Breaking Generational Chains: The Power of Breathwork in Healing Trauma
Philadelphia, PA—“Healing doesn’t mean the damage never existed. It means the damage no longer controls our lives,” says Akshay Dubey, a sentiment vividly illustrated by Alyse Bacine, a former school counselor turned trauma healing expert. Bacine’s transformative journey, both personally and professionally, has revealed profound insights into the intricacies of generational trauma and the potential for healing through breathwork.
During her decade-long tenure in the Philadelphia School District, Bacine encountered numerous students wrestling with the weight of inherited anxieties—symptoms deeply rooted in familial and societal histories. One poignant incident involved a young girl displaying anxiety at a minor altercation with a teacher, her posture and breathing sending signals of distress that resonated with Bacine’s own experiences. This moment served as a catalyst for Bacine’s realization that the patterns of anxiety were not isolated incidents but reflections of generational trauma.
"My work has shown me that our nervous systems carry the imprint of our ancestors’ traumas. The patterns they navigated are often what we model today,” Bacine explained. Her early approaches—rooted in cognitive psychology—offered valuable coping strategies but often overlooked the physical manifestations of trauma within the body.
What shifted the course of Bacine’s practice was her introduction to therapeutic breathwork, a technique that allows individuals to confront and release the tensions stored in the body. This method proved to be not just a calming technique, but a pathway to deeper healing. “In my first breathwork session, I experienced sensations and emotional releases that were beyond my conscious awareness,” Bacine recalled, emphasizing that true healing encompasses acknowledgment and release of trauma, rather than mere management of symptoms.
Bacine began integrating breathwork into her counseling sessions, tailoring it to the needs of her students. The outcomes were nothing short of remarkable: children once paralyzed by stress began to cultivate a newfound awareness and capacity to respond to anxiety. One student articulated the breakthrough, saying, “It’s like my worry is still there, but now there’s space around it. I can see it without it taking over everything.”
Through both her professional and personal revelations, Bacine conceptualized healing as a three-dimensional journey—addressing the mind, body, and energy field. She advocates that true healing involves a holistic approach, targeting not just cognitive understanding but the deep-seated trauma residing within the body and our energetic composition.
Bacine’s insights resonate with broader discussions on mental health, particularly the distinction between merely managing anxiety and achieving genuine healing. “Management asks, ‘How can I feel better when these symptoms arise?’ Healing asks, ‘What needs to be released so these symptoms no longer control me?’” she noted, highlighting the profound implications of breathwork as a transformative practice.
As the school year progresses, Bacine aims to reach even more students with her innovative Metamorphosis Method™, integrating breathwork into the fabric of educational environments. She believes that by equipping the younger generation with tools for self-care and emotional regulation, we can break the cycles of generational trauma for good, empowering children to forge new paths free from inherited burdens.
For those interested in exploring breathwork, Bacine offers practical steps to initiate the journey, emphasizing the importance of awareness, consistency, and creating a safe environment for exploration.
As Bacine illustrates through her work, healing is not merely an individual endeavor; it is a collective responsibility to break the chains of trauma that bind families for generations. With breathwork as a guiding light, the future may hold the promise of liberation, resilience, and transformation for countless lives.
For more insights and resources, visit alysebreathes.com.
About Alyse Bacine
Alyse Bacine is a trauma healing expert and breathwork practitioner with a master’s degree in counseling psychology. After a decade of serving as a school counselor in Philadelphia, she developed the Metamorphosis Method™, aiming to create lasting transformation from anxiety and trauma. Learn more at alysebreathes.com.