Transforming Trauma

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 of questioning: "how does their client feel, what adaptations have they made to weather neurotypical norms, and what kind of support do they need now?"   On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth is pleased to welcome Sabrena Ness, CMHC, LPC, clinical director at LifeStance Health and NARM® practitioner. Drawing on her personal and professional experiences, Sabrena shares insights from a neurodivergent perspective, namely, how the NeuroAffective Relational Model® cultivates a tempo ideal for exploring shame and other relational experiences that many neurodivergent people navigate alone.  Transforming Trauma appreciates Sabrena's continued support of neurodivergent clients and the communities that they belong to. To read the full show notes and discover more resources, visit https://complextraumatrainingcenter.com/transformingtrauma SPACE: SPACE is an Inner Development Program of Support and Self-Discovery for Therapists on the Personal, Interpersonal, and Transpersonal Levels offered by the Complex Trauma Training Center. This experiential learning program offers an immersive group experience designed to cultivate space for self-care, community support, and deepening vitality in our professional role as therapists. Learn more about how to join. *** The Complex Trauma Training Center: https://complextraumatrainingcenter.com View upcoming trainings: https://complextraumatrainingcenter.com/schedule/ Join us for this a transformative 2-day Intro to NARM® online workshop: https://bit.ly/narmintro *** The Complex Trauma Training Center (CTTC) is a professional organization providing clinical training, education, consultation, and mentorship for psychotherapists and mental health professionals working with individuals and communities impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Complex Trauma (C-PTSD). CTTC provides NARM® Therapist and NARM® Master Therapist Training programs, as well as ongoing monthly groups in support of those learning NARM. CTTC offers a depth-oriented professional community for those seeking a supportive network of therapists focused on three levels of shared human experience: personal, interpersonal & transpersonal. The Transforming Trauma podcast embodies the spirit of CTTC – best described by its three keywords: depth, connection, and heart - and offers guidance to those interested in effective, transformational trauma-informed care. We want to connect with you! Facebook @complextraumatrainingcenter Instagram @cttc_training LinkedIn YouTube

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 NARM® gave language to what she had long known intuitively: healing isn't about perfection, but about reconnecting to what remains alive within us - or in other words, corazonada. Transforming Trauma thanks Annecy for sharing NARM® with her students, patients, and artistic communities. She embodies what it means to connect to our authenticity and each other. To read the full show notes and discover more resources, visit https://complextraumatrainingcenter.com/transformingtrauma SPACE: SPACE is an Inner Development Program of Support and Self-Discovery for Therapists on the Personal, Interpersonal, and Transpersonal Levels offered by the Complex Trauma Training Center. This experiential learning program offers an immersive group experience designed to cultivate space for self-care, community support, and deepening vitality in our professional role as therapists. Learn more about how to join. *** The Complex Trauma Training Center: https://complextraumatrainingcenter.com View upcoming trainings: https://complextraumatrainingcenter.com/schedule/ Join us for this a transformative 2-day Intro to NARM® online workshop: https://bit.ly/narmintro *** The Complex Trauma Training Center (CTTC) is a professional organization providing clinical training, education, consultation, and mentorship for psychotherapists and mental health professionals working with individuals and communities impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Complex Trauma (C-PTSD). CTTC provides NARM® Therapist and NARM® Master Therapist Training programs, as well as ongoing monthly groups in support of those learning NARM. CTTC offers a depth-oriented professional community for those seeking a supportive network of therapists focused on three levels of shared human experience: personal, interpersonal & transpersonal. The Transforming Trauma podcast embodies the spirit of CTTC – best described by its three keywords: depth, connection, and heart - and offers guidance to those interested in effective, transformational trauma-informed care. We want to connect with you! Facebook @complextraumatrainingcenter Instagram @cttc_training LinkedIn YouTube

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® Master Therapist based outside Chicago who specializes in developmental trauma. Their deeply personal conversation moves beyond clinical theory into the relational, emotional, and somatic realities of parenting while neurodivergent, married to a neurodivergent partner, and raising neurodivergent kids. Transforming Trauma is grateful to Amanda for her candor regarding the realities of neurodivergent parenting. We appreciate her work building a network of accessible, neuro-affirming spaces where every individual can thrive. To read the full show notes and discover more resources, visit https://complextraumatrainingcenter.com/transformingtrauma SPACE: SPACE is an Inner Development Program of Support and Self-Discovery for Therapists on the Personal, Interpersonal, and Transpersonal Levels offered by the Complex Trauma Training Center. This experiential learning program offers an immersive group experience designed to cultivate space for self-care, community support, and deepening vitality in our professional role as therapists. Learn more about how to join. *** The Complex Trauma Training Center: https://complextraumatrainingcenter.com View upcoming trainings: https://complextraumatrainingcenter.com/schedule/ Join us for this a transformative 2-day Intro to NARM® online workshop: https://bit.ly/narmintro *** The Complex Trauma Training Center (CTTC) is a professional organization providing clinical training, education, consultation, and mentorship for psychotherapists and mental health professionals working with individuals and communities impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Complex Trauma (C-PTSD). CTTC provides NARM® Therapist and NARM® Master Therapist Training programs, as well as ongoing monthly groups in support of those learning NARM. CTTC offers a depth-oriented professional community for those seeking a supportive network of therapists focused on three levels of shared human experience: personal, interpersonal & transpersonal. The Transforming Trauma podcast embodies the spirit of CTTC – best described by its three keywords: depth, connection, and heart - and offers guidance to those interested in effective, transformational trauma-informed care. We want to connect with you! Facebook @complextraumatrainingcenter Instagram @cttc_training LinkedIn YouTube

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 modern attachment theory. Ann draws on her clinical work, research, and experience as co-creator of the podcast Therapist Uncensored to present a compassionate, up-to-date view of attachment that replaces rigid labels with practical strategies for meaningful relational growth.  The conversation also delves into the importance of remaining curious and willing to challenge the limits of our own educational or experiential bias as information evolves. This skill is on full display in Secure Relating: Holding Your Own in an Insecure World, the book Ann co-authored with her "neuronerd" colleague and co-host Sue Marriott, LCSW, CGP. Transforming Trauma thanks Ann for sharing her hopeful yet practical approach to psychological growth. She shares meaningfully on what it means to explore our attachment patterns without judgment or predetermined outcomes. To read the full show notes and discover more resources, visit https://complextraumatrainingcenter.com/transformingtrauma SPACE: SPACE is an Inner Development Program of Support and Self-Discovery for Therapists on the Personal, Interpersonal, and Transpersonal Levels offered by the Complex Trauma Training Center. This experiential learning program offers an immersive group experience designed to cultivate space for self-care, community support, and deepening vitality in our professional role as therapists. Learn more about how to join. *** The Complex Trauma Training Center: https://complextraumatrainingcenter.com View upcoming trainings: https://complextraumatrainingcenter.com/schedule/ Join us for this a transformative 2-day Intro to NARM® online workshop: https://bit.ly/narmintro *** The Complex Trauma Training Center (CTTC) is a professional organization providing clinical training, education, consultation, and mentorship for psychotherapists and mental health professionals working with individuals and communities impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Complex Trauma (C-PTSD). CTTC provides NARM® Therapist and NARM® Master Therapist Training programs, as well as ongoing monthly groups in support of those learning NARM. CTTC offers a depth-oriented professional community for those seeking a supportive network of therapists focused on three levels of shared human experience: personal, interpersonal & transpersonal. The Transforming Trauma podcast embodies the spirit of CTTC – best described by its three keywords: depth, connection, and heart - and offers guidance to those interested in effective, transformational trauma-informed care. We want to connect with you! Facebook @complextraumatrainingcenter Instagram @cttc_training LinkedIn YouTube

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 welcomes Dr. Sean Inderbitzen, DSW, LCSW, a psychotherapist, researcher, and author who has dedicated his practice to advancing autism therapy through innovative, evidence-based approaches. The conversation explores ways clinicians can help neurodivergent clients avoid the "diagnosis-as-identity" trap, focusing instead on what is within their control. And finally, Sean guides our audience through a simple yet effective practice for reclaiming a sense of safety and well-being during periods of dysregulation. Transforming Trauma is grateful to Sean for sharing his experiential point of view and for preparing our audience to better support the neurodivergent community.  To read the full show notes and discover more resources, visit https://complextraumatrainingcenter.com/transformingtrauma SPACE: SPACE is an Inner Development Program of Support and Self-Discovery for Therapists on the Personal, Interpersonal, and Transpersonal Levels offered by the Complex Trauma Training Center. This experiential learning program offers an immersive group experience designed to cultivate space for self-care, community support, and deepening vitality in our professional role as therapists. Learn more about how to join. *** The Complex Trauma Training Center: https://complextraumatrainingcenter.com View upcoming trainings: https://complextraumatrainingcenter.com/schedule/ Join us for this a transformative 2-day Intro to NARM® online workshop: https://bit.ly/narmintro *** The Complex Trauma Training Center (CTTC) is a professional organization providing clinical training, education, consultation, and mentorship for psychotherapists and mental health professionals working with individuals and communities impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Complex Trauma (C-PTSD). CTTC provides NARM® Therapist and NARM® Master Therapist Training programs, as well as ongoing monthly groups in support of those learning NARM. CTTC offers a depth-oriented professional community for those seeking a supportive network of therapists focused on three levels of shared human experience: personal, interpersonal & transpersonal. The Transforming Trauma podcast embodies the spirit of CTTC – best described by its three keywords: depth, connection, and heart - and offers guidance to those interested in effective, transformational trauma-informed care. We want to connect with you! Facebook @complextraumatrainingcenter Instagram @cttc_training LinkedIn YouTube