Healing from adverse childhood experiences

Childhood trauma should not define your future. At Brown Mental Health Coaching, we consider your mental health important and walk beside you as you reclaim peace, resilience, and wholeness.

what is adverse childhood experiences

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that happen during childhood (ages 0 to 17), as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These experiences disrupt a child’s sense of safety, stability, and bonding, which can lead to prolonged toxic stress and alter long-term physical and mental health.

You can learn more about how these are categorized and studied via the CDC ACEs Overview or read the background details at Child Mind Institute. [1, 3]

Three Core Categories of ACEs

 

  • Abuse: Emotional, physical, or sexual mistreatment by an adult or older individual in the child's life. [4]
  • Neglect: Failing to provide for a child's basic physical needs (food, shelter, safety) or emotional needs (affection, protection, care). [4]
  • Household Challenges: Growing up in an environment featuring domestic violence, mental illness, substance misuse, parental separation/divorce, or an incarcerated family member. 

Broader Community Adversities

 

  • Community Violence: Witnessing or experiencing violence in the neighborhood or school.
  • Bullying and Systemic Hardship: Enduring chronic bullying, severe poverty, or discrimination that impacts household stability. 

 

How adverse childhood experiences scores are calculated

The adverse childhood experiences (ACE) score is determined using a straightforward 10-question screening assessment developed during the landmark CDC-Kaiser Permanente study. For each category of adversity experienced before the age of 18—such as physical abuse, emotional neglect, domestic violence in the home, or parental substance abuse—you receive one point.

Scores range from 0 to 10 based on the total number of distinct types of adversity experienced, rather than how frequently an event occurred. At Brown Mental Health Coaching in Waldorf, Maryland, we understand that a high ACE score is not a life sentence. While a higher score indicates greater exposure to toxic stress, understanding your number is simply the first step toward building resilience, emotional healing, and human flourishing.

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