I recently had the honor of being invited by Amie Penny Sayler to speak with her for her podcast titled “Just Like Nana“. On the podcast, I discuss a topic close to my heart and clinical research: the intergenerational transmission of trauma. Amie interviews people about their memories of their grandmothers and the experiences they had with them. In my case, my parents were both Holocaust survivors from Poland, and none of my grandparents survived. Yet, the memories and stories about my maternal grandmother were passed down to me and she was a very real presence in my psychological world.
Amie and I sat down for a poignant conversation about how massive historical trauma shapes family blueprints across generations, even when we have no actual physical knowledge of our grandparents or ancestors. While the history of our families is painful, understanding how survival patterns echo into the present is the key both to reclaiming our personal autonomy and to collective healing. It is equally important to cherish the gifts and resiliencies that have been passed down to us from earlier generations. I invite you to tune in to the full episode as we explore how to navigate these complex family dynamics with curiosity and compassion.
You can listen to the audio recording of my episode on the Just Like Nana podcast series by clicking on the image below.
All the best,
Irit Felsen
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