245 How Adverse Childhood Experiences Shape Aging and Affect Health with Wendy B. Correa

Early life trauma can leave lasting imprints on the brain, body, and emotional health well into later life, but healing is possible at any age. In this episode of Growing Older Living Younger, Dr. Gillian Lockitch speaks with memoirist and wellness practitioner, Wendy Correa about adverse childhood experiences, intergenerational trauma, and the profound healing power of self-awareness and creative expression. Wendy shares how writing her memoir, My Pretty Baby, became both a personal reckoning and a path to liberation. This conversation explores how movement, mindfulness, storytelling, and truth-telling can rewire resilience, restore joy, and help us age with purpose rather than pain. Wendy Correa is a writer, yoga practitioner, hiker, and licensed massage therapist with a background spanning film, television, radio, and music production in Los Angeles and Aspen. She holds bachelor's degrees in psychology and theater arts and is now based in Denver, Colorado. Her debut memoir, My Pretty Baby: Seeking Truth and Finding Healing, chronicles her journey of healing from childhood trauma through embodiment, creativity, and mindfulness, demonstrating that it is never too late to reclaim vitality and joy.  Episode Timeline  00:00 – Welcome and framing the conversation - Dr. Gillian Lockitch introduces the episode's focus on healing adverse childhood experiences and rewiring resilience later in life.  04:56 – The origin of the title My Pretty Baby - Wendy explains how a seemingly small childhood moment revealed a foundational family wound.  06:30 – Why publish a memoir at 69 - Choosing motherhood, life experience, and readiness over urgency and timing.  10:38 – Memory, trauma, and vivid recall - Why traumatic experiences are often remembered with intense clarity.  11:52 – Sense memory and embodied recall - How acting training and sensory awareness unlocked unprocessed grief and anger.  16:03 – Unacknowledged grief and lifelong impact - The consequences of losing a parent in childhood without emotional support.  19:17 – Emotional memory versus happy memory - Why fear-based experiences often imprint more deeply than joy.  21:37 – Understanding the ACE Study -An overview of adverse childhood experiences and their long-term health effects.  22:02 – Trauma, biology, and the nervous system  How early stress reshapes the brain, immune system, and stress response.  24:45 – Healing modalities that restore resilience  Yoga, meditation, sobriety, psychotherapy, creativity, and chosen community.  27:12 – Transformative encounters and human kindness  Stories of meaningful interactions that reinforced worth and belonging.  30:18 – Finding a publisher and reclaiming voice  How women-centered publishing empowered Wendy to share her truth.  34:45 – Becoming a cycle breaker  Why healing personal trauma can ripple outward to families and society.   Resources & Links Mentioned  My Pretty Baby: Seeking Truth and Finding Healing is her debut book. For more information, visit www.wendybcorrea.com. Research on Adverse Childhood Experiences  Call to Action Subscribe to Growing Older Living Younger on your favorite podcast platform and invite your friends to subscribe . Leave a review to help others discover the show.  Explore your personal roadmap to healing, resilience, and longer healthspan by connecting with Dr. Gillian Lockitch at [email protected] Join the Growing Older Living Younger Community