Becoming Trauma Informed Changed My Life | Carla Carlisle | TEDxCharlotte

Key Wellness, Self-Care, and Productivity/Learning Strategies Highlighted

• Seek guidance and regulate in crisis

  • When overwhelmed and “frozen” after an assault, she knelt and asked God for guidance, using prayer as an immediate grounding tool.

• Use trauma-informed thinking instead of relying on labels

  • She noticed that focusing only on behaviors/diagnoses (e.g., PTSD, ADHD) missed the deeper cause.
  • Her shift was to “connect the dots” between adverse childhood experiences and current behavior.

• Prioritize an advocate model (“one loving advocate can change a child’s life”)

  • She internalized the CDC finding that a single loving advocate can change outcomes and aimed to become that consistent advocate.

• Take immediate, drastic action when safety is at risk

  • After her child disclosed suicidal ideation and later attempted suicide, she moved quickly for help:
    • Emergency custody within 3 days
    • Pursued behavioral health/observation and ongoing support through the system

• Commit to consistent learning and therapy

  • She “got busy” learning about being trauma-informed.
  • Both she and JC later received intense trauma-informed therapy, which helped JC build skills.

• Acknowledge and address caregiver mental health

  • She names her own long-term impact:
    • Hypervigilance that continued even after danger passed
    • Anxiety and depression
    • Humiliation and trauma from domestic violence
  • She improves through:
    • Therapy
    • Prayer
    • Self-care
    • Sharing her story (reducing shame and normalizing mental health/trauma)

• Adopt a “safety + skills” approach for triggers

  • JC’s progress included:
    • Better coping skills
    • Improved coordination
    • Feeling safe as a foundation for healing
  • She emphasizes the need to support a child from survival toward thriving.

• Normalize taboo topics to open the door to healing

  • She highlights how speaking out helps:
    • Reduce stigma around mental health and trauma
    • Encourage healing for herself and others
  • Her framing includes: “Prayer with works”—spiritual practice paired with action.

Presenters / Sources

• Carla Carlisle (TEDxCharlotte speaker)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (referenced study on adverse childhood experiences and outcomes)
• JC (her son; referenced throughout the story)