LCP Fix Family of Origin & Trauma - The Bridge to Recovery
ResourcesResources
Healing Trauma

Family of Origin & Trauma

Home Program Experience Emotional Healing Family of Origin & Trauma

Your Family of Origin

The family we grew up with profoundly influenced who we are.  The good. The bad. The ugly. The beautiful.  

Who we are today is a direct reflection of what we experienced during our development years.

While everyone experiences painful events during their developmental years, the response, connection, support, and nurturing (or lack thereof) we receive from our family of origin vastly impacts how we transition through them.  If any of that is lacking, we often find that emotional development is unable to fully mature and progress as it should have. 

Family of Origin & Trauma
Family of Origin & Trauma

These times when our emotional growth was stifled impacts our ability as adults to create healthy relationships with ourselves, with others, with our jobs, with our communities, and more.

At The Bridge to Recovery, we help clients “un-cover, understand, and un-shame” painful events, many of which often stem from the development years. These can include:

  • Unhealthy substance use (or abuse) in the home
  • Absent parent figure(s) / Death of Loved Ones
  • Lack of biologically necessary nurturing in the home 
  • Over-nurturing or “sheltering” type of behavior detrimental to natural development.
  • Physical or emotional acts committed upon a child which threatens their sense of safety and security.
  • Unattainable perfectionism or expectations, including in sports, academics, or life in general.
  • Relationship struggles within the home, including a child being witness to fighting, arguing, extra-marital affairs, divorce, and more.
  • Parent(s) time was overly consumed with unhealthy distractions including workaholism, shopping, spending, gambling, and more.
  • Children experiencing an unhealthy emotional response from adults, such as anger and rage, control & caretaking, and more.
  • Mental health issues in the home, including anxiety & depression, bipolar disorder, and many more.
  • Food disorder and/or unhealthy eating behaviors
  • Children experience feelings of being unloved, unwanted, unattached, disconnected, and/or not fitting in to their family of origin unit.
Family of Origin & Trauma

This list is incredibly general and only describes a tiny portion of the types of things that can stifle emotional growth.  

At The Bridge to Recovery we define childhood trauma as anything less than nurturing that caused pain.  Helping our clients “let go” of this pain is what we have done for five decades.

It’s Not My Shame – Understanding the Patterns of Generational Trauma

Recognizing and wanting to heal from our childhood trauma is not about blaming or scapegoating our actions as adults.  By learning to recognize how trauma is generational, and that until we break those cycles, the pain and shame we inherited from our family of origin will then be passed down to our own children

At The Bridge to Recovery, we educate our clients so that they can differentiate between blame and shame, learn to let go of that shame, and regain healthy emotional response mechanisms so that they can begin to break those generational chains of trauma.

Connection Between Childhood Trauma, Adult Trauma, and Our Response System

Trauma happens to everyone.  EV-ER-Y-ONE.

For some individuals, when they experienced trauma in their formative years, it was met with a nurturing, caring and compassionate response, which enabled them to learn healthy ways to manage turbulent and traumatic times in their future.

The adults in these children’s lives modeled very different behavior. And, not just instances of trauma, but, in their lives we can only assume that the modeled behavior was the norm.  Thus, the young man in example 2 is much more likely to find himself struggling with substances, relationships, grief, emotional connection, self-esteem, and more due to his family of origin.

Family of Origin & Trauma

Family of origin and generational trauma are not the only types of trauma that can impact overall quality of adult life, but many of our clients learn the foundational impact it had and healing can begin.

If you can relate to any of these situations, meaning, if you find yourself utilizing people, places, or things in an unhealthy manner in your life, you can learn to let go of shame, heal from the effects of trauma, and relearn healthy emotional coping skills.  Learn more about our residential program and how attending The Bridge to Recovery can help.

Just 45 minutes north from Nashville, Tennessee sits our healing refuge.

Hidden away on 115 acres of rolling Kentucky hills.

Call Today 1-877-866-8661
Contact Us
Helping you back to your best self
Visit us at
1745 The Bridge Rd
Bowling Green, KY 42101
United States


Have a Question? Call Us!
1-877-866-8661

Send message
E-Mail: info@thebridgetorecovery.com
About The Bridge To Recovery
The Bridge to Recovery is a transformational residential program located 45 minutes north of Nashville, Tennessee in beautiful rural Kentucky.  We provide hope, healing, and happiness to those suffering.
The Bridge to Recovery is a proud supporter of NAATP. 
The Bridge To Recovery
© 2021 The Bridge To Recovery
crossmenu