Norman grew up in a loving Jewish family in the midwest. His father was a veteran and although all seem well, Norman felt a disconnect, a deep-felt sense of suffering all around him that was never Acknowledged or discussed. In his early twenties, Norman experienced a great deal of internal turmoil and when he learned the First Noble Truth, one of the central beliefs of Buddhism, he experienced great relief -- his suffering was not his alone, it was universal. Norman has dedicated his life to the study and practice of Buddhism, to live a life of kindness and compassion, and to sharing his path with a wide audiences. He is the author of more than 25 books, including the brilliant Taking Our Places : the Buddhist Path to Truly Growing Up, and Sailing Home: using Homer’s Odyssey to navigate life's perils and pitfalls
Marlon was that nerdy little kid who loved to write and went door to door in his little suit to share church pamphlets. But even a protective family could not shield him from the violence in his neighborhood. Marlon was in elementary school when he was first robbed. His exposure to violence made him hyper-vigilant, but nothing could protect him from being raped at gun point at the age of 14. As Marlon puts it, this event took away his childhood freedom and sentenced him to absolute silence and the beginning of his belief of his own brokenness. At 19, he went to jail, facing a life sentence for his part in a fatal robbery.
Read MoreWhen Robin’s father was 12, he hid in a closet while his family was gunned down in one of the first mass shooting in US history. 60 years later, Robin’s niece hid in a closet while her classmates were murdered in the Parkland highschool shooting. Robin decided at that moment to become an activist against gun violence. As the child of a survivor and a school nurse, she knows first hand the damage caused by gun violence. When she learned about ACEs, her activism broadened from fighting against gun violence to thriving to promote trauma-informed schools and communities.
Read MoreElizabeth’s parents are both survivors of the Holocaust. Their trauma loomed large in her childhood. As an adult, Elizabeth learned about epigenetics -- the way trauma changes the expression of our genes and gets passed down to future generations. In this episode, Elisabeth discusses the universal experience of trauma in each of our ancestry, the importance of honoring and remembering the past in its truth, and the potential for redemption in telling our stories.
Read MoreMeghan married young with her college sweetheart. The relationship seemed perfect on the outside, but behind closed doors, she was experiencing emotional abuse and soon physical abuse. After ending a second marriage, and now a mother, Meghan decided to start her healing journey. Encouraged by her boyfriend, she joined an ayahuasca ceremony and experienced a deep transformation. Out of this experience came a powerful body of work (paintings and poetry) that explores her history with domestic violence, sexual assault as well as her healing journey.
Read MoreDonna developed a serious auto-immune disease when she was a new mom. A simple viral infection left her hospitalized and paralyzed as her body turned against her very own nerve cells. Donna had a hunch that her psychological symptoms (depression, memory loss, brain fog) were more than the results of the stress caused by her severe illness, and over years of research, she found out that she was indeed right. Very recent scientific discoveries are completely changing our understanding of the brain. And her reporting provides a radical new way of thinking about the brain and its interaction with the rest of the body. Donna provides essential and paradigm-shifting information for anyone who has suffered from depression, Alzheimer’s, or auto-immune diseases.
Read MoreAndrew was bullied as a boy for being gay. As an adult, he suffered from severe depression. Andrew realized that to survive and thrive he must create meaning of his experience, recreate his narrative, and build his identity to incorporate his experience and grow from them. In this episode, Andrew shares his insight on this process of creating meaning, as well as his research into communities that openly support depressed members of the community and how other communities are neglected in getting clinical help. the tension between acceptance and curing, and the ultimate power of compassion.
Read MoreJed’s father had a mental breakdown when Jed was only four. Jed visited him every Sunday at a psychiatric hospital where he witnessed his deterioration until, eventually his father could no longer recognize him. This daunting experience propelled Jed on a path to become a psychotherapist and a life spent focusing on men’s health and wellbeing. In this episode, Jed talks about the impact of a father’s absence on a child’s development and what it takes to have a truly fulfilling marriage. (hint: after the honeymoon, don’t bail, face and heal your childhood wounds so you can move to the next stage of intimacy and love).
Read MoreSebern, at age four was abducted and abused. Her parents never believed her and by the time she was a young adult, she ended up in lengthy psychiatric hospitalization. She somehow pulled together and became a thriving psychotherapist and director of a residency program for severely disturbed youth. Despite Sebern and her team’s efforts, the success rate for this youth was abysmal. But in her 50s she discovered neurofeedback and felt, for the first time in her life, the quieting of the fear in her brain. It shifted completely her understanding of what was preventing the kids in her care to progress and led her to study neurofeedback and become one of the leading practitioner and teacher of neurofeedback for healing developmental trauma. In this episode, Sebern explores the impact of trauma on the brain and what that means for the future of understanding and healing mental illness.
Read MoreDonna developed a serious auto-immune disease when she was a new mom. A simple viral infection left her hospitalized and paralyzed as her body turned against her very own nerve cells. With proper medical care and over time, she was able to walk again. But some symptoms lingered and when she would describe to doctors the neurological symptoms she also faced: depression, memory loss, brain fog, the answer was “well, of course, you’re dealing with so much pain and stress!” But Donna had a hunch that her symptoms were more than the results of the stress caused by her severe illness, and over years of research, she found out that she was indeed right. Very recent scientific discoveries are completely changing our understanding of the brain. And her reporting provides a radical new way of thinking about the brain and its interaction with the rest of the body. Donna provides essential and paradigm-shifting information for anyone who has suffered from depression, Alzheimer’s, or auto-immune diseases.
Read MoreJoyelle was sexually abused at 11 by a high-school boy, which became the grounds for bullying and isolation. As an adult, she thrived and became a talented vocalist and teacher. Joyelle felt like she had done the work of dealing with her past traumas: she had gone to therapy, practiced yoga and meditation. And then she had kids and her trauma came barging in. Postpartum depression hit hard and she felt so isolated and shameful. She knew she could not be alone, struggling to parent with PTSD, and so she created an online community and published a book. And she became a coach, to help others parents with trauma learn how to heal and break the cycle.
Read MoreElizabeth tried everything— meds, therapy, alternative approaches— to manage her depression and suffering, but nothing gave her lasting results. She didn't give up, and, over the years, came up with her own method, Mindfulness for a Messy Life. To help her overcome difficult times, Elizabeth reminds herself that “I can’t let the bad stuff win.” Through memories of herself as a hyper sensitive child who was cruelly bullied to her adulthood of high achievements despite agonizing self-loathing and mental anguish, Elizabeth shares her strategies for healing and thriving.
Read MoreVictor watched his sister die when he was not yet 4. He has no memories of the 2 years following that event. It took him a long time to discover EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique which is also known as tapping) which he describes as a life changing discovery. Victor Lee Lewis, who can be seen in the film Wrestling Ghosts, shares his insight on healing from severe trauma, discusses the healing powers of EFT and other somatic modalities, and explore the difference or complexity of healing from attachment trauma vs. PTSD
Read MoreCissy grew up in Hell, as she puts it. Hyper-competent and emotionally disconnected, she managed to keep her trauma at bay, until it came crashing in in the form of panic attacks in college. She was diagnosed with PTSD and started therapy, but her redemption came through writing and through mothering her adopted child. Through mothering she realized what she truly missed as a child: to feel safe, to be seen, to be loved. It's not the bad stuff that happened to her that matter the most, it's what was missing. Once she could see that, she could heal.
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