Inherited Trauma: What Your Grandparents Lived and You’re Still Carrying

We don’t always carry only what we’ve lived ourselves. Many times, we bear experiences that belong to those who came before us. Inherited trauma refers to those emotional wounds that, even if they weren’t directly ours, are passed down from generation to generation and end up shaping how we feel, relate, and live.

What Is Inherited Trauma and How Is It Transmitted?
Inherited trauma, also known as transgenerational trauma, occurs when the unresolved emotional pain of grandparents or parents is unconsciously passed on to their descendants. It doesn’t need to be communicated with words: often it’s transmitted through silence, attitudes, limiting beliefs, or ways of relating to others.

For example, a family that experienced war, migration, loss, or violence may leave emotional imprints on future generations. These imprints can show up as fears that seem inexplicable, as ways of coping with stress, or as repeated patterns of harmful relationships.

Our brain and identity are shaped within a family context. When that context is marked by unresolved stories of pain, we may unknowingly take them on as our own. What once served as a survival mechanism for our ancestors can become an emotional burden for us.

Recognizing this doesn’t mean blaming those who came before us—it means understanding that their pain needs to be acknowledged so it doesn’t keep repeating.

Signs You Might Be Carrying Inherited Trauma
Though not always obvious, some signs that you may be carrying trauma that isn’t yours include:

• Disproportionate fears: feeling anxiety or dread about situations you’ve never personally experienced.
• Repeated patterns: relationships—romantic or professional—that mirror conflicts from previous generations.
• Inexplicable guilt: carrying emotional responsibilities that don’t belong to you.
• Family silences: taboo topics or things nobody talks about, but that create tension.
• Wounds of identity: struggling to feel free to choose your own path.
• Persistent emotional struggles: anxiety, sadness, or anger with no clear cause.
• Invisible loyalties: feeling obligated to repeat the lives of your parents or grandparents, even when it hurts you.

These signs show how one generation’s unresolved pain can filter into the next, shaping life without clear awareness of it.

Healing inherited trauma doesn’t mean forgetting family history—it means transforming it. It’s a process of recognition and release that allows you to honor what was lived without continuing to carry it. With professional support, you can identify these patterns, give them new meaning, and open space for a freer, more authentic life.

If you feel you’re carrying wounds you don’t understand or burdens that don’t belong to you, we invite you to book a session with us and take the first step toward healing.