A neglected child is damaged socially, psychologically and physically. The developing brain of a neglected child is malformed. But end the neglect, the brain, body and mind heal.

Danielle Goodwin is a peer counselor for parents. She brings her own life story to the work. She was often neglected by her mother, a drug user. She was abused by a succession of men. She lived on the streets. She had 5 kids before court ordered counseling helped her turned her life around. Her story is told in Stacey Solie's 4 part Crosscut series on neglect and the brain. UW Assistant Psychology Professor Katie McLaughlin's work is at the cutting edge of new research on how the human brain is shaped by trauma. This conversation was produced by Katy Sewall and Steve Scher for Crosscut.