How Childhood Trauma Puts You and Your Teens at Risk: Understanding the Hidden Dangers
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are more than just difficult memories. They are stressful or traumatic events—such as abuse, neglect, or household dysfunction—that can significantly impact both physical and mental health across a lifetime.
At Counseling & Nature Therapy Center in Frisco, Texas, we specialize in trauma therapy, EMDR, and counseling for teens. Our goal is to help parents and teens understand the risks of ACEs, and most importantly, to provide hope and healing.
What Are ACEs?
ACEs include experiences such as:
Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse
Witnessing domestic violence
Growing up in a home with addiction, incarceration, or untreated mental illness
Parental separation or divorce
While many families face challenges, frequent or unresolved ACEs can overwhelm a child’s ability to cope.
How ACEs Affect Health
Research shows that ACEs don’t just influence emotions—they change how the body responds to stress. High levels of chronic stress can increase the risk of:
Heart disease, diabetes, and autoimmune conditions
Sleep problems and chronic pain
Increased substance use and risk-taking behaviors
Left unaddressed, the toxic stress from ACEs can shorten life expectancy and impact daily functioning.
ACEs and Mental Health Concerns
For adults AND teens, ACEs often show up as:
Anxiety and depression
Problems with focus, school performance, or friendships
Emotional outbursts or shutting down
Increased vulnerability to self-harm or suicidal thoughts
When trauma is ignored, teens and adults allike, may carry heavy burdens into adulthood. But with counseling and trauma-informed care, healing is possible.
Suicide Risk and ACEs
One of the most alarming findings from ACE research is the direct link between trauma and suicide risk. Teens who experience multiple ACEs are far more likely to attempt suicide than those who do not. This makes early intervention critical. Support from skilled therapists trained in trauma therapy and EMDR in Frisco, Texas can help break the cycle and give teens the tools they need to cope safely and thrive.
Practical Tools to Support the Nervous System and Heal From ACEs
While trauma and ACEs can feel overwhelming, healing is always possible. The brain and body are designed to recover with the right support. By practicing tools that regulate the nervous system, you and your teen can begin to reduce stress responses and build resilience. Here are some practical strategies:
Grounding Exercises: Notice five things you can see, four things you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, and one you can taste. This simple practice helps bring the nervous system back to the present moment.
Breathwork: Slow, deep breathing—such as inhaling for 4 counts, holding for 4, and exhaling for 6—can calm the body’s fight-or-flight response.
Movement and Nature: Walking outside, stretching, or gentle yoga can release stored stress and help regulate emotions.
Safe Connection: Encourage (or engage in) open conversations and moments of connection with trusted friends, family, or a therapist. Safe relationships are one of the most powerful antidotes to trauma.
Mindful Practices: Simple mindfulness activities, like focusing on a candle flame or listening to calming music, can retrain the brain toward calm and safety.
Holding on to Hope
ACEs may shape the past, but they do not determine the future. Every small step toward regulating the nervous system builds new neural pathways that support healing. With trauma therapy, EMDR, and counseling for teens in Frisco, Texas, you and your family can learn how to break free from the weight of trauma and reclaim a hopeful, thriving life.
Healing is not about erasing the pain, but about building strength, safety, and new possibilities. You and your teen are capable of overcoming ACEs and creating a healthier, brighter future.
How Trauma Therapy Can Help
At Counseling & Nature Therapy Center, we use evidence-based approaches like:
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): Helps reprocess painful memories and reduce their emotional charge.
Mindfulness and somatic practices: Support nervous system regulation and stress reduction.
Teen and family counseling: Builds connection, resilience, and healthier communication patterns.
