Manchester Counselling Therapy Team
INTRODUCTION
WHAT COUNTS AS CHILDHOOD TRAUMA?
Childhood trauma isn’t limited to extreme events. While abuse and neglect are widely recognised, trauma also includes experiences that overwhelm a child’s sense of safety or emotional security. These may include:
Parental separation or divorce
Witnessing domestic violence
Growing up with a parent who has a mental illness or addiction
Bullying or sustained emotional neglect
Inconsistent or emotionally unavailable caregiving
According to Public Health Wales, nearly half of UK adults have experienced at least one ACE, and 1 in 10 have experienced four or more.
Trauma isn't just what happened—it's how it was processed. For children, who lack the tools to regulate strong emotions, these events can leave a lasting imprint on how they see themselves and the world.
HOW TRAUMA AFFECTS ADULT THINKING, FEELING, AND BEHAVIOUR
Early trauma shapes the developing brain and nervous system, leading to long-term changes in emotional regulation, memory, and stress response. Common adult effects include:
Hypervigilance: Feeling constantly on edge, expecting something to go wrong
Emotional reactivity: Strong reactions to criticism, rejection, or conflict
Attachment difficulties: Struggling to trust others or feeling clingy and anxious in relationships
Low self-esteem: Believing you’re not worthy of love or success
People-pleasing: Seeking approval to avoid conflict or abandonment
Dissociation: Zoning out, losing time, or feeling disconnected from reality
Trauma responses are survival strategies. They made sense in the past—but they can become obstacles in adult life when they’re no longer needed but still activated.
PHYSICAL HEALTH AND THE BODY’S MEMORY OF TRAUMA
Trauma doesn’t just live in the mind. The body stores stress responses, and adults with unresolved childhood trauma often experience unexplained health issues. These can include:
Chronic pain or fatigue
Gastrointestinal issues
Migraines or headaches
Autoimmune symptoms
Sleep disturbances
Studies by the NHS and World Health Organization have found a strong link between ACEs and chronic health problems later in life. Trauma can keep the nervous system in a state of prolonged stress, which over time wears down the body’s ability to heal and self-regulate.
Understanding this connection can help shift blame—from yourself to the experiences that shaped you.
HEALING IS POSSIBLE — EVEN YEARS LATER
You don’t need to remember every detail of what happened to begin healing. What matters is recognising the patterns and giving yourself the support and tools to interrupt them.
1. Therapy matters: Trauma-informed therapy can help you process unresolved experiences, reconnect with your body, and build a more regulated emotional system. Approaches like EMDR, sensorimotor psychotherapy, and trauma-focused CBT are well-supported by research.
2. Awareness is powerful: Naming what happened—and how it still affects you—breaks the silence and allows for self-compassion. You’re not broken; you adapted.
3. The body needs support too: Gentle movement (like yoga or walking), grounding techniques, and consistent routines can help signal safety to your nervous system.
4. Community is key: Isolation reinforces trauma. Safe relationships, peer groups, or creative outlets can offer connection and emotional repair.
Healing isn’t about becoming someone new. It’s about returning to who you were before you had to protect yourself.
At Manchester Counselling, we understand that childhood trauma can echo across a lifetime—but it doesn’t have to define it. Whether you’re just beginning to explore these connections or have been working through them for years, support is available.
Our therapist-matching service connects you with professionals trained in trauma-informed care. We offer both in-person and online sessions, and we’ll help you find someone who can walk with you—at your pace—toward healing and growth.
You’re not starting from scratch. You’re starting from strength.
Public Health Wales. (2023). Adverse Childhood Experiences study
NHS. (2024). Long-term effects of trauma
World Health Organization. (2023). Childhood adversity and adult health
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