Historical/ Intergenerational Trauma

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.

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

I have extensive training and experience in working with historic, intergenerational, and complex trauma through my time providing mental health services for NARA, NW and Wolf Pack Consulting and Therapeutic Services. As a relationship therapist, I understand how impactful historical/intergenterational trauma can be on a relationship system and focus much of the work on helping the couple/family identify this trauma and create strategies to minimize it's impact.

For many years, I have dedicated myself to understanding and studying historical trauma across the lifespan and how to heal. Doing my own work around what being Indigenous and Jewish means to me today, I have come to find that acknowledgement of the past, integrating our intersectional identities to accept the whole of who we are, creating community, and addressing systemic injustice are just a few major keys in accessing the resilience that is already within us.

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.

I'm trained in Cognitive Processing Therapy and EMDR and over the years have worked with multiple clients that dealt with generational trauma. I continue to engage in trainings and consult with supervisors and colleagues for further guidance.

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.

Trauma, whether from deliberate acts of violence, or a lifetime of living "on the defensive" due to an unsafe or invalidating environment, can have lifelong negative effects on mental, emotional, physical, and sexual functioning. Being “on guard” and never feeling safe can result in health and sleep issues and negative behaviors like substance abuse and self-injury. Even in the midst of injustice and turmoil, trauma can be addressed and peace can be found. Let's work together to find safety and

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.

I work somatically and believe that our bodies can hold our feelings, memories, and even our ancestors' experiences. I also believe there is deep wisdom in our bodies to heal us and return us to ourselves. I enjoy working with folks who are wanting to address and heal historical and intergenerational trauma and do so at the pace of your safety.

The inheritance of emotional wounds passed down from one generation to the next. Not inclusive, it may include such painful experiences such as war, abuse, or oppression... The results of such may be seen in mental, spiritual, emotional, physical..., behaviors that echo the unresolved trauma through time. Using part work, art work, and evidenced based trauma informed therapy. My clients receive the tools, validation and compassion they need to break the cycle and leave a new legacy.

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.

This didn't start with you. You were born into a family and a system that wasn't able to meet your needs, but there is hope for healing and a meaningful life. You'll need help to disentangle from the painful beliefs you've developed about yourself and the world and support to let some of your protective defenses stand back so you can make choices that resonate with your values. This can be a long road of discovery, but it is so worth the work.

Intergenerational trauma has a significant influence on the way we process and interact with the world. Identifying generational patterns and processing historical trauma gives you more autonomy in shaping your story.