Blog post:

Monday 13^th September 2021

Dr Jim Byrne

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Childhood developmental trauma – or Complex-PTSD – How to recover

Introduction

Every day you open the newspapers you will find new examples of childhood trauma, among pop stars, sports celebrities, and the residents of publicly funded children’s homes. It may be that up to sixty or seventy percent of children are traumatized in one form or another – through abuse or neglect – or by witnessing violence or drunkenness or drugged behaviours at home – and this represents a major disadvantage right at the start of life.

As a result, a high proportion of the populations of Western societies – especially in the Anglo-American world – is carrying life-destroying experiences, which often get passed on from one generation to the next.

And those early traumatic experiences also predispose the individual to being more easily traumatized by adverse adult experiences, including warfare, intense interpersonal violence and violent rape.

My experience

Over a period of almost 25 years, I have “picked up the pieces” – the fall-out, if you like – of some horrible childhood histories.  I had a special capacity to deal with these problems because I came from a traumatizing background, and I’d spent many years resolving my own developmental trauma (using a wide range of therapeutic strategies), and learning to live a full and happy life.

Sharing that experience with others

Now I have written up the kinds of processes that I have used with my own clients over those years, in a form which is usable by self-help enthusiasts; but could also be a good learning resource for new counsellors who are moving, or planning to move, into the field of trauma work. These processes can be bracketed into three forms – which are addressed once the reader has achieved some degree of safety and security in their life.  Those forms are:

– re-framing of traumatic experiences (starting with low level upsets; and proceeding upwards with caution);

– confronting and completing medium range traumatic experiences;

– and, finally, digesting higher intensity traumatic symptoms; through processes including: writing therapy, combined with re-framing and completion; and with bodily sensations and breath-work; and several other whole body-brain-mind strategies.

The outcomes of trauma therapy

The benefits to be derived from this kind of work are enormous. Sleep is improved; digestion and breathing become normal; anxiety and depression are cleared up; social relationships become less stressful; physical and mental health improve; and on and on.

To find out more about this new, revolutionary new strategy, please take a look How to Resolve Childhood Developmental Trauma.

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Best wishes,

Jim

Dr Jim Byrne, Doctor of Counselling

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