Historical/ Intergenerational Trauma

I understand that the trauma experienced by previous generations can have a profound impact on your mental health today. My approach to therapy acknowledges the interconnectedness of historical events and personal well-being, especially when dealing with issues stemming from significant cultural or historical oppression such as colonization, slavery, or forced displacement. I work with you to explore your family history, understand how generational trauma affects you & develop coping strategies.

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

That weight on your shoulder will go away. We will talk about some new ways to think and look at this painful story. We will give you skills to manage your thoughts and feelings. You will build confidence as this process unfolds. And then one day you will be on the other side of this life experience. You will be able to talk about it with out crying. You will feel strong again. Your dreams will stop. You can then exhale and feel calm again. You can look forward without these painful experiences

I completed my clinical internship at the Rape Crisis Center, where many of the clients I saw came from backgrounds of intergenerational abuse and trauma. Though the grips of intergenerational abuse and trauma can be strong, I have seen that it is a cycle that can be broken, and it is one of the great privileges of a therapist to be able to be part of a client's journey to break this.

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.

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

I help clients understand how generational cycles of trauma can impact thought processes and their ability to navigate stressors in a healthy way. I work with clients to explore coping skills to manage life stressors in a healthy way.

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.

I believe trauma is the root of most things that are wrong in this world. I use evidence based practices to address trauma, intergenerational trauma, and attachment trauma. I blend attachment based therapies, Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, along with skills based in neuroscience.

Historical and inter-generational trauma is experienced by groups of people - communities, ethnic, cultural, etc. - and can surface in ways that cause a range of psychological and emotional problems that effect the core of a person's identity and self-image. Cultural sensitivity, knowledge and competence are necessary to heal these complex wounds so that each person may embody the richness of their heritage and community.

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.

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'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.

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.

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 have experienced working with intergenerational trauma, helping clients break free from unhealthy patterns that they learned or inherit from their parents. I have experienced first hand this type of trauma and this has helped me to understand it and learn the tools needed to heal. The most difficult part of this trauma is that it is very silent. Clients often don't recognize its impact, leading them to believe they are overreacting or that something is wrong with them.

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.