Transforming Trauma: Episode 009

The global COVID-19 pandemic poses unprecedented challenges for us all. How are therapists supporting their clients in crisis? And what about the therapists themselves?  How can we stay emotionally healthy during this time?  In this episode, NARM faculty members Brad Kammer, Stefanie Klein and Marcia Black join Transforming Trauma host Sarah Buino to discuss grief and loss, relief and discomfort, agency and surrender, connection and disconnection, and opportunities for post-traumatic growth and transformation.  

Sarah asks Brad, Stefanie, and Marcia: What recurring themes have shown up for their clients? How have social distancing measures altered the client-therapist dynamic? What challenges are they noticing for themselves on a professional and personal level? Which self-care strategies have had the most impact on their wellbeing? How can NARM help during a time like this?

Through their discussion they find commonality around acknowledging and facing loss and grief, and the hopefulness and optimism they are finding for themselves and in their clients as we all move through the pandemic. “There's something very transformational that I'm seeing,” says Stefanie. “And, as we know from working with developmental trauma and post-traumatic growth, transformation is not always very comfortable. So I am definitely seeing this fluctuation between relief and then discomfort. But, the theme that I see developing is a lot of transformation, people really asking themselves that question of ‘what's it going to be like when I come out of here?’ and ‘what if I don't want it to be the same way?’”

The NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM) focuses on how therapists relate to and hold space for their clients. Marcia talks about how she’s authentically showing up for her clients in new ways while staying connected to herself in session. She’s answered clients’ questions like “How are you?” in a whole new way, and takes time to check in with her clients with the understanding that we are all going through this together and nothing can be taken for granted. She notes that we are all finding new ways to be together and hold space for the pain in life, without it tearing us down. She reflects on the deepened care and intimacy she’s experienced with her clients over the past month.

Brad describes the immense challenge of being faced with something like the coronavirus that you can’t personally do anything about. Instead of figuring out how to fix the problem – which in this case is currently unfixable – we instead can ask ourselves,“How do we stay as connected to ourselves as possible while we’re going through this?” Instead of falling into hopelessness and despair, Brad reflects on the power of our connections. While the obstacles we face are enormous, Brad is finding hope and inspiration in the ways people are coming together to support one another, form community, and give back to others. 

Brad, Stefanie and Marcia share a common bond, which is that they are passionate about their life’s work. They reflect on their role as therapists, teachers, supervisors and mentors, and leaders in the NARM community, in which they find great meaning and joy. While we are all facing a global trauma, they find hope in sharing with the world the NeuroAffective Relational Model, which is designed to support post-traumatic growth and transformation.