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Oprah Winfrey came all the way to South Africa to speak about something most of us are well-versed in: trauma.

In an event titled “What Happened to You: Understanding the Impact of Trauma on Learning, Teaching, and Psychological Functioning”, the media mogul and philanthropist spoke to more than 500 people gathered at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, Gauteng on Friday, July 21.

Hosted by the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (Owlag), the daylong conference saw the attendance of various individuals across various walks of life, all of whom were seeking knowledge and skills to better understand the effects of trauma on learning, the human mind and overall wellbeing, SA People reported.

The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy is hosting a Special Conference with an exceptional gathering of teachers, counselors and educators, to discuss the significance of developing informed responses to trauma within learning environment , considering the local context. pic.twitter.com/CLAeujlEOP

— Reitumetse Makwea (@reitumakwea) July 21, 2023

Most of her insights are from her best-selling book What Happened to You?, which she co-authored with renowned psychiatrist Bruce Perry, who has expertise in neuroscience and childhood development, noted TimesLIVE:

The book delves into the significance of trauma and its lasting affect on people, exploring how understanding a person’s past, especially the early years, can foster empathy and healing.

Referring to her own experience with trauma, Oprah shared that the best approach to dealing with the hard knocks is to understand what happened to you as opposed to questioning what could be wrong with you.

“It’s not what’s wrong with you? It’s what happened to you? This is how we need to be approaching each other and our own traumas”, she said.

Having been born into poverty in rural Mississippi, and going on to endure emotional, physical and sexual abuse throughout her childhood, Oprah has a wealth of experience on the matter of mental health. As a teen Oprah also struggled with body image issues and endured the crippling effects of racism and discrimination.

Despite such adversity, Oprah has persevered, encouraging and empowering thousands of others to seek help.

Founded by Winfrey in 2007, Owlag is also a prestigious multimillion-dollar boarding school in South Africa which aims to provide underprivileged girls with quality education and leadership skills.

“Their identity is not their poverty or their abuse; therefore it’s important to start with the question “What happened to you?”, said Owlag executive director Gugu Ndebele.

[source:sapeople]