Transforming Trauma: Episode 098

In this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily is joined by Amanda Huffman, psychotherapist, NARM Therapist and nutrition health coach, who is committed to holistic integrative healing and supporting her clients to live healthier lives. She shares her excitement about current research on the microbiome, and how she believes that this evolving field can help support the treatment of developmental trauma. Amanda’s skills, knowledge and passion have led her to create the new healing center Sugar Creek Farm, an organic farm and somatic healing retreat, where she hopes people can experience whole-body support to reclaim their mental and physical health. 

 

Amanda trained early in her career in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and soon realized she was drawn to somatic models for healing trauma. This took her down a path of discovery and skill building, which included Somatic Experiencing (SE), Relational Bodywork and Somatic Education (BASE), and the NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM). 

 

Amanda shares how her work came close to home with her father’s multiple myeloma cancer diagnosis. While researching western medical treatment, and considering some of the limitations she was learning about, she wanted to supplement her father’s treatment as much as possible. By integrating a supportive diet and other organic practices, he had a phenomenal response to his treatment, which surprised his doctors. This deeply personal experience inspired Amanda to bring this work to other people in their healing journeys.

 

Amanda is continues to study research on the microbiome and reflect on ways to integrate her understanding into holistic support. She also references Kiran Krishnan, a Research Microbologist who helped her bridge the gap of why gut health and trauma are linked, particularly in the cycle of chronic fight or flight. 

 

We are grateful to Amanda for sharing her excitement and learning on nutrition and microbiome, and the ways this treatment may provide support in the healing of complex trauma. We invite you to listen to the full episode to learn more about Amanda, her work, and her new healing center in Kentucky.

 

About:

Amanda is a psychotherapist, NARM Therapist and nutrition health coach who has been in practice since 2006. She specializes in somatically-oriented trauma therapies that include SE, BASE, and NARM. Her passion includes the integration of nutrition and gut health into her practice to broaden our view of physical and mental well-being. Amanda is the owner of Sugar Creek Farm, an organic farm and somatic trauma healing retreat that utilizes regenerative agriculture, organic practices, and somatic healing.

 

Learn More:

Website – www.amandajhuffman.com 

Follow Amanda’s practice on social media – Facebook – Instagram

Organic Farm & Somatic Trauma Healing Retreat – Facebook – Instagram