Why Inherited Family Trauma Didn’t Start With You – How To Know

Inherited family trauma can have long-lasting effects on our mental health and well-being. Here’s my review of Mark Wolynn’s book of the same name, with some guidelines on how to get started.

It Didn’t Start With You – Book Review

Inherited family trauma can shape our sense of well-being in ways we may not realize. In this post, I’m reviewing Mark Wolynn’s powerful book It Didn’t Start With You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle, and sharing some gentle guidelines on how to begin exploring this work for yourself.

Available on Amazon: It Didn’t Start With You, Mark Wolynn

Inherited Family Trauma

Wolynn’s book offers a deep introduction to the concept of inherited family trauma. Without recognizing the trauma we may have inherited, we can end up repeating patterns that aren’t truly ours, patterns that influence our behavior, emotional reactions, subconscious beliefs, and overall happiness.

This book weaves together research in epigenetics, DNA expression, and positive psychology, giving readers a practical framework for understanding how generational trauma forms and how it can begin to heal.

How Does Inherited Trauma Pass Down Through DNA?

Wolynn highlights three key pathways through which generational trauma can be transmitted:

1. Our Time in the Womb

Wolynn cites studies showing that a mother’s stress during pregnancy—even in the first trimester—can impact her child.

One example from Biological Psychiatry found that increased cortisol levels in amniotic fluid were linked to cognitive challenges 17 months after birth.

This research suggests that prenatal stress may imprint on the developing nervous system.

2. DNA Records Environmental Warnings

DNA can carry “tags” shaped by the experiences of previous generations—especially trauma, danger, or deprivation.

For example, Rachel Yehuda at Mount Sinai found that children of Holocaust survivors often share similar cortisol imbalances as their parents, predisposing them to trauma responses even without direct exposure.

This is one way our biology may attempt to “prepare” us for challenges our ancestors faced.

3. Epigenetics Influences Gene Expression

Cellular biologist Dr. Bruce Lipton’s early work showed that environmental conditions can switch genes on or off—affecting how our DNA expresses itself.

Epigenetics explores how nutrition, stress, relationships, physical environment, and even emotional experiences shape the chemistry around our genes.

The encouraging part?
Healthy environments and conscious lifestyle shifts can support healthier gene expression.

How to Recognize Inherited Family Trauma

At first, the idea of inherited trauma can feel overwhelming. Most of us have ancestors who lived through wars, famine, displacement, or social upheaval.

Common sources include:

• World Wars I and II
• The Great Depression
• Pogroms or cultural persecution
• Colonialism and forced displacement
• The Vietnam War, Cold War, or other conflicts
• Family histories of addiction, abandonment, or loss

These experiences can echo through generations, shaping emotional patterns we don’t immediately recognize as “inherited.”

A New Kind of Healing: The Akashic Records – We Are the Bridge Generation

One of my early Akashic teachers once said that we are the bridge generation—the ones waking up spiritually and consciously to the unresolved patterns in our lineage.

This awakening may feel slow or subtle, but we are living at a time when:

• energy modalities are more accessible,
• trauma-awareness is expanding, and
• Science is beginning to validate the impact of generational stress.

Together, these tools help us begin clearing the energetic residue of past generations.

How Wolynn Helps Us Begin the Healing Process

Wolynn’s book is divided into three sections:

1. The Web of Inherited Family Trauma
2. The Core Language Map
3. Pathways to Reconnection

The first section explains how family trauma forms and travels across generations.

The second introduces the concept of the Core Complaint—our unconscious emotional language shaped by inherited fear.

Examples of Core Complaints include:

• “I am not enough.”
• “I’ll be all alone.”
• “Something bad will happen.”

These recurring thoughts can be clues to inherited emotional wounds.

Core Language Medicine

Once we identify them, Wolynn teaches Core Language Medicine—ways to shift, soften, or break our unconscious loyalty to generational patterns.

The third section explores practical steps for clearing these inherited dynamics, including understanding actions or histories that may block our progress, such as:

• early separation from the mother
• rejecting or judging a parent
• unconscious loyalty to failure
• inherited patterns of financial fear
• guilt linked to past family events

Inherited family trauma comes from physical DNA tags passed through our lineage.

Inherited Trauma vs. Past-Life Trauma: What’s the Difference?

Past-life trauma, on the other hand, relates to etheric or spiritual patterns carried through the Soul stream.

These two streams—genetic and spiritual—can influence one another, but they arise from different origins.

Both can be explored and cleared in different ways.

For those curious about past-life healing, a Soul Star Akashic Reading is one option.

Final Thoughts on Inherited Family Trauma

I hope you found this review of It Didn’t Start With You helpful. As the collective consciousness continues to grow, more people are realizing that generational trauma is not a life sentence.

Whether through epigenetics, energy work, therapy, or spiritual practice, we have the opportunity to soften what we’ve inherited—and support future generations in carrying less.

We don’t have to live with these patterns forever.

Learn More About The Akashic Records Readings I Offer

One way to grow your psychic ability is to begin to work with your Akashic Records. This expands the connection to your Soul through your Higher Self (also known as your intuition).

If you are interested in an Akashic Records Reading, I always recommend starting withthe Soul Star Reading.

This reading gives you 3 different immersive experiences of the Akashic Records: –

1. Connecting with your Divine Soul Blueprint (Soul-level gifts, talents, abilities).
2. Hearing about a Past Life that contains a karmic pattern ready for clearing (you’ll recognize this pattern in your present life).
3. Recognizing and clearing present life blocks and restrictions.

If you’d like to know about the different readings I offer on this site, start here>>

Download the PDF Akashic Records for Beginners

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