Why This Book?

What Happened to You? changes the question from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?” — a powerful and compassionate shift that opens the door to understanding trauma in a new way. Through heartfelt conversations between renowned psychiatrist Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey, the book offers insights into how early experiences shape who we become, and how healing is not only possible — it’s expected when we receive the care we needed all along.

Who It’s For

• Survivors seeking gentle, science-based validation of their experiences
• Readers new to understanding trauma and its lifelong effects
• Parents, therapists, or loved ones wanting to support someone in healing

Big Takeaways

• Trauma is not about what’s wrong with us — it’s about what happened to us, and how our brains adapted to survive.
• Early relationships and environments wire our brains, often in ways we don’t see until later in life.
• Healing is possible at any age, especially in the context of safe, attuned relationships.

How It Can Help

This book offers survivors a deeply compassionate lens through which to see themselves — not as broken, but as adaptive and brave. It validates what many feel but haven’t known how to name: that their patterns, pain, or reactions are not flaws, but responses to wounds. What Happened to You? gently opens space for healing by replacing shame with understanding.

Additional Notes or Warnings

• This book includes stories of childhood trauma, neglect, and abuse, but is framed with great care and emotional safety.
• The format is conversational and accessible — ideal for readers who may find clinical texts overwhelming.

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