Maybe you've realized that what happened when you were young still shapes how you feel, react and relate today. You're ready to get help, then you search for the best therapy for childhood trauma in adults and find a long list of letters: CBT, EMDR, IFS, ACT, DBT. Which one is right for you? This guide explains why there's no single best answer, what the main approaches involve in plain words, and how to tell whether a therapy and therapist are a good fit.
This post is general information, not a diagnosis or treatment advice. Reading about trauma can stir things up, so take breaks and go at your own pace.
How childhood trauma can show up in adult life
Childhood trauma can include abuse, neglect, growing up with violence or addiction at home, or not having a safe, steady adult to turn to. Years later, it can show up as anxiety, low self-worth, trouble trusting people, feeling numb, strong reactions that seem bigger than the moment, or a constant sense of being on guard.
Not everyone who went through hard things as a child struggles later, and there's no checklist that can tell you what you have. Our post on adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) explains how early experiences and protective factors fit together.
Is there one best therapy for childhood trauma?
The honest answer is no. There's no single best therapy for childhood trauma that works for everyone. Research supports several approaches, and what helps most often depends on your history, your goals, how you're coping now and how safe you feel with your therapist.
The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) reviewed the research for its 2019 guidelines on treating PTSD. Approaches with the strongest recommendations for adults included trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy, cognitive therapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), cognitive processing therapy and prolonged exposure. Many people with childhood trauma don't have PTSD, though, and research on adult survivors of childhood trauma is still growing.
So if you're looking for the best treatment for childhood trauma in adults, or the best psychotherapy for childhood trauma, it can help to change the question. Instead of asking which therapy is best in general, ask which therapy for adult survivors of childhood trauma fits you, right now. The best therapy approach for childhood trauma is often the one you can stay with, with a therapist you trust.
What matters most is often fit, safety and pace. A good therapist will work with you to choose an approach, and many blend more than one.
Trauma-focused talk therapy
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings and actions. In trauma work, it can help you notice beliefs that formed when you were young, like "it's my fault" or "I can't trust anyone," and test whether they still fit your life now.
CBT-based trauma work often includes learning about how trauma affects the body and mind, building coping skills, and, when you're ready, gently working with memories. Our therapists use CBT-based approaches as part of trauma counselling.
EMDR
EMDR is a structured therapy that helps the brain process distressing memories. The ISTSS describes it as a standardized, eight-phase, trauma-focused therapy that uses bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements, taps or tones, while you briefly focus on a memory.
Many people find EMDR for childhood trauma appealing because it doesn't require talking through every detail out loud. Before any memory work, an EMDR therapist spends time helping you feel steady and building ways to calm your body. We offer EMDR at our Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge and Ottawa offices.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
IFS sees the mind as made up of different "parts." One part might work very hard to keep you safe, another might carry old pain, and another might shut everything down when things feel too much. IFS helps you get to know these parts with curiosity rather than judgment.
Research on IFS is still developing. A small 2021 pilot study by Hodgdon and colleagues, with adult survivors of multiple childhood traumas, found promising results, but it had no comparison group. Many people find the parts language gentle and easy to relate to.
Somatic and body-based approaches
Trauma isn't only stored in thoughts. Many people notice it in their bodies, as tension, a racing heart, numbness or feeling frozen. Somatic approaches pay attention to these body sensations and help you build a sense of safety from the inside out.
A 2021 scoping review of somatic experiencing by Kuhfuß and colleagues found some positive results but noted that the evidence base is still limited. Somatic work is often blended with other approaches rather than used on its own.
ACT and DBT skills for overwhelm
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) helps you make room for painful feelings and memories without letting them run your life, and move toward what matters to you. Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) skills, such as calming intense emotions and riding out urges, can be useful when feelings swing hard and fast.
We teach DBT skills in one-on-one sessions only. We don't run skills groups.
Why stabilization often comes first
With childhood trauma, many therapists use a phase-based approach. A 2011 ISTSS expert survey on complex PTSD, led by Marylene Cloitre, found that most experts favoured a sequenced approach that starts with safety and coping skills before working directly with trauma memories.
That first phase might mean learning to calm your body, understanding your triggers and building support in your life. It can feel slower than you hoped, but it's often what makes deeper work possible. Our guide to treating complex PTSD explains the phases in more detail.
You don't have to tell the whole story at once
Many adults put off therapy because they dread having to recount everything. You don't have to. A good trauma therapist will let you set the pace, check in often and never push you to share more than you're ready for.
Early sessions often focus on getting to know you, what you want to change and what helps you feel steady. It's okay to say "I'm not ready to talk about that yet."
How to tell if a therapy and therapist fit you
The approach matters, but so does the relationship. In a free consultation or first session, you might ask:
How do you usually work with adults who went through childhood trauma?
What happens if I feel overwhelmed in a session?
Do you start with coping skills before memory work?
How will we know if it's helping?
Notice how you feel in the room. Feeling heard, respected and safe is a good sign. If something doesn't feel right, it's okay to ask for a different therapist.
Starting trauma therapy with us
We offer trauma counselling at our Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge and Ottawa offices, and online anywhere in Ontario on a secure, encrypted video platform. Our team uses CBT-based approaches, EMDR, IFS, somatic approaches, ACT and individual DBT skills, and will help you find a fit.
Sessions with our therapists range from $130 to $200, depending on the clinician.
Depending on your plan, insurance may cover some or all of the cost. Coverage varies, so check your plan.
We accept Health Spending Accounts (HSAs).
We can direct bill many insurers, including for sessions with a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying). Desjardins is the exception: through TELUS eClaims, we can direct bill Desjardins for sessions with an RSW, RP or psychologist, but not for an RP (Qualifying).
Book a free 15-minute consultation with our admin team. You don't need to share your story to book. "I think my childhood still affects me" is enough.
If you're in crisis: if you or anyone else is in immediate danger, call 911. If you're having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, call or text 9-8-8 any time, day or night. Our crisis lines page lists both.
What happened to you wasn't your fault. Healing is possible, at your own pace.
Last reviewed: October 2026
Sources
Post-traumatic stress disorder (NICE guideline NG116), National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
PTSD: Treatment, NHS
Complex PTSD, NHS