The Developmental and Relational Trauma Model, as taught by the Healing Our Core Issues Institute, focuses on providing relief and healing to individuals who have experienced suffering, enabling them to rediscover joy and fulfillment in life and foster deeper connections in relationships. Developmental trauma encompasses various forms of abuse and neglect experienced from birth to age eighteen, including emotional, physical, sexual, spiritual, intellectual, or neglectful abuse. It emphasizes that what may seem normal to a child can actually be traumatic, shaping their personal development and relationships.

The model acknowledges that even individuals from seemingly ideal families can have wounds and dysfunction due to the imperfect nature of parenting and the transmission of pain across generations. Many people carry unresolved core wounds from their developmental years, leading them to develop adapted selves to navigate their environment, which may hinder their ability to form healthy relationships in adulthood. The aim of the Developmental and Relational Trauma Model is to help individuals identify these wounded and adapted parts of themselves, understand their origins, and learn to live as healthy, functioning adults capable of meaningful and successful relationships.