Surviving to Thriving: Dr. Thema Bryant Unpacks Intergenerational Trauma

What is trauma? How does it manifest in our lives? How is trauma passed down through generations or within communities? And most importantly, what can we do about it? Most of us have some experience with trauma, but rarely, if ever, are we encouraged to discuss it. Instead, we are encouraged to muscle through it or transcend it. In this episode of the WebMD Health Discovered podcast, we explore the impact of trauma in our lives and the often-overlooked topic of intergenerational trauma. We spoke with Thema Bryant, PhD, host of the Homecoming podcast, author of Homecoming: Overcome Fear and Trauma to Reclaim Your Whole, Authentic Self, and 2023 president of the American Psychological Association. Dr. Thema is a tenured professor of psychology in the Graduate School of Education and Psychology at Pepperdine University, where she directs the Culture and Trauma Research Laboratory. Dr. Thema unpacks how traumatic stress disrupts the nervous system and is passed down through generations and within communities. She highlights the importance of honoring the survival skills of people who came before us, how we can adopt and model healthy coping methods, and how we can appropriately talk with future generations about our lived experiences of trauma to help them go from just surviving to thriving.