It Is Never Too Late To Revive Your Best Self

Therapy for Generational Trauma

Sometimes the weight you carry isn't only yours. The big reactions to small triggers. The exhaustion of holding it all together. The sense that something is off, even when life looks fine on paper.You may have tried therapy before and found some relief, but the deeper, recurring patterns remain. Perhaps you've learned coping skills, but still feel disconnected from yourself and others.If you're ready to go beyond managing symptoms and begin unraveling the roots of what you carry—you're in the right place.

Generational Trauma

It's Complicated

I don't focus on a single bad event. I focus on the deeply embedded patterns that have shaped your nervous system, your beliefs, and how you move through the world.You may wonder:Why do I react to stress like my parents did—even though I swore I wouldn't?Why do I carry shame or dread I can't explain?Why do I feel like something is wrong with me—even when life looks fine?These are often imprints of trauma that isn't entirely yours. Passed down through families, cultures, and generations of survival. The coping strategies your ancestors needed—hyper-vigilance, numbing, people-pleasing—become the burdens you carry today, encoded in your body and nervous system.My work is about lightening the load: unburdening the body, the nervous system, and the spirit from generations of protection strategies that have long outlived their purpose—so you can feel more present, embodied, and at home in yourself.

My Approach

More Than Talk Therapy

Healing generational trauma requires more than talk therapy. The wounds live in the body and in the unconscious patterns passed down through families. My approach reaches those depths.All parts of you are welcome here—the hopeful, the skeptical, and the parts tired of carrying what was never yours to hold. That includes every part of your identity: background, culture, sexuality, gender, ability, faith. I'm committed to ongoing training around my own positionality as a white, cisgender, heterosexual woman, and I welcome questions or feedback along the way.I draw from several in-depth approaches, depending on what you need:Internal Family Systems (IFS): A gentle, evidence-based way to understand the different parts of you—especially the ones that keep you stuck in old patterns. Beneath the noise of those parts is the aspect of you that is already whole and calm.Brainspotting & Trauma-Informed Yoga: Body-based approaches that access and release trauma stored in the nervous system, allowing the body to release what it has been holding without getting stuck in the details.Spiritual Depth Work: Drawing on the wisdom of the living world—support as old as humanity. Simply remembering and rekindling our relationship with the wider web of life. Modernity taught us to forget, but the connection remains. This work can offer an additional layer of anchoring, insight, and support.Ancestral Lineage Healing: A separate offering that extends therapy rather than replacing it. We address what lives not only in your nervous system but in the spiritual fabric of your family lineages—by creating conscious relationship with your healed and well ancestors.Learn more below:

RootRhythms

About Me

I'm Riitta de los Santos. I hold an MA in Counseling Psychology and have worked in private practice, county mental health, forensic settings, and with military veterans experiencing complex trauma and PTSD.A native of Finland, I immigrated to the US in my twenties, building a life across cultures while carrying a backpack of personal and generational trauma. Learning how to begin unpacking what I carried changed everything for me and redirected my life.Today, I draw on that firsthand journey to understand how deeply family, culture, identity, and ancestral legacy influence the way we move through the world.

Contact and Fees

I offer a free, 30-minute online consultation to explore your needs, answer any questions, and determine if we're a good fit.My fee is $130 per session (Limited sliding scale slots available). I am not currently accepting insurance.Ready to begin unpacking what you carry?Please email me to book a free consultation:

If you prefer, you can fill out the form below:

Notice of Privacy Practices

This notice describes how your protected health information may be used and disclosed, and how you can access this information.My Commitment: I am required by HIPAA and California law to protect the privacy of your health information.How I May Use Your Information: Your information may be used for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations. I will not use or disclose your information for any other purpose without your written authorization, except as required or permitted by law.Your Rights: You have the right to:-Access and obtain a copy of your records
-Request amendments to your records
-Request restrictions on certain uses of your information
-Request confidential communications
-Receive an accounting of certain disclosures
-File a complaint if you believe your privacy rights have been violated
California-Specific Protections: California law provides additional protections for mental health records, substance use information, and HIV/AIDS status.Contact: For questions, to exercise your rights, or to file a complaint, please contact me at [email protected]. You may also file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights.A full copy of this Notice is provided to all clients as part of their intake paperwork.

No Surprises Act / Good Faith Estimate

Your Right to a Good Faith EstimateUnder the No Surprises Act, you have the right to receive a "Good Faith Estimate" of the expected cost of your psychotherapy services if you are uninsured or choose not to use your insurance.You may request a Good Faith Estimate before scheduling your first session or at any time during your care.If your final bill exceeds the estimate by $400 or more, you have the right to dispute the charges.To request your estimate, please contact me at [email protected]