Bruce Perry says we need to change the question from 'What's wrong with you' to 'What happened to you'. After years of working with his model, this simple statement has more resonance for me than ever.

Asking ‘What Happened to you?’ makes a space for each client’s individual story - the story how they developed into the person they are today. This story can give insight into the lower areas of the brain that can be deeply impacted by trauma, but are often overlooked in cognitive approaches.

In this class, I’ll be focussing on the area of Dr Perry's work that has most transformed my practice: his focus on working 'Bottom-Up’: regulating and repairing the most fundamental systems of the brain first, to create a space where relationships and reflection become more possible.


This course is presented by: Adam Dickes

Adam is a Clinical Psychologist at the Birchtree Centre.

Adam is a warm, empathic and non-judgemental psychologist. He enjoys connecting with people from all walks of life, hearing their stories and working together to solve problems and overcome difficulties. Adam has worked with a wide range of clients who have experienced trauma, especially those from disadvantaged groups. He has worked at the Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors and the Spilstead Family Intervention Service. Adam is currently the vice-president of the Hearing Voices Network, where he has facilitated support groups for people who hear voices.

Adam’s current research is focused on developing and evaluating a family-based intervention to improve parent-child relationships for children in out of home care who have experienced complex trauma and maltreatment, an area he is especially passionate about.

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