Ryan Light

“The sense of self informs every relationship or decision we make as we move through life. And when children don’t feel respected by the decisions of their parents, their beliefs about how they are valued are crushed.”
― Bruce D. Perry, What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing

“You love others the way you’ve been loved.”
― Bruce D. Perry, What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing

“What I’ve learned from talking to so many victims of traumatic events, abuse, or neglect is that after absorbing these painful experiences, the child begins to ache. A deep longing to feel needed, validated, and valued begins to take hold. As these children grow, they lack the ability to set a standard for what they deserve. And if that lack is not addressed, what often follows is a complicated, frustrating pattern of self-sabotage, violence, promiscuity, or addiction.”
― Bruce D. Perry, What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing

“Simply put, then, stress is nothing more than a reaction to a perceived threat.”
― J. Eric Gentry, Forward-Facing Trauma Therapy: Healing the Moral Wound