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Transforming Trauma
How NARM Expands the Psychotherapeutic Landscape With Tobias Konermann
Aug 28, 2024
Tobias Konermann, a clinical psychologist from Berlin specializing in developmental trauma, joins the discussion to explore the NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM). He highlights how NARM differentiates itself from traditional therapies by emphasizing relational dynamics and emotional awareness. They delve into the role of shame in therapy and how it can hinder healing. Additionally, Tobias shares innovative strategies for working with trauma, underlining NARM's potential to transform therapeutic practices and improve client outcomes through its holistic approach.
40:34
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Quick takeaways
- The NeuroAffective Relational Model emphasizes relational exploration over goal orientation, facilitating organic growth and healing in clients dealing with trauma.
- Tobias Konermann highlights the critical role of agency in therapy, allowing clients to reconnect with primary emotions and enhance self-awareness.
Deep dives
NARM Therapist Trainings in 2025
The upcoming 2025 NARM therapist trainings aim to enhance the clinical expertise of mental health professionals in healing complex trauma. Three Level 2 NARM therapist trainings will be offered, including two live online cohorts and one in-person training in Scottsdale, Arizona, starting in January and May 2025. These training sessions focus on a neuro-affective relational model that helps address adverse childhood experiences and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD). Participants will engage in four weekend modules throughout the year, joining a community that fosters both professional skills and personal growth.
Tobias Konerman's Insights on Trauma
Tobias Konerman, a clinical psychologist from Berlin, emphasizes the impact of developmental and collective trauma on individuals' self-connection. His experience with NARM began through a client's suggestion, and he has since been actively involved in training therapists across Europe. He highlights the importance of understanding inner architectures in therapeutic settings and explains how various modes of processing, such as analytic versus experiential, shape the therapeutic experience. This foundational knowledge is crucial for therapists aiming to cultivate supportive environments for healing.
The Importance of Intentionality over Goals
The distinction between goal orientation and intentionality is a key concept in the NARM model, as emphasized by the discussion around healing dynamics. While traditional goal-oriented approaches can create pressure to achieve specific outcomes, intentional orientation focuses on a relational exploration of desires and feelings. This method allows clients to experience growth and healing in a more organic manner, reconciling their internal conflicts. The relational aspect of intention formation is seen as fundamental to fostering a safe space for clients, enhancing their sense of subjectivity.
Agency and Subjectivity in Therapy
Agency is described as the ability to respond meaningfully to one's experiences, distinguishing between reactivity and responsiveness. The relationship between agency and primary emotions is explored, indicating that reconnecting with one's agency cultivates access to these emotions. Trauma-informed practices prioritize recognizing moments when clients feel a lack of choice, as acknowledging this can lead to healing and greater self-awareness. Encouraging therapists to maintain their subjectivity and curiosity during sessions helps to foster an authentic therapeutic relationship, leading to deeper exploration and understanding in treatment.
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, Brad Kammer, CTTC Director and NARM® Senior Trainer, invites Tobias Konermann, Ph.D., NARM Therapist, to share insights from his recent article: How the NeuroAffective Relational Model Expands the Psychotherapeutic Landscape.
Together, they discuss a broad range of topics, including what sets the developmentally-oriented, mindfulness-based aspects of NARM apart from its humanistic predecessors, how shame functions in the therapeutic relationship and inhibits client transformation, and strategies for working with the phenomenology (or lived experience) that influences every interaction.
About Tobias Konermann:
Tobias Konermann is a Clinical Psychologist and licensed Psychotherapist practicing in Berlin, Germany. He teaches at several institutes for psychotherapy (DGVT, HAP, IMU) and specializes in working with developmental trauma. Tobias has developed maps for principles of process-oriented change and offers advanced training for psychotherapists and coaches. He has worked with Thomas HĂĽbl for over ten years and leads the Inner Science Training Group in the Academy of Inner Science. Tobias is part of the faculty for NARM training in Europe as a teaching therapist and supervisor.
Learn More:
To read the full show notes and discover more resources, visit https://complextraumatrainingcenter.com/transformingtrauma
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The Complex Trauma Training Center:
https://complextraumatrainingcenter.com
View upcoming trainings:
https://complextraumatrainingcenter.com/schedule/
The Complex Trauma Training Center (CTTC) is a professional organization providing clinical training, education, consultation, and mentorship for psychotherapists and mental health professionals working with individuals and communities impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Complex Trauma (C-PTSD).
CTTC provides NARM® Therapist and NARM® Master Therapist Training programs, as well as ongoing monthly groups in support of those learning NARM. CTTC offers a depth-oriented professional community for those seeking a supportive network of therapists focused on three levels of shared human experience: personal, interpersonal & transpersonal.
The Transforming Trauma podcast embodies the spirit of CTTC – best described by its three keywords: depth, connection, and heart - and offers guidance to those interested in effective, transformational trauma-informed care.
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