50 Common Causes of Family Business Conflict ... and how to deal with them.   Family Business Mediation Video No 47. Emotional Trauma.    By Jon Kenfield. Solutionist & Family Business Mediator.   •  Psychology is the science of understanding how people think, feel, behave and learn.   • I’m not a psychologist - other than at the “chicken soup” end of the scale - however, more than 20 years spent working with denizens of business families provides many opportunities to observe how people do actually think, feel, behave and learn - and the consequences for themselves, their families and friends, and the people they work with.   • Personal emotional trauma sits quite high amongst serious causes of conflict in those business families.     • Sometimes causes were accidental:- unforeseen and uncontrollable events, such as a home or car accidents.   • Sometimes economic or political - recession, depression, or war.   • Sometimes environmental - fire, flood, famine, drought, pestilence.   • Sometimes domestic - violent or abusive homes; absent, broken, inadequate or misguided parenting; lack of emotional intelligence or support.   • All causes create trauma.  All trauma can lead to disruptive behaviours and dysfunctional relationships and, while these can be countenanced in a family they don’t go down well in business.   Solution   • The first and by far the most important response is:  take courage and be honest.  If a family member’s emotional trauma is causing bad behaviours, somebody has to own the problem and help to create a solution - the damaged individual almost certainly can’t do it alone.     • Don’t hide reality due to personal guilt, embarrassment, or excess of protectionism - that only reinforces bad behaviours and eventually leads to explosion or implosion.   I'm interested in your comments below.  Thank You.