From left are Karen Moore, Department Head Training and Skills, North West Regional College, Lisa Taggart, Curriculum Manager Early Years, NWRC, Ann McDuff, Assistant Director for Community and Public Health, (WHSCT), Sheila Funston, Western Trust Child Development Interventions Coordinator, and Dr Nicola Doherty, Consultant Lead Clinical Psychologist (WHSCT). Picture by Martin McKeown
THE Early Years Department at North West Regional College have screened an award winning film which documents how extremely stressful experiences in childhood can have lifelong effects on health and behaviour.
The sold out showing of ‘Resilience: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope,’ directed by Robert Redford’s son James, which was screened recently at the college’s Strand Road Campus, was attended by early years educators, community workers and health care staff and students.
Special guests included Dr Nicola Doherty, Consultant Lead Clinical Psychologist and Ann McDuff, Assistant Director for Community and Public Health at the Western Health and Social Care Trust.
Resilience delves into the science of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the birth of a new movement to treat and prevent Toxic Stress, now understood to be one of the leading causes of everything from heart disease and cancer to substance abuse and depression.
The film examines how extremely stressful experiences in childhood can alter brain development and have lifelong
effects on health and behaviour.
Lisa Taggart, Curriculum Manager for Early Years at NWRC who joined the two guests for a panel discussion said the screening of the one hour documentary had been extremely well received.
She added: “I’d like to thank all of those who came to the college today for the screening and to our guests Dr Nicola Doherty and Ann McDuff.
“This documentary chronicles a new movement among educators, teachers, paediatricians, therapists and communities who are using cutting edge brain science to disrupt cycles of violence, addiction and disease.
“We learned through the film how children may not remember every trauma in their early years, but the body remembers the exposure to the trauma.
“At NWRC many of our Early Years graduates go on to work with young people as Early Years Educators, Classroom or day care assistants, Teachers, Healthcare professionals or parents of the future and we are delighted to have screened such an important documentary.”
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