TraumaTies

As the founder of Healing Justice, Jennifer Thompson has dedicated herself to providing transparency through the various pathways people may choose when seeking justice. This week, along with Bridgette and Lindsey, she shares how her own experience as a survivor shaped her work, how she sees restorative justice as a lifelong process, and how our current criminal legal system can fail survivors, vi...

In part two of our self-narration exploration, Bridgette and Lindsey tackle another challenging component of how we tell ourselves stories: why did something happen to us? While understanding our past experiences can help us process what happened, constantly trying to find the “why” can cause the situation to shape who we are, instead of us shaping the memory. While our brain wants to find meaning...

Memory recall is not like a videotape; our brains add our emotions, beliefs about ourselves, and more when we remember a moment in time. How do the stories we remember about ourselves shape who we think we are? Research shows that how we remember our past can greatly affect how we react to similar experiences in the future, creating patterns of behavior based on these responses. Key Takeaways Our...

Making a bad decision or causing harm does not make you less of a person. At Prisoner Visitation and Support (PVS), Shazad Carbaidwala and Emily Cashell emphasize that every incarcerated person deserves to build meaningful relationships. In their discussion with Bridgette and Lindsey, they dive into how connection can shape a person’s path after release; the challenges they face when resources are...

Relationships require trust and vulnerability, which can make us feel uncomfortable. This sense of being seen means taking that leap into the unknown. This week, Bridgette and Lindsey explore how we develop patterns of attachment, why building new relationships can feel overwhelming, and what challenging ourselves to grow with vulnerability can create. Key Takeaways We build attachment styles from...

From beginning his career working with court-mandated patients to opening his own practice, Scott Stolarick has learned that trauma exists everywhere. However, what matters most is how we define our lives with trauma, instead of it defining us. Scott’s expertise in EMDR therapy, his belief in creating quality access to care for all, and his journey as a licensed clinical professional counselor all...

Shame. The feeling of “I’m not enough,” or “I don’t deserve good things.” How does this pattern of thought shape our lives? And how do we intervene in this cycle of behavior? This week, Bridgette and Lindsey share how they’re reshaping harmful words and ideas into moments of significance. Hiding from shame doesn’t change us feeling it, but addressing it and knowing what to do next can greatly impa...

Dependable. Reliable. Accommodating. Do these words describe you? Often seen as positive attributes, our need to embody these traits can sometimes lead to overcommitment and burnout. Bridgette and Lindsey talk through how constant overexertion for others can leave us with nothing for ourselves at the end of the day; how resentment can appear in our lives; and how boundaries can allow relationships...

Could behaviors we see as personality traits actually be rooted in trauma response? What happens when we become accustomed to staying in survival mode? Bridgette and Lindsey explore how our strongest traits can also be longstanding indicators of stress, leading to adaptations in our lives as a result. Most importantly, our response to our behavior can greatly affect our future healing. Key Takeawa...

Paula Yost joins TraumaTies to discuss her journey as an attorney and court advocate for children. She speaks about her speciality in intersectional legal and social work and how, without effective systems, it takes a community to support children. Paula intertwines her personal experience and the many challenges children face under our current systems with her trauma-informed practices. Key Takea...

When do our coping behaviors go from necessary survival needs to reliance on avoidant behavior? In this week’s episode, Bridgette and Lindsey dive into how coping mechanisms of any kind can turn into negative feedback loops or quick-relief systems. While coping mechanisms allow us to process trauma over time, understanding the boundaries between healthy versus reliant makes the healing journey an...

In this episode of TraumaTies, Bridgette and Lindsey are delighted to be joined by Denise Huskins Quinn, whose journey as a survivor has led her to become a leading advocate for crime victims’ rights. She speaks with us about how traditional training for law enforcement fails survivors, how she and her husband found hope in healing, and why she continues to advocate for policy change to further su...

Do you give your pets their own voice and personality? Announce their thoughts like they could talk? Or maybe you use the signature baby voice for them? We don’t judge! Bridgette and Lindsey discuss how our pets can act as conduits for our own subconscious thoughts and feelings. Don’t worry, you’re not alone, and as we discuss, it can be an emotional outlet. Key Takeaways We see pets as part of ou...

This week, Bridgette and Lindsey ask: why does our society find it hard to trust and believe survivors? What do we misunderstand about “credibility?” Finally, how can we show survivors that we do support them? We’re breaking down popular media, legal history, and more all contribute to our society’s aversion to believing survivors. Key Takeaways Memory recall after trauma is often tangled and diff...

In this episode of TraumaTies, Bridgette and Lindsey are joined by Dr. Jaquel Patterson, a nationally recognized doctor of naturopathic medicine who has taught thousands of doctors in integrative medicine. They discuss the connection between trauma and physical health, why treating symptoms alone often isn't enough, how Dr. Patterson helps patients uncover the root causes of illness, and why she b...

This week on TraumaTies, Bridgette Stumpf and Lindsey Silverberg discuss categorization, bias, and how we respond to people and conversations that challenge our perspective. How do our implicit biases shape our relationships? Where does implicit bias or categorization influence government, policy, and history? And how does this all tie back to Zootopia ? Bridgette and Lindsey explore these questio...

In this episode of TraumaTies , Bridgette Stumpf and Lindsey Silverberg explore how behavior is shaped by environment, experience, and survival. Through famous studies on addiction, learned helplessness, and hope, they challenge the idea that behaviors like avoidance, substance use, or shutting down are signs of weakness. Instead, they ask a different question: What purpose did this behavior once...

In this episode of TraumaTies, Bridgette, Lindsey, and Dr. Stacy Phillips discuss childhood trauma, polyvictimization, how we can shift the conversation from blame to understanding and invite us all to go beyond being trauma-informed to trauma- sensitive . Dr. Phillips is the founder and CEO of IMPACT (Intervening Mitigating Preventing Adolescent and Childhood Trauma), an organization working with...

In this episode of TraumaTies , Bridgette Stumpf and Lindsey Silverberg explore how healing is shaped not only by what happens inside of us, but also by the environments around us. From neuroscience and trauma research to forest bathing and the hidden communication systems of trees, they unpack how nature, community, and physical spaces impact nervous system regulation and recovery. In This Episod...

In this episode of TraumaTies , Bridgette Stumpf and Lindsey Silverberg continue their conversation about support, resilience, and the neuroscience of healing. Through research, personal stories, and reflections on trauma and grief, they explore how connection can fundamentally change the way we experience suffering—not by removing the weight, but by helping us carry it. In This Episode 💡 Why Sup...

TraumaTies — Season Premiere: Welcome back to TraumaTies and the beginning of a new season. This chapter of the podcast expands beyond trauma awareness into deeper conversations about neuroscience, resilience, relationships, nervous system regulation, and the ways healing shows up in everyday life. In this season premiere, Bridgette Stumpf and Lindsey Silverberg explore a powerful question: Why do...

Season Four of “TraumaTies” explored how trauma lives in our bodies, our systems, our digital spaces. In this finale episode, hosts Bridgette Stumpf and Lindsey Silverberg look back but also share exciting news about the podcast going forward. Recording in Podcasthon , the world's largest podcast charity initiative, Bridgette and Lindsey revisit standout Season Four moments such as Ila Kumar's con...

The criminal legal system inflicts trauma at every stage — arrest, incarceration, and prosecution — not only on those accused but on victims, witnesses, and even jurors. Patrice Sulton has spent her career working to change that dynamic. The executive director of the Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law at NYU School of Law, Patrice is an attorney, professor, and nationally recognized criminal...

What if trauma isn't just something that happened to you, but something your body has been carrying for generations? Adaku Utah offers their perspective on that question in this episode of “TraumaTies.” Born in Baltimore and raised in Nigeria, Adaku is an Igbo, queer, non-binary healer grounded in a lineage of farmers, healers, and community caretakers. They approach healing not as a private endea...

What does it mean to lead through a trauma-responsive lens — and why does it matter across legal systems, government, and academia? For answers, host Bridgette Stumpf sits down with Anna Boucher , associate professor of Public Policy and Comparative Politics at the University of Sydney, solicitor, and global expert on migration, labor rights, and systems-level inequality. Anna works at the interse...