Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma
$65 | 3 CEUs | Virtual
$65 | 3 CEUs | Virtual
We will explore how psychoanalysis has both simultaneously addressed and denied the “wounds of history” according to psychologist and writer Jill Salberg.
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Delivery: Synchronous Virtual Classroom via Zoom
Trauma can haunt many generations. Psychologist and writer Bruno Bettelheim wrote, “What cannot be talked about can also not be put to rest: and if it is not, the wounds continue to fester from generation to generation.” The impact of trauma—such as genocide, slavery, war, colonialism, sexual abuse, and forced migration—impacts not only the individual, but subsequent generations as well. It can affect the next generations’ inner worlds, their behavior, and their relationships.
Some say that descendants of people who have survived severe trauma will often dream dreams that aren’t entirely their own—they are the unmetabolized feelings of previous generations. These clients dream the nightmares of those who came before.
We will explore how psychoanalysis has both simultaneously addressed and denied the “wounds of history” according to psychologist and writer Jill Salberg. Why was trauma work split off from mainstream psychoanalysis for many decades? Was psychoanalysis trying to avoid the pain of severe trauma? Some contend that psychoanalysis itself is a survivor of the Holocaust. We will explore the movement away from a one-generational model to what Salberg refers to as a transgenerational paradigm.
We will examine the role of the therapist in healing. We will discuss common feelings that are aroused in the therapist when dealing with trauma and its intergenerational transmission and common enactments that the therapist could be drawn into repeating. How can these countertransference feelings and enactments guide us in understanding the client better?
At the end of the seminar participants will be able to: 1) Define the concept of the intergenerational transmission of trauma; 2) Describe common ways individuals and groups cope with trauma; 3) Describe how the psychoanalytic view on trauma has changed over the years; 4) Describe the importance of mourning, of witnessing, and of symbolizing in healing from trauma; and 5) List common transference and countertransference feelings that arise when working with clients who have experienced the intergenerational transmission of trauma.
Participants are welcome to bring up cases to discuss during class that are inspired by the readings.
Note: Readings will be provided to paid registrants a few weeks prior to class.
Presenter: Neal Beatus, M.S.S., L.C.S.W., is a psychotherapist in private practice with GKSW/Crystal Group Associates in Wyndmoor, Pa. He has been a social worker for more than 25 years. He has extensive post-graduate training in Psychoanalytic Object Relations Theory and has conducted many psychotherapy trainings.