Identifying and addressing complex trauma suffered on the job can be challenging. Human resources might provide mediation or disciplinary action, but ultimately that assistance originates from within the same structure that fostered the situation in the first place. Thankfully, a growing number of trauma-informed consultants, coaches, and trainers are applying their skills to the world of work, transforming corporations and institutions into safe, respectful, and inclusive cultures for all.

Around the world, there is an urgent need for effective treatment of complex trauma. While there is a growing number of trauma-informed mental health professionals focusing on supporting individuals, relationships, communities, and systems, addressing trauma everyday can be taxing, overwhelming and lead to burn-out. Who is there to support those therapists and helping professionals on their professional journey? On this bonus episode of Transforming Trauma , host Emily Ruth welcomes Brad...

What if we could dispatch somatic resiliency skills to under-resourced neighborhoods, disaster areas, and conflict zones via the same community-focused networks that deliver food, medicine, and other essential supplies? What if front-line workers and community members could swiftly, inexpensively, and effectively access lead training in these life-saving interventions? On this episode of Transforming Trauma , Emily Ruth has the privilege of speaking with Elaine Miller-Karas, Co-Founder and...

Candid conversations about religious trauma can feel uncomfortable, disloyal and even risky. However, human rights campaigner Yasmine Mohammed says now is the time to openly discuss the extremist nature of some religions and the trauma they cause for individuals, families, communities and nations. Cutting through religious and cultural identifications is extremely challenging - and even potentially life-threatening - but Yasmine says that humanistic support can be an antidote to ongoing...

It's that time of year again! On this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily Ruth welcomes esteemed NARM faculty members Brad Kammer, Stefanie Klein, and Marcia Black to reflect on developments within the NARM training community in 2023 and offer insight into their vision for the year ahead. It's a joyful and self-aware discussion, offering a transparent assessment of the program's challenges while celebrating its hard-earned successes. "For me, the highlight of this year was the Level 3...

On this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily Ruth, Transforming Trauma Host, and Brad Kammer, NARM Training Director and Transforming Trauma Executive Producer, reflect on podcast highlights over this past year, a season filled with vital voices that inspired and supported us during 2023. Emily Ruth and Brad were thrilled to share the mic with influential NARM Therapists like Monti Pal, Amanda Huffman, Salman Alawadi, and Brian Peter Monson. Conversations traversed a wide range of topics:...

Anyone who’s suffered a perinatal loss––the death of an infant due to miscarriage, stillbirth, or neonatal complications––knows too well the loneliness that accompanies such overwhelming sadness. In a society where men are encouraged to act rather than feel, even fathers of healthy newborns often bear the immense challenges of their role in acute isolation. One therapist has created networks of support where fathers can share their insights or explore their grief in community with other...

Most of us already know that complex trauma is a significant public health concern. With the Level 1 NARM Online Basics Training, helping professionals can play a vital role in delivering trauma-informed care to their community, even if they're not mental health providers. On this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily is joined by Stefanie Klein, LCSW, Faculty and Assistant Training Director at the NARM Training Institute, to preview the Level 1 NARM Online Basics Training (OBT), the live...

For survivors of sexual trauma, repair lies in recognition, not revenge. In our current model of justice, however, victims are often abandoned to heal any way they can within a societal structure that fosters the conditions for their abuse. One researcher believes that the path toward collective recovery begins with a simple act: listening to the wisdom of survivors. On this episode of Transforming Trauma , Emily is honored to welcome psychiatrist, researcher, teacher, and author Dr. Judith...

What comes to mind when someone mentions military trauma? Brian Peter Monson, a veteran and graduate student pursuing his clinical mental health counseling degree, observes that many active duty military personnel enter into the armed services navigating the same aspects of complex trauma as civilians ––familial, religious, disaster, childhood–– while also confronting the short and long-term effects of combat stress. In this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily invites Brian Peter to share...

What’s the root cause of addiction? Renowned author and researcher Dr. Gabor Maté considers addiction a normal response to abnormal circumstances. That simple reframe moves treatment options beyond pathologizing to inspire hope and a path toward healing. On this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily is thrilled to welcome back Gabor Maté, MD, the esteemed physician best known for his breakthrough analysis of addiction as a psychophysiological response to childhood trauma and emotional loss.

On this episode of Transforming Trauma, 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. The pair 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 relationship. They also explore tensions between the gatekeeping of...

What are the defining characteristics of good psychotherapy? Increasingly, the answers are filtered through the lens of incomplete research or, worse, via buzzwords popularized by wellness websites. Despite what many people are led to believe, “evidence-based” psychotherapeutic approaches have significant limitations for both clinicians and clients. On this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily welcomes author, consultant, researcher, and clinical educator Jonathan Shedler, PhD, to discuss...

Why is it that when met with a client, family member, or child who cannot access tools to self-regulate, practitioners often feel compelled to exert more effort rather than allow awareness and agency to guide the process? Welcome to a special episode of Transforming Trauma featuring NARM creator Dr. Laurence Heller and NARM Senior Trainer Brad Kammer. This episode provides a glimpse into the NARM Inner Circle online program and invites clinicians, therapists, and helping professionals to...

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 of all sorts 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 professionals. In this episode of Transforming Trauma , Gaelin and Emily Ruth reflect on...

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 integrity to the culture of spiritual leadership. The pair discuss Jac’s educational and spiritual evolution, the role of empathy and accountability within ASI’s anti-authoritarian model, spiritual bypass, and the link between agency, trauma healing, and personal divinity. The impact 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 some sort of significant medical and/or psychological challenge. On this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily chats with award-winning journalist, author, speaker, and workshop facilitator Donna Jackson Nakazawa about her career at the intersection of neuroscience, immunology, and emotion. Emily and Donna discuss the impact of...

In medical terminology, “evidenced-based” is a gold star endorsement awarded to recurrent standards of proof that arise from comparison studies of a specific treatment protocol or prevention. Is it possible to validate NARM’s efficacy using those same evidence-based standards? Should we? 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...

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 Belle fosters this unique therapeutic experience and the approaches she and her herd of...

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. As Emily discovers, Elaine's current pro bono work with incarcerated individuals and those they've harmed is remarkable for its progressive approach to...

In this episode of Transforming Trauma, NARM Senior Trainer Brad Kammer invites author, cultural worker, cranial therapist, and NARM Practitioner Susan Raffo to share about her powerful work with the NARM community, as well as 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. Susan begins by reflecting on “the relationship between...

In this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily is joined by Dr. Stephen Gilligan, psychotherapist, author, workshop leader, and transformation specialist. “The most common word you'll hear me use in a therapy session is ‘welcome’. Welcome.” It's in this spirit of openness and curiosity that Emily and Dr. Gilligan discuss his life's work, what he's learned about connection and fulfilling core needs, plus the creative paths that bring clients back into life and a happy future. After receiving...

In this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily is joined by Dr. Sara Rapaport, a Naturopathic Doctor, Massage Therapist, Certified Biofeedback Provider and NARM Practitioner, with a passion for bringing agency and humanity to the practitioner’s room through mind-body practices. Sara has a deep appreciation for nature and the earth and believes that some of the best medicine in the world is the kindness and compassion that we can offer to one another. Dr. Sara Rapaport shares her perspective...

In this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily is joined by Dr. Albert Wong, a leading clinician and educator in the field of somatics. A Marshall Scholar educated at Princeton and Oxford, he also served as residential staff at the Esalen Institute for five years. In his most recent endeavor, Dr. Albert Wong is Director of the Trauma Informed Certificate Program at Somatopia, an online training in Somatic Psychology, the body-mind connection and embodied approaches to healing. From Dr. Wong’s...

In this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily is joined by Monti Pal, Licensed Professional Counselor and NARM Therapist with a special focus in the emerging field of Psychedelic Assisted Therapy. Monti’s vast experience in clinical settings, psychiatric hospitals, and now private practice, have provided her with 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 and transformative...

In this milestone 100th episode of Transforming Trauma, NARM Senior Trainer Brad Kammer is joined by Chloé Valdary, public educator, anti-racism activist, and Founder of the Theory of Enchantment program. Theory of Enchantment focuses on bringing compassion to diversity and inclusion training by addressing bigotry with principles and practices based in love and compassion. Chloé has presented Theory of Enchantment to students, school administrators, individuals, and professional...

In this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily is joined by Philip Tedeschi, 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. His focus in bio-affiliation - our connection to the living world - has led Philip to be globally recognized for expertise in the clinical methods of animal-assisted interventions, as well as human-animal interaction...

In this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily is joined by Amanda Huffman, psychotherapist, NARM Therapist and nutrition health coach, who is committed to holistic integrative healing and supporting her clients to live healthier lives. She shares her excitement about 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...

In this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily is joined by NARM Senior Trainer and Training Director, Brad Kammer, who shares about the updated Level 3 NARM Master Therapist Training that starts in March 2023. This is a major event in the growth of the NARM Training Institute and as Brad says, “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. I am honored and...

In this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily is joined by Dr. Jim Coan, 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 resources. Dr. Coan and Emily dive into...

In this episode of Transforming Trauma, NARM Senior Trainer Brad Kammer, is joined by Tina Sacks, PhD. 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 well-being overall. Tina’s professional work emerges from her own experience of being othered as a...

In this episode of Transforming Trauma, NARM Creator Dr. Laurence Heller is joined by long-time friend and colleague, Dr. Diane Poole Heller, for an evocative conversation about trauma and spirituality. Both Diane and Larry have been students, practitioners and teachers of various psychological approaches for over 40 years, and they have also both studied various spiritual models over this time. Their spiritual work has positively impacted not only their personal lives, but also informed...

In this episode of Transforming Trauma, our host Emily is joined by psychotherapist, NARM Therapist and founder of Resilience Austin, Kimberley Mead. With a personal history that allows her a unique connection with clients, Kimberley uses a relational and somatic framework in working with grief and loss, C-PTSD, and adults of adoption. Kimberley always knew that she wanted to focus on adults of adoption, and specifically sought out training in how to address grief and trauma, aware that...

In this episode of Transforming Trauma, NARM Senior Faculty Brad Kammer shares an excerpt from the highly anticipated new book he co-authored with NARM Creator Dr. Laurence Heller, The Practical Guide for Healing Developmental Trauma: Using the NeuroAffective Relational Model to Address Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resolve Complex Trauma . This book was released on July 26, 2022! The Practical Guide for Healing Developmental Trauma provides helping professionals with the theoretical...

In this episode of Transforming Trauma, our host Emily is joined by the CEO of PACEs Connection, Ingrid Cockhren. PACEs Connection is a social network that connects organizations, systems, and communities who are implementing trauma-informed policies and practices, and positive and adverse childhood experience (PACEs) science. Ingrid is currently an adjunct professor specializing in Black psychology, developmental psychology, abnormal psychology and personality theory at Tennessee State...

In this episode of Transforming Trauma, our host Emily is joined by Kirsten Timmer and Jens Heidegger . Kirsten Timmer is a licensed psychologist, psychotherapist, co-founder, and CEO of TransParents and Jens Bode is a licensed doctor, lead course facilitator, trainer, and supervisor at TransParents. TransParents is a platform for parents and professionals who are committed to creating meaningful relationships with children while respecting and preserving life processes. With a focus on the...

In this episode of Transforming Trauma, our host Emily facilitates a discussion between NARM creator Dr. Laurence Heller and Dr. Stephen Porges PhD, the originator of the Polyvagal Theory. Dr. Porges is a distinguished neuroscientist, Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina, the founding director of the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium, and author. He is also creator of the Safe and Sound Protocol™, a music-based intervention which is a “distilled essence of trust in...

– Dr. Laurence Heller and Brad Kammer, co-authors In this bonus episode of Transforming Trauma, our host Emily is joined by NARM creator Dr. Laurence Heller and Senior NARM Trainer and Training Director Brad Kammer. Larry and Brad are co-authors of the new book, The Practical Guide for Healing Developmental Trauma: Using the NeuroAffective Relational Model to Address Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resolve Complex Trauma . Larry and Brad share their intention to help make learning about...

In this episode of Transforming Trauma our host Emily is joined by Isaac Samuelson, LPC. Isaac is a Chicago-based NARM Therapist who works primarily with people struggling with, discovering, or maintaining their queer identity. Isaac, who themselves identifies as queer, sees queer identity as strength, and seeks to collaborate with all clients to discover the challenges and joys in the lifelong journey of connecting with oneself. Having worked previously as an actor, performer and clown,...

In this episode of Transforming Trauma, our host Emily is joined by Dr. Sandra Bloom. Dr. Bloom is a Board-Certified psychiatrist, Associate Professor of Health Management and Policy at Drexel University, and the Founder of Creating Presence , an online organization for creating trauma-informed systems. She is the founder of the Sanctuary Model which provides inpatient psychiatric programs for the treatment of trauma-related emotional disorders. Dr. Bloom is the author of a series of books...

In this episode of Transforming Trauma, our host Emily is joined by Bayo Akomolafe, Ph.D. Trained in clinical psychology, Bayo now works as an author, speaker, and professor. He is recognized worldwide for his thoughtful and unconventional take on global crises, trauma and social change. Throughout their conversation, Bayo shares about his journey and reflections on trauma. Bayo starts off by sharing a proverb from his Yoruba people: “In order to find your way, you must become lost”. This...

In this episode of Transforming Trauma, our host Emily is joined by Dr. Jena Vasquez, LCSW-S, NARM Therapist, SEP, Yoga Therapist and Instructor, professor and researcher. Dr. Vasquez recently completed her doctoral dissertation, Meaning Making: Understanding Professional Quality of Life for NARM Trained Trauma Therapists , one of the first research studies on how professional training in trauma impacts quality of life for trauma therapists. Dr. Vasquez specifically chose NARM to research,...

In this episode of Transforming Trauma, our host Emily is joined by Crystle Lampitt, LMSW. Crystle owns her own private practice, CL Wellness LLC, and is a former TV Journalist and model that has lived all over the world. Crystle has a unique perspective of coming into the field of trauma from a background in media and modeling, and bringing a wealth of lived experience from her international experiences and biracial background. Crystle brings a first-hand understanding to living a...

In this episode of Transforming Trauma, we hear from our guest, Dr. Carrie Griffin, an osteopathic family medicine physician and addiction medicine specialist with advanced training in maternal child and reproductive health. Dr. Carrie has been practicing obstetrics and addiction medicine where she became interested in trauma, which led her to training in NARM. Becoming a NARM Practitioner transformed her work and she now practices and teaches on trauma-informed care in medical settings.

In this special episode of Transforming Trauma, the NARM Training Institute presents a summertime gift to Transforming Trauma listeners: a special topic webinar from the NARM Inner Circle online program. This webinar provides a window into the Inner Circle learning community where helping professionals from around the world come together to learn more about the NARM approach to resolving Complex Trauma. In this webinar, NARM and Intergenerational Love, NARM creator Dr. Laurence Heller and...

In this episode of Transforming Trauma we connect with professor, author, and renowned psychoanalytic psychotherapist Nancy McWilliams, PhD. Nancy teaches psychoanalytic theory and therapy at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers–The State University of New Jersey. Nancy is also a senior analyst with the Institute for Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy of New Jersey and the National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis. Nancy’s genuine curiosity for...