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Inherited Grief: Intergenerational Trauma in Caribbean Families

👣 When Trauma Isn’t Yours But Lives in You


In Caribbean households, there are stories that go untold. Stories of migration, of violence, of separation, of mothers doing their best with too little.These stories don’t disappear they settle in our bones, bodies, and behaviors.


This is intergenerational trauma (Kellermann, 2001) : the emotional wounds of past generations passed down like heirlooms. We see it in our anxiety, our fear of failure, our inability to rest, our hyper-independence. And many of us never question it because it’s all we’ve ever known.


According to Yehuda & Lehrner (2018), trauma can be inherited through both psychological and biological mechanisms, especially when it is unprocessed. In Caribbean families, where silence is often mistaken for strength, trauma is rarely addressed directly.

🔄 The Generational Echo of Pain


Many Caribbean women grow up in environments where love was expressed through sacrifice, protection, or discipline but rarely through softness. We inherited a blueprint of survival, not safety.


Research shows that children of trauma survivors often internalize hyper vigilance, people-pleasing, or emotional suppression (Kellermann, 2001). These aren’t just coping mechanisms. They’re learned behaviors rooted in unresolved family pain.


For many of us, healing means grieving not just our own experiences but the emotional legacies we’ve carried for others.


🧬 What We Don’t Talk About, We Repeat


Unaddressed trauma doesn’t disappear it replicates. When our mothers couldn’t say “I’m struggling,” we learned to suffer in silence. When our grandmothers couldn’t say “I’m scared,” we learned that fear was weakness.

This emotional inheritance affects how we:


  • Parent our children (or avoid parenting altogether)

  • Choose romantic partners or isolate ourselves

  • See rest as guilt rather than healing


But none of this is our fault. These patterns are generational survival skills and survival is not the same as healing.

🧘🏽‍♀️ What NJCCS Addresses in Therapy


At Nada Johnson Consulting & Counselling Services (NJCCS), I hold space for Caribbean women to explore inherited pain without shame or blame. My approach honors culture while supporting transformation.


I support women in:


  • Naming the unnamed – giving language to what past generations had to silence

  • Rewriting beliefs – such as “I’m not enough” or “I must always be strong”

  • Grieving the invisible – lost childhoods, missed affection, or generational burdens

  • Using CBT and trauma-informed tools – to heal the body-mind disconnection caused by chronic trauma


💬 Healing With Me: A Message from NJCCS


You are not meant to carry it all.

You are not betraying your family by healing.

You are honoring them by choosing a different way.


NJCCS offers a space where Caribbean women can finally rest, reflect, and restore without judgment.


You are the bridge between what was and what can be. And you don’t have to do it alone.


🌱 The cycle ends with you but healing begins with us. 🌱



Warm Regards,


 

Nada Johnson, MSW, RSW

Registered Social Worker, Psychotherapist / trained Family Mediator / EMDR Trained Therapist / Certified Racial Trauma Clinician / Mental Health & Sexual Violence Consultant / Professional Speaker



Nada Johnson Consulting & Counselling Services - Online phone and video sessions available

Village Healing Centre: 240 Roncesvalles Avenue

C: 437-887-6146



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📚 References

Kellermann, N. P. (2001). Transmission of Holocaust trauma An integrative view. Psychiatry, 64(3), 256–267. https://doi.org/10.1521/00332747.2001.9648875Yehuda,

R., & Lehrner, A. (2018). Intergenerational transmission of trauma effects. World Psychiatry, 17(3), 243–257. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20568


Want More Support for Your Professional & Personal Growth?

🔷Try Potential Unlocked™


In addition to counseling, NJCCS offers coaching through our sister brand, Potential Unlocked™, designed specifically for professional women navigating career, leadership, and life transitions.


We support clients with:

  • Communication and conflict strategy in the workplace

  • Career development and leadership coaching

  • Navigating workplace dynamics and burnout recovery

  • Building confidence in both personal and professional relationships online dating empowerment coaching (because personal growth impacts professional life too!)


👉 Visit www.potentialunlocked.ca to learn more or book a free 10-minute consultation call.


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