The Books | Lion Theory Project

The Behaviourist is a raw, unflinching memoir of survival, transformation, and grit.

From a childhood shaped by violence and fear to a youth spent on the margins of society, J.C. Atkins fought her way through poverty, addiction, abuse, and prison. But this isn’t just a story of hardship—it’s a story of what happens when you refuse to stay broken.

Torn between the streets of Blackpool and a system that never made space for women like her, Jo became an ex-offender who defied every label.

As her son entered the justice system, she found herself on a new path—one that led from the prison gates to university halls, and eventually to the creation of The Lion Theory, a ground-breaking trauma recovery programme born from lived experience.

With brutal honesty, fierce heart, and dark humour, Atkins shares her fight to reclaim her health, her family, and her voice—proving that recovery isn’t just possible, it’s revolutionary. This is the true story of a mother, a survivor, and a behaviourist.

The Survivors Guide to Childhood Trauma Recovery. (2026)

J C Atkins has spent her life studying the cognitive and brain science in the field of childhood trauma. In 2019 she was credited for her pioneering and ground breaking work in the Lion Theory and became a leading offending behaviourist.

Jo brings both the lived experience and the academic fields together, into this short but ground breaking book. Which is easy to understand and has no big words. Its a must read for anyone who has suffered from childhood trauma and knows its time to do the work on themselves.

For the first time ever, survivor's of childhood trauma can finally understand their own heads. This book is not just a self help book, its the ultimate guide to childhood trauma in Adults.