The Lion Theory
Project.
The Lion Theory Recovery Model.
J C Atkins spent her life looking for the answer to "what would work in childhood trauma recovery in adults". After years of studying historical and the latest cognitive and brain science work from all around the world. Joanne created what is now known as the Lion Theory and proved beyond a doubt in her work: Childhood trauma produced Dual Autism and ADHD pathways during childhood development.
In 2019 she was credited for her work in the Lion Theory and became a leading behaviourist in the field of childhood trauma recovery. Through her work in the Lion Theory, J C Atkins was then able to build a recovery model that would tackle the effects the trauma had on both the body and mind. The recovery model was designed to target the following four areas: Thoughts, Emotions, Behaviour and Physiological Responses through the cognitive response behavioural pathways. Finally we had the answers and a recovery model that worked.
The Lion Theory Recovery Model works not by looking at personal trauma; but by looking at the behavioural pathways that have been created during critical cognitive and brain developmental stages in childhood. The model targets the Dual Autism and ADHD pathways and breaks the patterns of behaviour created over time by the cognitive response pathways. By targeting the four key areas and replacing the negative response pathways with healthy cognitive pathways to allow recovery to be possible.
The Lion Theory Research Paper; 2019 then update in 2025.
In the paper J C Atkins proves that everyone who has suffered from childhood trauma will have the same collective set of behaviours. Joanne breaks down all the research work ever done in the field and builds her own work to prove her theory that dual autism and ADHD pathways develop in developmental stages of childhood in prolonged stress responses.
The Lion Theory Science Paper: 2019 then update in 2025
In the supporting science paper J C Atkins looks at the prolong stress response in childhood developmental stages and the effect it has on the child. Joanne shows how the changes to the brain and the behavioural pathways occur in the science paper: Developmental changes in Stress Response in the Brain: Childhood Trauma J. C. Atkins (2025)
The recovery model works by rewiring the cognitive stress response pathways.
Cortical excitatory neurons are crucial for the function of the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for various cognitive and motor functions. They are primarily excitatory pyramidal neurons that facilitate communication within the nervous system by transmitting signals over long distances.
Hormonal regulation plays a significant role in the activity of these neurons. For instance, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis regulates the release of hormones like ACTH, which stimulates the adrenal cortex to produce cortisol, a hormone involved in metabolism and stress responses. Cortisol levels are influenced by various factors, including stress and metabolic conditions, which can affect the excitatory activity of cortical neurons.
In childhood trauma over a long period of time during critical developmental growth stages of the brain in childhood; a mimicking of Dual Autism and ADHD pathways occur in the foundations of our behaviour due to weakening and misfiring of neurons.
In childhood trauma the stress response pathways, affects not only our behaviour, but how we think and feel about ourselves and the world around us. By working on building healthy cognitive response pathways, we allow recovery not only to be possible, but revolutionary.