Childhood trauma is an umbrella term and is a more common experience than you might think. Many people have conflicting emotions about the quality of childhood and might think to themselves, “Other people had it so much worse. My friend was literally burnt by her mother! My parents loved me. They just didn’t show it all the time.” Or, “I always had food on the table, and my parents bought me clothes for school.” The first discounts not feeling loved in a fulfilling way because there was no physical abuse. The second highlights basic needs being met but nothing else. The truth is, trauma is any significantly distressing experience you were exposed to or deprived of. This is not limited to what has been done to you but also what you weren’t given, what you’ve witnessed, or the outcomes of those actions.