11/28/2025
Children carry big feelings in small bodies. 💛 Grief, anxiety, big changes, and even everyday stress can feel overwhelming when they don’t yet have the words or tools to make sense of it all. Counseling gives children a safe, gentle space to process their emotions, learn healthy coping skills, and know they are seen, heard, and deeply valued.
At Revive Wellco, we provide counseling for children and teens that is trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate, and grounded in hope. If a child in your life is struggling either emotionally, behaviorally, or spiritually—support is available. Send a message to learn more about how Revive Wellco can walk alongside your family. 🌿
🧠🔬 When home feels like a battlefield, the brain responds the same way war does.
Groundbreaking research from University College London and the Anna Freud Centre reveals that children exposed to family violence develop brain activity patterns strikingly similar to combat veterans.
Using functional MRI scans, researchers found that maltreated children show heightened responses in the amygdala and anterior insula—regions that detect and process threats—when viewing angry faces. These same regions are hyperactive in soldiers who’ve experienced combat, suggesting that repeated exposure to violence literally rewires a child’s emotional circuitry for hyper-vigilance.
While this adaptation may help children sense danger in the short term, it also primes the brain for anxiety disorders and long-term mental health struggles. Importantly, none of the children in the study had psychiatric diagnoses, highlighting how invisible these neural changes can be.
As Professor Peter Fonagy emphasized, protecting children from violence is not only a moral responsibility but also a scientific necessity—since the scars it leaves on the brain can endure for a lifetime.
Source: McCrory, E., et al. (2011). Maltreated children show same pattern of brain activity as combat soldiers. Current Biology.
How does this research change your perspective on childhood trauma? What are the broader implications of understanding these neurological changes?
Disclaimer: This content is for informational and educational purposes only.
