Boris Cyrulnik sees resilience as a dynamic process, involving a complex interaction between the individual and their social and cultural environment. Three key elements structure his definition.

The three eco-psychological niches involved in resilience

First niche: the prenatal environment

The mother’s experiences and living conditions during pregnancy can have an impact on the child’s cognitive development. A stressed mother, for instance, will release stress hormones that may affect the development of the child’s brain. It is therefore not the mother who directly causes the problem, but rather the stressful circumstances she faces.

Second niche: the family environment

The organisation of attachments within the family also plays an important role in resilience. Families with several attachment figures offer the child solid emotional support. Yet nowadays, families often rest on a single, isolated parent, subject to the stress of their work and to the difficulty of caring for their children alone. It is therefore essential to create support networks and to return to the idea that “it takes a village to raise a child”.

Third niche: the narrative environment

Stories play a fundamental role in the resilience process. Boris Cyrulnik, among other researchers, has repeatedly emphasised the importance of narration in an individual’s ability to overcome trauma. He explains that it is sometimes necessary to go through a third party, or through art, to shape the experience in a way that can be passed on without creating vicarious trauma.

To learn more, the full episode — in French — can be watched below.