It Didn’t Start with You

A groundbreaking guide to healing the trauma that didn’t begin with you.
Anxiety. Depression. Chronic pain. Phobias. Obsessive thoughts. What if the source of these struggles isn’t just in your life experiences or brain chemistry, but in the unhealed trauma of your parents, grandparents, or even great-grandparents?

In It Didn’t Start With You, acclaimed expert Mark Wolynn draws from over two decades of therapeutic work and cutting-edge research in epigenetics and trauma to explore how inherited emotional wounds can shape our mental and physical health. Even if the original traumatic event is forgotten or silenced, its effects can be passed down through generations—encoded in language, behaviors, and even gene expression.

Building on the work of leading experts like Rachel Yehuda and Bessel van der Kolk, Wolynn introduces his Core Language Approach, a transformative method that helps readers:

• Identify hidden inherited patterns using diagnostic self-inventories

• Map their family history through a genogram

• Engage in healing practices like visualization, active imagination, and direct dialogue

• Reclaim agency, emotional clarity, and health

It Didn’t Start With You is more than a book—it’s a healing roadmap for those who have tried traditional therapy or medication without success. With practical tools and compassionate insight, Wolynn helps you break free from inherited trauma and step into a life that is finally your own.