What is Generational Trauma?

Generational trauma, also known as intergenerational or ancestral trauma is emotional pain or distress that isn’t just experienced by one person, but passed down through families over time. It can begin with a traumatic event or prolonged stress experienced by earlier generations—such as war, abuse, racism, displacement, or poverty—and continue to impact children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren.

You might not always know where it started, but you may feel the effects:

  • Persistent anxiety, fear, or guilt

  • Unexplainable sadness or anger

  • Patterns of unhealthy relationships or emotional disconnection

  • Feeling responsible for others’ emotions

  • Struggling with boundaries or self-worth

Why Does This Happen?

Families often pass down beliefs, behaviors, and coping mechanisms. Which some are helpful, some can be harmful. Trauma can shape how people relate to one another, how emotions are expressed (or not), and how safety and trust are understood. Even without talking about it, children can absorb the emotional tone of a home shaped by past pain.

How Can Therapy Help?

Healing generational trauma means gently uncovering what’s been carried forward, even silently, and learning new ways to cope, connect, and care for yourself. Therapy can help you:

  • Understand the patterns in your family

  • Separate your own identity from inherited pain

  • Build healthier relationships

  • Stop the cycle for future generations

You don’t have to carry the weight alone—or forever. Healing begins with awareness, and therapy offers a safe space to begin that journey.