
Transforming Trauma
In-depth conversations about how to help individuals and communities thrive after Complex Trauma. 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. Interviews with mental health and other helping professionals who are using the NeuroAffective Relational Model® (NARM®), as well as other prominent trauma specialists, will highlight the current efforts to address the legacy of childhood, relational, cultural and intergenerational trauma. These leaders in the Trauma-Informed Care movement will guide listeners through the diverse ways they are supporting individuals, couples, families and communities in order to actualize Post-Traumatic Growth. 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. Hosted by the Complex Trauma Training Center.
Latest episodes

Feb 2, 2024 • 20min
Introducing The Complex Trauma Training Center with Training Director Brad Kammer
Brad Kammer, NARM® Senior Trainer and executive producer of this podcast, introduces the Complex Trauma Training Center (CTTC), which provides therapist training and mentorship for professionals working with ACEs and C-PTSD. Topics include the transition of the NARM Training Institute, goals of CTTC, growth of NARM, inner development for therapists, and levels of training and mentorship at CTTC.

Jan 24, 2024 • 41min
Cultivating Hope and Healing Through Community-Focused Somatic Resiliency Training With Elaine Miller-Karas
Elaine Miller-Karas, co-founder of the Trauma Resource Institute, discusses community-focused somatic resiliency training. Topics include trauma care accessibility, groundbreaking initiatives, childhood trauma's impact on the immune system and brain, and the transformative power of somatic experiencing. The podcast also explores the Community Resiliency Model and its six wellness skills, trauma reprocessing, and the role of natural leaders in under-resourced areas. Resources for further information are provided.

Jan 10, 2024 • 54min
A Pathway to Peace in the Fight Against Oppression and Religious Trauma with Yasmine Mohammed
NARM Senior Trainer Brad Kammer invites human rights campaigner Yasmine Mohammed to share her experiences growing up in a fundamentalist Islamic household, including her arranged marriage to a member of Al-Qaeda and her subsequent work as founder and president of Free Hearts Free Minds, an organization providing mental health support to free thinkers and members of the LGBTQ+ community who are unable to live authentically due to religious and societal persecution. Candid conversations about religious trauma can feel uncomfortable, disloyal and even risky. However, human rights campaigner Yasmine Mohammed says now is the time to openly discuss the extremist nature of some religions and the trauma they cause for individuals, families, communities and nations. Cutting through religious and cultural identifications is extremely challenging - and even potentially life-threatening - but Yasmine says that humanistic support can be an antidote to ongoing objectification and oppression. About Yasmine Mohammed: Human rights campaigner Yasmine Mohammed advocates for the rights of women living within Muslim-majority countries, as well as those who struggle under religious fundamentalism in general. She is the founder and President of Free Hearts Free Minds, a nonprofit charity that provides mental health support for members of the LGBTQ+ community and free thinkers living within Muslim-majority countries – where both 'crimes' can be punished by execution. Her book, Unveiled, is a memoir/polemic that recalls her experiences growing up in a fundamentalist Islamic household and her arranged marriage to a member of Al-Qaeda. She is also the host of the podcast Forgotten Feminists- where she has conversations with inspirational women from restrictive religious backgrounds who have fought and who have overcome. Yasmine is a co-Founder and co-Director of the CLARITy Coalition. She is also on the Board of Directors for Humanist Global Charity and for Atheists for Liberty. Learn More: Website Free Hearts Free Minds CLARITy Coalition To read the full show notes and discover more resources, visit https://www.narmtraining.com/podcast *** NARM Training Institute https://www.NARMtraining.com View upcoming trainings: https://narmtraining.com/schedule Join the Inner Circle: https://narmtraining.com/online-learning/inner-circle Sign up for a free preview of The NARM Inner Circle Online Membership Program: https://www.narmtraining.com/freetrial *** 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. We want to connect with you! Facebook @NARMtraining YouTube Instagram @thenarmtraininginstitute

Jan 1, 2024 • 49min
Reflections for the New Year on Connection and Continued Growth for The NARM Training Institute with Faculty Members Brad Kammer, Stefanie Klein, and Marcia Black
Esteemed NARM faculty members Brad Kammer, Stefanie Klein, and Marcia Black reflect on the growth and challenges of the NARM Training Institute. They discuss the transformative nature of the NARM approach, the importance of connection in trauma healing, and the significance of personal growth and vulnerability in their work. They also touch on creating an inclusive learning environment, the power of connections and personal growth, and the hope for personal and collective transformation through professional training.

Dec 27, 2023 • 40min
2023: The Podcast Year In Review with NARM Training Director Brad Kammer and Host Emily Ruth
Emily and NARM Training Director Brad Kammer reflect on podcast highlights from 2023, a season filled with vital voices and inspiring ideas. It’s the perfect playlist to close out this year or begin the next! Emily and Brad were thrilled to share the mic with influential practitioners, industry luminaries, researchers, thought leaders and more. Conversations traversed a wide range of topics: the microbiome/trauma connection, the use of psychedelics as a supportive therapy, the complex traumas experienced by veterans of the armed services, sexual trauma, equine therapy, connection and humanistic psychology modalities, spirituality, inclusion and belonging, just to name a few. None of these conversations would be possible without you, our Transforming Trauma audience. We’re humbled by your continued support of this podcast and grateful to you for embracing NARM. Thank you, and Happy New Year! To read the full show notes and discover more resources, visit https://www.narmtraining.com/podcast *** NARM Training Institute https://www.NARMtraining.com View upcoming trainings: https://narmtraining.com/schedule Join the Inner Circle: https://narmtraining.com/online-learning/inner-circle *** 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. We want to connect with you! Facebook @NARMtraining YouTube Instagram @thenarmtraininginstitute

Dec 13, 2023 • 41min
From Pain to Purpose: Navigating the Pressures of Fatherhood, Isolation and Loss with Adam Angel
Adam Angel, founder of Dads With Wisdom, discusses the shortage of mental health resources for fathers, traumas specific to fatherhood, and the role of NARM in strengthening peer groups. Adam shares his personal journey of loss and vulnerability and emphasizes the importance of creating safe spaces for men to share stories of perinatal loss. The episode explores the value of human connection, relational work, and intentional communal parenting.

Dec 6, 2023 • 37min
BONUS: NARM Online Basics Training - A Guide to Our Accessible Trauma-Informed Training With Stefanie Klein
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily is joined by Stefanie Klein, LCSW, Faculty and Assistant Training Director at the NARM Training Institute, to preview the Level 1 NARM Online Basics Training (OBT), the live experiential-focused introductory series for helping professionals working in the field of trauma. In addition to sharing subject matter highlights, personal insights, and practical information, Emily and Stefanie also discuss why NARM OBT is the perfect level-one program for anyone engaged in a skilled, supportive role––from teachers, nurses, and spiritual counselors to executive coaches and pediatric dentists. Ready to begin your trauma-informed journey? Join us in the next NARM OBT! NARM Online Basics Training Spring 2024 Training sessions will occur 8:00 am - 2:30 pm Pacific Time each day Module 1: February 9 - 11, 2024 Module 2: March 8 - 10, 2024 Module 3: April 12 - 14, 2024 Module 4: May 3 - 5, 2024 About Stefanie Klein: Stefanie Klein, LCSW, SEP, NMT, NARM Faculty and Assistant Training Director of the NARM Training Institute, has spent 22 years in her Los Angeles private practice specializing in treating adults with trauma and anxiety disorders. For the past decade, she has had the distinct privilege of being mentored by Dr. Laurence Heller. Stefanie has been honored to assist Dr. Heller in all of his US NARM practitioner trainings and has found NARM to be an extremely effective model for working with attachment, relational, and developmental trauma. Learn More: TT092: Transforming Trauma Episode 092: Reflecting on a Growing Training Institute with NARM Faculty Brad Kammer, Stefanie Klein, and Marcia Black TT060: Supporting Connection, Capacity and Growth in the NARM Community with Marcia Black, Stefanie Klein, and Brad Kammer To read the full show notes and discover more resources, visit https://www.narmtraining.com/podcast *** NARM Training Institute https://www.NARMtraining.com View upcoming trainings: https://narmtraining.com/schedule Join the Inner Circle: https://narmtraining.com/online-learning/inner-circle Sign up for a free preview of The NARM Inner Circle Online Membership Program: https://www.narmtraining.com/freetrial *** 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. We want to connect with you! Facebook @NARMtraining YouTube Instagram @thenarmtraininginstitute

Nov 29, 2023 • 40min
Listening to What Survivors Need to Address Sexual Trauma and Complex PTSD with Dr. Judith Herman
On this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily Ruth is honored to welcome psychiatrist, researcher, teacher, and author Dr. Judith Herman for a heartfelt discussion centering on the needs of victims of sexual trauma and society’s role in individual and collective trauma healing. In her latest book, Truth And Repair: How Trauma Survivors Envision Justice, Dr. Herman introduces us to a “fourth stage” of the recovery process in which trauma survivors are invited to envision their future. Dr. Herman’s latest book comes 30 years after her seminal work, Trauma And Recovery, in which she introduced the then-radical idea that complex PTSD was a stand-alone diagnosis that differs significantly from PTSD. Her pioneering work led to our current understanding that C-PTSD requires a new framework for diagnosis and effective treatment. About Judith Herman: Judith Lewis Herman, M.D., is Professor of Psychiatry (part time) at Harvard Medical School. For thirty years, until she retired, she was Director of Training at the Victims of Violence Program at The Cambridge Hospital, Cambridge, MA. Dr. Herman is the author of the award-winning books: Father-Daughter Incest (Harvard University Press, 1981) and Trauma and Recovery (Basic Books, 1992). To read the full show notes and discover more resources, visit https://www.narmtraining.com/podcast *** NARM Training Institute https://www.NARMtraining.com View upcoming trainings: https://narmtraining.com/schedule Join the Inner Circle: https://narmtraining.com/online-learning/inner-circle Sign up for a free preview of The NARM Inner Circle Online Membership Program: https://www.narmtraining.com/freetrial *** 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. We want to connect with you! Facebook @NARMtraining YouTube Instagram @thenarmtraininginstitute

Nov 15, 2023 • 35min
Addressing C-PTSD In and Out of the Military With Brian Peter Monson
In this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily Ruth invites Brian Peter Monson, a veteran and graduate student pursuing his clinical mental health counseling degree. Brian Peter shares about his experience serving in the military with unresolved developmental trauma and the paradox of observing one’s faith while carrying out methods of interrogation. From a military standpoint, trauma isn’t confined to battle fatigue. Brian Peter observes that many active duty military personnel enter into the armed services navigating the same aspects of complex trauma as civilians ––familial, religious, disaster, childhood–– while also confronting the short and long-term effects of combat stress. The pair also discuss the overwhelming somatic events that led Brian Peter to NARM training and a more fulfilling career assisting others with complex trauma. About Brian Peter Monson: Brian Peter Monson is completing his Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) Degree after switching careers from years in public service and non-profit work. Peter specializes particularly in military/combat and religious trauma work. Learn More: LinkedIn To read the full show notes and discover more resources, visit https://www.narmtraining.com/podcast *** NARM Training Institute https://www.NARMtraining.com View upcoming trainings: https://narmtraining.com/schedule Join the Inner Circle: https://narmtraining.com/online-learning/inner-circle *** 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. We want to connect with you! Facebook @NARMtraining YouTube Instagram @thenarmtraininginstitute

Nov 1, 2023 • 46min
Addiction, Attachment, and the Myth of Normal With Dr. Gabor Maté
Esteemed physician Dr. Gabor Maté discusses addiction as a response to childhood trauma, the impact of modern life on mental health, and the concept of reconnection through self-examination. He explores coping mechanisms and the importance of understanding underlying reasons for addictive patterns, societal influences on human nature, and the fundamental needs for healthy child development. Collaborating on a bestseller, Dr. Maté and his son aim to guide individuals back to their true selves and navigate societal pressures.