What is developmental trauma?

Healing developmental trauma means discovering that you no longer have to run away from yourself. That there is room for everything that lives within you. That you feel safe enough to feel your emotions. That you can recognize your needs and dare to stand up for your place and what you need. This arises when you no longer experience fear, shame, or guilt surrounding your needs and emotions. When, instead, you feel understanding, compassion, and recognition for everything within you that makes you human. This is how you can heal developmental trauma, and with the right therapy, it is possible for everyone.

Early childhood trauma: the wound and the wish.
The wound of early childhood trauma is that you had to miss out on what was essential for you and your growth process: namely, the meeting of your basic relational needs. You were not truly able to experience that all your needs are beautiful and good, and can be fulfilled. You had to do it alone, without the right support to learn how to manage your emotions and express them in a way that creates connection instead of isolation. The core of the wound is that, as a child, due to a lack of appropriate feedback, you learned to view yourself, your needs, and your emotions as ‘wrong’. You are still seeking recognition and the meeting of these “parts” within you. A connection where there is room for you, your needs, and your emotions. This is early childhood trauma. The good news is that you do not just have a wound, but also a wish. That is why processing childhood trauma as an adult is possible.

Follow your wish with developmental trauma therapy.
In developmental trauma therapy, we start with that wish, because where there is a wish, there is a way. In these sessions, you discover your deeper desires, which may be buried under fears, doubts, and strategies. Once you clearly feel and acknowledge your wish, it begins to flow and movement can occur. In developmental trauma therapy, old patterns will make room for your movement towards what you truly want, so that you can feel fulfilled. This is possible when you build the capacity to meet everything that seems to stand in the way. Body-oriented therapy is particularly effective in healing developmental trauma because it has a deep understanding of both the mental and emotional functioning of the human being. It offers concrete tools to heal wounds in the right way.