What is generational trauma? Inherited emotional patterns and the science behind it.
Why generational trauma matters now more than ever
You might be doing everything ‘right’, you’re meditating, journaling, going to therapy, moving your body, eating well - and still feel like something deeper is holding you back. That lingering anxiety, the people-pleasing, the fear of being seen… what if it’s not just yours?
Generational trauma, also known as inherited trauma, refers to the emotional wounds passed down through your family line. It’s a pattern of pain that travels silently across generations, until someone decides to break the cycle. And that someone could be you.
As modern science begins to catch up with ancient wisdom, (and they are starting to do just that!) more people are learning that trauma isn't just psychological, it's physiological and even genetic. With growing research in epigenetics, nervous system regulation, and trauma stored in the body, there’s never been a more important time to explore the roots of your emotional patterns and to open the door to begin your own path of ancestral healing.
What is generational trauma?
Generational trauma is the unresolved emotional pain passed from one generation to the next. It can show up as anxiety, perfectionism, self-sabotage, or even chronic illness. Unlike a single traumatic event, generational trauma is layered, subtle, and often invisible (you might not even be consciously aware of it), yet its impact is deep and far-reaching.
Science confirms that trauma can be inherited. Studies in epigenetics (the field that looks at how behavior and environment can affect gene expression) show that traumatic experiences can alter the way our genes function. These changes don’t mutate the DNA sequence itself but can turn certain genes ‘on’ or ‘off,’ impacting how future generations respond to stress.
One of the most well-known studies involved children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors, who exhibited higher rates of anxiety and PTSD-like symptoms, despite not experiencing the trauma firsthand. Similar patterns have been observed in descendants of famine survivors, war veterans, and individuals who lived through colonial or systemic oppression. This shows how important it is to understand the history before you arrived on earth, you might be holding on to so much more than what is yours. You can read more about the science behind it here.
These findings validate what many healers, therapists, and Indigenous cultures have known all along, trauma doesn’t end with the individual. It lives on in the nervous system, in the body, and even in the silence of untold family stories.
How trauma is passed down
Generational trauma isn't only genetic, it’s also behavioral and emotional.
Children inherit more than just eye color and facial features. They absorb emotional cues, relational dynamics, and nervous system responses. If your caregivers were emotionally unavailable, anxious, or highly reactive, those patterns likely shaped your own attachment style and coping mechanisms.
A mother who grew up in survival mode might struggle with emotional attunement.
A father who never learned how to process grief might shut down or lash out.
Siblings may mirror or polarize each other’s emotional roles to keep the family system in balance.
Over time, these survival strategies become part of the family code, quietly passed down as normal, until someone begins to question why they feel emotionally stuck or overwhelmed in seemingly safe situations. Ever heard friends say ‘oh we don’t hug in my family’ or ‘crying isn’t something we were allowed to do growing up’ - these things feel ‘normal’ to you in your family life and as you begin to explore the world and learn that your families ‘normal’ maybe isn’t what you want to be your ‘normal’ - you can break this cycle.
Why you might be carrying emotional wounds that aren’t yours
Ever felt like you’re living someone else’s story?
Maybe you’ve experienced recurring relationship patterns, chronic shame, or a constant sense of hypervigilance with no obvious root cause. These are often clues that you're carrying emotional wounds that originated before you were even born.
Family dynamics like we touched on earlier, like intergenerational silence around grief or loss (internalising it, not talking or sharing feelings), unspoken rules about emotions (knowing innately that crying will be received poorly), or even cultural or ancestral trauma tied to displacement, racism, or gender roles.
These can all leave a lasting imprint on your nervous system.
This doesn’t mean you’re broken, it means your body is wise. It’s carrying what it needed to survive. But survival isn’t the same as thriving. And it’s okay to want more.
Can generational trauma be healed?
Yes. And that’s the beautiful part of this story.
Thanks to the brain’s ability to rewire itself (science calls this neuroplasticity) you are not doomed to repeat the past. With the right tools and support, it’s possible to safely process inherited emotions, create new neural pathways, and feel more at home in your body and your life…and pass this beautiful newness on to your children, and their children too!
The path isn’t linear, and it doesn’t happen overnight, but it is absolutely possible.
Where to begin your healing journey
If this resonates, it’s not by accident. You’re likely someone who’s ready to stop carrying what was never meant to be yours, and that takes courage.
I created Elevate to guide people like you through the gentle, transformative process of releasing inherited trauma. With a blend of breathwork, specific techniques, and lots of support, you’ll learn how to break free from generational patterns and come back to yourself; fully, powerfully, and with compassion.
You don’t have to do this alone.
You just have to begin.