About Us

Ruth Clare is an award-winning author, TEDx speaker and educator on psychological safety, trauma recovery and resilience. Her memoir 'Enemy' (Penguin, 2016) is about growing up as the daughter of a Vietnam veteran with untreated PTSD, and the violence, addiction and neglect that marred her childhood. Sharing insights learned on her own trauma recovery journey, alongside research informed by her background in science, Ruth teaches people about the importance of psychological safety, what happens when it is absent, and how we can build it as individuals, inside relationships, in organisations and in society at large. Her latest book, 'Turn Fear into Courage', provides a revolutionary new framework for channelling fear into purpose, while her book 'Beyond Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn' is a practical guide to trauma recovery using the power of the nervous system. Ruth's TEDx talk 'The Pain of Hiding Your True Self' has had over half a million views. As someone who lived through 8 adverse childhood experiences, and who lives with complex PTSD (c-PTSD) and ADHD, Ruth is passionate about making things better for others who have walked in her shoes. She sits on a Monash University steering committee investigating domestic violence in the military, co-chairs and participates in mental health/disability lived experience panels, as well as partnering with organisations such as Sane, Lifeline, The Melbourne Royal Children's Hospital and Legacy, breaking stigmas and empowering people to realise their potential no matter what hand they have been dealt in life. A Child Safe Ambassador, Ruth is an advocate for childhood trauma and domestic violence survivors. Her work has been cited in Jess Hill’s seminal work, 'See What You Made Me Do'. As one of the only people in the world to write about the impact of military experience on veteran children, she is a renowned voice for veteran families. Her perspective on this topic has featured in Peter Yule’s 'The Long Shadow', the documentary 'Ripples of War' and 'Conversations' with Richard Fidler, among others.