In this episode, Dr. Robert Sege and Dr. Baraka Floyd welcome back Dr. Nadine Burke Harris for a powerful conversation on transforming systems to support children and families. Building on the science of toxic stress, Dr. Burke Harris discusses how to scale positive childhood experiences (PCEs) from the clinic to statewide policy. She shares insights from her time as California's Surgeon General, highlighting the economic cost of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and the groundbreaking policy shift that allowed Medicaid to fund buffering care based on risk rather than waiting for a clinical diagnosis. Finally, the hosts explore the realities of vicarious trauma and the importance of building personal support networks to sustain this critical work.

For more on the HOPE framework, visit positiveexperience.org.

In this episode, Dr. Robert Sege and Dr. Baraka Floyd are joined by Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, California's first-ever Surgeon General. The conversation explores the profound impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress, alongside the biological healing power of positive childhood experiences (PCEs). Through a compelling patient story, Dr. Burke Harris illustrates how buffering care—like child-parent psychotherapy—can reverse the effects of trauma and promote healthy growth. The hosts also discuss the importance of recognizing discrimination as a risk factor for toxic stress and emphasize that positive childhood experiences are essential for all children.

For more on the HOPE framework, visit positiveexperience.org.

Continuing their conversation, Dr. Robert Sege, Dr. Baraka Floyd, and guest Dr. Bruce Perry discuss using the HOPE framework in practical, everyday ways to interact with children. They highlight how brief, in-person moments of connection can calm stress responses and support healthy development. Practical takeaways include the four P's (present, parallel, patient, persistent), the power of proximity and social contagion, simple activities, and the "bubble of effectiveness" strategy to combat burnout and maximize impact,  even in short encounters.

For more on the HOPE framework, visit positiveexperience.org.

In this episode, Dr. Robert Sege and Dr. Baraka Floyd speak with renowned psychiatrist Dr. Bruce Perry about the HOPE framework and how positive relationships, environments, engagement, and emotional growth help children recover from trauma. Dr. Perry explains the concept of relational poverty, the protective effects of supportive adults and community, and the importance of in-person connections and simple environmental changes that create opportunities for healing and resilience.

For more on the HOPE framework, visit positiveexperience.org.