In this episode of Taking Up Space, host Cassie Krajewski is joined by Erika Yourdan, trauma therapist and EMDR specialist, for a powerful and illuminating conversation on generational trauma.
Together, they explore what generational trauma is, how it shows up in our lives, and the ways it’s passed down through both family dynamics and epigenetics. But this conversation doesn’t just focus on what’s heavy — it also highlights the strengths, adaptations, and resilience that are part of our inheritance.
Erika introduces the concept of "warrior genetics" — the idea that alongside trauma, we also carry ancestral strengths that can be accessed and mobilized for healing. They dive into how therapists can identify these strengths, as well as the importance of looking for "glimmers" — those micro-moments of hope, safety, and connection.
For clinicians, this episode offers grounded, practical strategies for assessing and treating generational trauma, including how to adapt EMDR to work with complex family legacies. Erika also shares a free downloadable guidefeaturing 10 powerful history-taking questions to deepen trauma assessment through a generational lens.
Whether you're a therapist or someone curious about your own healing, this episode offers a compassionate, hopeful, and deeply insightful approach to understanding and transforming what we carry — and what we can choose to let go of.
