Historical/ Intergenerational Trauma

At InnerWoven Therapy, we prioritize your story. You are a product of all that has come before you. We honor that, while supporting you to figure out what is going to be healthiest and most durable for your own life. We are passionate about helping people break unhealthy patterns while preserving the traditions and values that matter most.

More new information is emerging about the effects of trauma on health & wellbeing. PTSD and CPTSD (complex - PTSD due to years of abuse/neglect) is when we feel hi-jacked by our senses/body connecting us back to past events that were (or seemed) life threatening. These experiences can be from Domestic abuse, events/accidents related to the lifestyle of substance abuse, and from chronic traumatic/neglectful childhood experiences. There is hope for recovery. It is time for you to heal.

Instances of trauma, loss, and tragedy that occurred in the lives of family members who came before us can influence the passing down of unresolved tensions and conflict to children. This can lead to the perpetuation of trauma, depression, anxiety, and relationship issues. I help clients process these dynamics, mourn the loss of what they did not have as children, and move toward a life wherein the past is acknowledged but not a determinant of the future.

Trauma follows us and it is a lot of the times passed down. Let's get to the root cause of it, explore how it affected your life growing up, and also how to break the cycle.

All staff are people of color that participate and have completed training in this area as well.

Historical and inter-generational trauma is experienced by groups of people - communities, ethnic, cultural, etc. - and can surface in ways that cause a range of psychological and emotional problems that effect the core of a person's identity and self-image. Cultural sensitivity, knowledge and competence are necessary to heal these complex wounds so that each person may embody the richness of their heritage and community.

I have extensive training and experience in working with historic, intergenerational, and complex trauma through my time providing mental health services for NARA, NW and Wolf Pack Consulting and Therapeutic Services. As a relationship therapist, I understand how impactful historical/intergenterational trauma can be on a relationship system and focus much of the work on helping the couple/family identify this trauma and create strategies to minimize it's impact.

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.

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

As a Certified EMDR Therapist, I support individuals who have experienced various types of traumatic events and who are dealing with strong and distressing memories that have an impact on their lives.

As the daughter of immigrants and through my experiences working with immigrant families, I have observed the profound effects of trauma as it reverberates across generations. These experiences have shaped my understanding of resilience and the importance of creating supportive environments where healing can occur.

Do you feel like you’re carrying the weight of pain that isn’t fully yours? I specialize in helping individuals unpack and heal from the invisible wounds of historical and intergenerational trauma. Together, we’ll explore how the past impacts your present, break cycles, and create space for healing and growth. You deserve to live a life that feels like your own.

Trauma doesn't come from nowhere. It is tied to family, community, and national history. It is connected to the long and many faceted systemic oppression that causes so much trauma. For me, most trauma is connected to the intergenerational. This is why in my work with clients I connect present experiences of symptoms related to trauma to past relationships, family history, community history, and more.

You notice your internal self-talk and beliefs embody familiar sentiments and values held by the current and previous generations in your family and culture. What once was a guiding force, helping you make critical decisions around careers, partner(s), and where you live, are now anxieties, ennui, and inexplicable anger. You realize you are living your parents' trauma and survival mechanisms. You seek to unburden from expired legacies and empower with generational strengths and wisdom.

Trauma is deeply intertwined in immigration histories past and present. Using trauma-informed practices and narrative therapy, we assist clients in processing inherited trauma and reclaiming their narratives, promoting resilience and healing across generations. We hope to guide clients through the legacy of past atrocities like colonization or genocide, which continue to affect their well-being today.

I often work with folks that have experience religious trauma/ have grown up in a religious background and are looking to deconstruct/ process that experience.

I have personal experience and understand how generational trauma impacts communities, bodies, and daily lives.

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