What to Know About Intergenerational Trauma with Ioana Iuga

Meet Ioana, founder of IIA Lotus Flower Counseling Ltd., a Social Project dedicated to fostering well-being and supporting individuals through challenging emotional situations. With a background in Buddhist Studies and counseling, Ioana is a certified counselor with expertise in ADHD management, medical neuroscience, and clinical psychology. Committed to holistic care, Ioana is training to become an intergenerational trauma clinician. She shares her expertise in this exclusive interview with Sofia Health

What is intergenerational trauma?

Intergenerational trauma refers to the transfer of trauma from one generation to another, causing individuals to experience the effects of trauma they did not directly encounter. It is felt as a constant burden one is carrying all the time and a limitation in life. Sometimes it can be experienced like an extreme sense of duty or guilt.

Some specialists distinguish it from transgenerational or multigenerational trauma, which extends further down the family line. While there's debate over terminology, the focus should be on understanding what's treated in traumatic events for successful long-term intervention. When a traumatic event happens, it impacts our lives. The impact does not befall during the event as the moment something happens activates the amygdala, part of the brain responsible for the fight or flight response. The impact happens before or after the event, for example, in a car accident, a girl sees her mother faint after the event and she believes her mother died. Treating symptoms individually may offer limited benefits, as the underlying trauma remains untreated, emphasizing the importance of addressing the individual impact of trauma for effective intervention.

So, the answer to the question of what we treat in a traumatic event is – the IMPACT! And the impact is individual, therefore when we talk about trauma and a successful intervention we need to take into account the individuality of each client.

What events might contribute to intergenerational trauma?

Events that are commonly associated with intergenerational trauma are physical abuse or neglect, sexual abuse, emotional abuse or neglect, mental illness, substance abuse, domestic violence, bullying, inconsistent access to the caregiver, real or perceived threat to the caregiver, death of a loved one, etc.

Again, treating trauma involves focusing on its impact rather than just the event or symptoms. Imagine a street with an unseen gap causing repeated falls until it's paved, allowing smooth passage — a metaphor for effective treatment reducing trauma's impact and related issues. Similarly, the picture carrying a heavy boulder, exhausting and frustrating, until it's broken into manageable pieces, symbolizing the relief and energy from reducing trauma impact to zero.

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We know traumatic experiences can take many forms and it's not always easy to recognize. How do you differentiate between trauma and depression? What are some of the most prevalent signs and symptoms?

Differentiating between trauma and depression can be challenging as they often intertwine, but there are distinct signs and symptoms for each. 

• Depression, characterized by persistent low mood or loss of interest, lasts longer than two weeks and significantly impacts daily functioning. Clinical depression may exhibit dysphoria, anhedonia, or irritability.
• Trauma, particularly intergenerational, can contribute to depression through feelings of shame, guilt, and worthlessness developed in childhood. Childhood trauma can manifest in adulthood as low self-esteem, difficulty forming healthy relationships, anger, and hypervigilance. Signs of trauma include repressed emotions leading to intense mood swings, such as anger, and hypervigilance, where individuals constantly watch for potential threats, feeling exhausted as a result.

What therapeutic approaches do you find most effective in treating intergenerational trauma?

This is a complex question because the impact of a trauma is individual so in theory there can be as many approaches that are effective as there are individuals.

I am familiar with a case of a man who was abandoned by his mother at a very young age and developed addictions as an adult. When he got married, his wife was very religious. He loved her so much that he literally changed with the help of her congregation and now he is a priest himself. Was it effective? Yes, it was.

Some people say they recovered from severe traumas by getting into frozen water. Others felt better by joining a support group and getting a chance to share their stories. Some went to India or Tibet to find redemption. Holocaust survivors find it healing to raise awareness about how horrific those times were so they are never repeated.

In my practice, I use the Intergenerational Trauma Treatment Model as it is the only model known to address the caregiver’s unresolved childhood trauma impact before treating the child. Developed by Valerie Copping, this model addresses caregivers' unresolved childhood trauma before treating the child, boasting a 93% success rate. It involves 15 sessions for adults and 21 sessions for both caregivers and children, divided into three phases:

• Phase A: Provides trauma information sessions in a group setting.
• Phase B: Offers individual sessions to reconstruct negative self-deductions rooted in caregivers' unresolved childhood trauma.
• Phase C: Involves joint assessment and treatment sessions for caregivers and children, leveraging the caregiver's resolved trauma to support the child's treatment.

Can you share some practical strategies or interventions you often use when working with individuals or families affected by intergenerational trauma? Is it important to involve the family in the process?

When dealing with intergenerational trauma, it's important to have practical strategies and interventions to aid in healing. Here are some approaches commonly used:

• Advanced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Diagrams: These visual tools help contain trauma effects and negative self-belief systems. By setting achievable goals, they enhance motivation and competency.
• Deci and Ryan's Self-Determination Theory: This theory emphasizes autonomy, competence, and relatedness to boost motivation, which can be crucial when trauma depletes it.
• Exercises for Identifying Negative Convictions: These exercises help individuals recall childhood situations, identify negative beliefs, and understand their impact within the family, shedding light on underlying trauma.
• Structured Reality Exercise: Clients are guided to empathize with their inner child, interaction partners, and adult selves, which aids in perspective-taking and problem-solving.
• Chair Exercise for Separating Inner Child and Adult Self: This exercise encourages individuals to embody their inner child and adult selves separately, fostering dialogue and understanding between these aspects.

It's important to note that trauma is serious, and it's best not to engage in these exercises alone. Finding a trusted therapist or counselor is crucial for proper guidance and support.

Regarding the involvement of caregivers in treatment, there's growing evidence supporting their participation. Caregivers undergoing therapy before their child's treatment, as advocated by the Intergenerational Trauma Treatment Model, can significantly enhance therapeutic outcomes. This approach is efficient and highly recommended for families dealing with intergenerational trauma.

How do you approach and address strategies for helping individuals and families break the cycle, ensuring that the trauma they've experienced doesn't get passed on to the next generation?

As I previously mentioned, I employ the Intergenerational Trauma Treatment Model differs from other child trauma treatments in three important ways:

1. It starts by assessing and addressing the caregivers’ trauma impact from childhood and also the primary negative belief system that emerged from it because the unresolved impact is reinforced throughout adulthood when it remains unrecognized.
2. It deconstructs and reconstructs the caregiver’s primary negative belief system before treating the child which allows the child to experience the caregiver differently as an active agent of positive change. Thus, the child begins to trust the caregiver as now he/she sees the change is real.
3. The caregiver acts as a “co-therapist” to the child rather than assigning this expertise to the therapist which strengthens the essential parent-child attachment.

In summary, this model targets and treats both the caregiver's unresolved, complex trauma from childhood and the child’s complex trauma.

What advice do you find most beneficial for maintaining optimal mental well-being?

If I were to choose one message that I would want the readers to remember, it would be this one: there is no universal recipe for mental well-being. What is good for a person may be detrimental for another so each of us needs to search and research till we get to the method that is good for our needs and healing. For example, if I tell an introvert for instance to go out more, they might not appreciate it as beneficial advice for their mental well-being.

Not only we are different from each other but we are also different from the person we are in

the morning or the one we were yesterday and I will give you an example: when I feel too energized, for instance, I listen to a song with the ocean but if I lack energy I “meditate” on rock Music.

In my view, the most beneficial step for maintaining optimal mental well-being is to find a counselor, therapist, or mental health care professional you can trust. Together, you can develop a personalized approach tailored to your needs, goals, and preferences. Remember, a one-size-fits-all method doesn't exist, despite what marketers may claim! Seek guidance from a trusted professional rather than relying solely on generalized approaches.

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