When it comes to trauma, many people think only of extreme or obvious events.

But the truth is, trauma can take many forms – and often it begins in childhood.

The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study helps us understand how early stressors shape not just our emotions, but our relationships, nervous system, and long-term health.

What Are Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)?

ACEs are painful or stressful experiences that happen before the age of 18.

They might include:

• Emotional, physical, or sexual abuse
• Neglect (emotional or physical)
• A caregiver with substance use, mental illness, or incarceration
• Witnessing domestic violence
• Separation or divorce of parents

These early events often occur in silence or confusion.

But their effects echo – in how we love, how we trust, and how we respond to stress.

Why the ACE Test Matters

The ACE Test is a simple 10-question tool developed from a landmark study by the CDC and Kaiser Permanente.

It screens for different types of childhood adversity.

Your score is based on how many of these experiences you’ve lived through.

Research shows a clear link between higher ACE scores and increased risk of:

• Anxiety, depression, or PTSD
• Chronic health issues (heart disease, autoimmune disorders)
• Substance use and risky behaviours
• Difficulties in emotional regulation and relationships

But here’s the key: an ACE score is not your destiny. It’s a lens – a way to better understand yourself with more compassion, not more judgment.

Trauma, the Body, and Relationships

Unprocessed trauma doesn’t just live in our memories – it lives in our bodies.

Many of us who grew up with emotional or relational pain carry nervous systems that remain stuck in survival mode:

• You might struggle with trust or closeness
• Get overwhelmed easily, or go numb
• Find yourself people-pleasing, fawning, or self-isolating
• Feel chronically tired, anxious, or on edge

In our practice, we use body-based and relational approaches like Somatic Therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to gently support your system back into safety and connection – at your own pace.

You Are More Than Your Score

When I first learned about the ACE Test, I remember feeling a mix of curiosity and heaviness.

Like many people, I quietly counted the experiences on my fingers – unsure what to make of the number that emerged.

What struck me wasn’t just the score itself, but how familiar the stories behind it felt – not just in my own life, but in the lives of my clients, my friends, and so many others navigating their own healing journeys.

This work isn’t theoretical for me. I’ve seen – and lived – the quiet strength it takes to keep going when you carry invisible wounds from childhood.

I’ve also seen how much healing is possible when we begin to tell the truth about what hurt, gently, and in good company.

An ACE score might name what happened. But it doesn’t name what’s possible for you.

There Is Hope, Even if You Didn’t Have Protection Then

While the ACE Study highlights risk, it also reveals something just as powerful:

healing is possible – especially in safe, caring relationships.

What protects us isn’t perfection.

It’s attunement. Empathy. Co-regulation.

Therapy, community, spirituality, self-compassion – all of these can be healing forces.

Healing might look like:

• Learning to calm and befriend your nervous system
• Building boundaries with love
• Reconnecting with your body and inner voice
• Grieving what you didn’t get – and learning to give it to yourself now
• Creating a new, more loving narrative for your life

At Terra Counselling, we support clients who carry the invisible weight of childhood trauma. Whether you’re navigating relationship patterns, anxiety, emotional overwhelm, or simply longing for a deeper sense of safety in your body – we’re here to walk beside you.

You don’t have to heal alone.
Book a free consultation or explore our trauma-informed services.