It takes tremendous courage to confront childhood trauma.  The process of healing can feel daunting.

Childhood trauma can range from having faced extreme violence and neglect to having confronted feelings of not belonging or of being unwanted.Perhaps you were brought up in a family where your parents had unresolved traumas of their own, which impaired their ability to attend to your emotional needs. We cannot compare one person's pain to another's - every person's experience is different and leaves different wounds.

Unresolved childhood trauma has significant consequences on mental and emotional health.  You might alternate between feeling cut off and feeling flooded with emotions such as fear, anger or despair.  Perhaps you suffer from anxiety or depression.  Maybe you resort to disconnection or dissociation to get through the day.  Relationships are often compromised. Your physical health may also be impacted by illness or chronic pain.

Healing childhood trauma involves a balance:  attending to the wounds of the past while living in the present.  Simply attending to the demands of daily living can feel insurmountable at times.  Going to the store to buy groceries, handling stress at work, raising children, or relating to your partner can feel overwhelming when you are flooded with anxiety or shut down in shame. Having strategies to remain mindful and feel grounded is essential.  These tools will allow you to turn toward your pain without creating additional distress.

Recovery from developmental trauma often requires that you have a reparative experience in a relationship. A compassionate therapist offers a container of sorts for the feelings and memories that you might be unable to handle alone.  And together, you will build trust, gain perspective, and find healing tools that work best for you.

The therapists at the Center for Therapy & Counseling Services have spent years helping those with histories of childhood trauma find their way to wholeness. Therapy can provide a map to the terrain, along with a compassionate and knowledgeable guide.

In therapy you can gain valuable insight into the types of symptoms associated with unresolved childhood trauma. Therapy can guide you to develop positive strategies to replace destructive behaviors.

Think about your healing journey as a deeply rewarding, lifelong process of self-discovery that you deserve.  Undoubtedly, there will be emotional pain.  Yet, self-acknowledgement also offers keys to empowerment and personal freedom.  You are not broken, in need of fixing.  Rather, you are hurt, in need of care.  With sufficient support, you will be able to release your defensive self-protection to reveal your innate worth, wisdom and creativity.  Discover and be surprised by your resilience.