Working with Childhood Memories and Avoidance in Trauma Counselling

Advocating for the active exploration of childhood memories and the natural avoidance that accompanies them, this book provides a clear entryway into complex and childhood trauma work, particularly in cases where tangled histories and overwhelming symptoms make it challenging for both counsellor and client to prioritize focus areas. Childhood history often serves as a record and a preliminary foundation for therapeutic work, yet childhood memories rarely become substantial material for ongoing exploration. This leaves childhood "ghosts" hidden, unattended, and unexplored, yet powerful drivers of psychological symptoms that keep individuals stuck and make trauma difficult to treat. To address this, Mikhailouskaya offers a trauma counselling framework built on two key pillars: working with early memories and actively engaging with the avoidance that naturally arises around them. Filled with actionable insights, strategies, and case examples, the text provides a roadmap for addressing hard-to-reach trauma cases and resolving key therapeutic dilemmas, such as balancing client choice with therapeutic expertise and navigating the tension between avoidance, clinical judgement, and the guidance needed to support recovery. Designed to transcend any single therapeutic approach, this book is an engaging read for psychotherapists, counsellors, and mental health practitioners seeking to enhance their practice with a deeper understanding of the role memories and avoidance play in trauma recovery.