Transforming Trauma

Social media platforms are filled with attention-grabbing posts on how to spot, leave, or recover from someone who displays narcissistic characteristics. While those 90-second efforts offer an interesting overview, they rarely provide us with a meaningful foundation for understanding the psychology of a traumatizing narcissist or how their behavior impacts survivors.

On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth welcomes back Daniel Shaw, author of Traumatic Narcissism Theory: A Contemporary Psychoanalytic Introduction, to discuss Traumatic Narcissism Theory (TNT), a framework he created and has refined over thirty years. Through personal stories and contributions from many historically influential psychologists, Daniel charts the evolution of narcissism theory and clearly explains the utility of TNT. He also offers clinicians a roadmap for supporting survivors of traumatizing narcissism as they regain their confidence and recover their autonomy.

In this conversation:

• How Traumatic Narcissism Theory differs from conventional approaches to narcissism

• How to recognize subjugation trauma, coercive control, DARVO, dissociation, and self-blame

• Eight recurring behaviors from traumatizing narcissism and its impact on survivors

• Why self-negation can function as a protective survival strategy—and why therapists shouldn't rush to remove it

• How supervision, patience, psychoeducation, and faith in human healing potential can support clinicians doing this challenging work

Transforming Trauma is grateful to Daniel for his enduring willingness to trust our community with his personal story and share his incredible professional insights with us.

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 a free Introduction to NARM®:

https://bit.ly/narmfreeintro

***

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

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If psychotherapy is about reconnecting to a genuine expression of self, how do we support connection and embodiment in clients who've experienced complex trauma?

One noted clinician believes that polyvagal theory offers vital tools for this journey, provided therapists can hold space for vulnerability during the process of co-regulation.

On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth welcomes back Stephen Porges, Ph.D., the renowned behavioral neuroscientist, professor, and author who, in 1994, originated the polyvagal theory framework: a systems-level, pathway-specific model of autonomic regulation.

This conversation explores:

• Compassion in the context of the nervous system

• How physiological state drives behavior

• How to reinterpret trauma responses as supportive, evolutionary nervous system reactions, not maladaptive strategies

• The concept of neuroception (the body's automatic threat-detection process)

• How co-regulation, emotional availability, and prosodic voice help clients feel safe

Transforming Trauma is grateful to Stephen Porges for once again sharing his life's work with our community and supporting trauma patients on their journey back to somatic understanding of self.

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

Sometimes silence creates space for reflection. But what happens when silence holds unspoken pain, and difficult conversations are increasingly avoided or abandoned altogether?

Spoiler alert: suppressing what should be said rarely leads to positive outcomes for our physical or mental wellbeing. So, how do we wade into the turbulent emotional waters of relational silence, confidently embody our role as generational cycle-breakers, and future-proof our lineage?

On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth chats with Nicole Russell-Wharton, founder of the Precious Dreams Foundation and author of "Breaking Generational Silence," about the liberatory work of disrupting harmful relational patterns.

• Harmful cycles can repeat even when love is present.

• Silence can hide the "invisible issues" within a family.

• Cycle-breaking requires becoming a "transitional character."

• How we communicate can determine whether someone becomes curious or defensive.

• Generational healing is bigger than the individual.

Transforming Trauma is grateful to Nicole for giving voice to generational silence. Her work provides a vocabulary for healing and living out loud at a time when so many are told to keep quiet.

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

Emily Ruth welcomes Dr. Paul Conti, psychiatrist and author of "Trauma: The Invisible Epidemic." to explore how unresolved trauma shapes our inner world, interpersonal relationships, and society at large. Paul also shares insights from his latest book, "What's Going Right: A Powerful Method For Optimizing Your Mental Health," which offers proven strategies for healing from trauma, including the importance of compassionate curiosity and pursuing happiness through growth and connection.

While naming "capital T" trauma is a vital first step in a client's healing process, some people opt to avoid the difficult intrapersonal work that follows. "Trauma is real inside of us. It changes our brains. When we very much want to solve our problems, we often have a greater difficulty doing so," says Paul.

Foundational repair is possible. Paul's conceptual tool of choice is compassionate curiosity. When clients begin to reconnect with their agency, they're more open to recognizing what's going well for them and exploring what isn't.

Transforming Trauma thanks Paul for sharing his expertise with our community and reminding us that we are all imbued with the ability to identify what needs to change and pursue it with courage.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 healthier relationships and genuine intimacy.

On this episode of Transforming Trauma, host Emily Ruth welcomes Samantha Montemayor to discuss the effects of grief on our relationships, emotional resources, and boundary-setting abilities. Samantha also recalls her professional journey and the deeper relational approach that the NeuroAffective Relational Model® encourages in healing from grief. The pair also explore Samantha's personal experiences with grief, her cultural relationship to grief as a Latina, and how NARM® has supported her through its ongoing ebbs and flows.

Finally, Samantha guides our audience through a poignant meditation on grief and closes the conversation with a poem.

Transforming Trauma thanks Samantha for reminding the NARM® community that grief is a lifelong companion. Our healing isn't about becoming finished or perfectly regulated but developing the capacity to hold joy, sorrow, and connection at the same time.

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