Welcome back to Therapy Chat! In this week's episode, host Laura Reagan, LCSW-C interviews Dr. Karol Darsa, author of The Trauma Map: Five Steps to Reconnect with Yourself. She discusses her book and her trauma-informed Intensive Outpatient Center, Reconnect Center.

Guest Bio:

Dr. Darsa is a licensed psychologist, an author, creator of RITTM, and founder of Reconnect. She has more than 20 years of clinical and administrative experience in trauma and mental health disorders. Dr. Darsa began her career in 1998 as a foster care social worker and continued her work with abused children and their families and adults abused as children.

In 2002, Dr. Darsa began studying with Christine Schenk, founder of the CHRIS-Technique, a unique energy work focused on teaching clients how to ground themselves in their bodies. Dr. Darsa has completed numerous evidence-based trainings in the treatment of trauma and mental health disorders, including Level III in Brainspotting, Level I and II trainings in EMDR, and Somatic Experiencing and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. With each advanced training, Dr. Darsa developed a deeper understanding of trauma processes and healing, and developed Reconnect Integrative Trauma Treatment Model which is an integration of evidence-based, cutting-edge trauma treatment models.

In 2012 Dr. Darsa became the co-creator of Invisible War Recovery, a program designed to treat military sexual trauma survivors.  She has been interviewed by Katie Couric, Susan Ortolano, and Lisa Tahir, and was featured on the Voice of America. She lectures about trauma treatment at various universities such as the University of Southern California, UCLA and Cal Lutheran. She also speaks at treatment centers and conferences.

Dr. Darsa realized that what is often missing in trauma treatment is a finely attuned, gentle, body based process to help heal and reconnect mind and body when clients become dysregulated due to traumatic events, developmental trauma, or emotional disorders. Thus, Dr. Darsa created RITTM to close those missing gaps in trauma treatment. Reconnect Center embodies that philosophy in offering intensive one on one work to help truly heal each individual that comes through her doors.

A native of Turkey, Dr. Darsa has been living in the United States for 25 years. She has also lived in Spain, France and Brazil. Dr. Darsa’s exposure to numerous ethnic and social groups allows her to understand the cultural differences in human thought and behavior. She can provide therapy in English, Spanish, French and Turkish and is able to converse in Italian and Portuguese as well.

Dr. Karol Darsa's book, The Trauma Map: Five Steps to Reconnect with Yourself

Thank you to Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute for sponsoring this week's episode! Therapists, if you feel stuck when working with clients who feel numb and disconnected from their emotions or have difficulty accessing their inner experience, learn a comprehensive approach to conceptualize your clients' concerns.

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy uniquely includes the body in therapy as both a source of information and target for intervention…because words are not enough. Go beyond theories and gain practical ways to open a new dimension for effective therapy.

Visit Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute online at sensorimotor.org today!

To be in the know about Laura's new podcast, Trauma Chat, which is launching in June 2021, go to www.traumachatpod.com and sign up for the email list! You'll receive a free gift for signing up!

New website coming soon: www.traumatherapistnetwork.com - a community for finding information, resources and help for trauma. Sign up for the email list to be notified when the website goes live and receive a free gift!

Other Links:

Therapists: if you are interested in learning more about using psychedelics to help clients process trauma, go here to attend a webinar with Psychedelic Somatic Institute and learn about their training (affiliate link). I'll be attending their training DC in July (can't wait)!!!! If you have no idea what I'm talking about go here to listen to my last 3 interviews on using psychedelics in trauma therapy. (affiliate link)

Therapists: thinking of adding coaching to your toolkit but not sure where to start? Check out Katie Read's course which guides you through literally everything you need to know and be sure to tell them you heard about it from Laura Reagan on Therapy Chat! (affiliate link) - I'm currently participating in the course and it is so comprehensive! I've learned a ton - she makes it easy! (affiliate link)

Podcast produced by Pete Bailey - https://petebailey.net/audio

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Happy Mammoth and use my code CHAT for a great deal: https://happymammoth.com

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

6 Minute English

Algorithms

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts