Understanding Developmental Trauma - What it looks like and the Maleficent 8
Updated: Jan 6
Trauma is often thought of as a singular, catastrophic events—accidents, natural disasters, or assaults. In recent years, complex trauma or complex PTSD has become better well known. CPTSD has to do with a series of traumatic events over a prolonged period of time. However, there is another realm of trauma that, though growing in recognition, often escapes the radar. That realm is known as developmental trauma. Developmental trauma arises during childhood. It is not caused by a single event but by chronic neglect, inconsistency, or harm in relationships with caregivers. When a child doesn’t experience consistent safety, attunement, or support, their development is shaped in ways that ripple into adulthood. Oftentimes, the impacts don't immediately make obvious sense. The effects bleed into nearly every part of adult life, making it tough to make sense of and even recognize.
Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, a trauma researcher and author of the widely popular book, The Body Keeps the Score, among others in the trauma field (Joseph Spinazzola, Julian Ford) have identified what are often called the "Maladapted 8" or the "Maleficent 8"—eight domains where the effects of developmental trauma most commonly show up. Exploring these 8 domains can help individuals dealing with the impacts of developmental trauma make sense of their experiences and get the help they need to live the lives that they want.
What Is Developmental Trauma?
Developmental trauma occurs when a child grows up in an environment that is unsafe, unstable, or invalidating. This may result from neglect, emotional or physical abuse, parental inconsistency, or even subtle relational wounds like a lack of emotional attunement.
Because children are dependent on caregivers, their nervous systems and emotional patterns are shaped by these early experiences. When safety and connection are absent, survival mechanisms take over, creating adaptations or survival skills that help the child cope at the time. Since the body and the brain get pretty good at keeping themselves safe however they can, these skills often become patterns that lead to challenges later in life. However, they're patterns that have been around for a good, long time - so they aren't always easy to identify, let alone switch off just because we want to.
The Maleficent 8: Domains of Developmental Trauma
1. Attachment
Attachment is all about how we connect with others. When a caregiver (like a parent) is inconsistent, neglectful, or unavailable, it disrupts a child's ability to form secure bonds. Children are impressionable and the ways in which we show up as adults is significantly impacted by our experience as children. If you find it hard to trust others, even when they haven't give you reason to doubt them, worry excessively about being left behind, fear abandonment, seemingly become overly dependent on others and cling to them tightly, or maybe even withdrawing from connection to avoid being hurt - you might be exhibiting signs of the first domain of the Maleficent 8 - dysregulated attachment patterns.
2. Emotional Regulation
Growing up without safe adults who model healthy emotional expression can leave a person struggling to manage their own emotions. As humans, we're going to have down days and down moments just as we have days and moments that are significantly better. In order to learn how to healthily navigate the ups and downs of life, emotions, moods, etc., it has to be modeled for us. We don't automatically move through the world knowing how to do this well. The second domain of the Maleficent 8 is emotional dysregulation and looks like intense mood swings, difficulty calming yourself down when you're stressed out or overwhelmed, a pattern of bottling up your emotions until you explode, or perhaps it feels like your emotions are unpredictable and therefore uncontrollable.
3. Dissociation
Dissociation is a coping mechanism where a person detaches from their surroundings, emotions, or physical sensations to protect themselves from overwhelming stress. Some might describe it as "going numb" and others might describe it as if they're going through the motions without even remembering it, or spacing out. The third domain, dissociation, is an experience of being disconnected from your body, parts of your days may feel like a blur, or it might feel as if you're watching your life happen from the outside.
4. Self-Concept
Without consistent affirmations of worth and belonging in childhood, a person may grow up with a distorted sense of self. Much like learning to navigate emotional turbulence, we aren't hardwired with a naturally strong sense of self. It is created. It is created by repetitive experiences of validation/praise/room for mistakes to be made/being celebrated as is. This fourth domain, a fractured self-concept, looks like chronic self-doubt, feelings of unworthiness, perfectionism, a feeling of being "not enough," or that your worth is proven through a sense of achievement.
5. Somatic (Physical) Dysregulation
The body holds the imprints of trauma, often leading to physical symptoms or an inability to tune into your body's needs. This fifth domain of somatic dysregulation includes chronic pain, gut or digestive issues, difficulty tuning into bodily needs like hunger and fatigue, or experiencing physical discomfort but not knowing what you need in order to start feeling better.
6. Behavioral Control
Children in unsafe environments may develop extreme strategies to manage their behavior, swinging between over-control and impulsivity. How this sixth domain often manifests in adulthood is through addiction and other risky behaviors, inability to relax, feelings of rigidity, and decision making that is "all in" or "all out," with little ability to find the middle ground.
7. Cognition
When a child’s brain develops in a state of chronic stress, it can affect their ability to think clearly or make decisions. The part of the brain that it developing at rapid speed in childhood is the part that's responsible for critical thinking, rational decision making, concentration, and problem solving. Adults with developmental trauma histories may experience overthinking, inability or difficulty in decision making, "brain fog" or murkiness when trying to focus, and even impulsivity.
8. Interpersonal Relationships
Trauma can distort how we view relationships, leaving us unsure of boundaries or drawn to unhealthy dynamics. Those who are dealing with the impacts of developmental trauma might attract toxic or unstable relationships, difficulty setting and maintaining boundaries in relationships, patterns of harmful behaviors in relationships, persistent feelings of being unheard or being taken advantage of, and lack of knowing how to break these patterns.
How Understanding These Domains Can Help
Recognizing the Maleficent 8 is not about labeling yourself as "broken" or "damaged." Instead, it’s about seeing the ways your past has shaped you and empowering yourself to heal. Developmental trauma often creates patterns rooted in survival, not failure. By identifying these areas of struggle, you can begin to address them with compassion and curiosity in order to grow the parts of yourself that never had the chance to blossom. Trauma specialists can help you to address the roots of your challenges and create new patterns for growth. Each of these 8 domains presents an opportunity for healing and stepping into a world of abundant relationship - with yourself and others. Processing and healing the deepest pain points - the parts that might not even have words - can be done through a variety of modalities such as regular talk therapy, expressive arts, Brainspotting, EMDR and more. Incorporating somatic, or body-based movement can help to lead to a healthy reconnection with body. This can be done through yoga practices, somatic experiencing, mindfulness and guided imagery exercises and more. Relationship building is also fundamental. Learning to build healthy relationships with self and others leads those experiencing the impacts of developmental trauma to experience a new, healthier way of moving through the world.
Developmental trauma may shape how you experience the world, but it does not define you. The Maleficent 8 are not labels—they are lenses to help you better understand yourself and take steps toward healing. With the right support, you can rewrite your story and build a life that feels safe, authentic, and whole.
If you see yourself in any of these patterns and want to explore them further, Woven Wholeness is here to help. Together, we can work to uncover the roots of your experiences and empower you to heal in a way that feels right for you.
Comments