Do I have Childhood Trauma?

Sometimes it's really clear that you have childhood trauma. You might have lived through tragedy, abuse or traumas that are undeniable but not all childhood trauma is obvious. In fact, childhood trauma includes a whole array of things you might have lived through and deemed "normal" because of the home you grew up in or the coping skills you developed. It also doesn't mean you had "bad" parents, sometimes life happens and families go through difficult things that leave us with trauma, even when our parents did their absolute best.

Trauma is not just physical pain. It can also be emotional and mental pain.

As Gabor Mate says "it is not what happens to you; it is what happens inside of you as a result of what happens to you." If you had support, safety & access to other resources to help you make sense of what you went through, chances are you had a higher likelihood of moving through traumatic situations without them become trauma that is trapped in your body. 

But, in the absence of safety, support & access to resources, chances are they became trauma, triggers or the emotional wounds that you are still holding onto. They might show up in your nervous system as being stuck in survival mode or they may have become your coping mechanisms, your emotional patterns, your belief system & the way you view the world. These experiences can become a moment suspended in time that is holding you captive to the old experience.

(There tend to be 4 Major Childhood Wounds that we can carry & if you want learn about those, you can check them out here)

The important question about Childhood Trauma is not always did you experience it but is it AFFECTING you. You may have experienced trauma but because you had people to support you or other resources to help you, it may not have become trauma... but if you relate to enough of the symptoms above, it's worth giving yourself the opportunity to explore it and find out for yourself.

Still not sure if you have Childhood Trauma?

Can your Childhood Trauma be Healed?

The answer is "yes" AND also... no 2 people are alike in the type of healing they need. In my work with clients, these are the things we focus on that I have found are immensely helpful:

1.  EMOTIONAL TRAUMA

It's important to look at the emotional wounds that are left behind by trauma. These include things like:

* The way you were spoken to

* If you were criticized or shamed for being emotional or showing specific emotions

* If you were emotionally neglected and felt like you had to deal with your emotions on your own

* If you were emotionally abused or spoken to cruelly or without care

* If you have Anxiety or Depression

* If there was punishment or consequences for speaking up or using your voice

* If you felt unsafe or unloved being yourself

* Loss or Illness of a Loved One

2. PHYSICAL TRAUMA

Which can sometimes be easier to notice & validate in ourselves. It includes things like:

* Physical Abuse or Bullying

* Lack of having your basic needs met like food, shelter or physical safety

* How trauma impacts your health & whether it is contributing to pain or illness

* If you are stuck in Survival Mode in your Nervous System

* Accident, Illness or Injury 

* Birth Trauma when you were born

When we are healing Childhood Trauma you are looking at both areas and seeing how they are connected and contribute to your own triggers & wounds. From there, we go back and forth support healing the physical and the emotional trauma so you can reconcile it & move forward in your life. 

If you want more info on how we work in session you can check out:

 HEALING THE INNER CHILD 

Or the Free LIST OF 19 BOOKS TO HELP YOU HEAL YOUR TRAUMA