We all have childhood memories. These can be from school events or holidays, or just something that ‘stuck with us’. Some of these memories are good and other memories may not be good.  And it is true that sometimes our memories are not accurate and what we thought happened was far from the actual occurrences on the day. These incorrect memories are usually identified when talking with a sibling or family friend. What we believe happened may not actually be the case.  But the simple truth is that our childhood memories affect our adult lives.

Understanding the Effects of Early Memories

This 20-minute TEDx video Living Without Fear by Dr Kim discusses the effects of early memories and how these memories effect everything we do in life. Dr Jee Hyun Kim currently leads a research team working on memory aspects of early-onset anxiety disorders and drug addiction in the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne. Her research suggests cognitive-behavioural therapies have different effectiveness depending on one’s age, and advocates treatment of mental disorders during childhood. Psychotherapy treatment focuses very much on early childhood memories and the unconscious way these memories effect the behaviour patterns of adults. Psychotherapy & Living Without Fear work together to help a person live a better life through releasing these early childhood memories in therapy.

Her research in memory development began when she received a Bachelor of Psychology with 1st Class Honours and the University Medal in 2004 from the University of New South Wales, Australia. She then received a Ph.D. in 2008 for research in memory retrieval, forgetting, inhibition and erasure from UNSW. While she was at Michigan University for her postdoctoral training, UNSW gave her U-committee Award for Research Excellence in Science in 2010. Dr Kim has recently been honoured with the Australian Psychological Society’s Early Career Research Award in 2012. She has featured regularly on ABC radio, including ‘Radio Australia’, and has recently featured on Channel Ten’s ‘The Project’.

TEDx Talks

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organised events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organised events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organised. (Subject to certain rules and regulations).