Welcome to the second episode of Mindful on Purpose. In this episode we will interview Clinical Psychologist, Valentina Nikulina, PhD on adverse childhood experiences and how they impact domestic violence victims into adulthood. With the COVID-19 pandemic and many women and children sheltering in place with their abusers, how this will impact their overall wellbeing and what we will see as far as behavioral and adverse health outcomes in the forthcoming 12-36 months.

Key discussion points:

1. What are adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)? How do ACEs impact children across their lifespan? 
2. How has the pandemic impacted children sheltering at home and witnessing or experiencing daily abuse?
3. What can be done to minimize children's exposure to violence?
4. If you are an adult who was abused or witnessed abuse as a child, how does this impact you as an adult in your interpersonal relationships, at work, communicating with others, internal chatter, and in everyday living?
5. If you are an adult with symptoms, what can be done?
6. If therapy is suggested, what might a therapist working with children or adults who are/were abused do to help relieve their symptoms?
7. Are there things one can do to manage your own symptoms? 
8. How does alcohol and drug use play into self-medicating when symptoms go untreated?

Valentina Nikulina, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Queens College and The Graduate Center of the City University of New York. She is also a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in the treatment of children and adolescents and trauma sequelae. Her recent research examines the long-term consequences of experiencing childhood adversity for a range of outcomes including neuropsychological functioning, antisocial behavior, and intimate partner violence. A related line of work examines the reasons survivors of sexual violence choose to talk about sexual victimization experiences or keep these to themselves. Her research is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and PSC-CUNY. The ultimate goal of Dr. Nikulina's research is to aid the development of more effective interventions for survivors of childhood adversity and sexual violence.

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