From Past to Present: Understanding the Impact of Generational Trauma on Mental Health

Trauma isn't just something that happens to an individual in a single moment. It can echo through generations, affecting not just one person but entire families and communities. This phenomenon, known as generational trauma, isn’t always about the direct experience of an event. Instead, it’s the invisible emotional and psychological wounds passed down through generations, often without us realizing it. If you’ve ever noticed patterns of behavior or emotional struggles in your family, you may be wondering how much of this is tied to generational trauma.

Understanding generational trauma, its impact, and the pathways to healing is essential. The good news is, it’s possible to break free from these cycles. Therapy, particularly EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), offers a powerful tool for healing these deep-rooted wounds. Let’s explore what generational trauma is, why it matters, and how EMDR can help heal the past to create a healthier future.

What is Generational Trauma?

Generational trauma, also known as intergenerational trauma or ancestral trauma, refers to the transmission of the effects of trauma across multiple generations. It occurs when the emotional, psychological, or even physiological effects of a traumatic experience impact one generation, and these effects are passed down to the next. These traumas can stem from events like war, violence, systemic oppression, discrimination and racism, abuse, intergenerational poverty, lack of opportunity, displacement, in utero exposure to stressors, and other life-altering experiences.

While we tend to think of trauma as something experienced firsthand in a single moment (a car accident, a natural disaster, or an assault), generational trauma is different. It can happen in ways that aren’t always visible—like how a parent's unresolved trauma can affect their relationship with their children and thus how a child’s attachment needs are or are not met. For example, a child who grows up in a home where the parent has unresolved PTSD from combat might not have directly experienced the trauma themselves but could still be affected by the parent’s emotional withdrawal, anger issues, or inability to connect.

The Shared Biological and Environmental Factors: How Trauma is Passed Through Generations

Generational trauma isn’t just emotional or psychological—it can also be biological. Recent research in epigenetics has shown that the biological environment—the physical and emotional conditions in which we are raised—can impact our genetic expression, passing on the effects of trauma to future generations. In simpler terms, the stress and trauma experienced by our ancestors can leave marks on their genes, which may affect how future generations respond to stress, emotional regulation, and even their mental health.

For example, if a parent lived through a war or extreme deprivation, their body's stress response systems may have been altered. This can affect not only how they process stress but also how their children and grandchildren experience stress. Certain genes associated with emotional regulation, memory, or mood disorders may be influenced by these ancestral traumas, creating an increased vulnerability to mental health struggles.

This concept of epigenetic inheritance suggests that trauma can impact more than just the emotional or psychological state of an individual—it can have a tangible biological effect that gets passed down. The stress hormones, like cortisol, might be dysregulated in descendants, making them more prone to anxiety or depression. These inherited biological traits can make it harder for the next generation to build resilience, as their bodies may be more primed for “survival mode” rather than healing.

Prevalence and Impact of Generational Trauma

Generational trauma is not limited to any one culture or community—it’s widespread. Indigenous populations who have faced colonization, African American families affected by slavery and systemic racism, and immigrant families navigating the stress of displacement all experience forms of generational trauma. But its reach goes far beyond these well-documented examples. Any family or community that has faced collective hardship or violence may be living with generational trauma.

The impact of this type of trauma is vast. On an individual level, it can manifest as depression, anxiety, anger, or self-esteem issues. It may lead to difficulties in forming healthy relationships, as individuals may not have learned healthy coping mechanisms, emotional regulation or safe and appropriate boundaries from the previous generation. People may also feel disconnected from their roots or be plagued by a sense of inherited guilt, grief, inadequacy or shame.

On a familial level, the effects are often cyclical. Parents who carry unresolved trauma may inadvertently pass down unhealthy patterns of behavior or limiting beliefs to their children. These children might repeat the same patterns with their own families, continuing the cycle.

The wider community impact can also be profound. Communities affected by generational trauma may face ongoing cycles of violence, poverty, or systemic injustice. These cycles are often difficult to break without intervention or support, as the trauma becomes embedded in the community’s collective experience.

Therapy and Healing: How EMDR Can Help

While it may feel overwhelming to confront the past, there are therapeutic approaches that offer hope and healing. One particularly effective treatment for trauma is EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing).

What is EMDR?

EMDR is a type of psychotherapy developed to help people process and heal from trauma. It’s based on the idea that the brain can become “stuck” processing traumatic memories. During EMDR therapy, a therapist helps the individual reprocess these memories with the assistance of bilateral stimulation, often through eye movements.

This stimulation helps the brain reprocess the traumatic event in a way that reduces its emotional intensity, allowing the individual to gain new perspectives and release negative feelings associated with the trauma.

How EMDR Helps Heal Generational Trauma

What makes EMDR particularly powerful for generational trauma is its ability to access deep-rooted memories that may not even be consciously recognized. For example, someone who has experienced emotional neglect from a parent who went through significant childhood trauma may not consciously understand why they struggle with self-worth. However, EMDR helps process the original traumatic experiences (even if they happened many generations ago) and reframe the impact they’ve had.

It’s not just about “healing the past” for the individual, though. When one person heals, it can have a ripple effect, positively impacting the family and community. By breaking free from the patterns of trauma, individuals can help break the cycle for future generations.

EMDR has been found to be particularly effective for those with PTSD, anxiety, depression, and trauma related to childhood abuse or neglect. Since generational trauma often manifests in repeated patterns, EMDR’s ability to target core memories and shift emotional responses can help individuals start to break those cycles and establish healthier ways of living.

Generational Resilience: Building Strength Across Generations

While generational trauma often gets passed down through families, resilience and the capacity to overcome adversity can also be transmitted. Just as negative behaviors or patterns of thought can be inherited, so can positive coping strategies. For example, children of parents who have experienced trauma may learn through observation how to cope with adversity in healthy ways, like practicing mindfulness, seeking support, or finding meaning in difficult situations.

Resilience can become part of the family and community culture. These coping strategies and the strength shown in the face of hardship can be passed from one generation to the next, often providing a source of hope for those who may feel weighed down by their inherited struggles.

Moreover, the stories shared by elders or the support of extended family can also reinforce resilience. If a child grows up hearing stories of their grandparents' perseverance, it can create a sense of continuity and shared strength. This becomes a critical piece in the healing process—especially in communities that have historically been marginalized or oppressed. Understanding that resilience runs through generations can empower individuals to face their own challenges with a sense of inherited strength.

Therapies like EMDR are particularly effective in tapping into this resilient capacity. EMDR helps individuals not only reprocess their trauma but also embrace and reinforce the resilience that’s already within them, passed down through their lineage.

Conclusion: Healing and Resilience Across Generations

If you’re struggling with the effects of generational trauma, you’re not alone. While the effects of past trauma can have profound impacts on individuals, families, and communities, healing is possible. If you recognize the impact of generational trauma in your life or family, therapy, particularly EMDR, offers an opportunity to break the cycles, process effects of trauma, and embrace the strengths that have been passed down. You don’t have to carry the weight of past generations or repeat the same patterns. By acknowledging and addressing the trauma, you contribute to the collective healing of your family and community. The same way trauma can echo through time, so too can resilience, hope, and healing.