Transforming Trauma: Episode 088

In this episode of Transforming Trauma, our host Emily is joined by Laura Reagan, integrative trauma therapist, founder of the Trauma Therapist Network, and host of the Therapy Chat podcast. Laura is passionate about the trauma-informed movement and is dedicated to helping therapists become more skilled in trauma and attachment work by exploring their own inner worlds. Laura believes in the importance of therapists doing their own personal work in order to be more effective in supporting a client’s therapeutic process. Her current focus is similar to the focus of the NARM Training Institute – on building a supportive therapeutic community and combating the isolation of trauma work. Laura is excited to be a part of this positive movement of therapists being more humanistic.

Laura’s innate desire to help people, and her curiosity around what drives human behavior, initially led her down a path of sociological studies and the opportunity to volunteer at a sexual assault crisis center. During this exploratory period in her career, she would feel overwhelmed by the circumstances her clients were experiencing. Reflecting on this time, she acknowledges that she had no awareness of her own trauma and realizes that the pain she felt was also driven by her own trauma wounds being activated. The advice from her supervisor to do her own personal work, alongside her studies to become a therapist, was a pivotal moment.  Laura expresses, “I cannot imagine what harm I could have done…” had she not done her own therapy before entering the field.

Along her personal journey, and through her clinical work with clients who experienced childhood abuse, Laura has learned that trauma shows up in different ways, and often in ways that may not traditionally be considered trauma. For that reason, Laura encourages everyone to reflect on how trauma might be showing up for them personally. She shares her own example of what she considered personality traits actually being adaptations and reactions to trauma.

Laura loves helping therapists learn about attachment and complex trauma because she believes in the positive effects of the therapist being attuned to their own experience. She highlights that where a therapist’s blind spots are is typically where the therapist’s pain spots are. If those blind spots are not addressed, therapists can be blind to what things are like for their clients and that could lead to missed opportunities for healing. In Laura’s words, “our wounds can be gifts in our work.” 

We are grateful to Laura for sharing her story with us. We invite you to listen to the full episode to hear more about  the work she is doing for the trauma-informed movement, especially in service of the therapists 

About:

Laura Reagan, LCSW-C is an integrative trauma therapist, coach and consultant who hosts Therapy Chat Podcast. She is the founder of Trauma Therapist Network, a resource for learning about how trauma and attachment wounds show up in our lives and finding help and resources. Laura is passionate about spreading the message that trauma is real, healing is possible and help is available.

Learn More:

Trauma Therapist Network – www.traumatherapistnetwork.com 

Therapy Chat Podcast – Facebook, Instagram