Transforming Trauma
by The Complex Trauma Training Center
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 communities in order to actualize Post-Traumatic Growth. Whether you are a healthcare professional, an educator, a parent, a public policy maker, a trauma survivor, or someone interested in personal healing and social justice; this podcast will provide you with a map for increased resiliency
Episodes
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Louis Cozolino on Why Good Therapists Need Courage, Not Just Compassion
Is psychotherapy becoming too focused on safety at the expense of growth? Healing happens in environments that support growth and resilience. Yet many clinicians hesitate to challenge a client's survival strategies for fear of creating tension or conflict in the therapeutic relationship. On this...
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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…
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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…
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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…
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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...
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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...
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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…
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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…
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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...
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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…
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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…
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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…
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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...
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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…
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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...
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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...
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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…
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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....
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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…
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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…
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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...
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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...
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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,...
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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...
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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...
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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…
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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...
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,...
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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...
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No Bad Parts and the Self in Healing with Dr. Richard Schwartz, Internal Family Systems
Many of us hold the convenient belief that we possess a single identity. Dr. Richard Schwartz began challenging the flatness of that assumption in the early 1980s. His curiosity led to the creation of the Internal Family Systems Model (IFS), which recognizes the role of internal "parts" or...
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From the Cult of NXIVM to "The Narcissist's Playbook" with Filmmaker Mark Vicente
Narcissists have a canny ability to repackage traits like arrogance, self-importance, and a lack of empathy and sell them as charm, intelligence, or sensitivity. This "playbook" of calculated behaviors allows them to avoid detection and continue manipulating close relations or entire groups. On...
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Letting Go of Shame That Isn't Yours with Dr. Laurence Heller
For all its popularity as a talking point, shame remains one of the least-documented human emotions. On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth is pleased to welcome back Dr. Laurence Heller, Ph.D., author, international trainer, and creator of the NeuroAffective Relational Model®...
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The Benefits of Integrating Spirituality and Mental Health with Dr. David Rosmarin
For many mental health professionals, exploration into a client's relationship with spirituality is often left out or actively avoided. Could honest and open discussions about a client's spiritual perspective help them reconnect to themselves and others while also alleviating their symptoms of...
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How to Trust Your Inner Voice and Transcend Shame and Self-Doubt with Dr. Samra Zafar
One of the many consequences of complex trauma is a loss of self-confidence leading to self-doubt and difficulty trusting in one's intuition. On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth invites international speaker, author, and resident psychiatrist Dr. Samra Zafar to share her...
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Allowing the Real Self to Emerge with William Griffith, The International Masterson Institute
Within psychology, there is an ongoing debate about the relationship between complex trauma and personality. Developed by Dr. James Masterson, the Masterson Approach focuses on the development of personality, and introduced innovative treatment for schizoid, narcissistic and borderline…
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Humanizing the Trans Experience with Brianna Wu of Dollcast
Living an authentic life has always required a fair amount of courage. But the online world has created an environment in which targeted intimidation and persecution are accepted, and even encouraged too often. Virtual bullying is especially vicious when directed at folks with marginalized...
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Creating Healthier Relationships by Identifying Your Personality Patterns with Steven Kessler
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, CTTC Director and NARM® Senior Trainer Brad Kammer welcomes psychologist, author, and trainer Steven Kessler, MFT, to discuss the role that personality patterns play in our communication styles and how those patterns impact our relationships. The pair delve...
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Finding Belonging in the Heart of Grief with Karen Ihrig
Grief is a natural response to loss that all of us will encounter. For all its universality, however, our society has grown increasingly grief-adverse and avoidant. One grief specialist relies on her NARM® training to reacquaint clients with their agency. In doing so, she invites their sorrow to...
About this show
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 communities in order to actualize Post-Traumatic Growth. Whether you are a healthcare professional, an educator, a parent, a public policy maker, a trauma survivor, or someone interested in personal healing and social justice; this podcast will provide you with a map for increased resiliency
Hosted by
The Complex Trauma Training Center
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