Please stay tuned for a body of new work!!
I am very fortunate to have a wonderful academic position which allows me a sabbatical this year. During this time, I delve into my veil of self-deception, childhood trauma and the resulting disassociation. My research turns acutely towards conversations about mental health, family history, and the implications of inherited trauma through Epigenetics - a relatively recent field in neuroscience which reveals that our environment, diet and experience of trauma can effect genetic expression and coping mechanisms. Our own genetic expression and ability to handle stress is determined by our predecessors' and our own experiences which, in turn, will effect generations to come. In other words, we are what our grandparents experienced, suffered and survived. Our children and grandchildren will carry through them all that has come before. Correlating the nature of dysfunctional family legacies through both personal evidence and the discoveries revealed by Epigenetics , I explore the psychological impact of patterns of behavior that each generation inherits. I see that within families significant events, words and behaviors occur and are absorbed into our daily routine without examination. Some happen over time or in a breath. Our minds, bodies and legacies are formed. However, whatever physiological, emotional, psychological, or spiritual residue is embedded by both nature and nurture, we have an opportunity to redirect that legacy and mend for ourselves, and future generations, those injuries.