New Focus on Childhood Trauma and Healing for Adults

By Nancy Minister, MC, Survivors Therapist I recently came across a blog written by ACEs Connection member Elizabeth Prewitt titled, “For the first time, SAMHSA’s annual children’s mental health event focuses on trauma.”  In the article, Ms. Prewitt writes, “It is both… Read More

Frozen Tears: Processing Hidden Losses

Grief is normal, and it is a direct result of attachment and love. There is really no one-size-fits-all approach to grief. Still, normal grief tends to follow a pattern, whereas complicated or what psychologists refer to as disenfranchised losses can go underground and truthfully never get processed at all. This is when grief becomes what is referred to as complicated and can block our enjoyment of life and even undermine our ability to be intimate. Read More

Childhood Abuse Is More Prevalent Than You Think

It is estimated that each year three million cases of child abuse are reported to authorities in the United States (source: Childhelp.org). Read More

Growing Up with an Addicted Parent

I remember as a twelve-year-old, sitting alone in our living room after one of our by then typical family meltdowns …….trying to make sense of the pain and general devastation of our once happy family……trying to understand how kind, decent and loving people could cause each other such unrelenting pain, how we could say the things we were saying, hurl insults, act out in anger and rage……I recall saying to myself “wars do these things to people, separate loved ones, wound hearts, tear families apart. But somehow, we’re doing this to ourselves.” Read More

Delicate Dynamics of Intimacy: The Effects of Early Relational Trauma

Tune or out of tune with those who bring us into this world from conception onwards. Our nervous systems are fashioned by nature to resonate with the nervous systems of others to achieve a sense of balance and connection (Schore, 1999), and these early interactions become the neurological templates upon… Read More

Covert Childhood Trauma Can Lead to PTSD

Although post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often associated with members of the military, veterans, police officers, emergency personnel, and people who have faced life-threatening situations, the disorder can be triggered by any overwhelming experience, including years of emotional abuse and neglect in childhood. Read More

Dr. Jon Caldwell on Attachment, Trauma, and Mindfulness

Dan Griffin, a Senior Fellow at The Meadows, recently sat down with Dr. Jon Caldwell, Medical Director for Meadows Behavioral Healthcare, for an in-depth conversation about early childhood trauma, attachment, triggers, reactivity, and more. The conversation was featured on Griffin’s… Read More

The Complex Trauma Survivor Faces a Lifetime Worth of Bullying

By Shahida Arabi, M.A. Complex trauma survivors face a dilemma that very few can fathom: they are forced to confront present-day stressors while attempting to resolve triggers from the past. These layers upon layers of trauma take courage, support, and time to unravel. The healing journey of a complex trauma… Read More

Peeling Away the Layers of Trauma: Survivors II

By: Dr. Georgia Fourlas, LCSW, LISAC, CSATClinical Director of Workshops, Rio Retreat Center at The Meadows There is an undeniable link between childhood trauma and the ability to cope with adult trauma. Traumatic experiences seem to build upon one another and not in a good way. Read More

Helping Therapists Healing from Their Own Trauma

The Meadows has been facilitating its signature workshop, Survivors, for more than 30 years. Many people’s lives have been changed by the opportunity to confront the deep emotional impact of their childhood trauma. Read More