124: The Wisdom of Momma Cheetah: Safety, Trust, Instinct, and the Return to Self With Dr. Tanya Defferary

Welcome to EMDR Playground, the podcast for therapists who want to integrate EMDR and play with confidence, clarity, and creativity. Hosted by Jackie Flynn, Registered Play Therapist, EMDRIA Trainer, and author of the EMDR with Kids Flipchart, this show explores how fidelity to the EMDR model, a deep understanding of the nervous system, and the language of play can transform therapy for children, teens, and adults. Each episode offers practical strategies, expert conversations, and insights you can use right away to help your clients heal more deeply. Whether you're EMDR-trained or just beginning to explore this powerful approach, EMDR Playground is your space to grow, connect, and bring more depth and effectiveness to your work. In this episode, I sit down with Tanya Defferary to explore The Wisdom of Momma Cheetah and what the natural world can teach us about safety, trust, instinct, attachment, and the return to self. As Tanya shared stories from Nyosi Wildlife Reserve, I found myself thinking deeply about EMDR therapy and the Adaptive Information Processing model. Trauma can disconnect us from our natural ability to orient toward safety, connection, curiosity, and presence. Healing often begins when the nervous system experiences enough safety to reconnect with the wisdom that was there all along. There is something profound about watching animals in their natural environment. The way a mother cheetah protects, pauses, assesses, rests, and teaches her young to move through the world without losing their instincts. Nothing in nature shames survival responses. And yet survival is not meant to become a permanent identity. I had the opportunity to travel to South Africa for Marshall Lyles's EMDR and expressive arts training at Nyosi Wildlife Reserve, and the experience left a deep imprint on me. Being immersed in the South African bush expanded the way I think about healing, embodiment, attachment, rhythm, and the nervous system itself. There is something about nature that reminds the body of what regulation feels like without needing words first. We also talk about the growing vision behind Global Therapy Connect and the immersive retreat experiences being created for therapists inside the wild landscapes of South Africa. Upcoming retreats bring together voices including Lisa Dion, Tanya Defferary, Marshall Lyles, and others for experiential learning centered around trauma, expressive therapies, nervous system healing, and connection. This conversation is ultimately about remembering. Remembering that healing is not always about becoming someone new. Sometimes it is about returning to what trauma interrupted. The body often knows the way home long before the mind can explain it. If you want to learn more from Dr. Defferary and the retreat style training in South Africa, visit Global Therapy Connect