Glenn R. Schiraldi, Ph.D., Lt. Colonel (US Army Reserve, Retired), is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, and a Vietnam-era veteran. He holds graduate degrees from Brigham Young University and the University of Maryland, and has served on the stress management faculties at the Pentagon, the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, and the University of Maryland School of Public Health. He has trained mental health professionals and laypersons—including high-risk groups such as the military, police, and firefighters—on stress, trauma, and resilience.
Glenn is the founder of Resilience Training International, which teaches how to prevent and recover from stress-related conditions such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety, while optimizing mental health and performance under pressure. An eternally-grateful convert of 47 years, Glenn serves in a young single adult branch presidency and, with his wife, leads the Addiction Recovery Program in his stake in Florida.
Highlights
02:40 Kurt introduces Glenn and the topic of childhood trauma.
05:15 Glenn shares his background and conversion story.
08:25 Glenn explains what he does and what led him to write many books and create courses to help people with their mental health.
11:30 Childhood wounds and how they affect people who are religious versus non religious
13:50 The original ten adverse childhood experiences that cause wounds that people carry into adulthood
16:00 Unresolved pain leads people to drugs and pornography. Unresolved childhood wounds can manifest physically or spiritually.
18:50 How can a leader be a resource to those struggling with childhood wounds and lead them in the right direction to find healing?
20:30 How memories are imprinted on us
23:30 We need a deeper, more dynamic approach to healing childhood trauma. It’s important to find a therapist that is a trauma specialist.
27:00 Glenn explains Accelerated Resolution Therapy, known as ART. This is a fairly new form of therapy that is very effective for helping people with trauma.
34:30 Leaders can encourage people to write out their feelings. Expressive writing and journaling can benefit people trying to deal with old trauma that don’t want to talk about it.
40:00 God is the ultimate attachment figure and his love is the ultimate answer to shame.
45:00 According to research it’s a myth that religion adds to more shame. Religion can cause guilt. Religion is the answer to guilt.
48:50 Big T trauma and small t trauma
51:50 Do most issues come from childhood trauma?
54:45 Coping with trauma by perfectionism and overachieving. They try to overcompensate.
58:00 Latter-day Saint people tend to be overachievers. Most overachievers were adaptive and they like it. Others have fear-driven overachievement.
1:01:00 We don’t have to suffer for decades. A lot of times we just need to learn certain skills to overcome. Take the time to find the right therapist.
1:03:20 A good leader loves the people as Christ did.
Links
The Adverse Childhood Experiences Recovery Workbook
Glenn R. Schiraldi books
Accelerated Resolution Therapy
Resilience Training International
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Thank you for this episode! I was a 7 on the ACE scale. Statistically I would not be alive today. Most don’t live past 50 due to alcoholism, drug addiction, etc. I found the Gospel when I was 12 years old. Missionaries tracked us out. If it weren’t for them I’d be gone. But, for years I buried those traumatic experiences and was treated for depression and anxiety. I served a mission and have held a lot of leadership positions and served on the High Council. But, my mind and body couldn’t handle the denial anymore. The anti-depressants couldn’t mask the pain anymore. The past year I have been through multiple Ketamine treatments which brought back every single traumatic experience from childhood – every kind of abuse, abandonment, neglect, etc. I was able to process everything and I’m still working on it. But through the Atonement, numerous friends, Therapists, an Amazing doctor and family I have been able to conquer my past. I do thank my Heavenly Father for letting me go through all of that trauma so that I could break the cycle of abuse. My kids are all number 1 on the ACE scale!!!
This was an excellent and important podcast. I am a Trustee of the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority and am exposed to many organizations, therapies, and beneficiaries of mental health tools. I have also listened to all the Leading Saints symposium presentations on this topic. It is so important for everyone to understand in order to help others and themselves. There are so many people who need to understand ACEs, their impact, and how to recover. I was so impressed with the discussion that I have been listening to Glenn Schiraldi’s book, The Adverse Childhood Experiences Recovery Workbook. It is now on my recommendation list.