Break Generational Trauma: Reconnecting to the Feminine Through the Mother-Daughter Story
At the core of every family system lies an invisible and unconscious energy that shapes our lives in profound ways. This energy often takes form through the forces of patriarchy, which instigate separation—separation within the family unit, separation from ourselves, and separation from the wider society. Patriarchal forces fracture our natural bonds, creating invisible divisions that ripple across generations.
By its very nature, patriarchy disrupts our connection to our authentic feminine essence. It propagates harmful beliefs, enforces silence, and upholds power dynamics that keep women disconnected from themselves and each other. These misalignments cast a deceptive light on identity, convincing us that we are no more than the sum of our learned behaviors, roles, and externally imposed labels.
How Patriarchy Shapes Women’s Identities
For women, this separation has often translated into a deep disconnection from self-worth. From an early age, many of us were conditioned to look outside ourselves for truth, validation, and enoughness. The stories and judgments reflected back to us—by family, culture, or institutions—became part of our identity. Instead of trusting our inner wisdom, we learned to measure ourselves by standards designed to keep us small, compliant, and in service to others.
This legacy is not new. Before the 12th century, women were widely revered as healers, midwives, herbalists, and spiritual advisors because of their deep connection with nature and the body (Lerner, 1986; Ehrenreich & English, 1973). By the 13th and 14th centuries, however, societal tides shifted. Women’s roles as healers were condemned, and accusations of witchcraft rose dramatically. During the witch hunts of the 14th–17th centuries, hundreds of thousands of women across Europe were persecuted, tortured, and executed (Federici, 2004). This violent suppression of feminine wisdom nearly eradicated the lineage of women healers, severing our ancestral connection to the feminine body, spirit, and earth.
Why This History Matters Today
While women today enjoy many freedoms and opportunities our mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers could not, the legacy of devaluation persists. As Claire Zammit, Ph.D., founder of Feminine Power, writes, women continue to be devalued in the workplace, in leadership, and in the deeper cultural narratives that shape our self-worth. Even with unprecedented educational and career opportunities, many women still struggle with the invisible inheritance of “not-enoughness.”
Understanding this history is essential because it shines a light on why we continue to carry internalized wounds that are not just personal—they are intergenerational. These wounds are passed down through the mother line, embedding themselves in the stories, silences, and roles we inherit.
Breaking the Cycle: The Mother-Daughter Story
So, how do we begin to break generational trauma? How do we reclaim what has been lost and begin to reconnect with our authentic feminine power?
The first step is to map your mother-daughter story. This means tracing the patterns of beliefs, silences, and roles that have been passed down to you. Ask yourself:
What were the unspoken rules in my mother’s and grandmother’s lives?
Where did they feel silenced or devalued?
What stories about “being a woman” were passed down to me?
How have I internalized those stories—and where do they no longer serve me?
This process is not about blaming our mothers. Instead, it’s about uncovering the invisible inheritance of generational trauma so that we can consciously choose what to carry forward and what to release.
Reconnecting With Feminine Power
Breaking generational trauma means reconnecting with the wisdom that was nearly erased: the feminine qualities of intuition, relational intelligence, creativity, and embodied presence. Some women call this a “soft power,” but it is anything but weak. Feminine power is rooted, relational, and resilient. It is the quiet force that sustains families, communities, and societies. Reclaiming it is not just a personal act of healing—it is a collective act of resistance against systems that thrive on disconnection.
By mapping your mother-daughter story, you begin to see the larger cultural forces at play, and you reclaim the agency to write a new chapter. In doing so, you honor the generations of women before you while breaking free from the trauma that has kept you small. This is how we begin to break generational trauma: by reconnecting with ourselves, our mothers, our daughters, and the feminine essence that patriarchy sought to erase.
If you want to learn a more extensive practice of mapping out your story, I would be honored to walk alongside you. Together, we can explore the patterns you’ve inherited, uncover the wisdom within your lineage, and begin the process of breaking free from generational trauma.
References
Ehrenreich, B., & English, D. (1973). Witches, Midwives, and Nurses: A History of Women Healers. Feminist Press.
Federici, S. (2004). Caliban and the Witch: Women, the Body and Primitive Accumulation. Autonomedia.
Lerner, G. (1986). The Creation of Patriarchy. Oxford University Press.
Zammit, C. (2011). Feminine Power: Awakening to the Creative Life Force. Evolving Wisdom.
