Category: Transforming Trauma Podcast

In this episode of Transforming Trauma, we’ve invited Daniel Shaw back to have a conversation with our host Emily to further discuss his work and his most recent book, Traumatic Narcissism and Recovery: Leaving the Prison of Shame and Fear. Daniel Shaw LCSW is an author, private practice psychoanalyst, faculty and supervisor at the National Institute for the Psychotherapies. He has provided professional counseling for former cultic group members, and their friends and loved ones since 1994. 

Daniel shares that he wants listeners to understand the ways that we become alienated from ourselves because of trauma and the internal antagonism between the part that wants to live, and the part that wants to shut down life. He also shares, “We within ourselves, have healing capacities, we have healing energy. That’s innate.” 

Throughout the episode, we hear from Daniel about his influences such as Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Internal Family Systems, and EMDR, and how these models have supported his understanding of Trauma and the Self. “The benefit of subsequent training in trauma theories has been to understand that within us is always an energy trying to survive and trying to LIVE. We’re not just trying to survive. I think we’re trying to live,” he shares. 

We invite you to listen to this episode to hear more about Daniel Shaw. To listen to the previous episode of Transforming Trauma with Daniel Shaw you can listen here.

About Daniel Shaw:

Daniel Shaw is an author, faculty and supervisor in New York City at the National Institute for the Psychotherapies. He maintains his private psychotherapy practice In New York City and in Nyack, NY.

Contact Daniel:

Website: www.danielshawlcsw.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/DanielShawLCSW

In this first episode of 2022, NARM Faculty Marcia Black, Stefanie Klein and Brad Kammer welcome our new Transforming Trauma host Emily Ruth, and together explore the challenges, learning and growth over this past year. They reflect on how NARM has supported them in their teaching and work with clients. They also reflect on the power of coming together in community with NARM Therapists and Helping Professionals around the world, and how this has sustained them through this time of COVID.

When the Transforming Trauma podcast was just beginning, and at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Marcia, Stefanie and Brad had a conversation about “Connection, Community and Transformation During Crisis”. Throughout this new conversation, they follow up on themes from their initial conversation and talk about vulnerability, curiosity, not knowing, and the different ways NARM supports them as they are supporting healing and growth in their students and clients. 

All three reflected on the significance of them continuing to “do their own work”, meaning, continuing to focus on their own inner healing and growth for themselves.  They agreed that this helps them both personally and professionally.  As Brad says, “It doesn’t matter if you’re 18 or 80, there’s always going to be more work…We can learn, as our strategies start to quiet down, how to be more expansive and have greater capacity.” This reflects a central theme in NARM about how we support increasing psychobiological capacity through self-inquiry and commitment to our own work.

They also reflect on all the various trauma-informed projects they are involved in. Brad talks about the larger mission of the NARM Training Institute in making NARM more accessible, and the ways they are continuing to get creative in offering new trainings, programs and outreach.

We invite you to tune in and hear how the NARM Training Institute and the global NARM Community has adapted, grown, and been impacted by the important learning that happens in the NARM Trainings, and all of the healing that’s supported by NARM Therapists and NARM-Informed Professionals all over the world.

In this episode of Transforming Trauma we hear from Jacqueline Russell and Dexter Ellis. Jacqueline is the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Chicago Children’s Theatre, and founded The Chicago Children’s theatre seventeen years ago with the goal of creating the best quality children’s theatre. She also started the Red Kite Project in order to support children on the Autism Spectrum, providing them and their families with theatrical and educational programs. Dexter has been with the Chicago Children’s Theatre for over four years, and now proudly serves as the Director of Education & Community Programs. Jacqueline and Dexter completed the Level 1 NARM Online Basics Training last spring and are integrating a trauma-informed approach into their work with youth and the performing arts. 

Dexter and Jacqueline reflect on their experiences of going into various classrooms throughout Chicago. They noticed disparities in access to resources, economic and racial divides, and a strong need for trauma-informed care. The pair reflect on how their NARM training has impacted their work. Jacqueline shares that she’s noticed she’s more able to stay connected to herself and not try to “fix others”. Dexter expressed that he has more capacity to be more curious with the kids that he’s working with as well as in his personal relationships. For both Jacquelin and Dexter, a central theme of NARM, “being in the 50/50”, which means staying connected to oneself while connecting to others, has really impacted how they relate to themselves and the people they work with. 

Dexter reflects on how this framework has impacted how he relates to and holds space for the kids. The trauma-informed curriculum they created at the Chicago Children’s Theatre supports young children to connect to their emotions and build resilience. Dexter shares an example of ways that they use curiosity with the kids if they break an agreement. “We ask the kids, what were you trying to get in that moment, how did it make you feel, how did it make others feel?” This supports a deeper connection between the teacher and the child and helps them to connect more to themselves and build resilience. 

Jacqueline explained that the NARM training has helped her to see the important need for children to be seen, heard, and understood by the adults in their life. This builds a heart connection that is often lacking for children and even for many adults. She reflects on a central theme of the NARM Training: heartfulness. “We talk all the time now that [in our] work for children and with children about how important it is that the work is heartful.”

About:

Jacqueline Russell is Co-Founder and Artistic Director, Chicago Children’s Theatre since 2005. Previously, she served as the Executive Director of Lookingglass Theatre Company, during which time she led the company’s build and move into Lookingglass’ current performance space in the Water Tower Water Works. Before joining Lookingglass, she spent five years as Director of Children’s Programs at Old Town School of Folk Music. In addition to leading CCT’s main stage and award-winning new play development, Russell is the creator of the Red Kite Project, a CCT program dedicated to bringing theatre into the lives of children with special needs. In 2010, she was appointed by the U.S. State Department to serve as Cultural Envoy to Canada, and was honored with the 2013 “Hero of the Year Award” from the Chicago chapter of Autism Speaks. She was named “Tastemaker” by Time Out Chicago Kids, and has three times been highlighted in New City’s “Players” list of “People Who Really Perform for Chicago.” She over saw the funding and renovation of The Station, Chicago Children’s Theatre’s first permanent home located in an old police station which opened in the city’s West Loop in 2017.  Chicago Children’s Theatre received a National Theatre Company Award from The American Theatre Wing in 2018 and the 2019 Award for” Artistic Innovation” from TYA/USA. Jacqueline is one of 20 women featured on the city of Chicago’s mural “Rush More” by Kerry James Marshall.  She spent her early childhood in Beirut and is originally from Houston, Texas and received her BFA from NYU. She has a daughter, Shiri Nicole, two kittens and a turtle named Leonard.

Dexter Ellis is a Louisiana born educator, director, and actor that misses the crawfish and gumbo but is humbled by the Chicago theatre community. After being with Chicago Children’s Theatre for 5 years, Dexter now proudly serves as the Director of Education & Community Programs where he creates a wide variety of programming for Ages 0-14 throughout Chicago. Dexter has also co-directed several public performance pieces with Chicago Children’s Theatre in events such as Luma8’s Art in the Dark Parade and DCASE’s YAS! Festival. Other notable projects at Chicago Children’s Theatre have spanned from creating international curriculum centering on the UN’s Sustainable Goals with The Pomegranate Workshop in Mumbai, India to creating curriculum with the Lurie’s Center for Childhood Resilience that focuses on generating trauma responsive spaces in the classroom and equipping young people with tools to be resilient in a temperamental world.  

Learn more: www.chicagochildrenstheatre.org

In this episode of Transforming Trauma, our guest is Althea Simpson, the founder of Brighter Day Therapeutic Solutions, Unicorn Life Training and the Black Play Therapy Society. Althea is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker specializing in Trauma Recovery, a Registered Play Therapist, and a Certified Lego Serious Play Facilitator. Her approach to treatment is tailored to the unique needs of her clients and she brings a range of educational, professional, and life experiences to her work as a therapist, clinical supervisor, and mental health consultant.

Althea shares that she would like for listeners to learn that play therapy is not just for children, but that it is a trauma-informed treatment. Originally she planned to go into social work to work on the macro, systemic level, and her social work internship experience at a community mental health organization in DC opened her eyes to trauma. She realized the profound impacts of trauma on families and children and decided to focus her career path on helping support the kids and adolescents that were impacted by complex trauma.

Althea was drawn to play therapy early in her career, which is a therapeutic modality that supports clients to express themselves in ways other than just verbal communication. She discusses a play therapy intervention that is aligned with NARM, which is using inquiry in the play therapy process. “It’s not for us [as therapists] to give meaning to [the client’s experience], that’s for the client,” she says. Similar to the NARM approach, Althea invites curiosity which supports clients to connect more deeply to themselves.

While Althea relies on play therapy as her main clinical focus, she acknowledges the central importance of the therapeutic relationship with clients. “Real therapeutic change isn’t possible if the client doesn’t have a real connection with you.”

Althea reflects on the importance of deconstructing the stigma around mental health with black families. She shares, “I’ve been doing a lot of work in healing the black child, and black communities have undeniably unique needs around mental health and trauma.” Althea explains that many black families believe that the answer to their mental health problems is through church. She challenges this notion through addressing the intersectionality of spirituality, religion, and mental health. She also started the Black Play Therapy Society to address the disparities for black therapists not being able to showcase their work, as well as the inconsistencies and information that was being talked about in the black communities.

Althea details many important aspects that therapists need to understand in order to work with black families. She states, “We need more black therapists.” She also asks an important question for non-black therapists who are working with black families, which is, “Are black clients allowed to show up in their authentic self with all their pain, and can they express what they need to express?”

Althea acknowledges that utilizing play therapy helped her to also address her own healing. “I don’t think that we should have clients go where we’re not willing to,” Althea states. Althea’s lived experiences of trauma, as well as healing from her trauma, has supported her in her capacity to help her clients. She explains, “I’m a great therapist because I understand [the work] both personally and professionally.”

Althea bio: Althea is the founder of Brighter Day Therapeutic Solutions and Unicorn Life Training. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker specialized in trauma recovery, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor, and Certified LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Facilitator. She has an active psychotherapy private practice in Northern, VA and has experience treating children, adolescents, and adults with diverse backgrounds and ranges of concerns, including anger, substance use/abuse, domestic violence, anxiety, and depression. Her approach to treatment is tailored to the unique needs of her clients and she brings a range of educational, professional and life experiences to her work as a therapist, clinical supervisor, and mental health consultant.

In this episode of Transforming Trauma, Brad Kammer, Senior Faculty and Training Director of the NARM Training Institute, is joined by Lara Eisenberg. Lara is a bilingual licensed professional clinical counselor, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, and women’s spirituality and sexuality therapist. She’s the owner of Body-Mind Wellness, a somatic psychotherapy and coaching practice, specializing in developmental trauma, anxiety, depression, ancestral healing, sexuality, and spirituality. She also incorporates ritual and trauma-informed touch in her work with clients.

Lara shares that her lived experiences informed much of her work including witnessing violence in her community and her home, and also the oppression she has experienced because of her Jewish ethnicity. She shares how the intersection of her ethnicity and gender were both used against her in the form of objectification, and internalized as self-objectification. Lara shares that due to these experiences she began studying psychology.

Lara and Brad explore together their shared view on complex trauma healing which supports individuals to move from experiencing themselves as an object to a subject. Lara explains how objectification of women in American society disconnects a woman from her own pleasure and body. “If the body is seen as an object, then how do you come into the body in times of your menstrual cycle or discomfort or pleasure?” She explains that through somatic work, a woman can be supported to embody and to connect back to herself and her pleasure.

Lara describes the spiritual underpinnings of her work with women which supports them to reclaim their sacredness. Lara shares with Brad that to reclaim the sacredness is to embody, to connect back to their bodies. She explains that with the right support, her clients have been able to reconnect back to stuck energy and start to connect to their needs and desires. Brad states, “It’s so difficult to stay connected to ourselves while in a relationship to others, and the extra challenges for women to stay connected while they are in relationships without having to pull away from their authenticity, boundaries, and needs.”

Lara shared that she is a new mom and has an 18 months-old daughter which also informs much of her work and desire to heal. She shares the lessons around self-esteem she hopes to share with her child, as well as her clients. Recognizing her own intergenerational trauma as a Jewish woman, including current antisemitism she faces, has helped her as a mother, woman and healer. “I am proud to say I am Jewish and there used to be a lot of shame. I think if there’s one part of your identity that you feel ashamed about, or you feel afraid of revealing, then you can’t be a whole fully expressed being.” Lara embodies this natural pride of the sacred feminine and models it for the women she works with in her life.