Healing from childhood abuse
Unfortunately, childhood trauma in the form of emotional neglect and physical or sexual abuse is not uncommon in our community. For example about 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men have experienced some form of sexual abuse or assault during their first 16 years. Childhood abuse encompasses both acts of omission (not getting something) and acts of commission (being exposed to something you should not have been). If childhood trauma and abuse has been experienced, it is often a key factor in the cause of adult mental health problems.
A history of abuse and trauma can often cause problems in relationships and family life and can also put people at risk for a host of physical complaints in adulthood. There is nothing to be ashamed of if you have been a victim of sexual or other abuse as a child. It is never the child’s fault, as children are of course, always innocent no matter what the circumstance and no matter who the perpetrator was. Feelings such as guilt and shame, often keep people from getting the help they need. There is much hope for adult survivors of childhood abuse and assault, although the thought of getting counselling can feel overwhelming and frightening. Some of our psychologists specialize in providing psychological therapy for adults with abuse histories and all of us use proven therapies to help clients deal with the aftermath of abuse.
Schema therapy as well as other experiential therapies together with compassion and understanding can assist clients begin to heal from these types of past experiences. At the Good Mood Clinic, we are not blind to the influences of the past, we know how important these issues are and how much they have shaped and influenced your life. We know, through training and much experience that these experiences can stay with a person their entire life, unless they get the professional help they need. When it comes to these issues, we know that applying a psychological ‘bandaid’ is never enough and provides only short-lived relief. Instead, we want to help you find yourself again and live the life you really want to live.