Behavioral Health News: Generational Transmission of Untreated or Unresolved Relational Trauma

The Generational Transmission of Untreated or Unresolved Relational Trauma

By Dr. Victoria Sanders, PhD, LMFT | Behavioral Health News Summer 2025 Issue

Dr. Victoria Sanders was featured and published in the Behavioral Health News for an article she wrote on: The Generational Transmission of Untreated or Unresolved Relational Trauma.

This heartfelt article explores the hidden continuation of relational trauma and its impact on motherhood and early childhood development. Through the eyes of Dr. Vicki as a therapist working with a vulnerable teen, Dr. Vicki illustrates how unresolved emotional wounds from caregivers are often passed down through generations, shaping attachment patterns, emotional regulation, and maternal identity.

Key themes include:

• The misunderstood nature of relational trauma and its absence from formal diagnostic frameworks.
• The role of secure attachment and attunement in healthy infant development.
• How trauma-impacted mothers may struggle to offer the care they never received.
• The emotional toll of motherhood, especially under the weight of trauma, shame, and societal expectations.
• The importance of therapeutic support in breaking cycles of disconnection and survival-based parenting.
• Practical ways family and professionals can provide meaningful emotional support to new mothers.

Read the full article on Behavioral Health News here.

‍

‍