Understanding Shame

Understanding Shame

Every type of trauma has shame at its core. In this piece, I will specifically address emotional shame and its consequences. Imagine being a child who is an extremely gifted artist. At school, you are given endless praise by your friends and teachers for the beautiful...
The Highly Sensitive Child

The Highly Sensitive Child

Although research shows that a highly sensitive child has no greater risk for trauma than a child who is not, these children are at greater risk for developing PTSD. A highly sensitive child, for example, who experiences verbal abuse, may internalize what is said,...
In Utero Trauma

In Utero Trauma

In utero trauma was never talked about years ago. But studies have shown that what happens to a child in the womb affects their life after they are born. A child who has experienced an uneventful time in their mother’s womb has fewer difficulties as one whose mother...
The Value of Play

The Value of Play

Ask any child trauma therapist today about how they go about helping traumatized kids, and they will tell you about the importance of play therapy. As I wrote in a former piece, children are extremely resilient, and they are much better than adults at using coping...
Grooming

Grooming

Grooming is a term used in recent years to describe the actions of a perpetrator before, during, and after the sexual abuse of a child. The child forms an emotional bond with this person, and this makes it extremely difficult at times for the abuse to be discovered...