Drs. Robyn Walser & Darrah Westrup - You Are Not Your Trauma

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In this episode of Thoughts on Record, we’re joined by Drs. Robyn D. Walser and Darrah Westrup—two of the world’s leading experts in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and trauma treatment. Their new book, You Are Not Your Trauma, offers a compassionate and practical guide to healing that helps readers move beyond symptom management and toward a life anchored in meaning, connection, and psychological flexibility.  In this conversation we explore the book’s three-phase model of trauma recovery:

1. Building safety and foundational skills
2. Engaging in exposure and experiential work
3. Reconnecting with values, identity, and life direction

Throughout the conversation, Drs. Walser & Westrup discuss the central ACT principle that healing is not about erasing traumatic memories but changing our relationship with them. They emphasize how trauma often narrows a person’s world—through avoidance, emotional numbing, and self-protective habits that once served a purpose but now limit growth. ACT offers a path toward gently expanding one’s life again, guided by values rather than fear.

This episode is ideal for clinicians, trauma survivors, and anyone interested in a more flexible, humane approach to trauma recovery.

Bios

Dr. Robyn D. Walser is Director of TL Consultation Services, Associate Director at the National Center for PTSD, and Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of California, Berkeley. A leading figure in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dr. Walser has co-authored multiple books and over 60 peer-reviewed articles. Her work focuses on trauma, mindfulness, and clinical innovation, and she is widely regarded as one of the foremost experts in ACT for trauma recovery.

Dr. Darrah Westrup is a licensed clinical psychologist, trainer, and author with decades of experience in treating trauma and anxiety-related disorders. She previously served as the Director of Training and Dissemination at the National Center for PTSD and has been instrumental in adapting ACT principles for wide-scale use in both clinical and non-clinical settings. Dr. Westrup brings a clinician’s nuance and a trainer’s clarity to her writing and therapeutic work.