[Content Warning]: Discussion of childhood sexual abuse, grooming

Trauma doesn't just leave emotional scars; it rewires the brain. In this episode of Trauma Interrupted, Jan Broberg sits down with Dr. Hector Rodriguez, an integrative psychiatrist, founder of White Butterfly Clinic in Miami, and holder of both a medical degree and a Master of Divinity. Dr. Hector brings a rare combination of neuroscience and soul-level care to a field that too often reduces people to their symptoms. 

Together, Jan and Dr. Hector explore how traumatic events, especially those experienced in childhood, alter the nervous system, the immune system, and the brain's visual memory centers. Dr. Hector explains how SPECT brain imaging allows him to actually see trauma patterns in the brain, often uncovering buried wounds that no other test has been able to find. He shares the story of a patient in his late 60s who spent decades unable to sleep, only to discover through EMDR that a single witnessed assault at age four had quietly shaped his entire life.

The conversation moves through developmental trauma, the neuroscience of grooming, how freeze responses get mislabeled as weakness, and the delicate work of teaching children resilience without passing on generational fear. Dr. Hector also speaks openly about his own journey as a Cuban immigrant, his theological training, and why he believes the people who have had to rebuild themselves from the ground up are often the ones who change the world. 

If you've ever been told to just get over it, dismissed by a doctor who couldn't find anything wrong, or wonder why certain things still affect you after all this time, this episode is for you.

Where To Find Dr. Hector Rodriguez:
White Butterfly Clinic

If you or someone you know is experiencing emotional distress or suicidal ideation, please access the resources below:

National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call/Text 988
National Sexual Assault Hotline  (RAINN) : 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)
National Alliance for Mental Illness: 1-800-950-6264  

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