How Childhood Trauma Influences Career Choice in the Helping Professions—and the Strong Black Woman Connection
When we think about the reasons behind choosing a career, we often think of passion, talent, and education as the key factors.
However, recent research reveals another deeply rooted influence: childhood trauma. Studies show that individuals are driven to choose careers that reflect their childhood experiences, often seeking to fulfill needs that went unmet in their early years or actualize family aspirations. This is particularly true in the helping professions, where people often have a personal connection to the work they do—a connection that stems from adversity.
Between February 1990 and February 2019, 28 studies revealed a common thread—those who experienced family dysfunction, parentification (taking on caregiving roles as children), or other forms of trauma were drawn to roles where they could support and care for others. The characteristics and traits developed through adversity—resilience, empathy, and strength—motivate individuals to pursue careers in fields like counseling, social work, or nursing. It’s not just about wanting to help, but about healing from their own wounds by helping others.
while trauma can give us a unique perspective and deep empathy, it can also lead us into dangerous territory.
That’s where the Strong Black Woman narrative becomes relevant.
The Strong Black Woman Connection
The Strong Black Woman archetype perpetuates the idea that Black women must always be strong, independent, and self-sufficient, even at the expense of their own well-being. Many Black women grow up in environments where they’re parentified at a young age, taking on adult responsibilities while being expected to push through their own pain without complaint. These early experiences of adversity shape how they view strength, care, and their role in society.
For Black women in the helping professions, this connection is especially significant. Like others influenced by childhood trauma, Strong Black Women are often drawn to careers in caregiving roles because it aligns with the caretaker roles they had to assume growing up. But this choice comes with risks—overextension, burnout, and the inability to prioritize their own wellness because they feel responsible for everyone else’s.
My work in helping Strong Black Women unlearn this narrative is rooted in understanding how these early experiences shape not only how they view themselves but also their career choices. Many of the counselors and counselor educators I work with have a history of being the “strong one” for their families, taking care of others from a young age, and neglecting their own needs in the process. This connection between trauma and career choice makes it all the more important for Strong Black Women to understand the narratives they’ve inherited and to learn how to put their wellness first.
Why I Created a coaching Program for The Healers, Helpers, Hope Dealers, and High Achievers.
This coaching program is designed to help Black women in the helping professions identify and dismantle the Strong Black Woman narrative, which is often linked to their trauma and career choices. The framework I’ve created focuses on reappropriating strength, redefining identity, and recovering from the long-term effects of overworking and overextending.
For many Black women helping professionals, their career choice is a reflection of a lifetime of care—often stemming from family dysfunction or unmet childhood needs. By exploring the link between trauma and career choice, and by unlearning the damaging parts of the Strong Black Woman archetype, they can learn how to heal themselves while still helping others.
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