Rosanne interviews family constellation expert Hemla Makindula about inherited family trauma and how patterns from past generations can create blocks to conception. They explore how traumas like famines, wars, miscarriages, and other family secrets can be passed down through generations and manifest as fertility struggles.
Family constellation therapy and inherited family trauma healing
Key Insights
Actionable Advice
Hemla Makindula introduces the concept that we inherit not just genes but also traumas from past generations that can manifest as fertility struggles. She explains how family constellation therapy, founded by Bert Hellinger, examines ancestry to identify and heal patterns affecting conception.
Hemla shares powerful examples including a client with 8 failed IVFs whose struggles traced back to a famine 7 generations ago in Poland, and another woman whose family pattern of hidden abortions created blocks to conception. These cases demonstrate how specific ancestral traumas manifest in modern fertility challenges.
The discussion explores how our bodies hold inherited patterns even when our minds don't consciously remember them. Rosanne explains the epigenetic reality that three generations exist simultaneously during pregnancy, allowing stress and trauma to transfer across generations through the body's cellular memory.
Hemla describes the non-judgmental healing process that acknowledges all family members including lost pregnancies, and how this recognition can shift energy and clear blocks. She provides practical information for those interested in exploring this work through her website and workshops.
“we inherit our genes biologically, through our family lineage, both in our mother and father's side. But we also then inherit, traumas or issues or difficulties or situations that might have happened in the past”
— Hemla Makindula▶ 5:18
Family constellation therapy looks at how inherited trauma and patterns from past generations can create blocks to conception. It examines family lineage to identify and heal traumas like famines, wars, or pregnancy losses that may be affecting current fertility struggles.
“if something had to happen to our children or our partners or our brothers and sisters, our parents, that has a huge wound for us. And with family constellations, we're looking way back in history to heal or to bring peace and understanding to that wound so that all the generations after that don't carry it”
— Hemla Makindula▶ 6:06
Yes, according to family constellation expert Hemla Makindula, traumas like famines, wars, and pregnancy losses from generations past can manifest as current fertility struggles. She worked with a client whose 8 IVF failures were linked to a famine 7 generations back that created patterns of resistance to bringing children into scarcity.
“all of these miscarriages are all, souls that are needing recognition. We brought that into the constellation, and suddenly the whole energy shifted, changed for her”
— Hemla Makindula▶ 16:02
According to family constellation therapy, unacknowledged pregnancy losses including miscarriages, abortions, and stillbirths can create energetic blocks to conception. These souls need recognition and inclusion in the family system for healing to occur and fertility to restore.
“when my grandmother was pregnant with my mother, the egg that turned into me was there. So it's like you have these three generations all there at the same time”
— Rosanne Austin▶ 29:43
Epigenetic trauma inheritance means stress and trauma can transfer through generations at the cellular level. When grandmother was pregnant with mother, the egg that became the next generation was already present, allowing three generations to be influenced simultaneously.
“they don't need to know any details, of anything before them. It's, as you know, oftentimes, sensations, feelings, thoughts that just pop into our heads”
— Hemla Makindula▶ 23:13
Family constellation work can reveal hidden family patterns and traumas that create blocks to conception. Even without knowing family history, the work uses body sensations, emotions, and intuitive insights to identify and heal inherited patterns affecting fertility.
“in her forty five years, I was the first person that she shared it with. So she said, this is so embarrassing for me. I don't even want to tell you that this is what I did”
— Hemla Makindula▶ 19:36
Yes, family secrets especially around pregnancy, sexuality, and loss can create energetic blocks to conception. Shame and hidden traumas often repeat across generations until they are acknowledged and healed through therapeutic work.
Steps to begin investigating inherited family patterns that may be affecting conception
Start with your own experience
Begin by examining your patterns, reactions, and behaviors around fertility without needing to know detailed family history
Notice body sensations
Pay attention to physical sensations, emotions, and thoughts that arise when thinking about fertility and family patterns
Work with a qualified facilitator
Find a trained family constellation practitioner who can guide you through the process either in person or remotely
Allow the process to unfold
Trust that what needs to be revealed will surface through sensations, feelings, and intuitive knowing during the session
Acknowledge what arises
Recognize and honor any family patterns, traumas, or unacknowledged souls that emerge during the constellation work
Integrate the healing
Allow time for the energetic shifts and new understanding to settle into your system after the session
We inherit not just genes but also traumas and patterns from our family lineage that can manifest as fertility issues
Hemla Makindula explains that traumas like famines, wars, or family secrets from generations ago can show up as difficulty conceiving, just like we inherit physical genes from both mother and father's sides.
Family constellation work can identify and heal inherited patterns even when you don't know your family history
Hemla worked with a client who had 8 failed IVFs and discovered through constellation work that a famine 7 generations back in Poland created patterns of not bringing children into scarcity, which manifested as miscarriages in her mother, grandmother, and herself.
Unacknowledged souls in the family system, including miscarriages, abortions, and stillbirths, need recognition for healing to occur
In constellation work, Hemla brings in all souls that belong to the family system, including lost pregnancies. When these are acknowledged, 'suddenly the whole energy shifted' for the client who had multiple IVF failures.
Our bodies carry and express traumas even when our minds don't consciously believe or remember them
Hemla references Dr. Gabor Mate's 'When the Body Says No' and explains how bodies tell the truth when we can't, manifesting as physical sensations, pain, or fertility blocks even without conscious awareness.
Three generations exist simultaneously in one body during pregnancy, creating epigenetic transfer of stress and trauma
When grandmother was pregnant with mother, the egg that became the next generation was already present, meaning three generations were together in one space, allowing stress and trauma to transfer epigenetically through generations.
Family secrets and shame, especially around pregnancy loss, can create blocks to conception across generations
Hemla worked with a 45-year-old woman who had never shared her multiple abortions with anyone. Her mother also had an abortion before immigration. These family secrets around pregnancy loss affected her ability to conceive when ready.
Family constellation work accepts all parts of the human experience without judgment or blame
Hemla emphasizes that constellation work holds acceptance for all experiences, even 'terrible stories' like multiple generations of rape, because everyone is a product of what happened before them.
Resistance often shows up before constellation sessions as the system both wants and doesn't want hidden patterns revealed
Rosanne shares that before each session with Hemla, something would come up to threaten canceling the session, and Hemla confirms clients often experience bathroom urgency, headaches, or other symptoms as the system resists bringing hidden patterns to surface.
We inherit not just genes but also traumas and patterns from our family lineage that can manifest as fertility issues
▶ 5:18Family constellation work can identify and heal inherited patterns even when you don't know your family history
▶ 14:06Unacknowledged souls in the family system, including miscarriages, abortions, and stillbirths, need recognition for healing to occur
▶ 16:02Our bodies carry and express traumas even when our minds don't consciously believe or remember them
▶ 27:51Three generations exist simultaneously in one body during pregnancy, creating epigenetic transfer of stress and trauma
▶ 29:43Family secrets and shame, especially around pregnancy loss, can create blocks to conception across generations
▶ 19:16Family constellation work accepts all parts of the human experience without judgment or blame
▶ 20:49Resistance often shows up before constellation sessions as the system both wants and doesn't want hidden patterns revealed
▶ 25:16“Focus only on medical and physical factors when trying to conceive”
CONSIDER: Address inherited family patterns and traumas that may be creating energetic blocks to conception
“If you don't know your family history, you can't address inherited patterns”
CONSIDER: Family constellation work can reveal and heal patterns through body sensations and intuition even without conscious knowledge
“our bodies tell the truth when we can't”
“we inherit our genes biologically, through our family lineage, both in our mother and father's side. But we also then inherit, traumas or issues or difficulties or situations that might have happened in the past”
“suddenly the whole energy shifted, changed for her”
“there is no blame. There is because we all, again, human and we all, you know, make errors and do things that we might not be proud of or have regret around. But family consolation kind of holds all of that”
“when my grandmother was pregnant with my mother, the egg that turned into me was there. So it's like you have these three generations all there at the same time”
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