In 1998, Kaiser Permanente and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a study of over 17,000 adults on the link between early life trauma and later health outcomes. A key finding in the study was that early adverse experiences, such as parental divorce, domestic violence, homelessness and other forms of trauma have a lasting impact on health and well-being. As we consider the implications of the ACE study and others, an understanding of both risk and resilience is critical. The body’s stress response system, how toxic stress can impact our health and strategies for promoting resilience across the lifespan will be discussed.