St. John's NFLD How To Understand Horrible Things Day 1

Understanding Human Trafficking Through Biology, Attachment, and the Brain: The Why

What if the question isn’t “Why didn’t they leave?”

What if the real question is “What happened in the body and brain that made leaving so difficult?”

This powerful one-day intensive workshop challenges common assumptions about human trafficking and sexually exploitative relationships by shifting the focus from behaviour to biology.

Grounded in neuroscience, attachment theory, and trauma-informed practice, this training explores how trafficking and coercive relationships are not sustained by choice or weakness—but through powerful, adaptive processes within the body.

Participants will examine how anatomy, biochemistry, and neural development shape responses to threat, attachment, and survival. We will unpack how systems such as the autonomic nervous system, stress hormones, and neurochemicals like dopamine and oxytocin contribute to trauma bonding, compliance, dissociation, and addiction patterns.