For therapists # Understand the patterns. Guide the healing. traumaroots maps what happened across generations, so a session can start from the whole picture, together in real time. [Open traumaroots](https://app.traumaroots.com) [See the evidence](#evidence) For therapists, families and clinicians. Start with your own family, or bring a map into a session. The evidence ## Trauma and mental health: what the evidence shows Population studies link cumulative childhood adversity to mental and physical health outcomes in a graded pattern. Every figure below carries the study it comes from. ### PTSD development PTSD develops in roughly 1 in 3 exposed individuals, with the majority naturally recovering over time. Widom 1999 · Am J Psychiatry ### Depression risk Individuals with 4 or more Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) show an adjusted odds ratio of 5.3 for depression. Merrick 2019 · MMWR ### Anxiety correlation Australians with a history of maltreatment show an odds ratio of 3.14 for developing anxiety disorders. ACMS 2023 · Med J Aust ### Substance use Substance use problems are 7 to 10 times more likely in individuals reporting 5 or more ACEs. Dube 2003 · Pediatrics ### Suicide attempts The odds ratio for suicide attempts rises to 31.1 in those experiencing 7 or more ACEs. Dube 2001 · JAMA ### Recovery is the norm While trauma profoundly impacts health, resilience and healing remain the most common long-term outcomes. Widom 1999 These figures describe population-level associations, not a prediction about any one person. Physical health ## What the body carries Adversity is not only a psychiatric history item. The same stress physiology is associated with physical health across the lifespan. - **Cardiovascular health** Increased lifetime risk of ischemic heart disease linked to early adversity (Felitti 1998). - **Respiratory conditions** Higher odds of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in adults with four or more ACEs (Merrick 2019). - **Autoimmune disorders** Higher risk of hospitalisation for autoimmune disease, rising with the number of ACEs (Dube 2009). - **Early mortality** People with six or more ACEs died nearly 20 years earlier on average than people with none (Brown 2009). ## It didn't start with the client Early, small studies suggest stress responses may be shaped across generations. Understanding family history provides crucial context for current presentations. Treat intergenerational findings as clinical context, not deterministic prediction. The causality is still an active research area. In the therapy room ## A shared map for healing - **Build the tree with the client** Collaboratively document family history during sessions. Visualizing the genogram together helps externalize patterns and reduces clinical distance. - **Patterns become visible** Automated layout and relationship tagging reveal recurring themes: abuse links, medical histories and emotional trends that were previously hidden in notes. - **Clinical casefiles and privacy** Secure clinical notation that separates client-visible data from private therapeutic observations. Access is scoped to the people you invite.  Sessions start from the whole picture. Collaboration ## Together, in real time traumaroots is built for connection. Work together across screens, locations and roles. ### Therapist and client Guide the client through their history live in session. Edits appear instantly on both devices, building a genuinely shared understanding. ### Family participation With client consent, invite a family member to join a session remotely to contribute specific generational details or perspectives. ### Clinical collaboration Consult with other specialists or clinicians by sharing a secure view of the casefile, supporting continuity of care across disciplines. Coming soon - Pattern insights - Guided timeline views - Case study export [What's next](https://traumaroots.com/coming-soon) ## References 1. Widom, C. S. (1999). Posttraumatic stress disorder in abused and neglected children grown up. American Journal of Psychiatry. 2. Merrick, M. T., et al. (2019). Vital Signs: Estimated Proportion of Adult Health Problems Attributable to Adverse Childhood Experiences. MMWR. 3. ACMS (2023). The Australian Child Maltreatment Study: Prevalence of child maltreatment and its health outcomes. 4. Dube, S. R., et al. (2003). Childhood abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction and the risk of illicit drug use: The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study. Pediatrics. 5. Dube, S. R., et al. (2001). Childhood abuse, household dysfunction, and the risk of attempted suicide throughout the life span. JAMA. 6. Felitti, V. J., et al. (1998). Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 7. Dube, S. R., et al. (2009). Cumulative childhood stress and autoimmune diseases in adults. Psychosomatic Medicine. 8. Brown, D. W., et al. (2009). Adverse childhood experiences and the risk of premature mortality. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. --- Canonical page: