Transforming Trauma

“Learning how to support someone gain greater depth of experience and tolerance for their more primary emotions that feel scary to them, that experience within myself has changed absolutely everything… I have the capacity, now, to be resilient in those moments that, if those things do happen, I can meet them. And that’s what we’re really supporting.” ~Mike Giresi Sarah chats with Mike Giresi, Director of Clinical Development at Family First Adolescent Services in Palm Beach Gardens, FL and NARM Practitioner, about the profound impact the NeuroAffective Relational Model® (NARM®) has made in his work with adolescents and teens.  The drive to help others heal often stems from one’s own healing. Mike’s journey to sobriety ignited a desire for personal growth and professional development that led him to the study of psychology, and ultimately his passion for helping others understand the relationship between addiction and complex trauma.  These days, when he’s not traveling the country speaking on the relationship between addiction and trauma treatment, or teaching on NARM, Mike is busy helping teens and adolescents navigate the tricky transition from dependency to agency. But guiding a teen through that emotional process of self-inquiry has its hazards. Regardless of how well-intentioned adults might be, teens are hyper-vigilant against anyone coming at them with an agenda.  That offer of help can trigger memories of the early childhood disruptions and objectification that played a role in the teen’s current challenges. For this reason, the entire staff at Family First Adolescent Services has become NARM-trained. Mike believes that the resulting agenda-neutral environment is a safer place in which young clients with complex trauma can heal old patterns that have been in their way of a healthier, happier adolescence. “With complex trauma (C-PTSD), safety is about working with a person’s sense of agency, the kind of various relational and emotional difficulties that everyone faces in everyday life. Those aren’t about mortal threats to the physical self, like shock trauma (PTSD). It’s much more about a threat to the psychological self or our sense of self.” In utilizing NARM to resolve complex trauma, Mike has been blown-away by the new possibilities opening up for the boys as they begin relating to themselves and others in new ways, including feeling more hopeful and confident in moving forward into adulthood. The changes, he says, are dramatic. Every day, Mike feels blessed to be part of supporting transformation in the teens and their families.  The NARM Training Institute provides tools for transforming complex trauma through: in-person and online trainings for mental health care professionals; in-person and online workshops on complex trauma and how it interplays with areas like addiction, parenting, and cultural trauma; an online self-paced learning program, the NARM Inner Circle; and other trauma-informed learning resources.   *** For the full show notes including references, podcast episodes mentioned, and a quick glossary of terms, visit us at http://www.narmtraining.com/transformingtrauma   CONTACT MIKE: Mike Giresi, CAC, CTP, ICADC, RYT Director of Clinical Development Family First Adolescent Services Mgiresi@familyfirstas.com  561-328-7370   NARM Training Institute http://www.NARMtraining.com   *** We want to connect with you! Facebook @NARMtraining Twitter @NARMtraining YouTube Instagram @thenarmtraininginstitute   Sign up for a free preview of The NARM Inner Circle Online Membership Program: http://www.narmtraining.com/freetrial

In understanding how effective the NeuroAffective Relational Model® (NARM®) can be in support of Transforming Trauma, we must broaden the conversation around trauma to recognize Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) and a new understanding of Post-Traumatic Growth.  As Dr. Laurence Heller, creator of NARM®, states in his book Healing Developmental Trauma,  “No matter how withdrawn or isolated we have become on the deepest level, just as a plant spontaneously moves towards sunlight, there is in each of us an impulse toward connection and healing.”  Sarah is joined by Brad Kammer, psychotherapist, educator, and the NARM® training director and senior trainer, to discuss the roots of developmental trauma, our current understanding of complex trauma, where NARM® fits in the current trauma field, and the transformative power of NARM®. NARM is a model specifically designed to resolve the impacts of Complex Trauma: including attachment, developmental, relational, cultural and intergenerational trauma.  NARM is a top-down, bottom-up approach that integrates psychodynamic and somatic psychotherapy, within a mindful, interpersonal process, in order to provide an unparalleled full-spectrum of care.  Sarah and Brad agree: “Trauma is the underlying cause of most, if not all, psychological disorders.”   For anyone that is interested in the trauma-informed movement - and how it can support psychotherapy, healthcare, education, public policy, and social justice - it is important to unpack the nuances of complex trauma. Sarah informs podcast listeners that they do not need to hold degrees in mental health in order to engage with NARM work. What is required is an open, inquisitive mind, with a basic understanding of complex trauma and a desire to help people with resources to move through their trauma. Brad shares that Oprah Winfrey is a fierce advocate for helping put C-PTSD and the trauma-informed movement on the map. Brad says that even though it’s still early in the trauma field movement, there are models that are aimed at resolving complex trauma.  “NARM is designed for working with people that have experienced and are still dealing and living with unresolved complex trauma,” says Brad. “That’s where NARM fits in.” His vision is that at-risk individuals -- especially children -- will get the assistance they deserve to thrive beyond the confines of their trauma.  Accessibility is key. Through this podcast and with its global training initiatives, NARM is expanding its reach. Brad hopes to not only help individuals who are focusing on healing from complex trauma, but also to extend the program’s influence to families and communities plagued by violence, conflict and social injustice.  As he says, “NARM can be a vehicle for both personal and social transformation.” The NARM Training Institute provides tools for transforming complex trauma through: in-person and online trainings for mental health care professionals; in-person and online workshops on complex trauma and how it interplays with areas like addiction, parenting, and cultural trauma; an online self-paced learning program, the NARM Inner Circle; and other trauma-informed learning resources.   *** For the full show notes including references, podcast episodes mentioned, and a quick glossary of terms, visit us at http://www.narmtraining.com/transformingtrauma   CONTACTS Brad Kammer, MA, LMFT, LPCC, SEP, NMT Body Mind Psychotherapy   Sarah Buino, LCSW, CADC, CDWF Head Heart Therapy   NARM Training Institute http://www.NARMtraining.com   *** We want to connect with you! Facebook @NARMtraining Twitter @NARMtraining YouTube Instagram @thenarmtraininginstitute   Sign up for a free preview of The NARM Inner Circle Online Membership Program: http://www.narmtraining.com/freetrial

In a modern world beset by trauma and a legacy of suffering, conflict and disconnection, healing trauma can serve as a vehicle for personal and social transformation.  Brought to you by The NARM Training Institute and hosted by psychotherapist and licensed clinical social worker, Sarah Buino, Transforming Trauma will introduce you to the NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM), a revolutionary approach for healing Complex Trauma (C-PTSD) and restoring connection to self and others. Interviews with NARM Therapists, and other prominent trauma specialists, will highlight how NARM fills a missing gap in our current efforts to address the legacy of childhood, cultural and intergenerational trauma.  And most importantly, we'll share the stories of individuals and communities thriving after Complex Trauma. In this brief trailer, you'll meet our host, Sarah Buino, and hear how she discovered and became as student of NARM. Whether you are a healthcare professional, an educator, a parent, a public policy maker, a trauma survivor, or someone interested in personal healing and social justice; this podcast will provide you with a map for increased resiliency, greater health outcomes, healthier relationships, personal growth and social change through transforming trauma. *** We want to connect with you! Facebook @NARMtraining Twitter @NARMtraining YouTube Instagram @thenarmtraininginstitute Learn more about The NARM Training Institute: http://www.narmtraining.com Sign up for a free preview of The NARM Inner Circle Online Membership Program: http://www.narmtraining.com/freetrial