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Transforming Trauma is a podcast about individuals and communities thriving 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.  Listeners will be introduced 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.  These leaders in the Trauma-Informed Care movement will guide listeners through the diverse ways NARM is applied to support 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.

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  2. Healing and Recovery from Religious Trauma with Laura Anderson

Healing and Recovery from Religious Trauma with Laura Anderson

Dec 10, 2025

High control religion is rarely one big wound. It is closer to death by a thousand paper cuts that add up to complex trauma for many people.”- Laura Anderson

 

On this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily Ruth welcomes Dr. Laura Anderson for a compassionate exploration of religious trauma, its impacts, and the nuanced paths toward healing. Drawing from her personal journey and clinical experience, Laura shares how religious trauma operates much like other forms of complex trauma—emphasizing that overwhelm and harm are deeply subjective and that each person has their own unique experience and story.

 

The conversation highlights Laura’s definition of religious trauma, the importance of naming adverse religious experiences, and how healing must center on agency, autonomy, and honoring lived experience. Together, they discuss the limitations of prescriptive healing models, the need for pacing in trauma recovery, and how practices rooted in compassion and connection—such as the NeuroAffective Relational Model® (NARM®) and other somatic approaches to trauma—help clients rediscover self-trust and resilience. Laura underscores the significance of spaciousness and validation, both in clinical relationships and in communities navigating faith, offering hope for anyone affected by high-control or adverse religious contexts.

 

We invite you to listen to the full episode and follow Transforming Trauma on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or your favorite podcast app.

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**SPACE:**

SPACE is an Inner Development Program of Support and Self-Discovery for Therapists on the Personal, Interpersonal, and Transpersonal Levels offered by the Complex Trauma Training Center. This experiential learning program offers an immersive group experience designed to cultivate space for self-care, community support, and deepening vitality in our professional role as therapists. Learn more about how to join.

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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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