Healing Intergenerational Trauma Through Somatic Therapy
If you’ve ever felt a heaviness in your body that you don’t quite understand, or waves of guilt and anxiety even when nothing is “wrong”, you may be carrying the quiet weight of intergenerational trauma.
We inherit more than stories or traditions. Our bodies also carry echoes of the past—unresolved grief, survival strategies, and emotional burdens passed down through our families and cultures. What once helped our ancestors endure difficult experiences can now leave us feeling disconnected and overwhelmed. This is especially true for immigrants, children of immigrants, and BIPOC communities where survival meant silence, sacrifice, and strength at the cost of emotional expression.
Signs of Intergenerational Trauma in the Body
Generational trauma often shows up in whispers. When your nervous system experiences stress and conflict, you might notice:
A heaviness in the chest or stomach when you think about family expectations
Feeling on edge or unable to relax, even when things are “good”
A tendency to numb out or “check out” when things feel overwhelming
Lingering fatigue, headaches, or tension without a clear cause
A quiet but persistent feeling of guilt, shame, and responsibility
Healing generational wounds begins with a pause. Noticing what is here, gently and without judgment, and offering our bodies the compassion and presence it has long needed.
Where Somatic therapy comes in
In many cultures—including immigrant and BIPOC families—emotions were not openly expressed, and therapy was not something our culture encouraged. This is why somatic therapy can feel like a more accessible entry point—it doesn’t require us to articulate the “right” words.
Somatic therapy invites us to listen inwards and bring awareness to the mind-body connection. Instead of solely focusing on the narrative of what we experience, we begin to notice how these experiences surface in our bodies — perhaps through tension, numbness, or an impulse to withdraw. Through mindful awareness of the present moment, we begin to create space for new possibilities of safety, resilience, and connection.
Some of us may have learned to intellectualize our experiences. We may “know” what we are feeling, but can experience stuckness when trying to work through it. This is often because our body is still responding as though danger is near. By tuning into these sensations with curiosity and care, we create space for release in which unspoken grief, inherited survival strategies, and silenced emotions can begin to soften.
what does somatic therapy look like?
Somatic therapy gently supports the nervous system to return to a place of safety and regulation. In session, this may look like:
Grounding — noticing your breath, the weight of your body, the support beneath you
Orienting — gently turning your gaze around the room and noticing details you haven’t before
Breathwork — coming back to your breath in slow and intentional ways
Movement — observing how your body stores different experiences and emotions; then allowing the body to stretch, shift, and release
Each practice is an invitation—a small act of kindness toward yourself. Over time, these moments of safety help you move from survival mode into more grounded connection with your authentic self.
Healing as Liberation
For first- and second-generation immigrants, BIPOC communities, and adult children of immigrants, healing is not just personal—it is collective. When we tend to our bodies with compassion, we honor not only our own story, but the generations before us and those that follow.
Somatic therapy is not about blaming family or rejecting culture. Instead, it is about weaving together ancestral resilience and present-day healing, so you can live with greater self-trust, freedom, and ease.
An invitation to begin
Somatic therapy for intergenerational trauma offers a gentle path home back to ourselves. If you feel disconnected, burdened, or unsure where to start, know this: you are not alone. Healing does not happen all at once. It happens moment by moment—through mindful awareness, loving-kindness, and reconnection with your body and breath.
If you are ready to take the next step, I would be honored to walk alongside you. Come as you are. Together, we will create a space where you feel safe enough to pause, breathe, and reconnect with your true self that has always been here for you.
About me:
Hi! I’m Stephanie Shao (she/her), Licensed Clinical Social Worker here at Nourished Wellness Group (CA 127453). I am a 2nd-generation Buddhist Asian American millennial woman.
My specialities include trauma processing, intergenerational trauma, cultural and immigrant identities, family dynamics, and relationship dynamics. I enjoy integrating somatic, internal family systems, and psychodynamic modalities in therapy. My work is also shaped by Buddhist values of compassion, loving-kindness, and mindful awareness.
If you are looking for individual counseling, please reach out here. Would love to chat more about your individual needs and to explore if we’d be a good fit!
