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Dark blue tree with deep roots without leaves. Almost full circle around the above ground tree in mustard yellow

Author Helen Parker -Drabble

  • Books
    • A Victorian’s Inheritance
    • Victorian Family Recipe Book
    • Yet A Child’s Triumph
  • About
  • Articles
  • Talks
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    • Mary: The woman behind a personal Victorian recipe book
  • Factual talesMy factual tales are a tapestry of fact, researched speculation and fiction which are inspired by and embellish my family history. However, the plots are driven by the historical records.
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  • How Depression, Addiction & Trauma Echo Across Generations: Blending Family History, Psychology, and Science

    How Depression, Addiction & Trauma Echo Across Generations: Blending Family History, Psychology, and Science

    Article Family History From Helen Parker-Drabble Genealogy Mental Health

    Discover how depression, addiction, and trauma can echo through generations. By blending family history, psychology, and scientific insights like epigenetics, we reveal how ancestral struggles have shaped us—and how understanding our psychological inheritance empowers us to break unhealthy cycles and create a brighter legacy for future generations.

  • The possible psychological dangers of exploring our family history & how we can mitigate them

    The possible psychological dangers of exploring our family history & how we can mitigate them

    Article From Helen Parker-Drabble

    Researching our family history can be a life-changing, affirming experience and has the potential to improve our mental health, but it can also come with potential psychological risks. I am grateful to Emeritus psychology professor Susan M Moore research and her excellent articles Family History Research and Distressing Emotions and Ethical Dilemmas and Family History:…

  • Graham Carter: Every family has a skeleton in the cupboard

    Graham Carter: Every family has a skeleton in the cupboard

    News

    She pulls no punches on awkward subjects that crop up in her own family, including alcoholism, plus the story of her grandfather (and now my hero), who changed the course of the family history when he refused to doff his cap to the local lord of the manor’s estates manager.

  • Our Ancestors’ Psychology: An Interview with Lisa Louise Cooke on the Family Tree Magazine Podcast.

    Our Ancestors’ Psychology: An Interview with Lisa Louise Cooke on the Family Tree Magazine Podcast.

    News

    In episode 152 of the Family Tree Podcast, Lisa Louise Cooke interviews author Helen Parker-Drabble about how so-called “modern” mental health problems like anxiety or depression shaped the lives of our ancestors, and how understanding their experiences can benefit future generations.

  • Teasing Out Psychological Inheritance-for family historians

    Teasing Out Psychological Inheritance-for family historians

    Article

    Tragically, in any family, there will be those who suffered abuse, physical or mental ill-health, disability, starvation, imprisonment, bigamy, persecution, trauma and abandonment. All of these factors can trickle down the family tree, impacting future generations.