Emancipation From a Fear of Institutionalization: A Case Study of Transgenerational Hauntings

Abstract This article explores the journey that leads a client to discover and work through a transgenerational haunting. The author details how this haunting had entangled three family generations within a theme of institutionalization. Theories around transgenerational transmission of trauma are linked to various parts of the client’s history and treatment to highlight the similarities and subtle differences between these theories. The case also highlights the interplay between theory and clinical observations, specifically, how a theory-driven process that dominates clinical observations can impede a client’s opportunity to take personal responsibility for their own life script.