Childhood trauma is more common than most people realize. According to the CDC, about 61 percent of adults report experiencing at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE), and nearly 1 in 6 adults report four or more. These early experiences can shape how you think, feel, and relate to others for the rest of your life. But here is the good news: healing is possible at any age.
What Is Childhood Trauma?
Childhood trauma is any experience during childhood that overwhelms a child's ability to cope. It is not defined by how serious the event looks from the outside. What matters is how the experience affected the child at the time.
Common types of childhood trauma include:
- Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse
- Neglect (physical or emotional)
- Witnessing domestic violence
- Having a parent with addiction or mental illness
- Parental divorce or separation
- Bullying
- Medical trauma (serious illness, surgeries, hospitalizations)
- Death of a parent, sibling, or close family member
- Growing up in poverty or instability
Some children experience a single traumatic event, while others face ongoing or repeated trauma. Both types can have lasting effects.
Understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
The ACE study, originally conducted by the CDC and Kaiser Permanente, identified 10 categories of childhood adversity and measured their impact on adult health. The study found a strong connection between the number of ACEs a person experienced and their risk for:
- Depression, anxiety, and PTSD
- Substance use problems
- Heart disease, diabetes, and autoimmune conditions
- Chronic pain
- Difficulty in relationships
- Lower academic and career achievement
The more ACEs a person has, the higher their risk. But having a high ACE score does not mean you are destined for these outcomes. It means your nervous system has been under more stress, and getting the right support can make a real difference.
How Childhood Trauma Affects Adults
When trauma happens during childhood, it affects the developing brain. Children who experience ongoing stress or fear develop a nervous system that is constantly on alert. This survival mode can continue into adulthood, even when the danger is long gone.
Adults who experienced childhood trauma may notice:
- Difficulty trusting others: If the people who were supposed to protect you caused harm, trusting new people feels risky
- People-pleasing: Learning to keep others happy as a way to stay safe can become a lifelong pattern
- Emotional flashbacks: Sudden waves of fear, shame, or sadness that seem to come from nowhere
- Chronic anxiety or depression: A nervous system stuck in survival mode can create ongoing mental health challenges
- Physical health problems: The body holds onto stress, leading to pain, fatigue, digestive issues, and immune system problems
- Relationship struggles: Difficulty with boundaries, communication, or feeling safe with a partner
The Mind-Body Connection
Trauma does not just live in your memories. It lives in your body. When you experience something frightening, your body goes into fight, flight, or freeze mode. If the trauma is not processed, your body can stay stuck in that state for years. This is why childhood trauma often shows up as physical symptoms like chronic pain, stomach problems, and tension that does not go away with rest.
Why It Is Never Too Late to Heal
One of the most important discoveries in brain science is that the brain can change throughout life. This is called neuroplasticity. It means that even if your brain was shaped by trauma as a child, it can form new, healthier patterns as an adult. Healing is not about going back in time. It is about helping your brain and body learn that the danger is over and that you are safe now.
How EMDR Helps with Childhood Trauma
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is one of the most effective treatments for trauma. It works by helping the brain reprocess memories that are stuck. During an EMDR session, you focus on a traumatic memory while engaging in bilateral stimulation (such as following your therapist's hand movements). This allows the brain to process the memory in a way that reduces its emotional intensity.
For childhood trauma, EMDR can help with:
- Reducing the emotional charge of painful memories
- Replacing negative beliefs about yourself (like "I am not good enough") with healthier ones
- Calming the nervous system so it is no longer stuck in survival mode
- Reducing physical symptoms connected to stored trauma
"Healing from childhood trauma is not about forgetting what happened. It is about taking back the power those experiences have over your life today." - Reina Matychak, LMHC, NBCC
A Holistic Approach to Healing
At Creative Pathways Therapy, LLC, Reina Matychak uses a holistic mind-body-heart approach to treating childhood trauma. This means addressing not just the thoughts and memories, but also the physical sensations and emotional patterns that trauma creates. Treatment may include EMDR, cognitive restructuring (changing unhelpful thought patterns), and strategies for regulating the nervous system.
Reina works with teens, young adults, adults, and families affected by childhood trauma. Sessions are available at offices in Inverness, FL (832 US Hwy 41 S, Inverness, FL 34452) and Ocala, FL, as well as through telehealth for those who prefer meeting from home.
Taking the First Step
If you have been carrying the weight of childhood experiences and it is affecting your life today, reaching out for help is a brave and important step. You do not have to have everything figured out before you call. You just have to be willing to start.
Contact Creative Pathways Therapy at (352) 689-4010 or info@creativepathwaystherapy.com to schedule a consultation.