Historical/ Intergenerational Trauma

As a second-generation Asian-American, I understand the relationship between symptoms of depression/anxiety and intergenerational trauma. The patterns and cycles passed down from generation to generation contribute to our mental health - either negatively or positively, and we have the power to stop or continue the cycle. We can begin living an empowered life.

Trauma can derive from obvious, horrific events, as well as from universal ones such as having been raised by a critical parent. In other words, what determines trauma is its impact, not the event(s) itself. Upsetting experiences - even forgotten ones - can get lodged in our nervous systems and stimulated in subsequent, parallel circumstances. Trauma treatment, including EMDR, can help clients adaptively process past experiences to prevent them from getting re-triggered in the present.

Intergenerational trauma feels like a big, scary term, I know. It basically defines the experiences that have traveled through your family like a pattern, or the issues that might have gone unresolved and affected everyone in your family, through the generations. I approach trauma work with special attention to attachment and dual awareness. We can walk through your past experiences while staying firmly rooted in the present and planning for how you want the future to look.

Trauma-informed care is not a specific or technique-heavy modality. Trauma-informed care recognizes that trauma significantly affects people. As a trauma-informed therapist, I will assess and explore how your experiences may have deeply affected you, and recognize and respond to you in a way that emphasizes safety, collaboration, and empowerment.

Did you know that, according to the EMDR Institute, there is biological evidence to suggest that intergenerational trauma is hereditary? The stress that comes from the trauma and adversity of generations before you CAN affect your stress. You are not your ancestors, and their story does not have to be your story. We can't control all the fucked up problems of the world, so let's focus on what is in OUR control. Let's work together to identify what advocacy looks like for you and heal.

Trauma can affect people in different ways. I work with clients struggling with acute, chronic, or complex trauma.

I work somatically and believe that our bodies can hold our feelings, memories, and even our ancestors' experiences. I also believe there is deep wisdom in our bodies to heal us and return us to ourselves. I enjoy working with folks who are wanting to address and heal historical and intergenerational trauma and do so at the pace of your safety.

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

Sometimes, as much as we know what we want to shed from our upbringing, from our relationships with our caregivers, we just can't seem to let it go. We learn new ways to do things, to grow, do better, and maybe to forgive or set boundaries, but the "stuff" is still there. I'd love to help you explore what's holding you back, heal what's been hurt, and help you find an authentic way to move forward in a way that works for you.

For many of us, particularly those of us who are members of oppressed groups, the trauma we have experienced in this lifetime is only a piece of the puzzle. Our ancestors and the pain and unhealed wounds of their suffering can also be in our nervous systems, minds, bodies, and spirits affecting our psychological and physical health. I will always hold this truth in our work together and if you are interested we can explore those historical elements together.

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

trauma is not the event—trauma is the stuck response held by our bodies. trauma changes us at a cellular level, changed our blood relatives and ancestors at a cellular level, and so many of us inherit the pain our forebearers could not metabolize. this is where my somatic experience comes into play. through somatic therapies, we practice tapping into the organic "technology" of our bodies, which are inherently designed for resilience & growth.

For over 20 years I worked as a contractor to LE to help the survivors and families of MMIW. Intergenerational trauma was always evident as a result of historical, religious and political abuses by those in power over Indigenous persons. I have also helped other persons with historical and intergenerational trauma who have been first generation US citizens and illegals. Internal family systems is the approach I have found most effective to help heal intergenerational and historical trauma.

For many of us, particularly those of us who are members of oppressed groups, the trauma we have experienced in this lifetime is only a piece of the puzzle. Our ancestors and the pain and unhealed wounds of their suffering can also be in our nervous systems, minds, bodies, and spirits affecting our psychological and physical health. I will always hold this truth in our work together and if you are interested we can explore those historical elements together.

We explore the childhood experience using our workbook The Connection Equation. The diagrams we use help people understand how their childhood programmed them to think a certain way and act a certain way with others. We aim to dismantle this programming through mindful exploration and understanding. The more you know, the more conscious you can be to reprogram your brain so that you can live the life you have always dreamed of.

I am an EMDR therapist and have extensive training in treating complex trauma. I worked for several years with children in the foster care system navigating the challenges that trauma presents in daily life.

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 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.