What is childhood trauma?
Childhood experiences shape who we are. When those experiences are painful, they can leave lasting effects. Let’s explore what childhood trauma is and how healing is possible.
What is childhood trauma?
Childhood trauma includes any distressing experience that overwhelms a child’s ability to cope. These experiences can leave a lasting imorint on emotional, psychological, and even physical development. Trauma can be a single event or a series of ongoing situations that make a child feel unsafe, unloved, or powerless. Forms of trauma can include physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction.
What makes an event traumatic isn't just the event itself - its how the child internalizes and is supported (or not supported) through it. Two children can experience the same event, but one might recover with support - while the other carries invisible scars for years.
How it shows up in adulthood:
Many adults don't immediately recognize how their past is influencing their peresent. Childhood trauma often hides behind symptoms, patterns, or behaviors that feels frustrating or confusing - but have roots in early survival responses. You might notice trauma responses such as difficulty trusting others, hypervigilance or anxiety, and shame/self-blame surrounding the event. These feelings are all normal responses to trauma. You are not alone in your experience. It’s is important to remember that these are not personal flaws. They are often survival adaptations formed in childhood to help a young nervous system cope with pain, fear, or lack of safety.
How therapy can help:
Healing from childhood trauma isn't about forgetting the past - its about understanding how the past has shaped you and learning how to care for the parts of yourself that were hurt or unheard. Therapy offers a safe, nonjudgmental space to begin that process. Trauma can leave the nervous system stuck in survival mode. In therapy you'll learn grounding techniques and emotional regulation skills that help you feel safer and more present. Most importantly - trauma work in therapy supports you in rebuilding a connection with your inner self. That includes honoring your needs, boundaries, emotions, and strengths - all things that may have been overlooked or invalidated in childhood.
If you are ready to explore therapy for trauma, schedule a consult today.
