Talk: How Trauma Affects the Body: The Psychosomatic Nature of Trauma

Trauma and its related symptoms are not all ‘just in your head’! Recent studies indicate that the effects of trauma on the body are often overlooked. Undergoing traumatic stress greatly impacts the body: trauma not only significantly affects most psychological processes, but also your overall health, leading to the development of disease and even altering your lifespan. Join neuroscientist Dr Megan Klabunde in this illuminating talk and examine the latest research on trauma and the body. We will delve into the physiological and neuro-anatomy underlying stress and trauma, ranging from the vagus nerve to the prefrontal cortex of the brain. Explore the science behind the development of new and effective treatments, and uncover how your body may be a key factor in reducing the effects of stress and trauma.

Dr Megan Klabunde is a leading expert in the neuroscience underlying the effects of trauma and PTSD during childhood and adolescence. As an academic at the University of Essex, she is the Principal Investigator for various clinical neuroimaging studies. Currently, she is running naturalistic multidisciplinary neuroimaging, clinical psychology and physiological studies in local schools using novel brain imaging tools such as portable functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Previously she worked within the Early Life Stress and Paediatric Anxiety Program, Eating Disorders Clinics and developed the Executive Functioning Program as a Clinical Assistant Professor and Attending (Consultant) Psychologist with the Department of Psychiatry at Stanford University Medical School and is an expert in treating children, young people and adults who have experienced trauma.