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Writer's pictureDr. Janet Steinkamp

5 Characteristics of Intergenerational Trauma and Faltering Family Relationships

Updated: Nov 8, 2023

One of the terms frequently tossed around in conversations about faltering family relationships is Intergenerational trauma. Intergenerational trauma is also known as transgenerational or historical trauma. Let's dig deeper into how the concept might contribute to your family circumstances.

Intergenerational trauma in families involves the transmission of traumatic events' psychological and emotional effects from one generation to another – by individual family members. This phenomenon suggests that the trauma experienced by a particular group or community can have long-lasting impacts passed down through family lines. The recent pandemic provides a perfect example. As we go on with our lives and raise children, according to the phenomenon of intergenerational trauma, we will parent differently than we would have had we not lived through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Intergenerational trauma works like this. Our experiences as an entire global community throughout the COVID-19 pandemic undoubtedly impacted us as individuals in various ways. The different ways we were each impacted will affect us for the rest of our lives. Because our experiences involved a significant threat to our safety and sense of self, we experienced what is considered a traumatic event or series of events.


As an outcome of our traumatic experience(s), our behaviors, values and beliefs are now uniquely impacted. Moving forward in our lives, our changed selves will transfer these changes onto our descendants in how we parent our children. These new ways of parenting and relating in our families demonstrate the transmission of the psychological and emotional effects of the pandemic between one generation to another - by each one of us - as individual family members. As we go on with our lives and raise children and interact with other family members, according to the phenomenon of intergenerational trauma, we will parent differently than we would have had we not experienced the pandemic.


Intergenerational trauma shows up in many ways. For me, I think of my mom and dad, raised during WWII and the Great Depression - making me sit at the table to eat every last crumb on my plate and collecting empty containers for "a rainy day." Even in the generation before my parents, their parents passed on their responsive behaviors from WWI and their traumatic childhood experiences. Doing so conditioned my parents to live a life of scarcity – for the rest of their lives. Even after the wars ended, they struggled to relax their fears. And as a result, they passed some of those same fears on to me.

To prevent passing maladaptive behaviors onto our children, we as individuals must identify behaviors that no longer serve us well and modify them to fit our lives constructively. Then, according to the concept of intergenerational trauma, we can stop ourselves from passing on undesirable behaviors to our children – and future generations.


On a larger scale, prior generations endured significant historical or collective trauma, such as slavery, genocide, cultural oppression, natural disasters and other societal threats. Some of these continue today, compounding the collective trauma and teaching reactive and ineffective behaviors to future generations. The intergenerational effects of such traumas can be profound and may include:

  1. Psychological distress: Descendants may experience symptoms of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or other mental health issues related to the trauma experienced by their ancestors.

  2. Cultural disruption: Intergenerational trauma can disrupt the transmission of cultural practices, beliefs, and traditions from one generation to the next, leading to a loss of identity and connection to one's heritage.

  3. Family dynamics: Trauma can affect parenting styles and family relationships, leading to patterns of dysfunctional behavior and difficulties in forming secure attachments.

  4. Coping mechanisms: Survivors of trauma may develop coping mechanisms to deal with their experiences, and these coping strategies can be passed down to future generations, affecting how they respond to stress and adversity.

  5. Biological changes: Some research suggests that trauma may lead to epigenetic changes, altering how genes are expressed and potentially affecting subsequent generations' physical and mental health.

By now, you may be asking whether the damage is already done. Did my learned behaviors and beliefs negatively impact my child or children? What behaviors do I have that result from my upbringing and intergenerational trauma? How can I handle my baggage and increase my life satisfaction and happiness?


Understanding and addressing intergenerational trauma is essential for breaking the cycle of suffering within our families and promoting healing throughout affected communities. Psychotherapy, support groups, community initiatives, and acknowledgment of historical injustices can help individuals and communities cope with the lasting effects of intergenerational trauma.

As individuals and as a generation, we can limit our contributions to intergenerational trauma by recognizing and validating the experiences of those affected, fostering resilience and limiting potential impact on future generations.

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Contact Dr. Steinkamp at Janet@jesteinkamp.com to schedule a complimentary 30 minute discovery conversation!

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