Childhood Trauma and Adverse Experiences

Experiences from childhood can stay with us long after we have grown up. Abuse, neglect, growing up around violence or addiction, losing a caregiver, or living in a home that felt unpredictable can shape how safe the world feels and how we connect with others. As an adult, you might notice reactions that feel bigger than the moment, trouble trusting, a harsh inner critic, or feelings that surge quickly and are hard to settle, which is sometimes called emotional dysregulation.

You set the pace in this work. You do not have to share details of your childhood before you are ready, or at all, and you do not need to be sure that what happened counts as trauma. Some people arrive with a clear story and others with only a sense that the past is still affecting them, and both are welcome here.

When a child has been through abuse, neglect or another adverse experience, the effects may show up in play, sleep, behavior, schoolwork, or the way the child relates to caregivers. Wendy Barillas, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist #133716, works with children and families who have been through these experiences and brings training in play therapy, Trauma-Focused CBT and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy.

Play can give children a way to express what is difficult to say, and HOPE has two children's rooms with toys, games and space for that kind of work. Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a structured approach for children and teens that brings caregivers into the process, and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy centers on coached play between a caregiver and child. Your therapist can explain which options suit your family.

With adults, Wendy focuses on the lasting effects of childhood and relational wounds. Her work rests on the understanding that early relationships shape a person's sense of self and ability to connect, and it centers on making sense of past experiences, growing self-compassion and building more secure connections. Eva works with complex trauma, meaning harm that happened repeatedly or over a long time, often within relationships.

Several trauma-informed approaches are available as choices. Eva uses parts work and Internal Family Systems, which view a person as made up of different parts, some carrying old pain and some working hard to protect. Brainspotting, which Wendy and Eva both use, attends to emotional and body responses while your eyes rest on a particular point in the visual field. Wendy also uses EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, which pairs attention to a memory with guided eye movements or other bilateral stimulation.

Counseling at HOPE is collaborative and shaped around the person, couple, or family in the room. We do not begin with a preset definition of success. Instead, your therapist makes space for what matters to you, helps you identify personal goals, and works with your experiences and strengths. You can talk about what feels difficult, notice patterns, and decide together where to focus.

Our therapists bring different backgrounds and approaches to this work. Some draw from attachment-based, relational, psychodynamic, parts-informed, somatic, emotion-focused, or cognitive behavioral perspectives. Trauma-informed approaches available within the practice include EMDR, Brainspotting, and Trauma-Focused CBT. Work with children and families may also include play therapy and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy. The approach used depends on the therapist, the client, and the goals you discuss together.

A first step does not require having everything figured out. You can read our therapist profiles, or call or email us and we will help you find a good starting point. If you have a therapist preference, let us know. If you do not, we can help identify a good starting point based on the concern, who will attend, the way you would like to meet, and any language preference.

HOPE offers counseling in person at our Roseville office and by secure video for clients who are located in California during the session. Wendy offers counseling in English and Spanish. A therapist will contact you within 48 hours, Monday through Friday. Before beginning, you can ask questions and learn what to expect so that the next step feels clear.