Historical/ Intergenerational Trauma

We sometimes "catch" our parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents trauma and/or hurts. Although they are not taught to us, I believe we certainly can inherit them. It is up to us whether or not we want to perpetuate the trauma or unhealthy patterns, or strive to reverse those patterns, and create lasting meaningful change which we can adopt, as well as pass on to future generations.

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.

I have utilized CBT, DBT and Trauma Focused CBT approach in working with patients experiencing trauma. My family ancestry was shaped by WWII and the Holocaust. Being personally aware of the negative impact of intergenerational cycle of global trauma, has provided me with a unique insight into such trauma and its devastating effects.

Trauma can derive from obvious, horrific events, as well as from universal ones such as having been raised by a critical parent. In other words, what determines trauma is its impact, not the event(s) itself. Upsetting experiences - even forgotten ones - can get lodged in our nervous systems and stimulated in subsequent, parallel circumstances. Trauma treatment, including EMDR, can help clients adaptively process past experiences to prevent them from getting re-triggered in the present.

"Sometimes in my daily life, I lose time or have feelings that don’t match what is going on around me." Trauma can result from a single event, but more often, it comes from a long period of challenging circumstances. Often, we can only see that there is trauma through its effects, which is the feeling of disconnection or erratic feelings and behaviors, usually beyond our control. These experiences can prevent us from feeling like our lives our whole, or even that we know who we are.

Sometimes, as much as we know what we want to shed from our upbringing, from our relationships with our caregivers, we just can't seem to let it go. We learn new ways to do things, to grow, do better, and maybe to forgive or set boundaries, but the "stuff" is still there. I'd love to help you explore what's holding you back, heal what's been hurt, and help you find an authentic way to move forward in a way that works for you.

I've had training and experience working with passed-down family of origin trauma that can create chronic anxiety, depression, anger, and in some cases C-PTSD (Complex post-traumatic stress disorder). By identifying the traumas and using somatic healing, you can be the one to break the cycle and live a better life.

Inner child work may help with those experiencing intergenerational trauma. Inner child work helps explore unprocessed childhood emotions and feelings that currently impact one’s life and understanding, managing, and/or reducing triggers. One desire for inner child work may be to identify wounded areas and/or unmet needs of the child, learn to advocate, protect, or show compassion for the child, create a safe enough space to invite the child to play, and integrate the child with the adult self.

Symptoms of historical trauma include denial, depersonalization, isolation, memory loss, nightmares, psychic numbing, hypervigilance, substance abuse, identification with death, and unresolved grief.

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.

Historical trauma, its transmission, and its manifestation across multiple generations were both an area of academic concentration and a personal interest, given my background as a child of people who experienced war and genocide. Many of the people I have work with have found that relief, more fulfilling relationships, and aliveness have coincided with an increasing ability to place their present-day problems against a backdrop of wider social and historic forces.

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.

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.

For many of us, particularly those of us who are members of oppressed groups, the trauma we have experienced in this lifetime is only a piece of the puzzle. Our ancestors and the pain and unhealed wounds of their suffering can also be in our nervous systems, minds, bodies, and spirits affecting our psychological and physical health. I will always hold this truth in our work together and if you are interested we can explore those historical elements together.

There are things that are yours, and things passed down, but sometimes it can be hard to tell the difference. Epigenetics show that trauma can be passed down as many as 7 generations. From generation to generation, traditions, beliefs, fears, values, traumas, are often so interwoven in the fabric of one's family, it is as if they are transmitted through osmosis. Somatic therapy can help you decide what you want to keep, and what you want to pass back.

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.

I often find that new moms struggle the most in their new role when they themselves have experienced a traumatic childhood. I focus on development and relational trauma that leaves a lasting impact. We work together to learn to heal your inner child and re-parent yourself so that you can thrive in your role as a parent to your new little one.

I am a trauma-informed EMDR therapist who also incorporates IFS into sessions.

I focus my individual clinical work on treating attachment trauma such as narcissistic abuse, adult survivors of childhood emotional and/or sexual abuse, and Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (also known as developmental trauma). I care deeply about supporting clients in understanding and recovering from these types of trauma because of their destructive effects on an individual's ability to enjoy life. Therapy can help you find balance and develop a healthy sense of self.