Therapy for Childhood Emotional Neglect in Daphne, AL

Trauma from Childhood

I’ve noticed a pattern with my clients.

My clients don't often come to me looking for therapy to explore their trauma from childhood. More frequently, clients come into the first session stating, “My childhood was good. I struggled as a teen which caused my parents a lot of anxiety.  But I always had everything I needed, and they loved me.”  OK, that’s great, I say.  

“My parents were not neglectful.”  

Therapy sessions follow. We focus on many different feelings. This includes emptiness, loneliness, feeling too sensitive or too numb, and feeling stuck.  Oftentimes, the client will also discuss difficulty in relationships. In addition, they feel hopeless in their efforts.  

If this experience sounds familiar, you may be living with the outcome of trauma from childhood.

Counseling To Overcome Trauma From Childhood and Childhood Emotional Neglect

What Makes Therapy for Childhood Emotional Neglect Different From Other Trauma Therapy?

Over the years, I’ve worked with many survivors of childhood trauma. When we start counseling to overcome this trauma from childhood, it’s not the same as some of the other trauma therapy I do every day. Survivors of childhood trauma have a specific set of needs for us to address in therapy, and I am here for this work. Usually, their goals or desired outcomes look a little different. Often, these differences are due to childhood emotional neglect or another source of trauma and PTSD very early on in life.

Survivors of childhood trauma want to feel worthy, have a strong sense of self, and find happiness and meaning in life.  

We start to explore ways to achieve those goals and what needs to change. By doing so, we discover underlying beliefs the client has about their self and others.  Often, clients have difficulty knowing their strengths and/or weaknesses. Maybe, they don’t know much about themselves because they’ve never been allowed to explore who they truly are.  Furthermore, looking inward is difficult because they feel flawed.  

The “Inner Critic Voice” is often harsh: both demanding and punitive.  

These underlying core psychological constructs show up everywhere. We can see traces in thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, and habits.  This is why so many adults who have had trauma in their childhood have a variety of symptoms to work through even decades later.

Symptoms of Trauma From Childhood Emotional Neglect

Trauma from childhood can have different effects on each of us. Furthermore, we can all "show" these effects in different ways. Throughout the years, I have seen people show the effects of trauma from childhood in a variety of ways. Here are a few common symptoms I have seen:

• Lack of motivation;

• harsh inner critic;

• perfectionism;

• being excessively focused on others by self-sacrificing one’s own needs and wants, being overly submissive, and through people-pleasing;

• feeling too intertwined with members of one’s family,

• too dependent on others,

• shame, fear of rejection,

• social isolation, difficulty trusting others,

• and fear of harm or disease (due to current affairs, we will put COVID fears into a different category). 

All of these listed relate to basic childhood needs being neglected or chronically unmet. Oftentimes, this is the aftermath of trauma from childhood.

To find other common symptoms that are present in folks living with trauma from childhood, check out this article.

Therapy for Childhood Emotional Neglect Can Help

Counseling can help. We aim to examine trauma from childhood. By doing so, we work on changing these dysfunctional patterns and beliefs. We work to replace them with helpful strategies for getting needs met. In addition, we aim for you to feel confident and build meaningful relationships. It’s important to remember that you’re not in this alone. Many people, even within your community, have been living with trauma from childhood. If we’re being honest, it’s something we’re taught not to talk about, as if it never happened. More often than not, this can make us feel like our experiences don’t matter. This can make us not want to get help.

With all of that in mind, I’m happy you’ve made it this far. And I'm here to help. I’ve worked with many people who are dealing with the same thing you are. Through counseling, we’ll clean up the mess trauma from childhood has left.

What is holding you back? Childhood Emotional Neglect is not something you have to suffer from forever.

Clients will feel as if it is about making their parents the“bad guys.”  It feels as if it is BLAMING.  This comes from thinking that parents are either good or bad parents.  As we move away from “all or nothing” thinking, you'll be comfortable viewing your parents as human. And what are humans? Imperfect. In addition, we'll focus on your own perceptions and experiences of family dynamics.  

As you expand your thinking to the patterns of interaction, you'll notice some things. Likely, you'll notice that unmet needs and/or emotional neglect may make sense for you.  This is often associated with trauma from childhood. If your needs were not met as a child, you began to view your needs as invalid or not important.  As a result, you put other people’s needs above your own.  Also, you most likely bonded to your caregiver(s) and adopted their view of you.  Your inner critic echos and amplifies their statements. And, even what you perceived in their nonverbal communication.  All of this can result from experiencing trauma from childhood.

Second, clients may say,  “I’ve lived it with this long.”  Yes, and your body has stored the messages and beliefs formed through the experience.  These messages are ingrained in your neural pathways.  As you can see, trauma from childhood can have lasting impacts. They inform your choices, behaviors, and interpretation of interactions.  

Begin Therapy for Childhood Emotional Neglect in Daphne, AL, or Fairhope, AL

Living with the result of trauma from childhood can be very tough. It can seep into many areas of your life. Which often, on the surface, don't seem to be related. However, there is hope. Counseling with a Fairhope or Daphne, AL-based trauma therapist can help you use curiosity to compassionately explore these areas that trauma from childhood affected. Additionally, you'll find that you can meet your unmet needs. Finally, you'll establish adaptive strategies for your future.  When you're ready to challenge your trauma from childhood, follow these steps:

1. Set up a free 15-minute phone consultation with me, Julia Stone

2. Get to know me as your new trauma therapist.

3. Feel more in control with less weight from the past holding you down.

Other Mental Health Services Offered in Alabama

Exploring the aftermath of trauma from childhood isn't the only service I offer. In my Fairhope-based counseling clinic or online, I'm able to offer many services. I offer therapy for anxiety and chronic stress. I'm also trained to provide EMDR and therapy for trauma/PTSD.