Why do mind / body professionals need to know about Adverse Childhood Experences?

My clients are all adults, why do their adverse childhood experiences matter?

I’m not their psychologist, I help people with their physical health.

Do your clients with chronic illnesses have difficulty sticking with their self-care plan and setting and meeting their health care goals? Even though they are adults, they may still be feeling the impact of their adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).

What do we mean when we say Adverse Childhood Experiences?

“ACEs include child abuse (emotional, physical, or sexual), neglect (physical or emotional), and household challenges (household incarceration, mental illness, substance use, intimate partner violence, or parental separation or divorce) experienced by 18 years of age” (Ortiz et al., 2022).

ACEs are associated in a dose-dependent way with over 60 mental and physical health outcomes and premature death, including many of the leading causes of death in the US, such as:

heart disease,

cancer,

unintentional injuries,

stroke,

chronic lower respiratory disease,

diabetes,

kidney disease, and

suicide (Ortiz et al., 2022).

ACEs are also associated with:

dementia and memory impairment,

epilepsy or seizure disorder,

attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),

headaches,

sleep disturbances, and

chronic pain (Ortiz et al., 2022).

Your clients may think they are not good enough, not worthy of help and that what has happened to them is all their fault.

There are several research-based strategies for helping clients with Adverse Childhood Experiences, including:

Fostering healthy relationships

Improving sleep quality

Ensuring balanced nutrition

Encouraging regular physical activity

Sharing mindfulness practices

Increasing time spent in nature

Providing professional referrals to mental health care, if needed.

The book Mindful Strategies for Adult Clients with Adverse Childhood Experiences provides the information and research to empower mind-body professionals to support their clients with adverse childhood experiences in reaching their health goals.

Resource:

Ortiz R, Gilgoff R, Burke Harris N. Adverse Childhood Experiences, Toxic Stress, and Trauma-Informed Neurology. JAMA Neurol. 2022;79(6):539–540. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2022.0769