What Is Trauma and Intergenerational Trauma?
Trauma is any experience that overwhelms the nervous system, leaving lasting emotional, mental, or physical effects. Intergenerational trauma refers to unresolved trauma passed down through families—via behavior, beliefs, even epigenetic changes (Yehuda et al., 2015).
Trauma isn’t just something that happens to us — it’s what happens inside us as a result of what we experience. It occurs when an event or series of events overwhelms the body and mind’s ability to cope. Trauma can stem from a single distressing incident, such as an accident or assault, or from chronic exposure to difficult experiences like neglect, abuse, or emotional invalidation. What defines trauma isn’t only the event itself but how our nervous system interprets it — as a threat we couldn’t escape or control. When that happens, the body and brain shift into survival mode, preparing to fight, flee, freeze, or fawn, even long after the danger has passed.
The impact of trauma reaches far beyond memory. The body can stay “on alert,” releasing stress hormones that keep muscles tense, sleep disrupted, and the heart racing. The mind may replay the event through intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, or emotional numbing — all ways the brain tries to make sense of what happened. Over time, this constant state of vigilance can erode a person’s sense of safety and trust, affecting relationships, mood, and even physical health. Healing from trauma means helping the body and mind learn that the danger is over — retraining the nervous system to move from survival back to connection, calm, and a sense of control.
Trauma can lead to:
Anxiety or depression
Difficulty trusting others
Emotional dysregulation
Diagnoses like PTSD, substance use, or personality disorders
💡 Therapy Approaches for Healing Trauma
Healing isn’t one-size-fits-all. The right therapy can help you process and release trauma in a way that feels safe and empowering.
🧠 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Helps identify and reframe negative thoughts
Builds coping skills for triggers and emotional responses
👁️ EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
Uses bilateral stimulation to help the brain reprocess traumatic memories
Effective for PTSD and complex trauma (Shapiro, 2017)
✍️ Narrative Therapy
Helps externalize trauma and reshape your story
Useful for family-of-origin and identity-based trauma
🌀 Somatic Therapy
Focuses on the body’s role in storing trauma
Uses breathwork, movement, and felt-sense to release held tension
🎨 Art Therapy (offered here in Tampa, FL)
Supports expression when words fall short
Helps access unconscious material and reduce trauma symptoms through creativity (Malchiodi, 2020)
❤️ You’re Not Broken—You’re Carrying a Story That Deserves Healing
As a Tampa-based therapist and art therapist, I help clients untangle the roots of trauma so they can build new patterns—and futures. Whether your pain started with you or generations before, you can begin to heal.
👉 Let’s talk about what kind of therapy feels right for you.
📚 References
Yehuda, R., Daskalakis, N. P., Desarnaud, F., et al. (2015). Epigenetic mechanisms in PTSD and intergenerational transmission of trauma. Biological Psychiatry, 78(5), 315–326.
This study explores how trauma can affect gene expression and be passed down through generations.
Shapiro, F. (2017). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures (3rd ed.). The Guilford Press.
Foundational text on EMDR, explaining how it helps reprocess traumatic memories.
Malchiodi, C. A. (2020). Trauma and Expressive Arts Therapy: Brain, Body, and Imagination in the Healing Process. Guilford Publications.
A leading work on how art therapy facilitates trauma healing through creative expression.
American Psychological Association (APA). (2023). Understanding trauma. https://www.apa.org/topics/trauma
Offers a broad overview of trauma, its symptoms, and effective treatment approaches.
van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking.
Widely referenced in trauma therapy, particularly for somatic and body-based interventions.
White, M., & Epston, D. (1990). Narrative Means to Therapeutic Ends. Norton.
The foundational book on narrative therapy, exploring how rewriting personal narratives can help resolve trauma.
