Transforming Trauma

On this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily Ruth is honored to welcome psychiatrist, researcher, teacher, and author Dr. Judith Herman for a heartfelt discussion centering on the needs of victims of sexual trauma and society's role in individual and collective trauma healing. In her latest book, Truth And Repair: How Trauma Survivors Envision Justice , Dr. Herman introduces us to a "fourth stage...

In this episode of Transforming Trauma , Emily Ruth invites Brian Peter Monson, a veteran and graduate student pursuing his clinical mental health counseling degree. Brian Peter shares about his experience serving in the military with unresolved developmental trauma and the paradox of observing one's faith while carrying out methods of interrogation.  From a military standpoint, trauma isn't confi...

Emily is delighted to welcome back Gabor Maté, MD, the esteemed physician and author best known for his breakthrough analysis of addiction as a psychophysiological response to childhood trauma and emotional loss.  Gabor co-wrote his latest work, The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture , alongside his son Daniel Maté. It became an instant New York Times bestseller, and t...

NARM Senior Trainer Brad Kammer welcomes Michael Niconchuk, a neuroscience researcher, practitioner, and author working at the intersection of forced migration, trauma recovery, and peacebuilding.  Michael and Brad discuss the critical shortage of culturally competent mental health care in conflict areas, using laypeople to close that gap, and addressing power dynamics in the client-caregiver rela...

What are the defining characteristics of good psychotherapy? Increasingly, the answers arrive filtered through the lens of incomplete research or, worse, via buzzwords popularized by wellness websites. Emily welcomes author, consultant, researcher, and clinical educator Jonathan Shedler, PhD, to discuss the widening chasm between the research conducted by academic psychologists and real-life psych...

Welcome to a special episode of Transforming Trauma featuring NARM creator Dr. Laurence Heller and NARM Senior Trainer Brad Kammer. This webinar provides a glimpse into the NARM Inner Circle online program and invites clinicians, therapists, and helping professionals to explore the foundation of health and trust upon which NARM is built.  Brad and Larry begin this conversation with a reflective ex...

Former NFL player and speaker Gaelin Elmore believes that childhood trauma changes the rules of the game for youth, making interaction with well-intentioned adults difficult. While teachers, therapists, and caregivers are poised to provide the most enduring assistance, the prospect of building sincere, purposeful relationships with children and teens can challenge even the most dedicated professio...

While many spiritual teachers are held in high regard for their wisdom, leadership positions are still overwhelmed by those who've failed to address complex trauma in their personal histories.  In this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily speaks with Jac O'Keeffe, President and founding member of the Association for Spiritual Integrity (ASI), an organization committed to bringing higher levels of...

These are challenging times to maintain physical and mental well-being, so much so that it's increasingly difficult to encounter someone who isn't struggling with a significant medical and/or psychological challenge. In this episode of Transforming Trauma , Emily chats with award-winning journalist, author, speaker, and workshop facilitator Donna Jackson Nakazawa about her career at the intersecti...

In this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily is joined by Salman Alawadi, a NARM practitioner and Ph. D. candidate in Research, Measurement, and Evaluation at the University of Miami, for a fascinating discussion about the challenges of developing an evidence-based standard for NARM and distilling that research into accessible data.  In medical terminology, "evidenced-based" is a gold star endors...

Can the art of horse whispering, a perceptive communication technique, work to heal complex trauma in humans? Isabelle Shook, the founder of Equine Guidance in Sedona, AZ, believes that horses possess an empathetic energy––telegraphed via non-verbal cues––that can resolve symptoms of stress, shock, and trauma in those seeking support.  In this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily discovers how Be...

Forgiveness can transform lives. In this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily explores the holistic practice of restorative justice with Dr. Elaine Leeder, a professor and prolific writer who's worked in mental hospitals, gerontology, foster care, domestic violence, and drug and alcohol counseling as a social worker and psychotherapist.  Elaine's current pro bono work with incarcerated individual...

Susan Raffo is a cranial therapist, esteemed writer, and cultural worker, sharing her heart's wisdom with the NARM community and the motivation behind her latest book, Liberated To The Bone . Susan's professional approach combines NARM's trauma-informed framework with the nuances of her ancestral lineage as both colonizer and the colonized. In her conversation with NARM Senior Trainer Brad Kammer,...

Extraordinary journeys of self-discovery often begin with a simple invitation. NARM practitioners encourage these explorations by asking clients to set an intention for the work ahead from the beginning. Stephen Gilligan, PhD., takes a similarly powerful approach. At the start of each visit, he warmly receives both the client and their trauma into the therapeutic space.  Dr. Gilligan is a psychoth...

Dr. Sara Rapaport is a Naturopathic Doctor, Massage Therapist, Certified Biofeedback Provider, and NARM Practitioner. Sara deeply appreciates nature and the earth and believes that some of the best medicine in the world is the kindness and compassion we can offer one another. Whenever a client steps into their practitioner's office, be it a doctor or a psychologist, the practitioner is viewed as t...

A licensed psychologist in the Portland area and adjunct faculty member at several universities, Dr. Daniel Schiff is considered an expert in somatic psychology. He is known for his work with Contemporary Orgone (Reichian) Therapy. This relational and emotionally focused, character-based somatic psychotherapy addresses the psychological and physiological underpinnings of emotional distress. Dr. Sc...

Dr. Albert Wong is a leading clinician and educator in the field of somatics. From Dr. Wong's perspective, not all trauma is created equal, particularly complex trauma. It can be challenging to identify and address when the one who hurt you is the one you love. Although this predicament can be overwhelming, Dr. Wong provides a message of hope for individuals still in this hurting stage: people are...

Monti Pal is a Licensed Professional Counselor and NARM Therapist focusing on the emerging field of Psychedelic Assisted Therapy. Monti's vast experience in clinical settings, psychiatric hospitals, and now private practice has given her a unique way of understanding the diversity of people's healing journeys.  Like many inquisitive clinicians, she is reflecting on how to best provide supportive a...

In this milestone 100th episode of Transforming Trauma, we meet Chloé Valdary, public educator, anti-racism activist, and Founder of the Theory of Enchantment program. Theory of Enchantment, with its three principles, focuses on compassion in diversity and inclusion training by addressing bigotry with principles and practices based on love and compassion. The NARM Training Institute is proud to be...

Philip Tedeschi is a clinical professor and Founder of the Institute for Human-Animal Connection, where he studies and teaches about the intricate relationship between people, domestic and wild animals, and the natural world. Philip's focus on bio-affiliation - our connection to the living world - has led him to be globally recognized for expertise in the clinical methods of animal-assisted interv...

In this information-packed episode, Amanda Huffman shares her current research on the microbiome and how she believes that this evolving field can help support the treatment of developmental trauma.  Amanda's skills, knowledge, and passion have led her to create the new healing center Sugar Creek Farm, an organic farm and somatic healing retreat, where she hopes people can experience whole-body su...

This is a significant event in the growth of the NARM Training Institute. NARM Senior Trainer and Training Director Brad Kammer shares about the updated Level 3 NARM Master Therapist Training that starts in March 2023: "This is also a big moment for me personally as Larry passes this training on to me after over 20 years of studying with and mentoring under him, and working together to evolve NARM...

Dr. Jim Coan is a Professor of Psychology and Director of the Virginia Affective Neuroscience Laboratory at the University of Virginia. Dr. Coan is well-known for his Social Baseline Theory which resulted from his research on the psychological and physical health benefits of strong friend and family networks. His theory states that the human brain depends on relationships to coordinate the body's...

Tina Sacks, PhD., is an associate professor in the School of Social Welfare at the University of California, Berkeley. Her fields of interest include racial inequities in health, social determinants of health, and poverty and inequality; in other words, how people's experience of being othered affects their overall well-being.  Tina's professional work emerges from her own experience of being othe...

Dr. Diane Poole Heller is an established expert in the field of trauma resolution, with extensive experience in spiritual exploration. Diane joins NARM Creator Dr. Laurence Heller for an evocative conversation about trauma and spirituality. Diane and Larry discuss how spiritual work has impacted their personal and professional lives, sharing the perspective on treating the whole person - mind, bod...