Holding Space with Dr. Barker

How do trauma, family patterns, relationships, and modern technology shape who we become? In this episode of Holding Space , Dr. Christopher Barker sits down with intuitive coach and spiritual counselor Laura Hoorweg for a thought-provoking conversation about trauma, authenticity, relationships, healing, and the growing loneliness epidemic.  Together they explore: ✔ Intergenerational trauma and an...

Are we pursuing success because it truly matters to us—or because society tells us we should? In this episode of Holding Space , Dr. Christopher Barker sits down with Tomide Akinola to explore the hidden costs of hustle culture, chronic high performance, burnout, and the pressure to monetize every aspect of our lives. Together they discuss: • Why high achievement can become emotionally exhausting...

What happens after you escape abuse? How do you rebuild a life when trauma has shaped your nervous system, relationships, identity, and sense of safety? In this deeply moving episode of Holding Space , Dr. Christopher Barker sits down with Rosie Maloney, author of Girl Unbroken (HarperCollins, 2016), to explore survival, resilience, healing, and the power of small moments of connection. Rosie shar...

In this episode of Holding Space, Dr. Christopher Barker sits down with renowned psychologist, leadership consultant, author, TEDx speaker, and wellbeing expert Dr. Audrey Tang for an insightful conversation about leadership, confidence, resilience, workplace wellbeing, and the power of self-awareness. Drawing from her work in organizational psychology, coaching, public speaking, and community wel...

In this episode of Holding Space, Dr. Christopher Barker sits down with leadership culture strategist, educator, and author Dr. Stephanie Duguid to explore the powerful connection between leadership, communication, workplace culture, and human well-being. Drawing from decades of experience in education, organizational leadership, and workplace culture development, Dr. Duguid shares why effective l...

In this episode of Holding Space , Dr. Christopher Barker talks with Dr. Michael Scarano—former physical therapy assistant, chiropractor, and medical doctor—about his powerful concept of “toxic perseverance.” Drawing on decades in healthcare, his own trauma history, and the loss of a close friend to suicide, Dr. Scarano explains how unprocessed trauma and the subconscious mind can quietly drive pe...

In this episode of Holding Space, Dr. Christopher Barker explores how complex trauma shapes the way we experience uncertainty in relationships. Introducing the concept of “relational time,” he explains why small moments—like a delayed text or a shift in tone—can quickly feel like rejection, loss, or danger. Through a guided exercise, listeners learn how the nervous system predicts outcomes based o...

Join Dr. Christopher Barker in conversation with Joanna Martin, MFT graduate student, executive functioning coach, and mental health content creator from Southern California. Joanna shares her transformative experience volunteering at the Evolution of Psychotherapy Conference, where she connected with industry leaders like Lynn Lyons, Terry Real, and Elliott Connie. Discover how systems thinking r...

In this powerful episode, Dr. Christopher Barker explores what healing after trauma really looks like, especially for survivors of domestic violence during Mental Health Month. Listeners will learn how prolonged relational danger reshapes the nervous system, why trauma-informed care and trauma-focused mental health support are essential, and how tools like Victims Voice can help survivors safely d...

In this episode of Holding Space , Dr. Christopher Barker talks with trauma counselor and toxic workplace specialist Aretha Kruger, founder of Me But Better Counseling in South Africa. Aretha shares how emotional and psychological abuse at work often spills into our home lives, why you’re not “crazy” for feeling confused or doubting yourself, and how to spot the red flags of a toxic culture. She o...

In this solo episode of Holding Space, Dr. Christopher Barker unpacks how complex trauma and narcissistic abuse intersect in intimate relationships. He explains why survivors with histories of chronic, relational trauma often find the chaos of a narcissistic partner strangely familiar, and how adaptations like hypervigilance, self-blame, and a high tolerance for emotional volatility get exploited—...

In this powerful episode of Holding Space , Dr. Christopher Barker breaks down one of the most dangerous myths about child abuse—that the primary threat comes from strangers. Drawing on decades of research and clinical experience, Dr. Barker explains why over 90% of child abuse cases involve someone the child already knows and trusts. He explores how grooming actually works, why abuse often goes u...

Short description (Apple Podcasts / Spotify) In this episode of Holding Space , New Jersey licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Christopher Barker explores the history and meaning of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, from the early recognition of child abuse in the 1960s to today’s laws, symbols, and community efforts. He explains how child abuse goes far beyond physical harm, including emotion...

Trigger warning: This episode includes detailed discussions of marital rape, childhood sexual abuse, spiritual abuse, extreme domestic violence, coercive control, miscarriage, family court trauma, and suicidal despair. Please listen with care and step away if needed. In Part 2 of this conversation, survivor and author Coral Anika Theill continues sharing what it means to live inside a real-life “H...

Trigger warning: This episode discusses childhood rape, sexual assault, domestic violence, spiritual abuse, cults, and family court trauma. Please listen with care. Holding Space with Dr. Christopher Barker continues the conversation with survivor and author Coral Anika Theill, whose real-life “Handmaid’s Tale” journey includes childhood rape, cult involvement, marital rape, medical neglect, and l...

Send us Fan Mail In this special Holding Space: On the Road episode, Dr. Christopher Barker shares insights from his training in attachment and personality pattern specialization, exploring how our brains shape who we are. Drawing on the work of leaders like Dan Siegel and Bessel van der Kolk, Dr. Barker breaks down a powerful neurobiological model of personality. He explains how our brainstem (th...

Send a text In this episode of Holding Space , New Jersey psychologist Dr. Christopher Barker breaks down how complex trauma shows up at work and why it’s so often mistaken for weakness instead of survival. He explains how trauma-shaped behaviors like people-pleasing, over-apologizing, conflict avoidance, freezing under pressure, hypervigilance, and difficulty setting boundaries make survivors esp...

Send a text In this milestone 50th episode of Holding Space with Dr. Barker , Dr. Christopher Barker honors International Women’s Day by exploring the intersection of trauma, resilience, and the lived experience of women across cultures. Drawing from personal reflection and professional insight, Dr. Barker discusses how trauma—especially complex trauma—shapes women’s sense of safety, identity, and...

Send a text Complex trauma reshapes how the nervous system experiences safety, attachment, and intimacy. But what does that look like in adult relationships? In this episode of Holding Space , Dr. Barker explores how chronic relational stress and developmental trauma influence conflict patterns, emotional regulation, hypervigilance, and core beliefs about worth and connection. He also discusses ho...

Send a text In this episode of Holding Space , Dr. Christopher Barker sits down with Dr. Bret Boatwright, a neurodivergent psychologist, talk about what it’s really like to move through the world as an adult with ADHD or autism. Drawing from his own ADHD diagnosis and years of assessing and treating neurodivergent adults, Dr. Boatwright explores how constant criticism, moralizing, and being misund...

Send a text In this episode of Holding Space , Dr. Christopher Barker explores how complex trauma reshapes the nervous system and turns survival mode into a way of life. Unlike single-incident trauma, complex trauma develops over time through chronic neglect, emotional abuse, instability, or prolonged threat. Dr. Barker explains how hypervigilance, emotional flooding, numbness, relationship strugg...

Send a text In this episode of Holding Space , New Jersey licensed psychologist Dr. Christopher Barker shares insights from his journey as a writer, researcher, and therapist. Drawing on his early dissertation work with Native American children, Dr. Barker explores how culture influences emotional expression and mental health assessment. He then dives deeper into his upcoming book on how complex t...

Send a text Dr. Christopher Barker, a licensed clinical psychologist and host of Holding Space, shares exciting news about his upcoming book on complex trauma, written from a deeply personal and relational attachment lens. He explores how complex trauma isn’t just “big T” events, but also the chronic, subtle experiences of uncertainty, emotional neglect, poor attachment, and always waiting for “th...

Send a text In this episode of Holding Space , Dr. Christopher Barker explores how complex trauma—especially trauma that begins in childhood—can fundamentally alter how we perceive relationships, attachment, and red flags . Drawing from clinical experience and trauma-informed psychology, Dr. Barker explains why people often find themselves asking, “Why didn’t I see that coming?” This episode break...

Send a text In this episode of Holding Space , Dr. Christopher Barker (licensed clinical psychologist in New Jersey) sits down with Laura Carina (aka @natural_lau) , a natural birth coach living in Peru, originally from Germany and raised in Canada. Laura shares how her background in birth photography and her own motherhood journey led her into holistic birth work—and why she believes birth is not...