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How Unresolved Childhood Trauma Affects Mental Health in Adulthood

Many adults silently carry wounds from their childhood, experiences that were never fully acknowledged, processed, or healed. While some may minimize the impact of “what happened back then,” research shows that unresolved childhood trauma can significantly affect emotional regulation, relationships, physical health, and overall mental well-being later in life.


At Nada Johnson Consulting & Counselling Services (NJCCS), Nada offers trauma-informed therapy rooted in compassion, safety, and empowerment. Whether the trauma stems from abuse, neglect, or emotionally unavailable caregiving, NJCCS provides clients with the space and tools to understand their past and reclaim their present. Healing childhood trauma isn’t about reliving pain, it’s about releasing it.



Why Childhood Trauma Doesn't Just Go Away

✔ The brain remembers – Early trauma disrupts brain development and stress responses, especially in the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex.

➡ According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, trauma affects how the brain processes fear and threat, even decades later. (NCTSN, 2023)


✔ It shapes our beliefs – Unresolved trauma can create negative core beliefs like “I’m not safe,” “I’m not lovable,” or “I have to be perfect to be accepted.”


✔ It impacts the nervous system – Survivors may live in a state of chronic hypervigilance (fight or flight) or numbness (freeze), making daily life and relationships more difficult.


✔ It resurfaces in adulthood – Trauma may manifest as anxiety, depression, difficulty trusting others, or emotional reactivity—especially during stress or intimacy.


✔ It can even affect physical health – Research links childhood trauma to increased risk of heart disease, autoimmune conditions, and chronic pain.

➡ The CDC-Kaiser ACE Study found that higher ACE scores correlate with higher risks of long-term health issues and early death. (Felitti et al., 1998)



5 Ways Therapy Helps Heal Childhood Trauma

✅ 1. Creates a safe space to feel and process

Trauma-informed therapy focuses on safety and pacing. You don’t have to relive trauma to heal it—you need to be witnessed, validated, and supported.


✅ 2. Helps reframe harmful core beliefs

Counselling can help you identify and rewrite the negative stories you’ve carried since childhood, like “I’m a burden” or “I’m not enough.”


✅ 3. Teaches regulation tools for a reactive nervous system

Grounding techniques, breathwork, and mindfulness can help bring your body out of survival mode and into the present moment.


✅ 4. Strengthens relationship patterns

Trauma often affects attachment. Therapy can help you build healthier boundaries, trust, and emotional communication in your adult relationships.


✅ 5. Supports the inner child

Inner child work is a powerful way to nurture the parts of you that were neglected or harmed. Reconnecting with those parts can lead to deep self-compassion.

➡ According to the Journal of Counselling Psychology, trauma survivors who engage in therapy show significant improvements in emotional regulation and interpersonal functioning. (Cloitre et al., 2011)


Healing Is Possible, At Any Age

You are not broken, you are adapting. Childhood trauma may have shaped your survival strategies, but it doesn't define your future. At NJCCS, we meet you where you are, offering evidence-based trauma counselling to help you rewrite your story with strength, clarity, and care.


🌱 The past may explain your pain, but healing begins with what you choose today. 🌱



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Sources

Cloitre, M., et al. (2011). Emotion regulation mediates the relationship between trauma exposure and interpersonal problems in trauma survivors. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 58(3), 348–356. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0024438

Felitti, V. J., et al. (1998). Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14(4), 245–258. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-3797(98)00017-8

National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN). (2023). Effects of trauma. https://www.nctsn.org/what-is-child-trauma/trauma-types

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