Psychiatrist Defines Generational Trauma

News 12 has featured psychiatrist Liat Jarkon, D.O., director of the Center for Behavioral Health, in a segment focused on generational trauma. Defining the term as “emotional trauma that is transferred from one generation to the next,” Jarkon states that an estimated 64 percent of the population suffers from “adverse childhood experiences” that may lead to both psychological and physiological effects later in life.

“You look for the root cause of the trauma, then you have to embrace it,” Jarkon says. She emphasizes that communicating about trauma with family members and, if necessary, a therapist, is key to breaking the cycle.