Parent and parents to be: did you have a childhood in which there was physical, sexual or emotional abuse, or in which your needs weren't effectively met? Did you have a caregiver who did not attune with you, dismissed you, or who behaved in negative ways that affected your development? The effects of such painful experiences can often be an anxious disposition, difficulty with intimacy, depression, self doubt, or challenges in relationships. Many have childhoods that were less than ideal and vow to themselves that when they have children they will make different choices, use different parenting techniques or simply not repeat the behavior that they had to endure. While these are laudable ideas, and a huge achievements in and of themselves, they may not be enough to halt the transmission of the effects of the trauma from one generation to the next. Often I see child and adolescent clients presenting with the very same issues that a parent has, despite the fact that the parent has not engaged in directly abusive behavior. How can this be? Let's first begin by acknowledging that the developing brain is profoundly impacted by trauma. A child who grows up either directly or vicariously experiencing big traumas, such as abuse, or cumulative trauma such as an invalidating relationship, stressors of poverty or marginalization will be under chronic stress. Such stress results in acute and chronic changes in neurochemical systems and specific brain regions, which result in longterm changes in brain "circuits," involved in the stress response. Essentially, elevated levels of certain neurochemicals (cortisol and norepenephrine in particular) along with impaired brain development (hippocampus and anterior cingulate) put systems on permanent high alert and under ongoing stress, often resulting in mental health issues such as anxiety or depression and emotional issues such as an inability to interact well with others. It should also be mentioned that each of us has differing levels of inherent resiliency and there may be mitigating factors in the environment that reduce the impact of the trauma. For the purposes of this post, we are looking at a general overview of the impact of adversity during childhood. Let's now fast forward. That child who grew up in a stressful, or chaotic environment is an adult about to become a parent. When a mother is pregnant with a child, neuropeptides pass through the Fallopian tubes to the baby. Neuropeptides are molecules that communicate information. These neuropeptides carry the neurochemical information of the mother's stressed brain to the baby - so the chemical trauma information and its associated states will be transferred to the child - shame, depression, anxiety and so on. This information is involved in constructing the baby's own brain chemistry. After the baby is born, if the primary caregiver has unresolved trauma, the baby may not be mirrored in the manner required for healthy relational development, simply because the mother lacks the ability. A caregiver with poor boundaries (trauma ruptures boundaries) will also transmit those poor boundaries to the child in subtle and unconscious ways through behaviors, and relational dynamics. So far this paints a pretty grim picture. Trauma and its associated effects is passed from one generation to the next, and to deny this is a neurobiological impossibility. How can we change this pattern? Is there a way to ensure that future generations have healthier brain development and an improved emotional landscape? The answer is a resounding yes! This fantastic news lies in the idea of neuroplasticity: the ability to build new neural pathways and rewire the brain by healing the past. Various kinds of therapeutic interventions such as EMDR, somatic experiencing and sensorimotor psychotherapy help to reduce the negative symptoms we are talking about by healing certain parts of the brain. Ongoing interventions such as yoga and meditation can also calm the nervous system. Tying healing with new positive beliefs and feeling states creates new neural pathways in the brain that can literally change who a person is. This is exciting news because caregivers have the power not only to heal themselves, but to pay it forward to multiple generations beyond. By finding the courage to seek help for our own healing, we also heal the future. Trauma can stop here, and now. I am fully trained in EMDR, and have additional EMDR training in child/adolescent trauma and dysregulation. I am fully trained in TRM somatic work, and double certified in teaching yoga and meditation. Let's talk about your path to healing today.Sincerely, Claudia
