Revealing the Intergenerational Impact of Trauma and Tools to Heal
youtu.be
A workshop led by Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes focused on intergenerational trauma, emphasizing education over counseling. It explored the definition of trauma as events that render individuals feeling unsafe and powerless, including physical, interpersonal, cognitive, environmental, and spiritual traumas. The workshop discussed the effects of trauma on physical health, sleep, appetite, energy levels, interpersonal relationships, self-perception, and belief systems. Healing from trauma involves recognizing its impact, being compassionate with oneself, and developing emotional intelligence. Caregivers play a crucial role in helping children understand their emotions and develop secure attachments, which can prevent the transmission of trauma across generations. Emotional intelligence and distress tolerance are important for children, taught through caregiver responsiveness and communication. However, traumatized caregivers may struggle with consistency and emotional availability, potentially leading to insecure attachments and intergenerational trauma in children. Personal anecdotes highlighted how behaviors and beliefs, such as coping mechanisms and responses to stress, are passed down through generations, affecting family dynamics and individual trauma responses. Historical traumas, such as those experienced by Native American communities, have long-lasting effects on collective beliefs and attitudes towards authority. Trauma can result in chronic stress, affecting sleep and cognition, and can even impact the developing fetus. Caregivers' failure to meet children's needs can lead to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), teaching children they are unsafe and powerless. Breaking the cycle of trauma involves acknowledging personal trauma, ensuring physical health, evaluating relationships, and being mindful of one's behavior. The 'FIT CAT' mnemonic was introduced to help differentiate between past and present threats, encouraging fact-based assessment over emotional reasoning. Recovery involves creating a personal safe space, healing spiritual connections, addressing the inner child's trauma, and developing secure attachments. Forgiveness is used to release the energy from past trauma, and a multimodal approach is recommended for complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), including healing the nervous system and developing skills. The workshop underscored the importance of addressing shame and guilt, managing triggers, processing trauma for acceptance, and communicating to address misunderstandings, while sometimes accepting others' behavior.
A workshop led by Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes focused on intergenerational trauma, emphasizing education o