This Is Us- Overcoming Trauma Together

Families Overcoming Trauma – This Is Us

NBC’s This Is Us has resonated deeply with audiences, largely because of its heartfelt portrayal of family, trauma, and healing. The show masterfully illustrates how each family member carries their own pain while remaining connected through love, resilience, and acceptance. It reminds us that healing isn’t about erasing the past—it’s about learning to live with it, together.

In this episode, I had the honor of speaking with Laura DeKraker Lang-Ree, whose journey is a testament to this very idea. When her daughter, Cecilia, was diagnosed with childhood leukemia at just three years old, Laura searched for guidance—a book, an expert, a roadmap. When she realized that no such book existed, she wrote it herself: The Cancer Parent’s Handbook: What Your Oncologist Doesn’t Have Time to Tell You. Through her experience, she uncovered the tools and insights necessary not just to survive, but to thrive during an overwhelming and terrifying time.

As Laura and I reflected on This Is Us, we found so many parallels between the Pearson family’s story and her own. The show depicts the way trauma weaves itself into the fabric of a family, shaping identities and relationships in unexpected ways. It also highlights the power of connection—how, even through grief, loss, and struggle, love can be an anchor.

Trauma and the Nonlinear Journey of Healing

One of the most powerful elements of This Is Us is its nonlinear storytelling. Much like real-life healing, the past continuously intrudes on the present. The audience is transported through different points in time, seeing how early wounds manifest in adult struggles. We watch as Kevin searches for love and self-worth, Randall seeks meaning in his biological roots, and Kate finds healing through music and motherhood. Their journeys are messy, imperfect, and deeply human.

At the heart of the series is a pivotal moment—the loss of Jack Pearson, the beloved yet flawed father figure. The show builds up to this revelation, allowing us to witness how his absence shapes each family member in distinct yet connected ways. In a similar way, families facing trauma must navigate their own nonlinear paths, piecing together meaning and strength as they go.

Holding Space for Pain and Hope

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a therapy that has three prongs of healing-- the past, the present, and the future. This Is Us reflects this process beautifully, showing how the past and present exist simultaneously, influencing each other in ways we don’t always recognize-- impacting the future as well.

Laura’s story is a profound example of how trauma and hope can coexist. While no parent would ever choose the experience of childhood cancer, Laura chose how her family’s story would be written. She didn’t deny the pain, but she also didn’t let it define their lives. Instead, she created moments of normalcy, love, and connection amid the fear.

Defining Our Narrative

The final season of This Is Us centers around the decline of Rebecca’s health, bringing the family together once more in the face of loss. Yet, rather than being consumed by grief, they embrace their love for one another. It is in these moments—where vulnerability is met with compassion—that true healing and connection happens.

This is the lesson Laura embodies: even in heartbreak, loss, and tragedy, life doesn’t have to be only about pain. Life can be about something so much more. We can hold space for both sorrow and joy. We can choose to show up, to embrace imperfection, and to construct the narrative that we want to-- one that is rooted in love and family connection.

Trauma can break us, or it can unite us. The powerful and aligned message of both Laura’s journey and This Is Us is this: we can walk through whatever life brings us with magnanimity, with courage, and with hope. And at some point, I promise, our heartfelt laughs will be there as well!

For more information on Laura, visit lauradekrakerlangreebook.com or follow her on Instagram at @laura_dekraker_langree.