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Childhood trauma shapes not only how we see the world but also how our brain develops, affecting emotional regulation, relationships, and overall well-being. Many adults struggle with anxiety, low self-worth, or patterns of behaviour they don’t fully understand—often unaware of how deeply their early experiences influence them. Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a powerful therapy that helps process and heal trauma, unlocking the ability to move forward without being trapped by the past. By addressing the root causes of distress and rewiring how traumatic memories are stored, EMDR can bring profound relief, helping individuals finally break free from patterns shaped by childhood adversity.
The need to be seen, heard and nurtured as a child not only forms our view of the world, it also impacts how our brain develops. We learn through the nurture of our loved ones if the world is a safe place. I learnt very early that life is unpredictable and scary.
My core belief, the world is unsafe and unpredictable, was strengthened by living with parents who couldn't manage their own emotions, let alone mine.
As a child, I was quiet and almost invisible because I knew that the smaller I was, the less likely I would be in a vulnerable situation that might lead to displays of anger.
I spent a great deal of time alone and so found an imaginary world that took me far away from home, my daydreaming transformed my existence and made life more bearable.
I work with many clients who have had traumatic childhoods or experiences and one thing is almost always true, they assume it has nothing to do with their current issues. The link between their distressing experiences and the issue that brings them to therapy is often dismissed. The other notable point is that they have often held onto this distress for many years, often not speaking about it to anyone, continuing the legacy of the original trauma. As a therapist we are often left to go way back, be curious and take a look at what might have happened in the past that is affecting the present.
Trauma can go back to birth and even pass down through generational trauma. It is up to the work between the client and the therapist to investigate the past and be curious about what has taken place in the life of the client that could be playing out in the current issues.
Links to childhood trauma, trauma in the body, childhood trauma and brain development, EMDR, generational trauma, childhood brain development, attachment
It is well documented that EMDR can assist in releasing the trauma associated with painful childhood experiences.
Here are some links for further reading which you may find interesting.
https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/child-health-development/childhood-trauma-brain-development https://uktraumacouncil.org/resource/early-childhood-and-the-developing-brain
