventions, and education regarding trauma. Our aim is to mentor, empower, and nurture researchers in methodologies which capture human complexity, meaning, and nuance, through sustained collaborative mentorship networks aimed at early-career scholars who are dedicated to understanding both trauma’s impact and recovery. The Trauma Research Foundation is launching several innovative, integrative training and funding streams to support the translation of research into interventions, programs, and enhanced clinical practice, including:
- A research accelerator, functioning as a collaborative network where early-career clinicians can access resources for trauma research including sustained peer support, training, mentorship, and funding.
- A nonprofit support program, which will unite researchers and intervention experts in designing and executing projects which demonstrate the impact of interventions, ranging from psychotherapy to community-based programs and social institutions, in order to identify, elevate, and support innovative, contextualized trauma-informed interventions.
- Hubs for integration and bidirectional knowledge exchange between a broad base of practitioners and knowledge-generators.
In essence, our aim is to generate knowledge alongside workforce development. Each of these projects builds upon and integrates with the others to create a sustainable corpus of scientist-practitioners who are able to generate creative solutions to trauma.
In light of recent global events—such as conflict, displacement, or climate disasters—what trends or patterns has the Trauma Research Foundation observed in the way children are affected by trauma worldwide?
Right now it feels as though trauma is all around us, with numerous wars and internal conflicts, the rise of fascism and authoritarian governments, and climate change growing ever more pressing. This is particularly salient in the US where we are experiencing a significant shift in government that has not happened in this country. This can understandably be traumatogenic for many people. However, at the Trauma Research Foundation, we hold off on accepting the narrative that we are worse off now than ever before. For perspective, death, disability, and destruction from global wars reached an all-time high during World War II; the highest levels of unemployment globally occurred during The Great Recession; the Black Plague in the 1300s killed around one third to half of Europeans; and more.
Trauma is, however, ever more salient in our lives. The awareness of trauma has increased significantly at least in part due to the rise of social media, television, and radio disseminating content about deeply distressing events. Discussions about mental health, the impacts of trauma, and the importance of therapeutic interventions have become more acceptable and less stigmatized due to social change efforts. More research has been publicized about the causes, impacts, and treatments for traumatized individuals. We believe that the increased awareness of trauma has contributed to the perception that trauma is more prevalent—with one significant exception at the global level: the rise of climate change-induced trauma. Overall, these are positive changes—to be aware of trauma and its impact on mental health empowers us to act. At the Trauma Research Foundation, we keep the long arc of history front of mind as we work to continue pushing the field—and the world—toward better and more accessible care.
How can systems of care, including education and health systems, be better equipped to support children who have experienced trauma, especially in low-resource or crisis-affected settings?
Systems of care—particularly the people running them—need to be better equipped to prevent abuse before it happens and to respond appropriately when it does. Any and all spaces that work with children must adopt a trauma-informed approach to their work, whether in schools, medical facilities, social services, or other settings. What does that mean? A trauma-informed approach entails understanding the origins and impacts of trauma on individuals and tailoring services and responses accordingly.
We must recognize that childhood trauma is often an underlying cause of many issues—such as hyperactivity, defiance, anxiety, depression, physical health conditions, and more—in order to address the root of the problem rather than just the symptoms that arise from it. Frontline providers, such as teachers, medical professionals, parents, and caregivers must understand trauma and the presentation of traumatized children so that they can identify these children, respond appropriately, and connect them with services they need. To be clear: not all trauma-informed work is trauma-focused. The work can be guided by an awareness of the impact of trauma without extracting painful life stories in contexts that are not equipped to hold them.
In order to ensure the functionality of this approach, we must strengthen referral pathways and case management systems; expand access to and affordability of critical and cutting-edge care; and equip frontline providers with the tools to provide basic psychological care and psychosocial support as a first line of care and mechanism for referrals when possible. This is especially pertinent within primary care, maternal and child healthcare, and immunization programs as well as amongst indigenous, religious leaders, and community health workers. We must also support parents and caregivers to ensure that they receive the support and services they need to prevent and respond to traumatic events that they and their children may experience. Importantly, this response must be adapted to honor and reflect local cultures and practices.
Finally, we must ensure that there is space for children to feel joy, warmth, and connection, as well as to learn, explore, and play, even, and especially, in situations where trauma arises.
How is the Trauma Research Foundation collaborating with international partners to advance research on preventing/responding to childhood trauma across different regions?
Historically, the Trauma Research Foundation has issued requests for proposals to support research that impacts people in high need. We will continue this program as we integrate a more sustainable approach that operates in community. Thus far, the Trauma Research Foundation has supported worldwide research with partners that advance trauma-informed research and care for children globally. We support research that examines the impacts of childhood trauma on development, brain function, and mental wellbeing.
Since 2021, the Trauma Research Foundation has partnered with Dr. Ruth Lanius’ lab at University of Western Ontario to study the effects of touch among individuals who have a history of childhood trauma and/or sexual abuse through the acquisition of neuroimaging data to evaluate how the brain responds to touch. This study focuses on adult survivors of childhood trauma, but the effects of childhood trauma do not disappear upon reaching adulthood; the deprivation of nurturing touch in childhood may lead to critical, lifelong vulnerability. The Trauma Research Foundation also supports research by Dr. Gabriela-Mariana Marcu at Lucian Blaga University that is exploring the impact of neurofeedback on executive functioning and reducing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in maltreated adolescents from residential treatment facilities in Romania.
With various new partnerships, we will also support work carried out by Dr. Martin Teicher at McClean Hospital and Dr. James Caringi at the University of Montana’s Developmental Adversity, Resilience, and Transformation (DART) Lab. Dr. Teicher’s Developmental Biopsychiatry Research Program focuses on improving the lives of children, adolescents, and adults by exploring the causes of psychiatric disorders that arise during development, and by creating medical devices for their assessment. The DART lab employs an inter/transdisciplinary approach to research, teaching, and community engagement to enact change in the field of developmental adversity.
Building on our past and present work, the Trauma Research Foundation is actively expanding relationships with international partners, policy-makers, movement builders, and other actors to improve the reach, depth, and impact of our work. Just as trauma affects all types of people around the world, we hope to support research and clinical practice from diverse settings globally.
What emerging areas of trauma research are particularly promising or urgent in understanding and supporting children in the current global context?
We know so much about the impacts of trauma and its treatment, and yet it feels like we know so little. There are many areas of trauma research that necessitate further exploration, including the epigenetic study of childhood trauma, exploring how traumatic events can alter gene expression; neuroimaging studies, which provide insights into how the brain is impacted by traumatic experiences; digital trauma literacy, including prevention and response to cyberbullying; climate-related distress and trauma, including natural disasters, climate migration, and eco-anxiety; and embodiment, which is the exploration of how traumatic experiences affect the body and how those physical changes can, in turn, influence mental states.
The Trauma Research Foundation also believes it is crucial that we explore the inter- and transgenerational transmission of trauma, delving deeper into how the impacts of trauma can be transmitted between familial generations, as well as interpersonal synchrony or the ways in which behaviors, brain states, and other physiological processes align unintentionally.
The Trauma Research Foundation is actively working with researchers globally to explore many of these areas and push trauma research and clinical practice forward to significantly advance the lives of children and adults who have experienced trauma.
What is the Trauma Research Foundation’s vision for scaling trauma-informed approaches globally, and how can other sectors—such as education, humanitarian aid, or climate response—play a role?
The Trauma Research Foundation envisions a world where everyone works to diminish traumatic events and integrate trauma-informed practices into every area of society, from the homes to schools to medical facilities, workplaces, and beyond.
The Trauma Research Foundation supports the development and dissemination of interventions that start with young children and meet adults where they are. We believe that there are no universal approaches or treatments for people who have experienced complex trauma; all trauma-informed care must be contextualized and honor local customs, religions, and practices.
Interventions must start early and be coordinated among different sectors and points of care, particularly in education, crisis response and management, and social services. Various sectors can support these efforts by incorporating a trauma-informed approach to their work, recognizing the ways that trauma impacts individuals in all phases of life and in the settings they inhabit. Without support and focused efforts from other sectors, trauma-informed practices and interventions cannot make strides toward improving the mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing of children and adults.
The Trauma Research Foundation hosted the 36th Annual Boston International Trauma Conference (May 14 to 17, 2025). What did the conference entail and how can individuals and organizations engage or participate in the future?
From May 14 to 17, 2025, the Trauma Research Foundation and Dr. Bessel van der Kolk hosted the 36th Annual Boston International Trauma Conference—an extraordinary gathering that brought together global leaders in trauma research, clinical practice, and healing.
This year’s event built on over three decades of innovation, offering a dynamic program that explored body rhythms, the arts, science, theater, psychedelics, and neurofeedback. The conference was rich with discussion from several prominent researchers on early childhood research and practice, including Karlen Lyons-Ruth, Alexandra Chen, Nate Harnett, Matt Fleischman, and the Sensory Motor Arousal Regulation Treatment (SMART) therapeutic approach to addressing childhood trauma. Attendees participated in immersive, experiential sessions and connected with a vibrant community of professionals dedicated to transforming trauma care.
The Trauma Research Foundation is committed to building a safe space where diverse individuals with various viewpoints and perspectives can present their knowledge and connect with others in the field. We are committed to developing resources that further the field of trauma research and care and push the field forward.
If this aligns with you, the Trauma Research Foundation is interested in connecting with clinicians, researchers, practitioners, and others who are interested in presenting their findings and approaches via the various opportunities available at our conference in 2026. Please reach out to [email protected] with your interest. Sign up for our mailing list for information about our programs, including Integrate, and about attending our 2026 conference!