Understanding Trauma

We’ve collected some resources below that will be helpful to parents of children from traumatic backgrounds. We owe a great debt of gratitude to Dr. Karyn Purvis for working to synthesize decades of research and insight to shed light on what goes on in the hearts and minds of children who come from hard places. Trauma can take many forms, including not only abuse but also neglect, hunger, and a host of other things often experienced by orphans. If there is a former orphan in your life—and especially if your child spent time in an orphanage—we encourage you to look into these resources.