Transforming Trauma
In-depth conversations about how to help individuals and communities thrive after Complex Trauma. In a modern world beset by trauma and a legacy of suffering, conflict and disconnection, healing trauma can serve as a vehicle for personal and social transformation. Interviews with mental health and other helping professionals who are using the NeuroAffective Relational Model® (NARM®), as well as other prominent trauma specialists, will highlight the current efforts to address the legacy of childhood, relational, cultural and intergenerational trauma. These leaders in the Trauma-Informed Care movement will guide listeners through the diverse ways they are supporting individuals, couples, families and co...
What Makes NARM® Training Different? Where Clinical Skills Meet Personal Transformation with Stefanie Klein and Lisa Gillispie
CTTC faculty Stefanie Klein and Lisa Gillispie explore what it really takes to embody what you learn, trust yourself in the therapy room, and grow through relational learning and professional community.
How do you teach a trauma-informed model that emphasizes presence, authenticity, and curiosity? By creating a learning experience that invites therapists to embody these very qualities through their own journey of self-discovery, personal growth, and professional development.
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth welcomes Stefanie Klein, LCSW, and Lisa Gillispie, LPCC-S, faculty members of the Complex Trauma Training Center (CTTC). They share observations...
How Traumatic Narcissism Harms and How Survivors Heal with Daniel Shaw
Understanding subjugation trauma, coercive control, dissociation, self-blame, and the clinical work of helping survivors reclaim trust in themselves.
Social media platforms are filled with attention-grabbing posts on how to spot, leave, or recover from someone who displays narcissistic characteristics. While those 90-second efforts offer an interesting overview, they rarely provide us with a meaningful foundation for understanding the psychology of a traumatizing narcissist or how their behavior impacts survivors.
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth welcomes back Daniel Shaw, author of Traumatic Narcissism Theory: A Contemporary Psychoanalytic Introduction, to discuss Traumatic Narcissism Theory (TNT...
Polyvagal Theory in the Therapy Room with Dr. Stephen Porges
How trauma therapists can apply polyvagal theory to recognize physiological cues, understand survival responses, and use co-regulation to support safety, connection, and re-embodiment.
If psychotherapy is about reconnecting to a genuine expression of self, how do we support connection and embodiment in clients who've experienced complex trauma?
One noted clinician believes that polyvagal theory offers vital tools for this journey, provided therapists can hold space for vulnerability during the process of co-regulation.
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth welcomes back Stephen Porges, Ph.D., the renowned behavioral neuroscientist, professor, and author who...
Breaking Generational Silence and Healing Inherited Trauma with Nicole Russell-Wharton
A trauma-informed conversation about asking difficult questions, understanding family patterns, creating safer communication, and changing what gets passed to the next generation by finding the courage to "say out loud what is necessary."
Sometimes silence creates space for reflection. But what happens when silence holds unspoken pain, and difficult conversations are increasingly avoided or abandoned altogether?
Spoiler alert: suppressing what should be said rarely leads to positive outcomes for our physical or mental wellbeing. So, how do we wade into the turbulent emotional waters of relational silence, confidently embody our role as generational cycle-breakers, and future-proof our...
How Trauma Changes Us and How We Heal with Dr. Paul Conti, Author of What's Going Right
Dr. Paul Conti challenges us to look beyond "What's wrong with me?" and explores how curiosity, agency, gratitude, and the generative drive can transform our relationship with trauma and mental health.
Emily Ruth welcomes Dr. Paul Conti, psychiatrist and author of "Trauma: The Invisible Epidemic." to explore how unresolved trauma shapes our inner world, interpersonal relationships, and society at large. Paul also shares insights from his latest book, "What's Going Right: A Powerful Method For Optimizing Your Mental Health," which offers proven strategies for healing from trauma, including the importance of compassionate curiosity and pursuing happiness through growth and...
Why Neurodivergent Clients Need Curiosity, Not Correction with Sabrena Ness
A conversation on complex trauma, ADHD, autism, masking, therapist curiosity, and providing therapy that supports authenticity instead of conformity.
Comparison is often cited as the thief of joy. For neurodivergent people, comparison is also a source of shame. Imagine receiving constant reminders that your brain doesn't respond well to, or "fit" with, the dominant societal structure. The messaging can impact self-worth and inform masking behaviors that neurotypical family members, friends, and co-workers fail to understand.
One clinician invites care providers to move away from asking "what's wrong with this client?" in favor of a more holistic line...
Corazonada: Migration, Memory and Heartfulness with Dr. Annecy Báez
How do we reconnect to ourselves after trauma, grief, and life's many transitions?
We begin with curiosity and compassion.
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth speaks with Dr. Annecy Báez, a Dominican American writer, psychotherapist, educator, and artist, about the profound impact NARM® has had on her personal and professional life. Together, they explore how curiosity, creativity, mindfulness, and compassionate self-inquiry can help us move toward greater authenticity, connection, and healing.
Annecy reflects on the personal, familial, cultural, and intergenerational experiences that shaped her journey and shares how discovering NA...
Raising Neurodivergent Kids Without Shame with Amanda Losch, NARM® Master Therapist
How do you parent a neurodivergent family without constantly feeling like you're failing?
You create your own supportive network.
One therapist wasn't content with simply curating reviews of sensory-friendly playgroups and neighborhood events. Instead, she sought out somatic knowledge and a heart-centered way of being. What she found was a trauma-informed modality and a community of like-minded practitioners. That discovery liberated her from shame and guided her to a more compassionate way of parenting her neurodivergent children.
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth chats with Amanda Losch, LSCW, a NARM® M...
Beyond Attachment Styles: Secure Relating & Trauma Healing with Dr. Ann Kelley, Therapist Uncensored
Attachment styles aren't your identity. Dr. Ann Kelley explains secure relating, modern attachment theory, trauma healing, nervous system regulation, relationship repair, shame reduction, and why emotional security is something we actively practice—not something we permanently achieve.
How can we, as therapists, help people better understand themselves, improve their relationships, and reduce the shame that accompanies emotional struggles that are often rooted in relational trauma?
It's a basic question at the root of our work and host Emily Ruth invites psychologist, author, and fellow podcaster Ann Kelley, Ph.D., to address it by demystifying the principles of mo...
Therapy for Neurodivergent Clients with Dr. Sean Inderbitzen, author Neural Exercises for Autism
How can therapists avoid the "diagnosis-as-identity" trap with neurodivergent clients?
Working with autistic clients can feel incomplete at times. Newer clinicians or those who aren't neurodivergent may struggle with the dynamics of this unique client/therapist alliance, even as they collaborate on issues related to relationships and empathy. But one autistic psychotherapist and Mayo Clinic researcher urges trauma-informed therapists to stick with this population. He notes that the tools they already use with neurotypical people can also support neurodivergent clients, building capacity for deeper explorations of identity, behavior, and connection in a non-pathologizing environment.
Host Emily Ruth...
Living Alongside Grief: Boundaries, Love and What Doesn't Resolve with Samantha Montemayor
How do therapists and survivors live alongside grief that never fully ends?
Some grief doesn't resolve. It doesn't end when a relationship does, when someone gets sober, or when you finally set the boundary you'd been avoiding. Instead, we can learn to live alongside grief in ways that lead to healthier relationships and genuine intimacy.
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth welcomes Samantha Montemayor to discuss the effects of grief on our relationships, emotional resources, and boundary-setting abilities. Samantha also recalls her professional journey and the deeper relational approach that the NeuroAffective R...
What If Narcissism Is a Trauma Adaptation? with Dr. Mark Ettensohn
Dr. Mark Ettensohn explains why narcissistic personality disorder is often misunderstood online—and how complex trauma, shame, attachment wounds, and identity shape pathological narcissism.
Narcissism has become a buzz word on social media. It has moved from a psychological understanding to a term that is used for blaming, scapegoating, and other emotionally charged narratives. This polarization has led to casting someone with narcissist traits as a villain who is intentionally cruel, manipulative, and beyond help.
While those with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) can exhibit difficult or even harmful traits, social media has erased the distinction between mental il...
Healing Shame and Guilt using NARM® with Dr. Laurence Heller
Why shame isn't an emotion—but an adaptive survival process. Dr. Laurence Heller unpacks how the NeuroAffective Relational Model® (NARM®) reframes shame, identity, and developmental trauma for more effective clinical work.
How do you define shame? Would you describe shame as an unproductive emotion or self-reproach? Or, would you dive headlong into examples, chronicling instances when you felt deserving of blame? Either answer is an invitation to probe deeper, to assess how this complex adaptive strategy has limited your ability to relate to yourself, your community, and the world.
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host...
Music, Connection and Community with Tracy Rae Clark
From altered states to embodied presence: Tracy Rae Clark on healing, music, and therapist development.
We share stories to inform, inspire, and connect. They also serve as maps, helping people commemorate life experiences that have shaped their journeys. One NARM® practitioner inspires others by putting her stories into poems and lyrics, helping guide others in their own path to healing.
Host Emily Ruth welcomes singer-songwriter and long-time NARM practitioner Tracy Rae Clark, LCSW, CPC, for a deeply introspective conversation. The pair explores how trauma, creativity, music, spirituality, and relational healing converged in Tracy's search for genuine connection a...
Dissociation Isn't What You Think: DID, Structural Dissociation & Therapist Confidence with Kathy Steele
Have you ever slipped so far into a daydream that you felt detached from reality, your emotions, or your sense of self? Brief moments of dissociation are understandable and can even preserve our mental well-being in times of intense stress. Persistent dissociation, however, is something else entirely. It's a maladaptation that often hints at layers of complex trauma—and that can intimidate therapists.
One clinician invites us to reconnect with the deeply human experience of "spacing out" and remain curious about the mind's capacity to protect and survive before referring our clients to another practitioner.
On...
Narcissism and Borderline Dynamics from the Inside-Out with Brad Kammer, CTTC Training Director & Faculty
Today's clinicians have access to more advanced theories, protocols, and clinical models than at any other time in our profession's history. Yet, despite all that learning, something essential is often missing: our own humanity.
Many therapists enter this field wanting to grow and heal alongside others. But most of the training focuses almost entirely on the client. The result? A profession suffering from high rates of burnout and too few opportunities for therapists to embark on journeys of self-discovery — until now.
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth is thrilled to welcome back Br...
Hereditary Cancer Testing: Grief, Identity, and Self-Connection with Sarah Champie, LCSW
"I'm so concerned about that being a fracturing of our psyche, in which we only allow empowerment... Can we just have someone to stand with us in that space? So that the process, no matter what we choose, is a process of self connection." - Sarah Champie
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth welcomes Sarah Champie (LCSW), a licensed trauma therapist and NeuroAffective Relational Model® (NARM®) practitioner who specializes in supporting individuals and families navigating hereditary cancer, genetic testing, and preventative surgery decisions. Sarah is also the creator and host of the pod...
From Music to Trauma Therapy with Elizabeth Remic Simonian, Integrative and Somatic Therapist
"NARM® opened a whole new world to me... it's not just something you put on. NARM is, for me, a way of life. It's not just something you throw at somebody." - Elizabeth Remic Simonian
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth welcomes Elizabeth Remic Simonian, an integrative and somatic therapist based in Rotterdam, Somatic Experiencing practitioner, and trained jazz vocalist, for a deeply heartful conversation about how the NeuroAffective Relational Model® (NARM®) transformed not only her clinical work but her entire way of being in relationship with others.
Eli...
From White Supremacy to Radical Human Connection with Frank Meeink
"Whatever your trauma is, just know that somehow, some way it could be used to help another human being."
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth welcomes Frank Meeink, former white supremacist turned peer support specialist and recovery advocate, for a candid conversation about how honesty, humility, and service transformed his relationship with himself and others. Frank shares how decades of addiction, loss, and repeated relapse eventually led him to a moment of spiritual surrender, and how that turning point reshaped everything.
From his daily "God walks" and the pe...
Reimagining Trauma Healing for Refugees with Yukako Sortino
"Healing is not about improvement of daily functionalities or reduction of symptoms. Healing is deeply relational, cultural, and it's a political act." - Yukako Sortino
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth welcomes Yukako Sortino, Manager of the Refugee Behavioral Wellness Program at Heartland Alliance Health, for a profoundly moving dialogue on trauma, resilience, and relational healing within refugee and immigrant communities. Drawing from her work in Chicago and her lived experience as an immigrant, Yukako invites listeners to reconsider healing as a collective, nonlinear journey that honors dignity, body, identity, and culture.<...
From Surviving to Belonging—Building Self-Love through Daily Practices with Lawrence Chrystopher Harris
"It's simple, not always easy—but movement, writing, and a little fresh air changed my life." – Lawrence Chrystopher Harris
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth sits down with Lawrence Chrystopher Harris, a youth empowerment speaker who transforms his lived experience of childhood trauma into practical hope for young people and their supporters. Lawrence reflects on growing up as a neurodivergent child in Philadelphia, surviving family abuse, and overcoming alienation, offering an inside look at the barriers he faced and the hard-won lessons that now guide his work.
The conver...
Hip Hop Culture as a Healing Modality for Trauma and Empowerment with Dr. Raphael Travis
"Hip hop culture is a fuel for life… an organic healing culture with roots that empower both individuals and communities." – Dr. Raphael Travis
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth welcomes Dr. Raphael Travis, an educator, researcher, and social worker who has devoted his life to understanding how hip hop culture serves as a powerful tool for individual and collective healing. Dr. Travis traces hip hop's five key elements—MCing, breakdancing, DJing, graffiti, and knowledge of self—and discusses how each contributes to identity reconstruction, resilience, and post-traumatic growth. He reflects on his own lived ex...
Healing Through Community: End of Year Reflection on Transforming Trauma with Brad Kammer and Emily Ruth
"We heal not through perfection, but through presence." – Lisa Gillispie, as reflected by Emily Ruth
On this special year-end episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth welcomes Brad Kammer, LMFT, LPCC, Training Director of the Complex Trauma Training Center, for an intimate conversation on the evolving landscape of trauma therapy practice and community. Together, they look back on a year filled with wisdom from leading voices in the field of complex trauma, and the courage to embrace imperfection.
Emily Ruth and Brad reflect on memorable episodes featuring NARM®-trained colleagues and guest...
Inside-Out Learning and the SPACE Inner Development Program with CTTC Faculty Brad Kammer, Stefanie Klein, and Marcia Black
"[SPACE] is really a dynamic, alive experience… One person even said, "I could keep doing this for the rest of my life." – Marcia Black
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth reunites with Brad Kammer, Stefanie Klein, and Marcia Black for a heartfelt group reflection on the inaugural year of the SPACE Inner Development Program at the Complex Trauma Training Center (CTTC). Together, they explore the intentions behind creating a professional community where therapists can reconnect with themselves and each other—without judgement or performance—for authentic support, mentorship, personal and professional growth.
<...
Healing and Recovery from Religious Trauma with Laura Anderson
High control religion is rarely one big wound. It is closer to death by a thousand paper cuts that add up to complex trauma for many people."- Laura Anderson
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily Ruth welcomes Dr. Laura Anderson for a compassionate exploration of religious trauma, its impacts, and the nuanced paths toward healing. Drawing from her personal journey and clinical experience, Laura shares how religious trauma operates much like other forms of complex trauma—emphasizing that overwhelm and harm are deeply subjective and that each person has their own unique experience and...
Helping Children and Teens Reconnect to their Hearts through NARM® with Kelly Cook
"Sometimes children have to disconnect from their hearts just to survive." - Kelly Cook
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth welcomes school social worker Kelly Cook for an open-hearted exploration of healing and connection with children, teens, and families facing adversity. Kelly shares how her lifelong sensitivity to those on the margins, shaped by early experiences of compassion and agency in her own childhood, led her into the field of social work and ultimately to trauma-informed practice within schools.
Kelly reflects on the profound vulnerability of young people...
Harnessing Implicit Memory for Trauma Healing with Dr. Abi Blakeslee
"Trauma can be a gateway for transformation, and it's one of the things that I am passionate about." – Abi Blakeslee On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth sits down with Dr. Abi Blakeslee, a leader in the field of trauma recovery and somatic psychology recognized for her clinical research and teaching. Dr. Blakeslee shares her deep exploration of implicit memory—the non-conscious processes shaping movement, emotion, and survival patterns—and explains how harnessing implicit memory offers new and practical pathways to healing trauma. Drawing from Somatic Experiencing, neuroscience, and her own research, Dr. Blakeslee breaks down the branch...
Celebrating Agency, Therapist Self-Care, and the new NARM Workbook with Brad Kammer, CTTC Training Director
"Our greatest hope is that NARM® can lead to increasing opportunities for connection, healing, and transformation." - Brad Kammer
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, Stephanie Klein is joined by Brad Kammer, Training Director at the Complex Trauma Training Center, to discuss the newly released workbook for healing developmental trauma—an accessible resource distilling the core principles and clinical tools of the NeuroAffective Relational Model®. Brad shares the intention behind this third book in the NARM canon: creating a user-friendly, desk-side reference for clinicians and individuals seeking to understand and apply the NARM approach to compl...
Beyond Disorder: Redefining Identity, Meaning, and Healing with Dr. David Puder
"The work we do is meaningful, sometimes difficult, but it's the best work to do." - Dr. David Puder
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily Ruth welcomes psychiatrist and psychotherapist Dr. David Puder to explore the clinical realities of complex trauma and the slow, often gritty path toward healing. Drawing on decades of hospital and outpatient experience, Dr. Puder offers candor and practical wisdom for clinicians and caring professionals who feel the weight of this work.
The pair discuss how complex developmental trauma shows up as dissociation and psychogenic symptoms rather...
Honoring Resistance: The Wisdom of Defenses in Somatic & Hakomi-Informed Trauma Healing with Shai Lavie, LMFT
Trauma isn't just an event—it's a complex, living pattern woven through our bodies, minds, and relationships. What if the path to healing isn't about breaking down defenses or pushing past resistance, but about honoring those very protections as parts of our whole self?
Shai Lavie's journey illuminates this radical shift. As a Hakomi and Somatic Experiencing therapist, Shai learned that trauma work flourishes when we stop battling our clients' "barriers" and instead bring curiosity and compassion to every part of their experience—even the parts that resist change. Imagine your nervous system not as a mal...
How Activism Helps Us Recover From Trauma With Dr. Judith Herman
Chances are, you may be familiar with Dr. Judith Lewis Herman, the legendary psychiatrist, researcher, teacher, and author. Five decades into her esteemed career, Dr. Herman continues to produce innovative work in sexual trauma and Complex PTSD. But you might not know Judith Herman, the daughter, mother, grandmother, and activist.
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily Ruth is honored to welcome back Dr. Judith Lewis Herman for an illuminating conversation on the life experiences and enduring connections that have shaped her public and private life. The pair also explores the positive impact that activism and affiliation...
Integrating Jungian Psychology and NARM with Megan Holm, LMFT
At the core of Jungian psychology lies the concept of individuation, a lifelong journey of growing into one's whole self. It's a process of self-discovery that can feel both inspiring and challenging as each layer of inauthenticity or protective strategy surfaces, then sloughs away. One therapist combines her Jungian background with NARM's spirit of inquiry to help her clients embrace the nature of individuation and reconnect to their unique selves.
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth welcomes Megan Holm (LMFT), NARM® Master Therapist, and Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner to discuss the beautiful and unsettling unfolding th...
Viktor Frankl's Legacy of Self-Transcendence with Alexander Vesely
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth invites Alexander Vesely, award-winning documentary filmmaker, psychotherapist, and the grandson of Dr. Viktor Frankl, to share anecdotes about his grandfather and the evolution of Logotherapy.
The pair recalls Viktor's deportation to a Nazi concentration camp and his heartbreaking experiences there. The devastation eventually informed Viktor's theory, known as Logotherapy, which posits that those who are oriented towards finding meaning even in the most dire circumstances are more likely to feel fulfilled. Alexander also discusses his film Viktor & I, an intimate portrait of his grandfather as revealed by those...
Therapist Origin Story Series with Brad Kammer, CTTC Training Director & Faculty
In this special Transforming Trauma series, we will be exploring the "origin stories" of influential therapists. These episodes offer a rare opportunity to peek behind the curtain and understand what inspired these therapists to pursue healing work, and how they have brought their life experiences into their professional work, impacting and inspiring many people along the way. By learning from seasoned master therapists who openly share their professional journeys, as well as the painful personal life lessons along the way, we gain valuable insights to support our own growth, both professionally and personally.
On this episode of...
Therapist Origin Story Series with Marcia Black, CTTC Faculty
In this special Transforming Trauma series, we are exploring the "origin stories" of influential therapists. These episodes offer a rare opportunity to peek behind the curtain and understand what inspired these therapists to pursue healing work - and how they have brought their life experiences into their professional work, impacting and inspiring many people along the way. By learning from seasoned master therapists who openly share their professional journeys, as well as the painful personal life lessons along the way, we gain valuable insights to support our own growth, both professionally and personally.
On this episode of...
Therapist Origin Story Series with Stefanie Klein, CTTC Faculty
In this special Transforming Trauma series, we will be exploring the "origin stories" of influential therapists. These episodes offer a rare opportunity to peek behind the curtain and understand what inspired these therapists to pursue healing work - and how they have brought their life experiences into their professional work, impacting and inspiring many people along the way. By learning from seasoned master therapists who openly share their professional journeys, as well as the painful personal life lessons along the way, we gain valuable insights to support our own growth, both professionally and personally.
On this episode...
Integrating NARM Into Meditation Spaces with Alli Malnik
Meditation is a practice that intimidates many people. Silence, coupled with the act of observing rather than acting, often evokes emotions such as despair and loneliness. But what if we applied the NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM©) to the experience of meditative silence?
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth is in conversation with Alli Malnik, a NARM-trained mental health counselor who frequently assists with large meditation events held worldwide. The pair discuss Alli's professional journey and the role that NARM played in her personal healing. Alli also shares observations from her event work on efforting a...
Bridging Graduate School and Depth Oriented Therapy with Caleb McNaughton
Many graduate students in psychology, counseling, and social work struggle to find their theoretical and clinical footing. As graduate students get closer to graduation, many feel under-prepared and ill-equipped to provide effective therapy to clients. Despite the differences between training in a depth-oriented model like NARM and studying traditional coursework required for a clinical degree, one student celebrates bridging these two different modes of learning to become a more confident and effective beginning therapist.
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth welcomes Caleb McNaughton, a graduate student currently seeking licensure in Tennessee. The pair discuss...
Reclaiming Life for Women After Prison with Samantha Garcia Pennell, Arouet Foundation
For women exiting the US correctional system, support is limited while the hurdles set in front of them seem endless. The post-carceral ecosystem is changing, however, bolstered by nonprofits that elevate rather than penalize people for their time served.
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth welcomes Samantha Garcia Pennell, Manager of Workforce Partnerships at Arouet Foundation, in Phoenix, AZ, a nonprofit organization committed to empowering women impacted by the justice system, helping them lead successful lives and build stronger communities. Samatha shares her personal journey from traumatic childhood to challenging adulthood to prison with...
Self-Discovery as a NARM Therapist with Alex White & Sabrena Ness
While most clinicians are seeking effective clinical skills to bring back to their clients, NARM® therapists are often surprised to experience such profound personal transformation for themselves through training in NARM. In learning more about themselves and their own healing process, the result is a better understanding of their client's healing process. Self-discovery can be a vehicle toward personal and relational change.
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth invites NARM Master Therapists Alex White and Sabrena Ness to share their professional experiences as members of the NARM training community and personal journeys of self-discovery. T...
