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Learn more about transgenerational trauma
Transgenerational trauma, also called intergenerational trauma, refers to the ways in which the psychological effects of traumatic experiences in one generation can be carried and expressed by subsequent generations. A person may develop emotional patterns, relational difficulties, or areas of distress that reflect the unprocessed experiences of their parents, grandparents, or earlier ancestors, even when those events occurred before they were born. The best-evidenced transmission mechanisms are psychological and relational: parents who experienced trauma may struggle with emotional regulation, consistent attunement, or the ability to tolerate closeness, shaping the attachment development and stress responses of their children. Research is also exploring epigenetic mechanisms, though these remain under active scientific investigation. Transgenerational trauma is not a distinct DSM-5 diagnosis but is a clinically recognised framework within trauma-informed and systemic approaches.
Transgenerational patterns can be difficult to identify precisely because they feel like a baseline rather than something acquired.
Common signs
- Anxiety, grief, or fear that does not have a clear origin in your own personal history
- Relational patterns that repeat across generations in your family
- Family silences around specific events, periods, or losses that were never discussed but feel present
- A felt sense of carrying something that was not originally yours, without being able to name what it is
- Emotional responses to particular themes, places, or stories that feel disproportionate to your personal connection to them
- Difficulty with specific aspects of closeness, safety, or trust that mirrors patterns in a parent or grandparent
Other common experiences
- Complex PTSD or PTSD symptoms without a clear traumatic event in your own history
- A sense of loyalty or obligation toward earlier generations that shapes your choices or sense of freedom
- Intrusive thoughts or images connected to family history
Transgenerational trauma is addressed through approaches that can work with inherited patterns, family systems, and the deeper layers of relational and somatic experience.
- Systemic therapy Systemic therapy works with the family as a system across generations, exploring how patterns, roles, and unspoken narratives are transmitted and maintained, and supporting their transformation.
- Trauma informed care Trauma-informed care provides the foundational framework for working with inherited trauma, prioritising safety, pacing, and the individual's sense of control throughout.
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) EMDR can be adapted to work with material that is experienced as inherited rather than directly lived, helping to process and reduce the emotional charge of transgenerational experiences.
- Psychodynamic therapy Psychodynamic approaches explore the unconscious transmission of family patterns and unresolved experience across generations, working toward greater differentiation and self-understanding.
- IFS (Internal Family Systems) IFS works with the internal parts that carry transgenerational material, including parts that have taken on the burdens of earlier generations, supporting their release and integration.
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