System Speak: Complex Trauma and Dissociative Disorders

Emma Sunshaw
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Sep 18, 2025 • 23min

Shoulda Coulda

We give a therapy update.Note: The quote “Trauma in a person, decontextualized over time, looks like personality. Trauma in a family, decontextualized over time, looks like family traits. Trauma in a people, decontextualized over time, looks like culture," was said by Resmaa Menakem.Our website is HERE:  System Speak Podcast.You can submit an email to the podcast HERE.You can JOIN THE COMMUNITY HERE.  Once you are in, you can use a non-Apple device or non-safari browser to join groups HERE. Once you are set up, then the website and app work on any device just fine.  We have peer support check-in groups, an art group, movie groups, social events, and classes.  Additional zoom groups are optional, but only available by joining the groups. Join us!Content Note: Content on this website and in the podcasts is assumed to be trauma and/or dissociative related due to the nature of what is being shared here in general.  Content descriptors are generally given in each episode.  Specific trigger warnings are not given due to research reporting this makes triggers worse.  Please use appropriate self-care and your own safety plan while exploring this website and during your listening experience.  Natural pauses due to dissociation have not been edited out of the podcast, and have been left for authenticity.  While some professional material may be referenced for educational purposes, Emma and her system are not your therapist nor offering professional advice.  Any informational material shared or referenced is simply part of our own learning process, and not guaranteed to be the latest research or best method for you.  Please contact your therapist or nearest emergency room in case of any emergency.  This website does not provide any medical, mental health, or social support services. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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Sep 15, 2025 • 31min

Not the Price, Chapter 3

We read and respond to chapter 3 of Not the Price of Admission by Laura Brown.Our website is HERE:  System Speak Podcast.You can submit an email to the podcast HERE.You can JOIN THE COMMUNITY HERE.  Once you are in, you can use a non-Apple device or non-safari browser to join groups HERE. Once you are set up, then the website and app work on any device just fine.  We have peer support check-in groups, an art group, movie groups, social events, and classes.  Additional zoom groups are optional, but only available by joining the groups. Join us!Content Note: Content on this website and in the podcasts is assumed to be trauma and/or dissociative related due to the nature of what is being shared here in general.  Content descriptors are generally given in each episode.  Specific trigger warnings are not given due to research reporting this makes triggers worse.  Please use appropriate self-care and your own safety plan while exploring this website and during your listening experience.  Natural pauses due to dissociation have not been edited out of the podcast, and have been left for authenticity.  While some professional material may be referenced for educational purposes, Emma and her system are not your therapist nor offering professional advice.  Any informational material shared or referenced is simply part of our own learning process, and not guaranteed to be the latest research or best method for you.  Please contact your therapist or nearest emergency room in case of any emergency.  This website does not provide any medical, mental health, or social support services. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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Sep 11, 2025 • 38min

Emails

We read and respond to listener emails.Andrea Gibson substack referenced is HERE.You can google “JADE Al-Anon” to learn more about JADE (even from non-Al-Anon resources).The “Detachment Pamphlet” is HERE.Our website is HERE:  System Speak Podcast.You can submit an email to the podcast HERE.You can JOIN THE COMMUNITY HERE.  Once you are in, you can use a non-Apple device or non-safari browser to join groups HERE. Once you are set up, then the website and app work on any device just fine.  We have peer support check-in groups, an art group, movie groups, social events, and classes.  Additional zoom groups are optional, but only available by joining the groups. Join us!Content Note: Content on this website and in the podcasts is assumed to be trauma and/or dissociative related due to the nature of what is being shared here in general.  Content descriptors are generally given in each episode.  Specific trigger warnings are not given due to research reporting this makes triggers worse.  Please use appropriate self-care and your own safety plan while exploring this website and during your listening experience.  Natural pauses due to dissociation have not been edited out of the podcast, and have been left for authenticity.  While some professional material may be referenced for educational purposes, Emma and her system are not your therapist nor offering professional advice.  Any informational material shared or referenced is simply part of our own learning process, and not guaranteed to be the latest research or best method for you.  Please contact your therapist or nearest emergency room in case of any emergency.  This website does not provide any medical, mental health, or social support services. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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Sep 8, 2025 • 25min

Guest: Dr. Chuck Benincasa (Part 3 of 3)

In this enlightening conversation, Dr. Chuck Benincasa, a clinician and educator focused on trauma, discusses the significance of consent and boundaries in therapy. He stresses the importance of clients' wisdom, encouraging therapists to respect their autonomy and avoid voyeuristic curiosity about trauma. Dr. Chuck also contrasts oppressive power dynamics with liberating community approaches and reassures listeners that it's healthy when members leave groups. His insights on embracing uniqueness empower those with dissociative abilities to find belonging.
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Sep 4, 2025 • 32min

Guest: Dr. Chuck Benincasa (Part 2 of 3)

Dr. Chuck Benincasa, a clinical practitioner specializing in complex trauma and interpersonal violence, shares invaluable insights on trauma-informed clinical perspectives. He dives into how trauma can hijack values and keep victims stuck in harmful dynamics. Dr. Chuck discusses the importance of balancing clinician protection with client autonomy and emphasizes the wisdom of survival strategies. He reframes dissociation as an adaptive ability, advocating for authenticity and prioritizing well-being over mere symptom removal.
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Sep 1, 2025 • 43min

Guest: Dr. Chuck Benincasa (Part 1 of 3)

Dr. Chuck Benincasa, a psychologist specializing in complex trauma and culturally responsive practices, shares his insights on liberation frameworks in trauma care. He emphasizes the importance of dignity-based approaches and how true safety involves interconnection rather than merely the absence of danger. Their discussion explores the role of shame as an evolutionary protector and the need to reclaim children's adaptive behaviors. Additionally, Dr. Chuck critiques standard therapy dynamics that can unintentionally replicate trauma, advocating for community-oriented healing.
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Aug 28, 2025 • 19min

Smarty

internatinoal advice for you.Our website is HERE:  System Speak Podcast.You can submit an email to the podcast HERE.You can JOIN THE COMMUNITY HERE.  Once you are in, you can use a non-Apple device or non-safari browser to join groups HERE. Once you are set up, then the website and app work on any device just fine.  We have peer support check-in groups, an art group, movie groups, social events, and classes.  Additional zoom groups are optional, but only available by joining the groups. Join us!Content Note: Content on this website and in the podcasts is assumed to be trauma and/or dissociative related due to the nature of what is being shared here in general.  Content descriptors are generally given in each episode.  Specific trigger warnings are not given due to research reporting this makes triggers worse.  Please use appropriate self-care and your own safety plan while exploring this website and during your listening experience.  Natural pauses due to dissociation have not been edited out of the podcast, and have been left for authenticity.  While some professional material may be referenced for educational purposes, Emma and her system are not your therapist nor offering professional advice.  Any informational material shared or referenced is simply part of our own learning process, and not guaranteed to be the latest research or best method for you.  Please contact your therapist or nearest emergency room in case of any emergency.  This website does not provide any medical, mental health, or social support services. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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Aug 25, 2025 • 29min

My Own Ship

Emma delves into the healing potential of relationships, highlighting the importance of recognizing 'no' as a vital boundary. She shares personal breakthroughs during a calming beach day, balancing present-moment healing with processing memories. As she prioritizes self-care, Emma reflects on the impact of childhood dynamics and her need to reclaim agency in her life. The conversation touches on understanding trauma wounds, the responsibility of healing oneself, and the emotional journey of rediscovering her identity.
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Aug 21, 2025 • 26min

Bagel Songs

We share what we are learning in and practicing from therapy.The Water Song is sung with permission and encouragement, and we sing it for cleansing and consecrating, and we sing it for lullabyes and tending, and we sing it for beginnings and blessings, and we sing it for all things that unite as one people on our shared earth.Note: when I sing this for me, or when we sing it as a group, it is sung four times in a row, once for each direction.By the elders we are including this more detailed history in the show notes:History of the Water SongThere are many women’s water songs from many different cultures, and they all have deep meaning and beauty.  The Water Song here has a lyric that is easy to learn and does not take a long time to sing. At the 2002 Circle of All Nations Gathering, at Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg in Ottawa, Canada, Grandfather William Commanda asked Irene Wawatie Jerome, an Anshinabe/Cree whose family are the Keepers of the Wampum Belt to write a song that women attending the gathering would learn and spread it throughout the world. Grandmother Louise Wawatie taught the Water Song to Grandmother Nancy Andry so she could begin her mission of spreading this powerful practice.  Recently, in 2017, although Grandfather William and Grandmother Louise have crossed over, Grandmother Nancy met with the Elders again in Canada, and they were unified in agreement that a video of the song should be made to hasten the teaching and widen the circle of women singing it because of the increasingly grave dangers our waters are facing. The Wawatie and Commanda families gave permission to record the song.Our website is HERE:  System Speak Podcast.You can submit an email to the podcast HERE.You can JOIN THE COMMUNITY HERE.  Once you are in, you can use a non-Apple device or non-safari browser to join groups HERE. Once you are set up, then the website and app work on any device just fine.  We have peer support check-in groups, an art group, movie groups, social events, and classes.  Additional zoom groups are optional, but only available by joining the groups. Join us! Content Note: Content on this website and in the podcasts is assumed to be trauma and/or dissociative related due to the nature of what is being shared here in general.  Content descriptors are generally given in each episode.  Specific trigger warnings are not given due to research reporting this makes triggers worse.  Please use appropriate self-care and your own safety plan while exploring this website and during your listening experience.  Natural pauses due to dissociation have not been edited out of the podcast, and have been left for authenticity.  While some professional material may be referenced for educational purposes, Emma and her system are not your therapist nor offering professional advice.  Any informational material shared or referenced is simply part of our own learning process, and not guaranteed to be the latest research or best method for you.  Please contact your therapist or nearest emergency room in case of any emergency.  This website does not provide any medical, mental health, or social support services. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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Aug 18, 2025 • 18min

Ships

Our therapist talks to us about attachment and relationships.Dr. Thema Bryant’s Homecoming Podcast is HERE.Our website is HERE:  System Speak Podcast.You can submit an email to the podcast HERE.You can JOIN THE COMMUNITY HERE.  Once you are in, you can use a non-Apple device or non-safari browser to join groups HERE. Once you are set up, then the website and app work on any device just fine.  We have peer support check-in groups, an art group, movie groups, social events, and classes.  Additional zoom groups are optional, but only available by joining the groups. Join us! Content Note: Content on this website and in the podcasts is assumed to be trauma and/or dissociative related due to the nature of what is being shared here in general.  Content descriptors are generally given in each episode.  Specific trigger warnings are not given due to research reporting this makes triggers worse.  Please use appropriate self-care and your own safety plan while exploring this website and during your listening experience.  Natural pauses due to dissociation have not been edited out of the podcast, and have been left for authenticity.  While some professional material may be referenced for educational purposes, Emma and her system are not your therapist nor offering professional advice.  Any informational material shared or referenced is simply part of our own learning process, and not guaranteed to be the latest research or best method for you.  Please contact your therapist or nearest emergency room in case of any emergency.  This website does not provide any medical, mental health, or social support services. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

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