TraumaTies

The word “inheritance” brings to mind images of a financial legacy, but Reesie Sims suggests another meaning: an inheritance of trauma that ancestors may have left behind. The director of therapeutic services at Volare , Reesie explains why she considers a client’s emotional inheritances in this conversation with hosts Bridgette Stumpf and Lindsey Silverberg . “The tree remembers what the ax forge...

Healing from trauma doesn’t happen only in clinical spaces. Digital spaces can also be a lifeline, as Ila Kumar explains in this visit with hosts Bridgette Stumpf and Lindsey Silverberg . A PhD candidate and research assistant in the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab, Ila focuses her scholarship on non-traditional pathways that support mental health care, particularly for youth in f...

For Dr. Jaz Robbins , the nervous system is “the soapbox that I live, die on, breathe in.” In this conversation with hosts Bridgette Stumpf and Lindsey Silverberg , Dr. Jaz explains why. “In the work that I do with my patients in therapy, I'm aiming to balance their nervous system as opposed to targeting a single symptom, sleep or something, because I know that when the nervous system is balanced,...

As “TraumaTies” launches its fourth season, hosts Bridgette Stumpf and Lindsey Silverberg reflect on Volare ’s expansion over the past year and preview what listeners can look forward to in the year ahead. This season is about “taking and looking at the ways that people take old pain and create something new from it,” Lindsey says. Volare’s milestones include launching its Survivors’ Rights Watch...

In this season finale, hosts Bridgette Stumpf and Lindsey Silverberg are joined by Executive Assistant Christina Hadad to reflect on Season Three's exploration of trauma-informed storytelling as a resilience tool. They discuss key insights from conversations with guests including Sandy Hook teacher Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis , Columbine survivor Missy Mendo , and trauma-informed architect Todd Medd. Re...

Hosts Bridgette Stumpf and Lindsey Silverberg welcome Todd Medd, an expert in healthcare and mental health architecture. Todd shares his journey into the field of trauma-informed design, beginning with his work on a pediatric facility focused on trauma-informed design and neurodivergent challenges. As he explains, trauma-informed design leverages features like lighting, temperature regulation, way...

Missy Mendo uses these two Latin words to describe herself: ama odi . “It means I love what I do to help other people, but I hate what I do because it exists,” she explains to hosts Bridgette Stumpf and Lindsey Silverberg . At 14 years old, Missy was a freshman at Columbine High School School during the 1999 mass shooting. Since then, she has dedicated herself to supporting others as the director...

Tanaya Winder and her friends in the indigenous community wanted to raise awareness about the estimated 1,181 missing and murdered indigenous women. They asked for donations of 1,181 single-sided earrings to represent each woman. They received 4,000.  “There's so many metaphors, because sometimes people would send the earrings, and they would need repair. They got damaged in the shipment. Som...

December 14, 2012, will always be part of Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis . But, in the years since that tragic day, she’s refused to let it define her. And she’s worked relentlessly to take back control.  A teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, Kaitlin saved her first-grade students from a mass shooter. She is now an advocate, author, and storyteller who shares her journey with audiences ar...

There is a moment in the Broadway musical “Water for Elephants” when a ghost version of the character Wade, played by Wade McCollum , is on stage. The character Wade is crying, and the scene comes across as tragic to the audience. To the actor Wade, it doesn’t feel tragic.  “In that moment, I'm not just personally forgiving, I'm not just personally and character-wise invoking liberation. I am...

Serial killer Ted Bundy would abduct a victim from a parking lot. But who did he take? In the media, the victim would simply be named, followed by a comma… and another name. Kathy Kleiner Rubin has seen her name, followed by a comma, in many narratives about Bundy. He attacked her in her sorority house in 1978. She has a message for the media: “Understand that there were two parts to the story.” I...

Hosts Bridgette Stumpf and Lindsey Silverberg welcome listeners to the third season of “TraumaTies” by introducing the sponsoring organization’s new name: Volare.  The third season will focus on the power of storytelling to reshape trauma narratives. To help the hosts tell that story, they have a powerful roster of guests. These will include, among others, Kathy Kleiner Rubin, who survived an...

“In times of great need, look for the helpers.” Mr. Rogers’ words have never been truer than in Season Two of TraumaTies , where we spoke with some of the preeminent helpers navigating vicarious trauma in their fields. In the Season Two finale of TraumaTies , host and Executive Director of the Network for Victim Recovery of DC (NVRDC), Bridgette Stumpf, and co-host, Lindsey Silverberg, Deputy Dire...

“Food in and of itself can be a source of trauma or adversity. It can also be used as a response to this adversity and trauma.” In this episode of TraumaTies , host and Executive Director of the Network for Victim Recovery of DC (NVRDC), Bridgette Stumpf, and co-host, Lindsey Silverberg, Deputy Director at NVRDC, speak with a registered dietitian nutritionist and clinical trauma specialist. They e...

The funeral services industry is one of the places where unsung heroes intersect with families, sometimes in the deepest and hardest moments of their lives. In this episode of TraumaTies , host and Executive Director of the Network for Victim Recovery of DC (NVRDC), Bridgette Stumpf, and co-host, Lindsey Silverberg, Deputy Director at NVRDC, are joined by Janet McGee, a licensed mortician, adjunct...

Journalists, especially those covering difficult topics such as war and conflict, violence, corruption, the death penalty, and other human rights issues, are exposed to vicarious trauma through their work.  In this episode of TraumaTies , host and Executive Director of the Network for Victim Recovery of DC (NVRDC), Bridgette Stumpf, and co-host, Lindsey Silverberg, Deputy Director at NVRDC, w...

A veterinarian’s job includes more than examining animals and performing surgeries. It also includes having difficult conversations with pet owners as well as advocating for the best interests of the animal. From dealing with emergencies to domestic violence situations, the various sensitive and emotional aspects that go along with the profession can have a substantial impact on the mental health...

Congressional staffers may not be the first group to come to mind when thinking about unsung heroes of trauma. However, Congressional staffers work on the front lines - talking with constituents, listening to their stories, hearing about their needs, and responding to their concerns.  In this episode of TraumaTies , host Bridgette Stumpf, and co-host, Lindsey Silverberg, the Executive Directo...

The causes and manifestations of trauma vary widely and every individual’s experience with trauma is unique. As a result, certain areas of trauma are often overlooked.  In this episode of TraumaTies , host and Executive Director of the Network for Victim Recovery of DC (NVRDC), Bridgette Stumpf, and co-host, Lindsey Silverberg, Deputy Director at NVRDC, kick off season two by welcoming guest,...

Trauma is defined by the person, not by the event. But that doesn’t mean that victims of trauma have to suffer alone. Shining a light on a diversity of perspectives can help thread the human connection around the universal experience of trauma. In this episode of TraumaTies , host and Executive Director of the Network for Victim Recovery of DC (NVRDC), Bridgette Stumpf, and co-host, Lindsey Silver...

If there’s one lesson we take from the natural world about trauma and resiliency, let it be from the trees and the sea otters. Humans used to think that trees competed with one another for light and resources to survive. But below our feet, they’re actually communicating with each other through a network that shares information about drought and disease. And the sea otters? They hold hands so they...

As a proud Somali-American Muslim woman, Lul Mohamud, MPH is dedicated to supporting survivors of domestic violence in the African Immigrant and Refugee communities. Through The Person Center , she is leading change to better the lives of the community she calls her own. On this week’s episode of TraumaTies, hosts Bridgette Stumpf, Executive Director at NVRDC , and Lindsey Silverberg, Head of Serv...

Throughout her career, Seema Gajwani has been working to improve criminal and juvenile justice systems across the country, running the Criminal Justice Program at the Public Welfare Foundation in Washington, D.C. before entering her current role at the D.C. Office of the Attorney General .  On this week’s episode of TraumaTies, hosts Bridgette Stumpf, Executive Director at NVRDC , and Lindsey...

The courtroom can be a traumatizing place for survivors, who can experience retraumatization by having to relive and retell experiences. In addition, the outcome of the courtroom process is often not what they hoped or expected from the criminal justice system. Don’t miss this episode of TraumaTies as hosts Bridgette Stumpf and Lindsey Silverberg dive deep into trauma-informed justice with Kristin...

Dr. Mona Mittal sees her interest in trauma and human suffering as the result of  her upbringing. Having grown up in India, Dr. Mittal admits that despite its immense beauty, suffering was never far out of sight.  While pursuing her master’s in social work, she interned at a special unit within the police department that worked with women and children. It was both the hardships and human...