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 e...
Jun 18, 2025•47 min•Ep. 164
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 sy...
Jun 04, 2025•44 min•Ep. 163
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 ...
May 21, 2025•46 min•Ep. 162
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 subpersonalities that resemble a family structure. Forty years later, Dick continues to expand on the model, exploring its capacity to resolve interpersonal conflicts, address broader societal issues, and reco...
May 07, 2025•49 min•Ep. 161
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 this episode of Transforming Trauma , CTTC Director and NARM® Senior Trainer Brad Kammer welcomes Mark Vicente, the award-winning writer, director, podcaster, and producer, to discuss the personal awakeni...
Apr 23, 2025•52 min•Ep. 160
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® (NARM®). The pair discuss the psychology of shame and its significant role in protecting attachments (or relationships) starting at a young age. This conversation also explores the benefits of a NARM-focu...
Apr 09, 2025•54 min•Ep. 159
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 stress, anxiety, and depression? On this episode of Transforming Trauma , host Emily Ruth is honored to welcome Harvard psychologist, author, and educator David Rosmarin, PhD., to explore the connection be...
Mar 26, 2025•35 min•Ep. 158
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 inspirational journey from an isolated teen bride to a courageous, intuitive, and powerful agent of change. The pair explore Samra’s practice of reconnecting to her inner voice and lean into its guidance aft...
Mar 12, 2025•44 min•Ep. 157
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 personality disorders. On this episode of Transforming Trauma , host Emily Ruth welcomes Dr. William Griffith, Director of The International Masterson Institute in Cape Town, South Africa. The pair discuss foundat...
Feb 26, 2025•43 min•Ep. 156
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 identities. One woman has worked hard to thrive online and off, despite the risks involved. On this episode of Transforming Trauma , host Emily Ruth welcomes Brianna Wu to discuss her journey to wholeness foll...
Feb 12, 2025•48 min•Ep. 155
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 into the origins of these patterns and the unconscious “safety” tactics associated with each. Brad and Steven also examine strategies for developing an ability to listen and respond to one another in a...
Jan 29, 2025•51 min•Ep. 154
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 coexist with curiosity, compassion, and gentleness. On this episode of Transforming Trauma , host Emily Ruth welcomes Karen Ihrig, LCSW, to share her experiences working with bereaved clients while tendi...
Jan 15, 2025•47 min•Ep. 153
Connection and healing often happen amid our messiest, most vulnerable moments. The rawness of our experiences can create the space we need to welcome a new way of living, loving, and even learning. One clinical counselor has witnessed this truth repeatedly throughout her multifaceted career and personal life. Her ability to stay with discomfort and lend intuitive support has made her an effective NARM® Therapist and an outstanding NARM Training Assistant. On this episode of Transforming Trauma ...
Jan 01, 2025•44 min•Ep. 152
Cultivating a culture of transparency is a challenge for any organization. Recording it for posterity on a podcast is a lesson in embodied connection. Transforming Trauma host Emily Ruth welcomes back Brad Kammer, Training Director and Senior Trainer at Complex Trauma Training Center (CTTC), and Stefanie Klein, CTTC’s Assistant Training Director and Trainer, for a heartfelt and candid year-end conversation. The trio celebrates all that CTTC has accomplished and discusses challenges associated wi...
Dec 23, 2024•47 min•Ep. 151
Milestones have a way of inviting reflection, and this one is no exception. This year-end review of Transforming Trauma also happens to be our 150th episode. CTTC Director and NARM® Senior Trainer Brad Kammer joins host Emily Ruth to reminisce about the incredible guests who have graced our current season and the many heartfelt conversations that have shaped the show since its inception in January 2020. To read the full show notes and discover more resources, visit https://complextraumatrainingc...
Dec 18, 2024•41 min•Ep. 150
Did you know that the diagnostic criteria for borderline personality disorder (BPD) has remained the same since it was officially added to the third edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders in 1980? Forty years later, BPD remains deeply misunderstood by the public and isolating for those who live with the condition. On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth chats with Mark L. Ruffalo, MSW., D.Psa., about his extensive work in the field of BPD. The pair ...
Dec 04, 2024•49 min•Ep. 149
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth welcomes Dr. David Richo, PhD, MFT, psychotherapist, teacher, and writer to share wisdom from his 50+ years of helping people identify and resolve relationship challenges that often mirror issues from their childhood. Dr. Richo points to growth that arrives in the form of triggers – adverse emotional responses that blur the distinction between past and present. He invites us to think of triggers as trailheads, often uncomfortable but inform...
Nov 20, 2024•46 min•Ep. 148
Sex is one of the most complex barriers to true intimacy in a relationship. It's also one of the least-discussed topics in therapy. Therapists often avoid discussing sex due to their perceived lack of subject knowledge or confidence in their therapeutic skills. Clinical Sexologist and Psychologist Rikke Pristed believes that therapists have already developed a baseline competency in sex-related issues simply by being human. Those trained in the NeuroAffective Relational Model® (NARM®) are even b...
Nov 06, 2024•50 min•Ep. 147
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, CTTC Director and NARM® Senior Trainer Brad Kammer welcomes Jessica Britt, Training Director of The Diamond Approach, to share wisdom from her decades-long journey of personal healing and professional development. Jessica says that creating more depth in the field requires therapists to do the hard internal work of self-healing. She invites us to feel our way through layers of pain and recognize the alchemic potential of being with our deepest emotions. On...
Oct 23, 2024•52 min•Ep. 146
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth is joined by Daniel Morehead, MD., a leading voice for mental health advocacy and author of Science Over Stigma: Education and Advocacy for Mental Health . Emily Ruth and Daniel examine what it means to be neurodivergent, the role variation plays in evolution, and the radical act of greeting neurodivergence with curiosity and humility. The pair also discuss the intersection between folks who have experienced trauma and those who identify as...
Oct 09, 2024•55 min•Ep. 145
It’s no secret that incarcerated folks lack access to adequate mental health care while in prison. Reintegration support is even harder to come by once they are released. Sadly, women face even more significant challenges than men on both counts. But what if more trauma-informed professionals got involved in supporting formerly incarcerated women on both the individual and community levels? On this episode of Transforming Trauma , host Emily Ruth welcomes Alison Rapping, CEO of Arouet, to discus...
Sep 25, 2024•50 min•Ep. 144
On this episode of Transforming Trauma , host Emily Ruth welcomes back Dr. Jonathan Shedler, renowned psychologist, author, consultant, researcher, and clinical educator. In their conversation, they are delving deeper into the elements that make up good psychotherapy and the importance of connection between therapist and client. Dr. Shedler and Emily Ruth also explore critical flaws in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), how modern social subcultures provide a distur...
Sep 11, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 143
When was the last time you took a break from learning new professional skills and, instead, carved out space to pursue self-discovery and community support? On this episode of Transforming Trauma , host Emily Ruth welcomes back the faculty of the Complex Trauma Training Center (CTTC)––Brad Kammer, Stefanie Klein, and Marcia Black––to introduce SPACE , an innovative inner development program for therapists debuting in early 2025. SPACE supports therapists on three levels of the human experience: ...
Sep 07, 2024•44 min•Ep. 142
On this episode of Transforming Trauma , Brad Kammer, CTTC Director and NARM® Senior Trainer, invites Tobias Konermann, Ph.D., NARM Therapist, to share insights from his recent article: How the NeuroAffective Relational Model Expands the Psychotherapeutic Landscape. Together, they discuss a broad range of topics, including what sets the developmentally-oriented, mindfulness-based aspects of NARM apart from its humanistic predecessors, how shame functions in the therapeutic relationship and inhib...
Aug 28, 2024•41 min•Ep. 141
Most addiction treatment models focus on behavioral change. And yet, many of these models fail at helping people fully recover from their addiction. Perhaps it is time to try something different? Applying NARM® to addiction brings focus to areas that behavioral interventions miss, like understanding the role of trauma, attachment, relationships, and shame. Addressing these areas has a profound impact on addiction recovery. On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth invites James McN...
Aug 14, 2024•44 min•Ep. 140
While many clinical modalities are designed for helping clients in individual therapy, trauma therapists are often looking for modalities that can better support their groups. One therapist was inspired to take NARM principles and apply them to group therapy. Her experience transformed how she thinks about the therapeutic group dynamic and the expanded role the NeuroAffective Relational Model plays in supporting those healing from complex trauma. On this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily inv...
Jul 31, 2024•50 min•Ep. 139
There's a growing body of evidence suggesting that practices like weight lifting can support trauma-affected individuals on their healing journeys. On this episode of Transforming Trauma , Emily is joined by Mariah Rooney, LCSW, co-founder of Trauma-Informed Weight Lifting, the one-of-a-kind non-profit program dedicated to the training and education of trauma-informed movement practitioners as well as research on the healing potential of weight lifting. The pair discuss the program's structure, ...
Jul 17, 2024•44 min•Ep. 138
We often discuss the NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM) as it relates to the adult journey of healing from complex trauma, but what about younger clients? On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth is joined by Kami Black, LCSW, founder of ROOTs Transitions, a program that supports adolescent females ages 15 to 18 and their families by blending elements of outdoor therapy and residential treatment in Park City, Utah. The pair explore ROOTs’ commitment to utilizing NARM as both a...
Jul 03, 2024•45 min•Ep. 137
Clinicians treating clients with complex trauma already understand the value of using the NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM) in 1:1 settings. Imagine, then, the transformative healing that might occur when applying NARM in group recovery and transitional living environments. On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth welcomes Laura Sorte, LCSW, NARM Therapist and Executive Director at Release Recovery, to discuss her experiences creating and implementing NARM-informed programmin...
Jun 19, 2024•52 min•Ep. 136
Many therapists are conflicted about how to show up with their clients. While there is lots of training to be highly emotionally engaged with clients, there is also training that therapists should be more distant in sessions to avoid possible countertransference––which is the evoking of emotions and reactions within the therapist. What if, instead of attempting to be overly engaged or maintaining a distancing demeanor, therapists learned how to honor their humanness within their therapeutic role...
Jun 05, 2024•56 min•Ep. 135
