In Tracey’s words: I've been on a healing journey for 25 years and it was just last year that the final puzzle piece fell into place. As someone who has been in and out of therapy for over 2 decades, I was shocked by the realization that my whole life, my whole adult self and all my relationships, had been impacted by the reality of my childhood. Most of us believe that we cannot have experienced trauma if our childhood doesn't tick traditional boxes: sexual or physical abuse, poverty, incarcerated parent. But I can tell you, for sure, that waking up to the toll my conditioning took on me and thereby the people I love most has changed everything. And, my daughter was diagnosed with an eating disorder and depression when she was thirteen. She's 25 now and fully supports me in talking about our experiences. Her mental health diagnoses, along with my own inheritance, is the subject of my forthcoming memoir: Bloodlines: A Memoir of Harm and Healing. I'm passionate about dispelling the myths around mental illness, mental health, and healing. Accepting the fact that I could not control the trajectory of my daughter's illness was extremely painful, but it was necessary for me to wake up to the need for me to do my own work. The means to the end of supporting and loving her the healthiest ways I could. See more about my book here: https://traceyyokascreates.com/bloodlines-a-memoir/ This book shows you how I healed inherited trauma. In turn, I was empowered and transformed my relationships most beautifully.

Social Media Tracey Yokas creates stuff. When she isn’t writing about mental health and wellness, she can be found playing with paint, glitter, and glue. She shares about her family’s journey with mental illness so others will know they are not alone. She is dedicated to supporting women in the journey towards authenticity, and fulfills her mission by creating safe spaces where art, words, and vulnerability meet in dynamic community. Tracey earned her master’s degree in counseling psychology from California Lutheran University and lives in Newbury Park, CA, with her family. You can find her on Facebook (@traceyyokascreates) and Instagram (@traceyyokas) or on her website, www.traceyyokascreates.com

3 Top Tips * What happened to us was not our fault, but breaking the chain of transmission is our responsibility. Compassion grows through awareness. * We—those living with inherited trauma—are not broken. By transforming our challenges into choices, we reclaim our agency. We foster resilience, empowerment, and unity—and show our children how to do the same. * The conditioning we received may have hampered our ability to give and receive love, but it’s never too late to heal.

• Mental illness struggles • Family mental illness memoir • Eating disorders • Mothers and daughters • Parenting teens • Healing family relationships • Medical mental health • Intergenerational trauma story • Popular psychology personality study • Depression in kids • Mindful parenting • Breaking free of toxic patterns