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Trauma, Development, and Spirituality.
ABSTRACT
This paper will cover the effects of trauma and resilience in the toddler
and preschool stages of development and how past and current research
help shed awareness and light on the needs of individuals throughout
different stages of their lives. By understanding the signs of trauma and how
it presents in early human development, there is an opportunity for early
intervention and to begin resilience training.
Keywords: Trauma, Emotional regulation, Attachment disruption, Resilence.
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Trauma, Development, and Spirituality.
TRAUMA, DEVELOPMENT, AND SPIRITUALITY
When looking at human development and experience, one must accept, acknowledge, and
learn from the trauma that will occur in the individual’s lifespan. While chronic trauma and acute
trauma can look different and present in a multitude of ways, it is necessary for those in the
counseling field to understand trauma and how it affects clients. From psychoanalytic theories to
cognitive behavioral theories, the world of counseling and psychology is rooted in getting to the
“root” and analyzing traumatic events from childhood and the behaviors or responses that
naturally occur.
It is vital that counselors, whether they are directly working with children or not, for them
to understand how trauma affects early human development, how resistance is built, and how
spirituality can be used in the healing process for clients. Every client has a story, and those
stories begin with childhood; to understand the depths of these stories, we must dive into how
our clients have developed and how they hope to in the future. Trauma is not a defining factor
and does not deserve to be the only label set on clients’ lives, hence why counselors have the
moral and ethical responsibility to understand the complex nature of trauma and call our clients
into truth, light, and love.
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Trauma, Development, and Spirituality.
TODDLERHOOD ATTACHMENT DISRUPTION
In the toddlerhood stage of development, the children’s actions are
egocentric and want independence. Thus, when a toddler experiences a
traumatic event, their nervous system goes into a state of disarray. Children
at this age rely on secure attachment to their parents or caregivers for their
security, stability, and emotional regulation and for them to feel comfortable
exploring and taking risks within their environment. Thus, when separation
occurs with a parent or caregiver, abuse or emotional or physical neglect can
cause disruption to their attachment (Stone, J. et al. 2015).
Toddlers who experience attachment disruption have had
developmental issues that have been linked to negative brain impacts,
emotional regulation issues, and academic issues (Wong, D. et al. 2021). It is
crucial for us as counselors to understand the warning signs of attachment
disposition in order to take steps beforehand for early intervention to
prevent further traumas. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(2016) states that abuse, maltreatment, and traumatic experiences are the
highest preventable causes of major mental illnesses. Thomason and
Marusak (2017) discovered that in toddlerhood, any trauma that reoccurs
because of the continuous form of maltreatment is linked to inflammation
levels that disrupt the body’s nervous system.
It is crucial to understand the physical signs of trauma within toddlers
and the trauma presents in order to promote resiliency. Through
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Trauma, Development, and Spirituality.
intentionality, cultivation of safety in the home environment, support from
parents or caretakers, resources, and much more, toddlers can begin to build
and work through their attachment disorder and other trauma-related
disorders (National Child Traumatic Stress Network, 2019).
PRESCHOOL EMOTIONAL REGULATION
In the preschool age range, children are at a higher capacity to express
and understand their emotions (Wong, D. et al. 2021).In turn, when trauma
occurs, the emotional regulation of the preschool child becomes affected. At
this age range, the child is at a highly sensitive and emotional stage to begin
with. When trauma comes into the picture, this adds to and derails healthy
emotional regulation.
Preschoolers who witness severe traumatic events such as violence,
harassment, or sexual abuse have been linked to emotional dysregulation
with outbursts, aggression, and impulsive behaviors, or they struggle with
being consoled (Lim L. et al., 2015). Resiliency begins with creating safe
spaces, identifying the areas of trauma, and allowing preschoolers to have
the space to question and process what they have seen and experienced
(Stone, J. et al., 2015).
SPIRITUALITY
Over the years, spirituality has been increasingly becoming more and
more accepted in the field of trauma studies regarding resiliency and
creating positive effects (Wong, D., et al. 2021). Spirituality has been linked
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Trauma, Development, and Spirituality.
to trauma survivors as a coping mechanism and way of processing, finding
meaning, and having a level of positivity within their life (Milner et al., 2020).
Spirituality has continuously been linked to helping trauma patients build
resiliency and their recovery; it is evident that spirituality has positive
impacts on the field. However, in regard to child development and learning
resiliency, spirituality may look different and hold a different impact than it
would on those at later stages of development (Milner et al., 2020).
CONCLUSION
Trauma that occurs in the first 6 years of a child’s life have the potential to become risk
factors for later emotional distress and mental health struggles (Lim, L. et, al., 2015). It is crucial
for educators, counselors, parents, and caretakers to recognize the symptoms of trauma-responses
at the different stages of human development. By learning and advocating for early intervention
there is greater potential for the child to build up a stronger resiliency which can help at later
stages of development when trauma may occur and how they react and function (Wong, D., et,
al. 2021). As a counselor in training it is my duty and responsibility to educate myself on the
signs and to advocate for greater research so that trauma studies can be improved for the field
and the future of society.
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Trauma, Development, and Spirituality.
REFRENCES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). ACEs definitions. About
the CDC-Kaiser ACE Study. Retrieved from
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Danese, A., & Baldwin J. R. (2017). Hidden wounds? Inflammatory links
between childhood trauma and psychopathology. Annual Review and
Psychology, 68, 57-544.
Lim, L., Hart, H., Mehta, M., Simmons, A., Mirza, K., & Rubia, K. (2015).
Neural correlates of
error processing in young people with a history of severe childhood
abuse: An fMRI
study. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 172(9), 893-900.
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network. (n.d.). https://www.nctsn.org/;
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Trauma, Development, and Spirituality.
Milner K, Crawford P, Edgley A, Hare-Duke L, Slade M. The experiences of spirituality among
adults with mental health difficulties: A qualitative systematic review.;Epidemiology and
Psychiatric Sciences.2020;29:E34. doi:;10.1017/S2045796019000234
Stone, J., & Bray, S. (2015). Trauma and young children: How the problem
plays out. Advances
in Early Education and Day Care, 19, 177-211.
Thomason, M. E., & Marusak, H. A. (2017). Toward understanding the impact
of trauma on the
early developing human brain. Neuroscience, 342, 55-67.
Wong, D. W., Hall, K. R., & Hernandez, L. W. (2021).;Counseling individuals through the
lifespan. SAGE.;
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