Transforming Trauma: Episode 059

In this end of the year episode, we are joined by Brad Kammer, NARM Training Director and Senior Faculty, Dr. Laurence Heller, creator of the NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM), and new Transforming Trauma host, Emily Ruth. 

They start by saying goodbye to Sarah Buino, the inaugural host of the podcast, and expressing their gratitude for her contributions to Transforming Trauma. 

They then share a heartfelt welcome to Emily and how thrilled they are to be bringing Emily on as the new host of Transforming Trauma.

Emily, a NARM Practitioner and NARM Training Assistant, shares a brief overview of her background and how she originally found NARM. In her early part of her career she was a movement artist and a choreographer.  “I really enjoy creating and so choreography was always more of my jam.” Then when she became pregnant with her first son she was curious about what was happening in her body and how she was being impacted in such transformative ways. This experience led her to becoming a birth doula. “The training that I had as a doula was really about creating an environment for a baby to be born with as little trauma as possible.”  Emily shares that she found NARM shortly after starting graduate school and that NARM aligned with how she was already approaching her work and her life. After Emily shares a bit about herself she then invites Larry and Brad to share about what they have been up to over the last year and reflect on what they are looking forward to in the future with NARM. 

Larry reflects on the tremendous growth over the last year within the NARM international community. He was able to complete several trainings in Europe, completed a book in German on Shame and Guilt, and he and Brad completed a book (which will be published July 2022).  “It’s been a busy and productive year and I’m happy with NARM being taken into the world in broader ways.” Larry shares that over the next year he plans to continue with the NARM Post Masters Immersion Training. This Level 4 NARM Training is for clinicians who have completed the Level 3 NARM Masters Therapist Training and want to continue deepening their learning. 

Brad reflects on how NARM’s growth over the last year honors the mission of the NARM Training Institute, which is to create a professional community where helping professionals can receive mentorship and support in their work with complex trauma.  “It’s exciting to see the level of growth that we’ve had.”  He shares that he’s excited about the future direction of the podcast, the further development of the NARM Inner Circle, and especially about their new book coming out soon: The Practical Guide for Healing Developmental Trauma: Using the NeuroAffective Relational Model to Address Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resolve Complex Trauma.

As their conversation comes to a close, they reflect on the thousands of people now trained in NARM. As senior trainers in NARM, Brad and Larry express feeling humbled to see the growth of NARM and excited to know that this work is getting out more into the world. They are looking forward to building on the momentum in 2022 and taking on new projects to continue making NARM more accessible to helping professionals around the world.

Brad closes by expressing his gratitude towards the NARM community and what they’ve built together. “We are creating a sacred environment, and I hope that this [community] supports people to go out into their communities and to the clients they are working with and know that they have a place they are a part of professionally.”