Trauma Therapy
Healing Inner Childhood Wounds
Dr. Gabor Maté, a well know author, speaker, family physician, and addiction & trauma expert provides a great understanding of trauma. He said, “trauma is a wound that is a result of a traumatic event…trauma is not what happens to you; it is what happens inside you as a result of what happens to you.”
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For example: Growing up, your parental figure may have been critical of you. They shamed you and never praised you. They called you names such as worthless and good for nothing. You may have felt unwanted, alone, and confused. It’s fair to say that you experienced
(emotional abuse), and your inner child may be left with a trauma wound of:
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“I’m not enough”
“I’m defective”
“I’m flawed”
“I’m not worthy”
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Impact of Unhealed Trauma
Not all traumatic events stem from childhood. Many people experience trauma at different stages of life. The list of traumatic events indicates the type of trauma people can experience.
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Healing inner childhood wounds is imperative to one’s overall well-being and inner peace. Not healing your inner trauma wounds can create a lack of trust, lack of physical/emotional safety, lack of boundaries, controlling behaviour, unhealthy/unsatisfying interpersonal relationships, shame, people pleasing behaviour, self – criticism, constant survival mode, fear, anger, sadness, anxiety, depression, and varies mental health illnesses that can impact one’s mental, emotional, and physical well-being on a day-to-day basis.
Traumatic Events Include:
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Physical or Emotional Abandonment
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Rejection
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Emotional Abuse
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Physical Abuse
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Sexual Abuse
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Bullying
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Loss of a Parent
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Car Accident
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Witness to a Crime
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War & Torture
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Domestic Violence
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Natural Disaster
What is the Role of Intergenerational Trauma?
Unhealed familial trauma can impact a child as early as being in the womb. A parental figures unhealed wounds can compromise their ability to meet their child(s) emotional and developmental needs.
Perhaps your parental figure was cold, critical, judgmental, perfectionist, isolating, angry, abusing substance, and/or suffered from untreated mental health illnesses themselves. These factors can disrupt the attachment bond and create an emotionally and physically unsafe environment for the child. Children learn to adapt to their chaotic environment which often thrusts them into survival mode. Unhealed adults may continue to operate in the same survival mode from childhood.
Is Trauma Therapy Right for Me?
If you’re not sure trauma therapy is the right fit for you, reach out and book a free 15-minute telephone consultation. You'll be able to ask questions about the therapeutic process and what you can expect. There are many approaches to trauma work, finding the right fit will allow you to make an informed decision.
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Trauma informed therapy will help a person get to the root of their issue and heal from past/present wounds. Some people may not realize the impact our attachment figures and trauma wounds have on our sense of self and identity as adults. Whether you have a fragile self-esteem, lack boundaries, engage in people pleasing behaviour, or you have a "strong" mentality, trauma informed counselling may be a step in the right direction for your journey to healing.
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Book a free 15 minute telephone consultation below.
