Heal Your Childhood Trauma
Why It's So Important to Heal Your Childhood Trauma in Therapy
Childhood trauma can have lasting and detrimental effects on your life, but it doesn't have to go on forever. Research has shown that psychotherapy can be beneficial when treating childhood trauma, and it has been proven to help people of all ages who are dealing with traumatic events from their pasts.
Childhood trauma is a major issue that can affect many aspects of your life, including your mental health. While the healing process is never easy, there are some things you can do to make it easier on yourself. Some of these include finding a therapist that understands what you're going through and making time for self-care.
Here’s why it’s so important to heal your childhood trauma in therapy and what you can do to start.
Psychotherapy for Healing Childhood Trauma
Childhood trauma can stem from any stressful, frightening or overwhelming situation the child interprets as traumatic, such as when they've been injured, had a bad accident, or faced a natural disaster.
Although it can be a sudden-onset situation, it is also often a long-term recurring stress, such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, domestic violence, or chronic illness. Such an event has the potential to bring on the symptoms of emotional and psychological trauma.
The therapeutic process should be tailored to suit the individual: What works for one person may not work for another. There are also a number of treatments available, such as talk therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma-focused CBT, mindfulness-based strategies, eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR), and cognitive processing therapy (CPT).
Thing You Can Do To Overcoming Your Past Trauma
Acceptance - The first step is accepting that you were a victim for a traumatic event(s), which can often be the hardest part.
Self-care - Nurturing yourself is a vital part of healing such as creating a peaceful and calming space in your environment that you can call your own, being around positive people, staying active, getting enough sleep, and eating a healthy diet.
Psychotherapy - it is important to talk about your childhood trauma and re-experience the event. Talking about your trauma with a mental health therapist will allow you to express your thoughts and feelings safely and can help teach you skills and process emotions that make you feel stuck and reduce mental health symptoms.
Journaling - Try journaling about your emotions to help process some that have been suppressed and pushed away for awhile. By writing your anxieties and resentments down, it can help heal the past wounds and move through the pain, so that you can move forward.
Practice mindfulness and relaxation techniques - Try practicing deep breathing exercises. Get into a comfortable position, take deep breaths from the belly, and focus on your breath for five minutes. Imagine all the negative energy leaving your body with each exhale.
Attend a support group - Support groups where people with similar experiences come together to provide emotional support can also be helpful in your healing process. Connecting with others who understand what you're going through can make all the difference in the world.
In conclusion, remember that healing is possible but it takes time and work. Be gentle and patient when you commit to your healing process. If you are experiencing symptoms of a trauma such as depression, anxiety, or insomnia, then it is important that you seek help. Therapy can be helpful and effective in helping you heal childhood trauma. If you want more information about how therapy can help, feel free to reach out for a consultation.
