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Today’s episode is the first of a two-part conversation on toxic stress. I share how I first learned about this concept during my early work in child welfare and research, and why I’ve spent years thinking more deeply—and more critically—about what it actually means.
In this episode, we slow things down and focus on the basics: where the idea of toxic stress came from, how it’s been defined, and how it connects to ACEs, trauma, and the way we think about children and families. This is the foundation for what’s coming next.
Part 2 will dive into the critiques, the nuance, and why all of this matters for us as practitioners working with real humans every day. References are available in Kajabi, and I’ll see you back here next week.