Family Trauma

Trauma: A severe psychological stress, injury, loss or wound.

Unresolved family trauma is at the root of most major life conflicts facing individuals and families. Addictions, personal dysfunction, relationship conflicts, divorce and abusive behaviors often find their origins in a painful family history. All families and individuals encounter trauma at some point in their lives; the way we handle trauma often determines how it will affect us and our family for years—or generations—to come. A healthy response to trauma depends on the ability of an individual or family to face a trauma, work through the issues, grieve and move into healing. Individual and family dysfunction results when people deny of trauma, avoid working through the issues, run from grief and not allow healing. When an individual or family does not seek to heal these wounds, the legacy of trauma is often passed on to the next generation.

Understanding exactly what constitutes trauma will help us identify it in our lives. Trauma can be understood as a severe psychological stress, injury, loss, or wound. Put more simply, it’s any experience that wounds the soul.

Family trauma can be divided into five major categories (this division may not account for every possible situation.)

1. Family Loss includes situations of separation, divorce, addictions, medical or psychological conditions, abortion, death
2. Unpredictable, Chaotic Families where there is little stability involving finances, living situations, or emotional stability
3. Families where Children Take on Adult Roles because parents give up on parenting
4. Families of Deprivation: Families where there is very little physical, emotional, educational, or spiritual encouragement and nurturing.
5. Families of Emotional, Physical and Sexual Abuse