Healing the Generational Wounds of Parental Incarceration

If you grew up with a parent in prison, you know it’s more than just their absence—it’s the whispers from neighbors, the confusion of explaining where they are, and the heavy silence in moments when you needed them most. This experience, especially in Latino families, carries layers of stigma, secrecy, and complex trauma that can shape our sense of self for a lifetime.

In Latino culture, where family bonds and community are central, losing a parent to incarceration might feel like a fracture in your identity. You may have felt a confusing mix of shame, guilt, and even loyalty—a loyalty to protect the parent who was absent. As a child, I didn’t quite understand what was going on, or why. The one thing that made the most sense to me was categorizing my life as before they went to prison, and then after. Add into the mix the isolation from others not being able to understand your experience and you have the perfect concoction for feeling unseen, misunderstood, and carrying a silent weight of loneliness—one that can follow you well into adulthood.

But it’s not just the loss of a parent. It’s the generational trauma too—the ripple effect that goes back to how our parents and grandparents were shaped by their own struggles. Maybe they experienced instability or hardship and, without access to mental health resources, those patterns continued down the line.

I know because I’ve been there. The pain of missing a parent during the most critical times in childhood doesn’t just disappear; it lingers into adulthood in ways you might not even realize until years later. Maybe it’s in how you struggle with trust or how hard it is to let people in. Maybe it’s feeling like you always have to be strong for everyone else.

Healing means acknowledging these wounds and reclaiming your story. I believe therapy can be a space to honor what you’ve survived and gently untangle the weight of the past. Your pain is real—but so is your resilience. There’s no timeline to healing, but every small step counts. You don’t have to carry this alone.

Now let’s Unearth:

1.) How did your parent’s absence shape your sense of stability and security as a child?

2.) What messages about loyalty, secrecy, or shame did you internalize within your family?

3.) What emotions come up when you think about the parent who was incarcerated?

4.) What role did you find yourself playing within your family during their absence?

5.) What support or acknowledgment do you feel was missing for you growing up, and what do you need now?

Stay tuned for more upcoming blogs. To begin healing generational trauma with me, you can fill out the contact form.

See you soon,

Courtney