Historical/ Intergenerational Trauma

Did you know that, according to the EMDR Institute, there is biological evidence to suggest that intergenerational trauma is hereditary? The stress that comes from the trauma and adversity of generations before you CAN affect your stress. You are not your ancestors, and their story does not have to be your story. We can't control all the fucked up problems of the world, so let's focus on what is in OUR control. Let's work together to identify what advocacy looks like for you and heal.

I specialize in treating adult survivors of complex trauma and recognize the impact that historical/intergenerational trauma has on perpetuating cycles of harm within family systems. My goal is never to blame/shame parents or families- rather, my focus is on helping my clients shift from judgment to curiosity in order to better understand learned patterns and find ways to break the cycle of trauma.

Whether you've experienced a single traumatic event or ongoing trauma, I am here to offer a safe and supportive environment where you can explore your feelings, process memories, and develop coping strategies at your own pace. Using techniques such as CRM (Community Resiliency Model) and CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), I work collaboratively with you to address symptoms of trauma such as anxiety, depression, and intrusive thoughts.

Intergenerational trauma can shape beliefs, behaviors, and emotional responses—my approach helps clients break cycles, reclaim their power, and create a new path forward.

As a Filipino therapist from Los Angeles who holds a variety of marginalized identities, I understand how trauma can cause overwhelming emotions and fractures in our sense of self. As a clinician formally trained in Western models of care, I seek to integrate various modalities to provide mental health services as a legitimate and meaningful path towards healing trauma and impacts of structural violence.

When we start to heal from intergenerational trauma, it can be a lonely and difficult process. Together, we can gain insight on how the experiences of your family members is still impacting your life today. I have experience working with individuals from refugee families, BIPOC families, and military families.

Claudia was trained at the Ackerman Institute for the Family with a specialization in family systems theory. Claudia's approach to family therapy begins with a look at intergenerational patterns, and includes her expertise in trauma recovery.

As a psychotherapist, I specialize in addressing Historical/Intergenerational Trauma. My approach involves understanding deep-rooted emotional patterns and their impact across generations. I help clients unpack complex family histories, heal past wounds, and break cycles of trauma. Through empathy and evidence-based practices, I guide individuals towards awareness, healing, and resilience, fostering a path to a more empowered and liberated future.

Sexual trauma can really shake us to our core. Living in a sexist world after a trauma can be overwhelming as a woman. Toxic masculinity is prevalent in both work and home life – creating complex triggers in unlikely places. As our awareness of these intersections between trauma and sexism increase, we may feel up in arms, ready to start a revolution! But we need to take exquisite care of ourselves first or else we are left feeling overwhelmed, drained and hopeless. After a sexual trauma we often wonder – can we ever feel beautiful, sexual, and/or feminine again and still feel safe? Can we trust others – or even ourselves – again? The answer is a resounding yes. Through a multi-modal approach that infuses relational, experiential and body-oriented approaches I help clients overcome trauma, create healthy boundaries, increase resilience, reclaim their sense of self and create the lives they wish to lead.

I often work with folks that have experience religious trauma/ have grown up in a religious background and are looking to deconstruct/ process that experience.

I treat many different trauma conditions, such as historical/intergenerational trauma, complex trauma (C-PTSD), PTSD from life threatening situations, and trauma from sexual, physical, psychological, and emotional trauma. I focus on helping clients build safety and coping skills first in trauma therapy before deep diving into treating the trauma through somatic based interventions.

Through the modules of DBT and EMDR and DBR we work towards accountability and control over your current choices.

As a Certified EMDR Therapist, I support individuals who have experienced various types of traumatic events and who are dealing with strong and distressing memories that have an impact on their lives.

We know that trauma travels through linages and communities. I'd welcome working together to notice how that might be showing up for you and in your life. While I would love for an event to change the whole world, it seems like smaller, more individual change is how it is going to happen. Let's work on healing the trauma of your past while knowing that it will impact the future.

Exploring one's family of origin often offers people a deeper answer to the question of "Who am I?

I work with individuals healing from historical and intergenerational trauma using talk therapy or with EMDR. I help clients process past trauma, identify how it has affected their lives, and break generational patterns of pain. My approach fosters resilience and healing, empowering clients to reclaim their sense of self and move forward with hope and strength.

Working with multigenerational immigrants who are QTBIPOC along with my personal experiences related to these identities has given me the opportunity to see trauma from a complex lens, and help advocate/lead towards pathways of healing and understanding for individuals, their families, and communities.

Most people think about trauma as a war or a near death experience, but in therapy we know that trauma is present when we see some specific symptoms that are usually results of an embodied, neuro-biological experience from a time where our brains and bodies were overwhelmed. In those moments it can seem like we don’t have access to the more philosophical and emotionally intelligent parts of ourselves.

Trauma is deeply intertwined in immigration histories past and present. Using trauma-informed practices and narrative therapy, we assist clients in processing inherited trauma and reclaiming their narratives, promoting resilience and healing across generations. We hope to guide clients through the legacy of past atrocities like colonization or genocide, which continue to affect their well-being today.

trauma is not the event—trauma is the stuck response held by our bodies. trauma changes us at a cellular level, changed our blood relatives and ancestors at a cellular level, and so many of us inherit the pain our forebearers could not metabolize. this is where my somatic experience comes into play. through somatic therapies, we practice tapping into the organic "technology" of our bodies, which are inherently designed for resilience & growth.