Healing the Past: How Disney Movies Help Us Understand Intergenerational Trauma

Years after its release, Encanto still plays a pivotal role. At least it does in our household, where musicals and talking about our feelings are a common feature. 

Encanto is more than just a colourful, music-filled Disney film—it’s a deeply moving story about family, identity, and the invisible threads of generational trauma. The Madrigal family, blessed with magical gifts, live in a hidden village where each member is expected to use their abilities to serve the community. But beneath the surface of their enchanted home, cracks—both literal and emotional—begin to show.

At the heart of the family is Abuela Alma, their fierce and devoted matriarch. She carries the weight of their legacy, believing that their survival depends on each family member fulfilling their role. Alma’s strict expectations can seem rigid, even unkind, particularly toward Mirabel and her own children. But as the story unfolds, we see the deeper truth—Alma’s need for control is rooted in profound loss and fear.

As a young woman, Alma and her husband, Pedro, were forced to flee their home when their village was attacked. With their infant triplets in tow, they ran for safety, but tragedy struck—Pedro sacrificed himself to protect them. In that moment of unimaginable grief, the candle Alma carried transformed into a miraculous source of protection, leading her to the valley where she would build a new life for her family.

Alma’s response to this loss was to focus on the miracle—the magic that saved her children and created a thriving community. But Encanto gently reminds us that even when we find beauty in hardship, unacknowledged pain does not disappear. It lingers, shaping family dynamics in ways we may not always understand.

The magic of the Madrigal family is deeply intertwined with their trauma.

The weight of Alma’s fears—of losing everything again, of not being enough, of needing to hold it all together—has unknowingly seeped into each generation. Her children and grandchildren may not have experienced her suffering firsthand, but they carry echoes of it: the pressure to be perfect, the fear of disappointing others, the exhaustion of always holding things up.

This is the nature of intergenerational trauma. Pain doesn’t always fade with time—it can be passed down in the form of unspoken expectations, emotional patterns, and coping mechanisms. And often, we don’t even realise where it comes from.

This is why family systems work is so powerful. Instead of focusing solely on one individual’s struggles, it looks at the bigger picture—the patterns, behaviours, and invisible loyalties that shape a family across generations. Family constellations help untangle the past from the present, revealing what is out of balance and what needs to be healed.

Through this process, we begin to see how deeply we are connected to those who came before us. We recognise how old wounds might still be influencing our relationships, our parenting, and even how we see ourselves. And most importantly, we gain the tools to release the blame, fear, shame, and hurt that no longer serve us—allowing love and connection to flow freely once again.

Disney films have a way of speaking to the soul, and Encanto is no exception. Almost everyone I know sees themselves in one of the characters (as the eldest daughter in a family of four, I am definitely a Luisa!). And perhaps, when we have those deep conversations with friends—about wanting to be better, about wishing we didn’t yell, about feeling like we’re repeating patterns we don’t understand—we’re actually uncovering something much bigger.

When we begin to heal, we don’t just heal for ourselves—we heal for the generations before us and the ones yet to come. And that might just be the most magical thing of all.