How Arts Therapies Help Children Heal from ACEs

When the Body Keeps the Score: How Arts Therapies Help Children Heal from ACEs 

Meta description (for SEO): Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can have lasting effects on children’s mental health, learning, and relationships. Discover how arts therapies help children and young people recover from trauma - and why Arts Therapies UK leads the way in trauma-informed creative care. 

Understanding ACEs: The Hidden Stories Behind Behaviour 

Across the UK, more children than ever are carrying invisible stories of trauma. These experiences, known as Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), range from abuse and neglect to household dysfunction, violence, and chronic stress. 

They don’t just affect the mind - they shape the body, brain, and lifelong health. 

“Trauma is not just an event that took place in the past; it is also the imprint left by that experience on mind, brain, and body.” — Dr Bessel van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score (2014) 

The Scale of ACEs in the UK 

ACEs are more common than many realise — and their effects ripple across generations. 

Study / Location	Prevalence	Key Findings
England (Bellis et al., 2014)	47 % ≥ 1 ACE; 9 % ≥ 4 ACEs	First national study linking ACEs with poor mental and physical health.
Wales (Public Health Wales, 2015)	46 % ≥ 1 ACE; 14 % ≥ 4 ACEs	People with 4+ ACEs were 15 × more likely to have committed violence.
Scotland (NHS Health Scotland, 2017)	1 in 10–15 ≥ 4 ACEs	ACEs strongly linked to poor wellbeing and lower life satisfaction.
Millennium Cohort Study (UK children)	50 % ≥ 1 ACE; 9 % ≥ 3 ACEs	Half of UK children experience at least one ACE by age 11.
Secure Care Census (Scotland, 2019)	74 % ≥ 4 ACEs	Most children in secure care have experienced multiple traumas.

Sources: Bellis et al., BMC Medicine (2014); Public Health Wales (2015); NHS Health Scotland (2017); Kelly et al., SSM Population Health (2022); CYCJ (2019). 

The Impact on Children and Young People 

Trauma affects every part of a child’s development. In classrooms, its impact can look like poor focus, anxiety, avoidance, or challenging behaviour - but beneath these are often deep feelings of fear, loss, or shame. 

The NHS England Mental Health of Children and Young People Survey (2023) found that: 

• 1 in 5 children aged 8–25 had a probable mental disorder. 

• Those affected were 7 × more likely to miss over 15 days of school per term. 

• Emotional dysregulation and anxiety were major barriers to attendance and learning. 

Traditional “talking therapies” often reach their limits when children can’t yet put experiences into words - which is where creative, embodied approaches come in. 

When the Body Keeps the Score 

Dr Bessel van der Kolk’s work, The Body Keeps the Score, helped us understand that trauma is stored not just in memory but also in the nervous system. 

ACEs can alter: 

• The amygdala → heightening fear and vigilance 

• The hippocampus → disrupting memory and learning 

• The prefrontal cortex → reducing emotional control and reasoning 

These neurological changes explain why traumatised children may struggle to sit still, concentrate, or trust others - especially in busy school environments. 

How Arts Therapies Support Recovery 

Arts therapies - including art, music, drama, play and dance movement psychotherapy — work directly with the body and imagination to help children process what words cannot. 

Through rhythm, sound, image, and movement, children: 

• Regulate emotion and rebuild safety in their bodies 

• Explore and transform traumatic memories creatively 

• Strengthen communication and social connection 

• Re-engage with learning and self-confidence 

“Through creativity, children find the language of healing long before they find the words.”  Arts Therapies UK 

Beyond Childhood: The Long Reach of ACEs 

The effects of ACEs extend far beyond childhood. Adults with four or more ACEs are at far greater risk of: 

• Depression and anxiety 

• Substance misuse 

• Heart disease and diabetes 

• Relationship breakdown and social isolation