Emerging Cultural Identity in Intergenerational Trauma Interventions: A Qualitative Study of Psychotherapists' Perspectives

• First study on therapists' use of cultural identity in intergenerational trauma work. • Cultural identity offers a multilayered lens for intergenerational trauma work. • Therapists highlighted somatic approaches as effective tools for exploration. • Therapists described tracing trauma lineages and providing psychoeducation. The intergenerational transmission of trauma (ITT) refers to unresolved trauma transmitted across generations, producing psychological and physiological distress in offspring who have not experienced the initial trauma. Culture is increasingly recognised as both a transmitter and a “healer” for ITT wounds. However, despite theoretical recognition that therapeutic approaches addressing cultural identity promote healing, there remains a lack of empirical research exploring how psychotherapists address clients’ cultural identity when working with ITT. Addressing this gap is necessary for developing evidence-based guidelines. This study explored: (i) therapists’ understanding of how cultural identity shapes ITT experiences, (ii) therapists’ experiences integrating cultural identity in clinical approaches to ITT, and (iii) perspectives on how therapists can be further supported in this work. Using a qualitative design, eight licensed psychotherapists participated in semi-structured interviews about their clinical experiences working with ITT. The data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Three master themes emerged from the participant data. First, Speaking to Embodied Trauma highlighted the need for body-based approaches that address how culturally embedded silence manifests somatically. Second, The Healing Power of Naming for ITT Wounds captured the importance of naming previously unspoken experiences to disrupt intergenerational patterns of silence. Lastly, Psychoeducation to Reframe Narratives reflected how resources offer a culturally sensitive approach to help clients contextualise and reframe inherited distress. This study is the first to explore psychotherapists’ experiences of working with ITT through the lens of cultural identity. The findings emphasise that integrating cultural identity into therapeutic practice is crucial in addressing the multilayered nature of ITT. Our study highlights the importance of incorporating somatic work, naming silenced experiences and stories, and providing psychoeducation to clients in ITT work. While these findings provide a foundation for the development of evidence-based guidelines, future research exploring different perspectives is necessary.