Trauma, Neurobiology, and Human Sex Trafficking: How Coercion Can Feel Like Choice
September 13, 2021 from 2:00 pm-4:00 pm
The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) is pleased to announce that registration is now open for “Trauma, Neurobiology, and Human Trafficking: How Coercion Can Feel Like Choice.” Dr. Chris Wilson and survivor leader Bekah Charleston integrate the science of threat and trauma into the real life experience of a survivor of domestic human sex trafficking. While Ms. Charleston shares her experiences of being trafficked over ten years, Dr. Wilson will integrate the science, providing participants with powerful examples of the impact trauma can have on the brain, the impact attachment to the trafficker can have on the brain, and the barriers facing victims of trafficking that make leaving so difficult.
Bekah Charleston
Bekah Charleston is a nationally respected leader and a dynamic public speaker whose story of survival, triumph, and determination has been featured in communities across the United States and at the national level by numerous media outlets including Deadline Crimes, Daystar, Dallas Morning News, and the New York Post. After enduring a decade of abuse and exploitation, she built a career dedicated to the empowerment of survivors and focused on community collaboration at all levels. In 2013, she launched Bekah Speaks Out to provide customized training and consultancy services to law enforcement, service providers, and community leaders alike. Since then, she has earned degrees in criminal justice and criminology, filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Nevada over the legalized prostitution industry, and worked with senators to advocate for the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act which provides victims the opportunity to vacate or expunge federal convictions resulting from their victimization. She previously served as the executive director of a non-profit that provided emergency housing, advocacy, and customized care to sexually exploited individuals and their families where she managed daily operations, programming, and community outreach initiatives. She has been an active member of the Fort Worth and Dallas Human Trafficking Task Forces for several years, has been publicly recognized for her critical work in the anti-trafficking field, and has delivered a passionate talk at TEDx entitled “Tragedy to Triumph” that focused on the importance of resilience.
Through her personal and professional platforms, she provides guidance and coaching for program development, strategic planning, and economic empowerment initiatives for survivors of trafficking. Dedicated to creating sustainable changes in policy, culture, and victim-centered responses, Bekah continues to educate audiences on the evolving dynamics of survival, from trauma to healing to community reintegration, and all of the challenges in between. Speaking from the heart, she delivers a message of hope rooted in science, empathy, self-empowerment, and transferrable skillsets that every audience can grasp. Bekah’s goal is not only to change perceptions, but also to leave a legacy that demonstrates the dignity and strength of Survivorship.
Christopher Wilson, Psy.D.
Dr. Chris Wilson is a licensed psychologist from Portland, Oregon. He is currently the Director of Being Trauma Informed (BTI), an organization dedicated to making the science of trauma accessible and practical. Prior to starting BTI, Dr. Wilson had a private practice conducting evaluations and psychotherapy, while also providing training with a focus on domestic violence and sexual assault. For seven years, he worked in the Oregon Department of Corrections and for ten years ran groups for abusive men. Dr. Wilson is a guest faculty member at the US Army’s Special Victim Capabilities Course, where he teaches military criminal investigators about the neurobiology of trauma. He formerly served as a curriculum consultant for The National Center for Campus Public Safety. Dr. Wilson co-authored, with the National Crime Victim Law Institute, the bulletin entitled “Judges' and Juries' Common Misperceptions About Domestic Violence Victims' Behaviors.” He also co-authored, with End Violence Against Women International, the bulletin entitled “Understanding the Neurobiology of Trauma and Implications for Interviewing” (an abbreviated version of which was translated and provided for Danish law enforcement in 2017). He’s provided training, plenary, keynote, and breakout sessions for conferences and organizations across the United States, Canada, and Europe, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, US Department of Justice, the US Department of the Interior, the US Navy, Marine Corps, Army, and Air Force, and the US Office for Victims of Crime. His audiences include judges, law enforcement officers, advocates, attorneys, and clinicians. Dr. Wilson received his doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Pacific University in 2002. He was licensed as a psychologist in the state of Oregon in 2005 and for six years served on the Board of the Oregon Psychological Association. He is also a member of the American Psychological Association
Participant Registration and Cost: This training webinar is free. Participants need to register in advance for the training. Please click on registration button above to register.
