Developmental Trauma: The Game Changer in the Mental Health Profession

Developmental trauma is the result of early relational experiences that include birth trauma, attachment trauma, separation trauma, being unwanted, and a host of intergenerational patterns. Developmental trauma is an increasingly important area in the field of traumatology, one that has been validated and supported by the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) research findings. They showed that early childhood trauma has a pervasive impact on long-term mental and physical health Developmental trauma is distinctly different from PTSD, which is caused by event trauma later in life. People remember event trauma, but usually have little recall of developmental trauma. It typically appears later in life in intimate relationships, and is a major cause of recycling conflicts during adulthood. Developmental trauma has deep and long-lasting effect on child development and causes chronic and degenerative diseases in adulthood, as shown by the ACEs research findings. Because it occurs in close relationships, it must also be healed in a relational context. This book describes how the growing emphasis on developmental trauma has become a game-changer in the mental health profession, challenging old beliefs about its relevance and impact on physical and mental health. It also describes how it can be a catalyst for personal transformation and meaning-making of adversity in childhood.