The "goal" of incarceration varies depending on who you ask. Whether you consider prison fair retribution for engaging in criminal activity or an opportunity at redemption, most people agree that the punitive nature of the US criminal justice system neither rehabilitates nor curbs recidivism rates.  Emily Ruth invites Christine Marallen to share her extensive insight into the criminal justice rehabilitative process. Christine is a certified prison chaplain, and as the Chief Strategy Officer...

Without early-stage therapeutic intervention, many at-risk youth face a higher likelihood of becoming adult inmates within the ill-equipped and wildly expensive US prison system. Two advocates, operating at opposite ends of the institutional spectrum, believe that change is possible, especially when we extend trauma-informed support to the youngest and most vulnerable members of our society.  In this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth welcomes David and Katya Dow to provide...

Context is crucial to understanding the challenges faced by those in recovery from complex trauma perpetuated by religious leaders and authoritarian systems of spirituality. That’s especially true regarding former members of Black Christian communities where the church represents more than just a home for shared worship.  In this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily Ruth invites Vanessa R. Brooks, MA, a doctoral candidate studying the efficacy of mental health training intervention for...

Here’s a challenge that all mental professionals face: no provider is immune to misdiagnosing a client. This likelihood increases if that client presents with symptoms of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Even an accurate, timely diagnosis and treatment of DID isn’t without its complications.  On this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily Ruth welcomes back Erin Lewis-Gibson, MS, LCMHC. Together, they explore the evolution of DID as a diagnosis and its treatment, the effects of social...

On this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily Ruth has the pleasure of chatting with Adriana Leigh, founder and principal consultant at Adriana Leigh Group Consulting (ALG). The pair discuss Adriana’s own struggles with generational trauma and institutionalized trauma, trauma in the workplace, and Adriana’s work in gender-based violence prevention. Adriana also shares observations from her roles as a human rights lawyer and facilitator in diversity and inclusion, gender equality, sexual...

On this bonus episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth welcomes Brad Kammer, NARM® Senior Trainer and executive producer of this podcast, to introduce the Complex Trauma Training Center (CTTC). CTTC is a professional organization providing therapist training, consultation, mentorship, and community for psychotherapists and mental health professionals working with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Complex Trauma (C-PTSD).  CTTC is also the new home for our Transforming Trauma...

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?  Emily Ruth has the privilege of speaking with Elaine Miller-Karas, co-founder and executive director emeriti at the Trauma Resource Institute (TRI), a nonprofit organization cultivating trauma-informed and resiliency-focused individuals and communities worldwide. The pair...

NARM Senior Trainer Brad Kammer invites human rights campaigner Yasmine Mohammed to share her experiences growing up in a fundamentalist Islamic household, including her arranged marriage to a member of Al-Qaeda and her subsequent work as founder and president of Free Hearts Free Minds, an organization providing mental health support to free thinkers and members of the LGBTQ+ community who are unable to live authentically due to religious and societal persecution. Candid conversations about...

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 goals 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.  Transforming Trauma thanks Brad, Stefanie, and Marcia...

Emily and NARM Training Director Brad Kammer reflect on podcast highlights from 2023, a season filled with vital voices and inspiring ideas. It’s the perfect playlist to close out this year or begin the next! Emily and Brad were thrilled to share the mic with influential practitioners, industry luminaries, researchers, thought leaders and more. Conversations traversed a wide range of topics: the microbiome/trauma connection, the use of psychedelics as a supportive therapy, the complex...

On this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily Ruth chats with Adam Angel, LCSW-C, LICSW, the founder of Dads With Wisdom, a series of virtual and hybrid groups that provide a welcoming environment where men can navigate the complex pressures of fatherhood. Adam has 15+ years of experience and is uniquely qualified to facilitate conversations around paternal mental health. He suffered a perinatal loss on his journey to becoming a father of two. Emily Ruth and Adam discuss the current shortage...

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 experiential-focused introductory series for helping professionals working in the field of trauma.  In addition to sharing subject matter highlights, personal insights, and practical information, Emily and Stefanie also discuss why NARM OBT is the perfect level-one program...

On this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily Ruth is honored to welcome psychiatrist, researcher, teacher, and author Dr. Judith Herman for a heartfelt discussion centering on the needs of victims of sexual trauma and society’s role in individual and collective trauma healing. In her latest book, Truth And Repair: How Trauma Survivors Envision Justice, Dr. Herman introduces us to a “fourth stage” of the recovery process in which trauma survivors are invited to envision their future. Dr....

In this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily invites Brian Peter Monson, a veteran and graduate student pursuing his clinical mental health counseling degree. Brian Peter shares about his experience serving in the military with unresolved developmental trauma and the paradox of observing one’s faith while carrying out methods of interrogation.  From a military standpoint, trauma isn’t confined to battle fatigue. Brian Peter observes that many active duty military personnel enter into the...

Emily is delighted to welcome back Gabor Maté, MD, the esteemed physician and author best known for his breakthrough analysis of addiction as a psychophysiological response to childhood trauma and emotional loss.  Gabor co-wrote his latest work, The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture, alongside his son Daniel Maté. It became an instant New York Times bestseller, and the duo is already working on their next project, Hello Again: A Fresh Start for Parents and...

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.  Michael and Brad 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 trauma-informed language by...

What are the defining characteristics of good psychotherapy? Increasingly, the answers arrive filtered through the lens of incomplete research or, worse, via buzzwords popularized by wellness websites. Emily welcomes author, consultant, researcher, and clinical educator Jonathan Shedler, PhD, to discuss the widening chasm between the research conducted by academic psychologists and real-life psychotherapy.  The pair also examine the importance of forming a therapeutic alliance and...

Welcome to a special episode of Transforming Trauma featuring NARM creator Dr. Laurence Heller and NARM Senior Trainer Brad Kammer. This webinar provides a glimpse into the NARM Inner Circle online program and invites clinicians, therapists, and helping professionals to explore the foundation of health and trust upon which NARM is built.  Brad and Larry begin this conversation with a reflective exercise, then zoom out to reveal a link between suboptimal emotional and physical health and the...

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 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, Emily learns what adults can do to foster an...

While many spiritual teachers are held in high regard for their wisdom, leadership positions are still overwhelmed by those who’ve failed to address complex trauma in their personal histories.  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...

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 a significant medical and/or psychological challenge. In 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 today’s...

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 discussion about the challenges of developing an evidence-based standard for NARM and distilling that research into accessible data.  In medical terminology, “evidenced-based” is a gold star endorsement awarded to recurrent standards of proof that arise from comparison studies of a specific...

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.  Elaine's current pro bono work with incarcerated individuals and those they've harmed is remarkable for its progressive approach to redemption. In her 28...