Ending the Cycle: Generational Trauma—Impacts and Solutions

In this week's edition of the Practitioner's Digest, we explore the often-overlooked impact of intergenerational trauma.

1. Food for Thought Recently, I've been reflecting on intergenerational trauma and how it fundamentally differs from other forms of (directly experienced) trauma. While clients will knowingly approach you to help them overcome directly experienced trauma, they're less likely to come to you consciously seeking help for intergenerational trauma. Still, the indirect effects of another family member's experiences may somehow influence their situation. So it is worth having this in the back of your mind and being on the lookout for signs that indirectly experienced generational trauma may be impacting a client in ways they aren't aware of—especially with people from marginalized communities, where the probability of having experienced such trauma is potentially greater.
2. Inspiring Quote "The dysfunction, bullying, and abuse didn’t start with you, but it most certainly can end with you.” ― Dana Arcuri, Trauma Recovery Coach
3. Free Science-based Tool Wisdom Letter. This exercise encourages people to help others by writing personal stories that share the wisdom they've acquired through experience. In doing so, participants typically report it was a healing experience that helped them make sense of their own situation.?[Link]
4. Book Recommendation Reclaim Your Life After Trauma ― Stephanie M. Hutchins, PhD. The author shares her experience of recovering from trauma and offers sage advice and practical tools to help people with their healing journey. This stands out against many books on the topic due to its focus on the cyclical nature of trauma, making it an insightful source for breaking the cycle of intergenerational trauma. [Link]
5. A Question For Your Clients “What stories do you say to or about yourself that might be colored by your experiences with your parents?”.?Sometimes, people are unaware of how their parents' experiences and views affect them. This question gently invites reflection that can reveal insights about the potential impact of intergenerational trauma on their own behaviors and narratives.
6. Free Infographic

Thanks for reading. I'm curious, what's one step you've taken towards breaking the cycle of generational trauma?

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