Many of my clients have experienced trauma in childhood relationships through divorce or separation, abuse, neglect or simply not being seen, heard and felt by a trustworthy caregiver.

Relational, developmental, attachment and complex trauma are all terms that describe a specific kind of trauma that occurs usually in early relationships with important caregivers but can also occur in adult relationships. When we talk about relationship trauma, we are talking about fractures in a young one’s feeling of safety and trust in relationship with a person or people they depend on for safety, protection, and care. This can also describe early experiences in which the parent’s own psychological and emotional needs were put before the child’s needs, such as in the case of having been raised by emotionally immature parents, or when a child has to become the caregiver for a parent while they are themselves still a child, such as in the case of parents who struggle with substance use.

These experiences can teach us to stop listening to our bodies, our instincts, and our needs. They can significantly limit what seems possible and how able we are to take risks, to experiment with new possibilities and how able we are to engage with creativity.

However, complexity in our psyche is fertile ground for growth, understanding and healing.

I have particular interest in supporting clients with trauma in their early relationships and beyond, and find this work to be some of the deepest and most meaningful healing, with the most wide reaching impact on personal and collective wellbeing.

Whatever your past has been, healing is possible.