Although people who seek therapy are otherwise vastly different from each other, one seemingly uniting factor is developmental trauma. Developmental trauma is a mouthful; it can be simplified into the simpler concept of a bad childhood, that is, a childhood characterized by absent, violent, or otherwise detrimental caregivers.
Caregivers–typically parents–loom large in the developmental of mental health. From babyhood onward, the quality and quantity of love and attention we receive from caregivers hardwires how we see ourselves, other people, and the world. Having a bad childhood often means that you develop negative thoughts and feelings about yourself, struggle to regulate your internal states, and encounter turbulence in your personal relationships.
The recognition of developmental trauma as an overarching contributor to various distinct mental health diagnoses can facilitate your therapy. As Bessel van der Kolk and other trauma experts–including neurofeedback exponents such as Sebern Fisher–have argued, developmental trauma is an umbrella that encompasses a host of symptoms and diagnoses. Becoming hyper-specific in the classification of mental health disorders isn’t of much use when, in fact, we should be concerned about addressing one syndrome, that of developmental trauma.
The link between a bad childhood and difficulties in adulthood has been appreciated for a long time, well before the birth of modern therapy. What you should know as a current or potential recipient of therapy is that developmental trauma could well be at the core of many of your problems and concerns. If so, then you should strongly consider seeking treatment from a trauma-informed, trauma-trained therapist. Trauma is a specialty among therapists; while trauma itself is widespread, not all therapists bring a trauma paradigm to their care practices and philosophies.
Trauma requires special care in therapy, and it can also benefit from neurofeedback targeting. The evidence is mounting that neurofeedback is capable of helping brains ‘stuck’ in childhood trauma return their flexible, self-regulatory qualities. Neurofeedback makes it possible to undo some of the brain-level oscillatory damage created by developmental trauma and should therefore be considered as a vita adjunct to trauma-informed care.
