Inside the Mind: How Trauma Shapes Behavior

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What happens when trauma meets institutions? Dr. Ashley, a forensic psychologist with a master's in forensic psychology and doctorate in clinical psychology, takes us on a profound journey through the psychological realities of prison life and trauma's lasting impact.
The conversation begins with Ashley's unique path into psychology, sparked by a childhood fascination with criminal profiling and deepened through years working in state hospitals, forensic institutions, and mental health facilities. Unlike traditional academic routes, Ashley's experience delivering pizza, working in bars, and serving in high-security settings provided a real-world education that textbooks couldn't match.
Ashley brilliantly unpacks the psychological dynamics of prison environments, describing how violence becomes a language and "swift justice" creates its own cultural norms. She challenges common misconceptions about psychopathy versus trauma responses, explaining how institutional settings often fail to distinguish between developmental disabilities, brain injuries, substance-induced behaviors, and trauma responses.
The most eye-opening segments explore trauma's physiological effects—how it impairs memory, disrupts relationships, and creates disconnection. Ashley explains why correctional officers and military veterans experience high rates of PTSD, suicide, and substance abuse, offering compassionate insight into the "thousand-yard stare" and dissociative behaviors that loved ones often misinterpret as indifference or dishonesty.
Through powerful anecdotes about manipulation tactics, vicarious trauma, and institutional failures, Ashley advocates for trauma-informed approaches that recognize everyone's unique experiences. Her perspective on empathy as a learned skill rather than an innate quality provides hope that even broken systems can improve through greater understanding.
Whether you work in corrections, mental health, or simply want to better understand the human mind under pressure, this conversation offers rare wisdom from someone who's witnessed humanity at its most vulnerable. Listen, learn, and perhaps discover a more compassionate way to view both yourself and others who carry invisible wounds.

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1. Meeting Ashley: Licensed Psychologist (00:00:00)

2. Path to Psychology: Crime Fascination (00:08:20)

3. Understanding Criminal Behavior and Trauma (00:17:00)

4. Prison Culture and Swift Justice (00:30:30)

5. Substance Abuse and Mental Health (00:41:30)

6. Staff Trauma and Burnout (00:52:30)

7. Memory Loss and PTSD (01:05:12)

8. Manipulation Tactics in Institutions (01:19:40)

9. Supporting Partners of Trauma Survivors (01:36:40)

10. Importance of Empathy and Understanding (01:47:50)