100 Childhood Trauma Therapy and Healing Techniques

Here are 100 childhood trauma therapy and healing techniques, categorized to help organize your approach. These can be used by mental health professionals or as supportive strategies during self-directed healing (where appropriate):

1–20: Talk Therapies

  1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
  2. Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT)
  3. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
  4. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
  5. Internal Family Systems (IFS)
  6. Psychodynamic Therapy
  7. Narrative Therapy
  8. Somatic Experiencing
  9. Attachment-Based Therapy
  10. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
  11. Schema Therapy
  12. Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT)
  13. Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
  14. Transpersonal Therapy
  15. Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT)
  16. Relational Life Therapy
  17. Experiential Therapy
  18. Existential Therapy
  19. Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP)
  20. Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)

21–40: Creative Therapies

  1. Art Therapy
  2. Music Therapy
  3. Dance/Movement Therapy
  4. Drama Therapy
  5. Expressive Writing or Journaling
  6. Guided Imagery Drawing
  7. Sand Tray Therapy
  8. Clay Sculpting (for tactile expression)
  9. Collage Making
  10. Poetry Writing Therapy
  11. Mandala Coloring
  12. Phototherapy
  13. Digital Art Therapy
  14. Comic Strip Creation
  15. Storytelling (writing personal myths)
  16. Role-Playing
  17. Therapeutic Theatre
  18. Songwriting
  19. Vision Board Creation
  20. Origami for Mindfulness

41–60: Mind-Body & Somatic Techniques

  1. Body Scan Meditation
  2. Progressive Muscle Relaxation
  3. Somatic Experiencing
  4. TRE (Tension & Trauma Release Exercises)
  5. Trauma-Informed Yoga
  6. Mindful Movement (e.g., Tai Chi)
  7. Breathwork Techniques (e.g., box breathing)
  8. Craniosacral Therapy
  9. Alexander Technique
  10. Feldenkrais Method
  11. Grounding Exercises
  12. Havening Techniques
  13. Heart Rate Variability Training
  14. Biofeedback Therapy
  15. Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
  16. Reiki (with trauma-informed practitioner)
  17. Touch Therapy (with consent and training)
  18. Acupuncture (trauma-aware)
  19. Restorative Yoga
  20. Safe Place Visualization

61–80: Lifestyle, Nature & Self-Care

  1. Nature Therapy (Ecotherapy)
  2. Forest Bathing (Shinrin-Yoku)
  3. Gardening Therapy
  4. Animal-Assisted Therapy (e.g., equine)
  5. Aromatherapy
  6. Herbal Support (with trained guidance)
  7. Sound Baths
  8. Nutrition & Trauma Recovery Coaching
  9. Sleep Hygiene Training
  10. Regular Exercise
  11. Digital Detox Practices
  12. Self-Soothing Rituals
  13. Healing Baths (Epsom salt, lavender)
  14. Creating a “Safe Space” at Home
  15. Support Groups (peer-based)
  16. Volunteering for Empowerment
  17. Building a Daily Routine
  18. Practicing Gratitude Journaling
  19. Minimalist Living to Reduce Overwhelm
  20. Connecting with Spiritual or Religious Beliefs

81–100: Relational & Community Healing

  1. Group Therapy (trauma-focused)
  2. Support Circles
  3. Family Therapy (when safe)
  4. Parenting Inner Child Workshops
  5. Reparenting Exercises
  6. Boundary-Setting Practice
  7. Learning Assertiveness
  8. Co-regulation with a Safe Person
  9. Mentorship (trauma-informed)
  10. Story-sharing in Safe Communities
  11. Attachment Repair Work
  12. Letter Writing to Inner Child
  13. Writing to Absent/Deceased Abuser (then safely destroying)
  14. Therapeutic Role-Playing with Trusted Friend
  15. Eye Contact Practice in Safe Environments
  16. Finding or Creating a Trauma-Informed Community
  17. Partner Healing Work (for couples)
  18. Celebrating Milestones in Recovery
  19. Practicing Forgiveness (not forced; when ready)
  20. Cultivating Long-Term Safety and Connection