Trauma is not always confined to the individual who directly experiences it. Increasingly, research highlights how trauma can be passed from one generation to the next, shaping the emotional, psychological, and even physical health of children and grandchildren. This phenomenon, known as generational or intergenerational trauma, recognises that the impact of adversity does not end with one person but may ripple through families and communities (Yehuda et al., 2016).
In Ireland, psychologist Dr. Sharon Lambert has spoken widely about how trauma can alter brain development, stress responses, and emotional regulation in ways that are then carried into future generations (Lambert, 2023). For example, children growing up in environments marked by poverty, addiction, or violence may inherit not only the behavioural patterns of survival but also the psychological wounds of those before them. Importantly, as Lambert notes, this does not mean trauma defines us permanently—it means we need pathways to healing.
Generational trauma can appear in many ways: recurring family conflict, struggles with trust, addiction patterns, difficulties forming safe attachments, or heightened anxiety and hypervigilance even when danger is not present. Sometimes individuals may not have personally experienced traumatic events, but still carry the effects of unprocessed grief, silence, or fear passed down from parents and grandparents.
The hopeful message is that healing is always possible. Therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), somatic approaches, and trauma-focused psychotherapy can help individuals untangle these patterns, regulate emotions, and build new ways of relating to themselves and others. Healing often begins with recognising the story we have inherited and then choosing how to write a new chapter for ourselves and future generations (Isobel et al., 2021).
Healing from generational trauma is not about erasing the past but about transforming it. Through compassion, therapy, and connection, individuals and families can find their way back to a sense of safety, self-worth, and wholeness. As psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk (2014) reminds us: ‘Trauma is not just an event that took place in the past; it is also the imprint left by that experience on mind, brain, and body. Recovery is about restoring agency and reclaiming the self.’
At the Misneach Centre, we believe that every act of healing is an act of courage. Breaking cycles of trauma takes strength, but no one has to walk that path alone. With the right support, change is not only possible — it is deeply transformative. Misneach reminds us that courage is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to face it, and in doing so, to create a brighter future for ourselves and the generations to come.
By Nuala Morris, Psychotherapist & Counsellor
Written for the Misneach Centre, Moate
Further Reading & Resources
Lambert, S. (2021). Interview on trauma and addiction. The Irish Times.
Van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score. Penguin Books.
The Times articles and resources on trauma-informed care.
Herman, J. (1992). Trauma and Recovery. Basic Books.
References
Isobel, S., Goodyear, M., Furness, T., & Foster, K. (2021). Psychological trauma in the context of familial relationships: A concept analysis. *Traumatology, 27*(1), 68–77. https://doi.org/10.1037/trm0000283
Lambert, S. (2023). Trauma and adversity: Understanding the impact on mental health. University College Cork. [Lecture].
van der Kolk, B. (2014). *The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma*. Viking.
Yehuda, R., Daskalakis, N. P., Bierer, L. M., Bader, H. N., Klengel, T., Holsboer, F., & Binder, E. B. (2016). Holocaust exposure induced intergenerational effects on FKBP5 methylation. *Biological Psychiatry, 80*(5), 372–380. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.08.005
