Debra Wingfield, Ed.D. Counselor Education, Author, Speaker, Professional Trainer for therapists and healers. Discover how to empower the lives of adults with Adverse Childhood Experiences (Dysfunctional Families). ACE (Adverse childhood experiences) include all forms of child abuse (7), witnessing domestic violence, parental substance abuse, one or both parents being out of the home due to mental illness, criminal behaviors, or death.