Therapy for Educational Trauma
Our ability to navigate life’s challenges depends on our ability to learn.
For those who identify as Neurodivergent (such as individuals with ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Tourette’s Syndrome, Dyspraxia, OCD, etc.) or who have Learning Disabilities (like Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, Non-Verbal Learning Disorder, etc.), difficulties in school can deeply affect the development of healthy self-efficacy and self-esteem. There are countless forms of intelligence, yet many of us spent our formative years in an educational system that valued and supported only a select few.
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Adverse Childhood
Experiences
Adverse Childhood Experiences can profoundly influence our perceptions of the world, other people, and ourselves. In my clinical experience, the impact of educational trauma is often overlooked when considering why someone might struggle in their career, education, or relationships. Children who face difficulties in school, especially when they see their peers thriving in the same environment, can internalize feelings of inadequacy. Disparaging remarks or treatment from educators, even if well-intentioned, can contribute to this sense of being blamed or burdensome due to their behavioral, emotional, or learning challenges.
Harmful interactions with teachers, peers, and other authority figures can leave lasting scars, leading students to feel insecure about their abilities. This insecurity can perpetuate difficulties in learning and engaging in various aspects of life. As a result, anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem are common struggles for adults who experienced educational trauma during their childhood and adolescence.
Impact
Those who struggle academically often internalize negative beliefs about themselves and adopt rigid standards of success that both stem from and perpetuate these feelings of inferiority and self-criticism. When we perceive our shortcomings and weaknesses as intolerable or unacceptable, we may cause further damage to our self-esteem by attempting to motivate change through self-hatred. We end up tying our self-worth to productivity, resulting in endless cycles of goal-seeking behavior, hyper-independence, burnout, and self-blame.
I believe that healthy and sustainable change involves developing a realistic understanding of our own capacities and limitations. By working with, rather than against, ourselves, we can set and meet expectations that are genuinely aligned with our own needs.
*I also work with parents looking for help navigating life with children who have learning disabilities or neurodivergent identities (such as ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder). I will take a compassionate approach to helping you understand and support your loved one, while honoring and supporting you around the impact these challenges may have on your mood, self-regulation, and identity as a parent and as a person.
Why Cadenza Counseling?
At Cadenza Counseling, my goal is to help clients understand their current struggles within the context of their disabilities and past educational trauma. This understanding is essential for fostering greater self-awareness, self-compassion, and self-efficacy. Together, we can use the insights gained in therapy to identify effective coping strategies and build a sense of mastery and control over your life. While therapy is a highly individualized process, this might involve:
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Exploring how learning disabilities or neurodivergence impact your self-esteem and identity
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Examining the connections between past experiences of educational or childhood trauma and current patterns of thought, feelings, and behavior
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Receiving psychoeducation and information about your specific condition to enhance your knowledge and awareness
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Developing practical coping strategies
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Increasing self-awareness and self-compassion related to your disability and its effects
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Identifying and challenging self-limiting beliefs
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Collaboratively setting and achieving realistic goals to improve functioning and self-regard
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Learning and applying tools for self-regulation
Contact
I'm always looking for new and exciting opportunities. Let's connect.
719.413.8323