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The Generational Transmission of Untreated or Unresolved Relational Trauma
She leaned in close to me, whispering as if we were girlfriends rather than therapist and client: “I’m trying to get pregnant because then I’ll have someone who will love me forever and never leave me.” How do I, as a compassionate therapist, gently explain to this 13-year-old girl that...
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She Carries More Than a Child: The Psychological Burden of Unhealed Trauma
Motherhood starts way before a woman discovers that she is pregnant. Rather, research suggests that a person’s projected pathway into motherhood starts as soon as their own infancy. The type of attachment, connection, and personal experiences that a child is exposed to during their first five...
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Voice and Identity: Daughters and Sons of Parents with Psychiatric Experiences
Parenting with a mental health condition is common, yet widely unsupported. The following statistics may surprise you: according to Joanne Nicholson of Brandeis and Kate Beibel at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, 68% of women and 57% of men with diagnosed psychiatric disorders are...
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“The Son Belongs to His Mother”: South Asian Daughters-in-Law and the Mental Health Toll of Family Hierarchy
In many South Asian families, a daughter-in-law doesn’t simply marry a husband—she marries into a hierarchy. Her entry into the household often marks a shift in family dynamics, especially where a deep, enmeshed mother-son bond is already in place. What may appear on the surface as generational...
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Black Women and Suicide: The Silent Crisis and Its Aftermath on Families
Suicide among Black women is a heartbreaking and complex issue that has often been overlooked in public health discussions. Despite the cultural narratives of strength and resilience surrounding Black women, they face mental health challenges that are deeply rooted in historical and social...
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From Harm to Healing: How Family Dynamics Shape Hazing Recovery
When a family member experiences hazing, the recovery process often reverberates beyond the individual, particularly affecting parents. Parents frequently struggle with guilt, feelings of failure, and shame. This can shape family dynamics, influencing how they provide support—or fail to do so....
