Overcoming Generational Trauma

You know you got your hairline from your Dad’s side of the family and your eye color from your mom. You know diabetes runs in your family, as does heart disease and Parkinson’s. But do you know that many families also pass down trauma to their loved ones? It’s not just our physical makeup and risk of disease that we inherit from our family, it is also the emotional wounds as well.

What is Transgenerational Trauma?

Before you were born you were in your mother’s womb and very susceptible to her emotions. As your mother felt joy, her body released hormones that made you feel joy. When she felt sad, scared, or angry, her body released hormones that made her experience these same emotions. Eventually, you were born and raised in a house that may not always be happy or harmonious. Your parents may have been emotionally distant or even abusive because they may have been brought up by parents who had their own reasons for being emotionally absent or abusive. Many families have unresolved trauma that works its way through one generation to the next. Those families who have dealt with addiction, depression, anxiety, terror, racism, and the like, often continue to pass on negative emotions, poor behaviors, low self-esteem, and maladaptive coping strategies. These not only lead to a painful and hard life, but they can also lead to chronic health conditions.

It Can Stop With You!

If you have a history of family conflict or trauma, you can be the individual who puts an end to the cycle. You can be the one who begins a new cycle, one of passing down loving communication and positive self-images. Of course, it will take work on your part to overcome the pain of your family history. That’s why it’s a good idea to work with a mental health professional who can offer you the right tools and coping strategies that you can then pass down to your own children. If you’re interested in exploring therapy, please get in touch with me! I’d love to help you end the cycle of trauma in your family.

Family Therapy in Florida

If you’d like to schedule an appointment or get any of your questions answered, please call our office at 954-378-5381  and 561-223-1066 or send us an email at info@caringtherapistsofbroward.com.

Hello! Hola!

My name is Maria Paz Garcia, and I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor serving people in Broward County. I was born in Peru and moved to the U.S when I was 17 years old. I’m a bilingual therapist who understands the struggles and changes that we have to overcome to adapt in a new culture and country. I’m passionate, down-to-earth, approachable, straight forward but most importantly understanding and caring.

I specialize in working with individuals struggling with substance abuse issues; difficulty establishing healthy relationships; identifying and placing boundaries; communication skills issues, assimilation and acculturation concerns; life transitions such as retirement, breakups; low-self-esteem and trauma.

Learn more about Maria: https://caringtherapistsofbroward.com/staff/maria-garcia-lmhc-therapist/   SOURCES:

• https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-flourishing-family/202107/breaking-the-chains-generational-trauma
• https://tinybuddha.com/blog/overcoming-intergenerational-trauma-we-can-break-the-cycle-of-abuse/
• https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/latinx-mental-health-stigma