There is a brand new podcast that I think is terrific. It’s called Climb Out To Sobriety, and in a recent episode, Hammond Chamberlin, VaRonica Little, LCSW, and Misty McIntyre Goodsell, LCSW have a fascinating discussion about how Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can lead to mental health issues, addictions, even chronic health problems for adults. They have a great explanation about how and why therapy is helpful for healing trauma:

A therapist helps you better understand what might have happened to you throughout your life that is causing so much distress that your coping skills are insufficient to manage it, and so you end up self medicating in some way.

The goal of therapy is to help you process your experience, re-examine it, decide to do something different, learn the skills you need. You learn to leave the past in the past, as much as that is possible for any human being to do.

Their discussion is well worth listening to, and the website offers a plethora of helpful resources.