When you think of a child, you probably imagine a young person who is resilient and fast-moving. These traits may cause you to believe that situations do not leave a lasting impact on children’s emotional health; however, that is not the case. If left unsolved, your emotions that came from a traumatic experience as a child can live in your subconscious mind. This will continue to affect you until you detect, process, and solve it. In order to heal childhood trauma as an adult, you have to learn how to process painful emotions.

A healthy way to respond to childhood trauma occurs right after the trauma has taken place. When the trauma occurs, you recognize that it is an offense to yourself. Afterward, you would feel your emotions and acknowledge the fact that the offense does not dictate anything about you personally. In other words, you do not make a negative meaning out of what occurred. Generally, it is rare for people to react in this manner.

This process is not automatic. Certain emotions, like rage and unhappiness, are difficult to express. On top of that, some cultures may view this outpouring of emotions to be socially unacceptable. Therefore, this causes many people to suppress their emotions. For a kid, this process is even more burdensome. For instance, someone may comment on a child’s weight or a part of their body which can cause a long-lasting inner dialogue to occur in the kid’s head, creating body dysmorphia. While this can happen to adults as well, it may be easier for an adult to push aside outside commentary in comparison to a child.

Anchor Therapy is a counseling center in Hoboken, NJ with psychotherapists specialized in helping children, teens, adults, and couples with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, life transitions, and more. Anchor Therapy is accepting new clients and is now providing in-person sessions and teletherapy sessions to residents of New Jersey, New York, and Florida.

Luckily, trauma counseling can help children, adolescents, teenagers, and adults heal their trauma. Trauma therapy is a particular approach to counseling that acknowledges and highlights how a traumatic occurrence can affect a person’s emotional, mental, physical, spiritual, and behavioral welfare.

First, to heal your trauma, you must pinpoint exactly what childhood trauma is and what traumatic experience occurred in your life. Simply, childhood trauma can be defined as a traumatic occurrence that threatens one’s life and/or security. These occurrences are scary, alarming, and brutal. This event can even cause additional traumatic events which makes healing between trauma extremely difficult. Namely, one’s life can quickly turn into a constant state of trauma and chronic stress.

Some examples of childhood trauma include, but are not limited to:

Witnessing violence in the home
Racism
LGBTQIA+ discrimination
Physical abuse
Sexual abuse
Neglect
Community violence
School violence
Refugee experiences
Military factors (e.g., employment, death, injury, or parental deployment)
- If you’re struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), read our blog “Everything You Need To Know About CBT for PTSD”
Natural disasters (e.g., tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes, or fires)
Emotional abuse
Homelessness
Life-threatening illnesses
Sexual exploitation
Serious accidents
Losing a loved one in a violent or sudden manner - If you’re struggling with grief, check out our blog “How To Know When To Seek Grief Counseling & Learn All About The New Grief Diagnosis”

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Childhood trauma impacts each person in a unique way. Regardless, there are general signs and symptoms that both children and adults may exhibit.

PRESCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY-AGE CHILDREN MAY EXPERIENCE OR SHOWCASE THE FOLLOWING SYMPTOMS OF TRAUMA:

Anxiety
Fear
Separation anxiety
Moodiness
An appetite decrease
Trouble sleeping (e.g., nightmares)
Acting out
Aggression

In addition to the previously mentioned symptoms, teenagers can experience or showcase the following symptoms of trauma:

Lack of interest in social activities
Guilt
Eating disorders
Self-harming behavior
Increase in harmful behaviors (e.g., alcohol or drug use)
Issues with schoolwork
Irritability
Depression
A hard time paying attention

Adults should be aware of the following symptoms of trauma:

Chronic stress
Fatigue
Impulsiveness
Chronic health problems
Eating disorders
Anxiety
Depression
Panic attacks
- Check out our blog “How To Manage A Panic Attack”
Difficulty concentrating
Sleep issues (e.g., insomnia)
- If you struggle with insomnia, learn how Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for sleep issues can help: “How CBT Can Help With Your Insomnia”
Self-harm
Isolation
Suicidal thoughts (Feeling suicidal? Help is only a phone call away at the free National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988)
Panic attacks

For adults, childhood trauma can manifest itself in numerous ways. Trauma can be so severe that you develop post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. PTSD is triggered by a scary event that you either witnessed or experienced. Many people who witness or experience a terrifying event may temporarily find it difficult to cope; however, time and self-care can make your mental health condition better. If the symptoms are long-lasting and you feel like your emotions are interfering in your daily life, you may have PTSD and should seek the help of a mental health professional. Read our blog “5 Healthy Ways To Cope With PTSD.”

PTSD symptoms include:

Flashbacks
Nightmares
Extreme anxiety
- If you are struggling with extreme anxiety, read our blog “How You Can Treat Your Anxiety With CBT”
Uncontrollable thoughts

If you are dealing with PTSD, you can have a hard time dealing with your:

Job(s)
Interpersonal relationships
Mental health

Read our blog “How Childhood Trauma Can Impact You As An Adult” to learn more about important signs and symptoms.

In order to properly heal PTSD, getting effective treatment, such as PTSD counseling, is key.

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While healing childhood trauma is not always easy, it is possible! Trauma-based therapy can help you pinpoint triggers, create healthy coping mechanisms, and lessen the severity of your symptoms. Many types of therapy that successfully treat trauma, including the methods employed at Anchor Therapy.

Cognitive Processing Therapy

Cognitive processing therapy is a type of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) that helps clients alter their unhelpful beliefs that are connected to their trauma. It is recommended that you undergo 12 sessions if you are taking this treatment route. Cognitive processing therapy is commonly used to treat PTSD. This treatment will teach you about PTSD thoughts and how to properly process your trauma.

2. Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)

Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy is similar to cognitive processing therapy. It is also a type of CBT. Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy uses trauma-sensitive interventions coupled with behavioral methods and family support. This form of treatment can be especially helpful for children, teenagers, and adolescents who have experienced major emotional problems from trauma. This treatment is generally 12 to 15 sessions.

3. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, commonly known as EMDR therapy, is a form of treatment for trauma and PTSD. EMDR trauma therapy uses repeated eye movements to re-shape memories stemming from trauma.

There are eight stages to EMDR treatment:

History taking
Client preparation
Assessment
Desensitization
Installation
Body scan
Closure
Reevaluation of treatment efficacy

If left untreated, childhood trauma has the potential to turn into more serious mental health conditions, such as:

There is always a will to heal childhood trauma, especially with the help of a licensed mental health counselor. By receiving the right form of treatment, you can turn your childhood trauma into a positive experience or event. The type of trauma that you endured and how long you endured it can impact how long your treatment lasts. If you are addressing your childhood trauma as an adult, it can take some time, but it is undeniably worth it. By healing your trauma, you can be the best and healthiest version of yourself.