Episode 15: My Story: Bring The Fight Back To Trauma Work with Dr. Aimie Apigian

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The Trauma That Shaped My Mission

My choice to work in trauma isn't theoretical. It's personal. It starts with my grandfather and my father. Their stories shaped everything about why I do this work.

I watched trauma live in my family's biology across generations. I saw what unspoken pain does to a body, to relationships, and to life. I witnessed patterns passing down that no one had language for or tools to address.

And I decided someone had to fight back.

Today I share the family history that drove me here, the patterns I witnessed, the pain that wasn't addressed, and why I decided to bring the fight back to trauma work.

This is my story of why the Biology of Trauma® matters so much to me.

My Grandfather's Unspoken Pain

His trauma went unspoken. His pain went untreated. He carried what happened to him in silence because that's what men of his generation did. You didn't talk about it. You didn't process it. You just survived.

I watched what that did to him, to his body, and to his life. I saw the ways his nervous system stayed locked in patterns from decades before. I witnessed how his biology held what his mind couldn't speak.

His story taught me something critical before I had words for it. Trauma doesn't just disappear because you don't talk about it. It doesn't resolve because you're tough enough to endure. It lives in your body, shapes your health, and affects everything you touch.

My grandfather needed help he never got. He needed someone to understand that what he carried wasn't weakness but biology. He needed approaches that addressed the cellular level where his trauma lived.

He died without that help. And watching that shaped my entire life's work.

The Patterns That Passed Down

The trauma patterns didn't end with one generation. They passed down to my father. He carried what my grandfather couldn't process, inherited nervous system patterns he didn't create, and lived with the biological legacy of unresolved pain.

This is how intergenerational trauma works. The Biology of Trauma® doesn't stay with one person. It gets passed through epigenetics, through learned nervous system responses, through family dynamics shaped by dysregulation, and through the ways traumatized parents inevitably affect their children.

I saw trauma living in biology across generations in my own family. I saw it shape health outcomes, relationship patterns, and life choices. I witnessed the cost of unaddressed trauma compound over decades.

And I understood something fundamental: this pattern would continue unless someone interrupted it. Unless someone brought new understanding and new tools. Unless someone fought for what previous generations didn't have access to.

That someone became me.

Why I'm Fighting

Too many people suffer in silence like my grandfather did. Too many carry patterns that don't belong to them like my father did. Too many families watch trauma destroy health and relationships without understanding what's happening.

I'm fighting for what they didn't get including understanding of how trauma lives in biology, tools to address nervous system dysregulation, knowledge that symptoms aren't character flaws, approaches that work at the cellular level, and the possibility of healing rather than just enduring.

This work chose me before I chose it. I couldn't ignore what I witnessed in my own family. I had to understand it, make sense of the patterns, and then help others understand their own Biology of Trauma®.

My clinical work isn't separate from my family story but directly connected. My lived experience informs how I understand trauma's biology. The pain I witnessed drives my commitment to this work. The patterns I saw motivate my research into what actually creates change.

When you know trauma personally, you see it differently. You understand the stakes. You know what's at risk when it goes unaddressed. You know what's possible when it finally gets the right attention.

What Drives Me Forward

Every person I help heal their Biology of Trauma® is a victory my grandfather never got. Every family that interrupts intergenerational patterns is breaking cycles my family couldn't break. Every practitioner I train is multiplying the impact beyond what I can do alone.

This is why I wrote the book, created the programs, built the training, and started this podcast. This is why I left surgery to focus on trauma. This is why I keep fighting even when the work is hard.

Someone has to bring the fight back to trauma work. Someone has to stand up and say that suffering in silence isn't noble, that enduring isn't the same as healing, that trauma deserves proper treatment, and that your biology can change.

I'm that someone because I watched what happens when no one fights. I saw the cost of unaddressed trauma in the people I loved most. And I decided that cost is too high for anyone to keep paying.

Your family story matters. The patterns you inherited matter. The trauma that shaped your biology matters. And healing is possible in ways previous generations never had access to.

This Episode Is For:

✓ People whose family history includes unspoken trauma 

✓ Anyone wondering why they carry patterns that don't feel like their own 

✓ Those recognizing intergenerational trauma in their family 

✓ Practitioners whose personal experience drives their clinical work 

✓ Anyone who wants to understand my motivation for this work 

✓ People ready to interrupt trauma patterns in their family line

What You'll Learn

Listen to understand what brought me to this work and why family stories matter for understanding the Biology of Trauma®. Discover how intergenerational patterns shape your nervous system. Learn why I'm fighting for what previous generations didn't get.

Someone has to bring the fight. Let it be us together.

Listen to Episode 15 →

Disclaimer

This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The information shared reflects my clinical expertise and research, but every person's biology and healing journey is unique. Always consult with qualified healthcare providers before making changes to your treatment plan or starting new interventions. If you're experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact emergency services or a crisis helpline immediately.

Join the Conversation

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode. What resonated with you? What questions came up?

Please keep comments respectful and supportive. This is a community of people committed to healing. We welcome diverse perspectives and honest questions, but we don't tolerate personal attacks, spam, or content that could harm others on their healing journey.