Have you heard of The Butterfly Effect? You’ve probably seen a video clip or heard it referenced in pop culture somewhere. It’s the metaphor Professor Edward Lorenz at MIT used to explain that one change or event can have a large and lasting impact. While Professor Lorenz discovered it while studying weather, the concept is sometimes used to illustrate generational trauma, or the idea that trauma can have a ripple effect lasting a generation or more beyond the immediate trauma survivor.
Put another way, generational trauma is the idea that if an older relative in your family experiences trauma, it could impact their kids and grandkids. Maybe it has impacted you.
Fortunately, family therapy for generational trauma can stop negative patterns and promote healing instead. It can also act as the butterfly in a different metaphor, one in which healing, compassion, and love pass through a family for generations to come.
Understanding Generational Trauma
Generational trauma can originate from many sources, including abuse, poverty, or war. This trauma is passed down from one generation to the next through behavioral, emotional, or psychological patterns. Another source of generational trauma is adverse childhood experiences (ACEs): traumatic events that occur in a person’s life during childhood. If not addressed, ACEs can lead to drug and alcohol use, depression, suicide, other health risks, and a cycle of generational trauma that can be hard to break.
Signs of generational trauma include anxiety, depression, unhealthy coping mechanisms such as drugs and alcohol, and dysfunctional relationships. These are then passed down from generation to generation, leading to complex family dynamics and poor mental health.
Family Therapy Helps Heal Generational Trauma
Family therapy can help heal generational trauma, and it does it in several ways.
- Reframe the family narrative. Changing our thoughts and beliefs can be difficult, particularly in families where communication doesn’t flow easily. Therapy can be a safe space to challenge the narrative around past stories or events and encourage the sharing of perspectives of each family member.
- Improve communication and understanding. It can be challenging for families to break harmful communication and behavior patterns on their own. Many of us don’t have the time or skills to have open conversations about trauma and its impacts. Family therapy can be a safe and effective place for these critical conversations if members are willing to make time.
- Build healthy coping skills. Some of the more common skills taught during family therapy include conflict resolution, stress management, and techniques around emotional regulation. These skills also help prevent substance problems from spreading within the family or to future generations.
- Strengthen family bonds. Many families that participate in family therapy share stories of increased empathy, stronger connections, and greater enjoyment when together.
Types of Family Therapy for Generational Trauma
There are several types of family therapy for generational trauma, and it is important to find what types work best for your family. A few to consider:
Behavioral Family Therapy is a type of psychotherapy, or “talk therapy,” that helps families interact and communicate with each other more positively. With a therapist, families work to identify negative communication patterns and the triggers or situations that often cause them. The goal is to reduce conflict and help families grow closer and more supportive.
Functional Family Therapy is a short-term counseling program (usually 3 to 6 months) focusing on adolescents, usually ages 10 to 18. It assesses family dynamics and works to improve family communication, parenting skills, and the quality of relationships. Functional family therapy is an effective approach for children who have experienced an ACE. It can help stop negative cycles before they start for future generations.
Narrative Family Therapy focuses on the stories that people and families have created about their lives. A big part of this therapy is externalizing and deconstructing problems or issues within the family, which allows participants to change their thoughts and beliefs. By changing their narratives, participants give themselves more power.
Southern Sky and Family Therapy
At Southern Sky Recovery, we offer several family therapy programs. Healing takes time, but family therapy for generational trauma can provide you and your loved ones with the tools necessary to overcome it. Remember the butterfly effect? You and your family now could be the change to foster healing and cultivate positive relationships for years to come.
If you or your loved ones have considered family therapy but aren’t sure where to start, contact us today to discuss what it could look like for your family. We are here to support you no matter where you are in your journey.
