Mastering Change | The trauma, mental health & wellbeing podcast

Masters Events
  • 4.0 (2)
  • MENTAL HEALTH

Welcome to Mastering Change, a podcast co-hosted by Emma and Araminta, where we engage in meaningful conversations centred around healing. In this series, we bring together leading experts, innovative thinkers, and emerging voices to connect knowledge with real-world impact in the areas of trauma, mental health and wellbeing.    Each episode features insightful discussions with respected figures as well as promising new contributors to the field. We explore a range of topics with a focus on making this knowledge available for anyone interested in supporting their own healing journey or that of others.    At Mastering Change, we understand the significance of conversation as a means of fostering understanding and growth. Our aim is to create a ripple effect, facilitating the transfer of knowledge and establishing a community where impactful voices are heard.     Whether you are a seasoned professional or new to the field, we invite you to engage in thoughtful discussions that can inspire meaningful change in your practice and personal life. Join us as we explore critical insights and perspectives, encouraging a shared commitment to healing trauma. 

  1. 10H AGO

    The PATH Method: Building strength to face trauma | Raoul Goldberg | #051 Mastering Change

    For many people, healing can feel stuck. Symptoms persist, patterns repeat and change itself can begin to feel unsafe.  In this episode of Mastering Change, Raoul Goldberg, founder of the PATH Method, explores why what we often describe as “chronic” may not be purely medical – but psychosocial and spiritual in nature. He shares how his work helps people reconnect with a sense of wholeness by strengthening the parts of themselves that are capable of change.  Raoul walks through the core elements of the PATH Method: forming a clear wish, connecting with a felt sense of one’s “best self,” embodying that state and learning to step outside habitual perspectives. Practised over time, this process helps people build enough internal strength to face trauma rather than remain trapped by it.  Rather than creating something new, Raoul describes PATH as helping people reconnect with something that already exists within them – a capacity for agency, empowerment and growth.  We explore  Why long-term symptoms may reflect blocked psychosocial change How the PATH Method helps people feel safe enough to change The role of embodiment and perspective in breaking old patterns Why trauma work requires strength, not just insight How reconnecting with wholeness supports healing Moment of Care: This episode discusses sensitive episodes related to trauma, mental health and potential distressing experiences. If you feel triggered at any point, please take a moment to check in with yourself and seek support.  See Raoul Goldberg at Transform Trauma Oxford 2026 – Get your Super Early Bird Tickets here.  Watch this episode on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/masteringchangepodcast Follow us on instagram: www.instagram.com/masterseventsltd Visit mastersevents.com/oxford-2026 for more details.

    31 min

  2. FEB 10

    Growing up after murder: Extreme ACEs | Richard McCann | #050 Mastering Change

    How do you rebuild a life when your earliest memories are of profound and extreme loss?  That’s what Richard McCann explores in this episode. When he was just five years old, his mother was murdered – an event that later became national news and that influenced every part of his childhood.  Richard describes how this grief showed up in ways he didn’t have words for at the time – hypervigilance, fear, constantly scanning for threats – and how teachers were among the first adults to recognise what he was going through and what he needed most.  He shares how this early experience influenced his adult relationships and how he eventually found meaning and strength through spirituality and post-traumatic growth.  Despite everything he faced, Richard believes that there is always a way forward, even from the most painful beginnings. Today, he uses his experience to support others navigating trauma.  We explore  What extreme Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can look like How trauma shows up in children – and what adults can look out for The crucial role of teachers and early recognition How childhood trauma continues into adulthood The part spirituality played in Richard’s healing Why he believes there is always hope, even after unimaginable loss Moment of Care: This episode discusses sensitive episodes related to trauma, mental health and distressing experiences. If you feel triggered at any point, please take a moment to check in with yourself and seek support.  Watch this episode on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/masteringchangepodcast Follow us on instagram: www.instagram.com/masterseventsltd Visit mastersevents.com/oxford-2026 for more details.

    38 min

  3. FEB 3

    Why healthcare needs trauma education | Susanna Petche | #049 Mastering Change

    So much of what happens in healthcare is shaped by trauma – yet most clinicians are never taught what trauma is or how to recognise it in themselves or their patients.  This week on Mastering Change, we speak with Susanna Petche, a GP with 25 years’ experience, who shares how her own misdiagnosed depression eventually revealed an underlying trauma response. That realisation changed her life – and her medical practice.  Susanna reflects on the reality that trauma is everywhere in the healthcare system: in people’s symptoms, in their behaviour and in the overwhelm that brings them to a GP or hospital. However, doctors receive no formal education about trauma, no supervision and little support in navigating the emotional impact of their work.  She shows how much difference simple, trauma-aware tools can make – from acknowledging how frightening a hospital environment can be, to helping patients regulate their nervous systems in moments of stress. Small shifts like this, she argues, can meaningfully improve care long before large-scale system change becomes possible.  We discuss   Why trauma underpins so many physical and mental health presentations How the lack of trauma training leaves clinicians without essential tools Why simple, everyday interventions can improve patient safety and connection What genuine practitioner wellbeing requires - beyond slogans about resilience How AI could support care if implemented with sensitivity Why even one hour of trauma education could transform healthcare Moment of Care: This episode discusses sensitive episodes related to trauma, mental health and potential distressing experiences. If you feel triggered at any point, please take a moment to check in with yourself and seek support.  Watch this episode on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/masteringchangepodcast Follow us on instagram: www.instagram.com/masterseventsltd Visit mastersevents.com/oxford-2026 for more details.

    43 min

  4. JAN 27

    Identity fusion and belonging | Martha Newson | #048 Mastering Change

    What makes someone feel so bonded to a group that they’d sacrifice almost anything for it – and how does that same force help us heal?  In this episode of Mastering Change, cognitive anthropologist Dr. Martha Newson unpacks ‘identity fusion’ – an extreme form of social bonding where self and group identities merge, creating family-like ties and powerful loyalty.   Drawing on years of research with football fans, prisoners and festival communities, Martha explores how ritual, shared challenge and moments of perceived transformation strengthen these bonds. She explains why people can feel trapped in damaging groups – families, institutions, even cult-like communities – because losing that belonging can feel physiologically unsafe, not just emotionally painful.   Martha also advocates for collective healing spaces – from 12-step groups to choirs and walking clubs – explaining that they are essential companions to individual therapy.  We explore:  What identity fusion is – and how it shows up in everyday life How shared rituals, sport and festivals create deep feelings of “we-ness” Why leaving harmful groups can feel more dangerous than staying How trauma, when held in community, can shift from stagnation to transformation The role of collective spaces (12-step rooms, choirs, sports, retreats) in trauma healing How internalised community, ancestors, nature and a sense of “higher self” can sustain people who spend time alone Moment of Care: This episode discusses sensitive episodes related to trauma, mental health and potential distressing experiences. If you feel triggered at any point, please take a moment to check in with yourself and seek support.  Watch this episode on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/masteringchangepodcast Follow us on instagram: www.instagram.com/masterseventsltd Visit mastersevents.com/oxford-2026 for more details.

    37 min

  5. JAN 20

    Trauma stewardship: how therapists can protect their wellbeing | Rosie Weir | #047 Mastering Change

    Therapists, clinicians and helpers often tell themselves they’re “fine” – even as the work wears down their nervous system.  In this conversation, palliative care doctor Dr. Rosie Weir offers a compassionate guide to trauma stewardship: the practice of staying present to other people’s pain without losing yourself in it.  Drawing from her years on the frontline of end-of-life care, Rosie explains how practitioners can unconsciously carry the emotional burden of others long after a session ends.  ‘If you're a painter and you're painting all day, you come home covered in paint. And that's what it's like doing this kind of work – you come home covered in other people’s emotional material.’  Rosie shares the practices that help her stay grounded and slow down, while challenging the belief that self-care must always be ‘active’ or fast paced to be effective.  We discuss  The emotional residue practitioners carry and how to recognise it Why slowing down is often more regulating than speeding up Building a relationship with yourself as a foundation for resilience How hobbies and joy act as protective factors Why healing work must include the wellbeing of those who deliver it A reflective, grounding episode for anyone doing work that asks you to hold other people’s pain.  Moment of Care: This episode discusses sensitive episodes related to trauma, mental health and potential distressing experiences. If you feel triggered at any point, please take a moment to check in with yourself and seek support.  Watch this episode on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/masteringchangepodcast Follow us on instagram: www.instagram.com/masterseventsltd Visit mastersevents.com/oxford-2026 for more details.

    45 min

  6. JAN 13

    From trauma to thriving | Melita Stancil | #046 Mastering Change

    For people who have spent years in survival mode, joy can feel uncomfortable.   Here, Melita Stancil explains why (as well as how we can experience joy more readily). She is the creator of Anthelum, a framework designed to help people move out of survival mode by looking at families, schools, workplaces and communities as interconnected parts of healing.  A central theme in her work is joy. She shares how hypervigilance and stress can make exposure to joy difficult, and why practicing joy becomes essential for long-term wellbeing. She explains that many people, especially those with trauma histories, spend more time scanning for what’s wrong – not because they’re pessimistic, but because their brain is still trying to keep them safe.  She also describes why healing must include families and systems, not just individuals. Joy, she argues, grows through connection – and the environments around us play a crucial role in whether recovery is sustained.  We explore  The Anthelum framework and how systems shape healing How hypervigilance restricts access to joy Why joy is a skill we must practice and protect The role of connection in helping people thrive Why healing happens in systems, not silos Moment of Care: This episode discusses sensitive episodes related to trauma, mental health and potential distressing experiences. If you feel triggered at any point, please take a moment to check in with yourself and seek support.  Watch this episode on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/masteringchangepodcast Follow us on instagram: www.instagram.com/masterseventsltd Visit mastersevents.com/oxford-2026 for more details.

    40 min

  7. JAN 6

    Healing through frequency: Craniosacral therapy explained | Lulu Ferrand | #045 Mastering Change

    Have you ever noticed how some stress seems to not just dictate your mood, but your whole sense of presence? That’s because, according to craniosacral therapist Lulu Ferrand, we’re operating on a spectrum of vibrational frequency.  On this week’s episode, Lulu speaks to us about how what we engage with, moment to moment, can raise or lower our sense of freedom, safety and connection.  She explains how she understands craniosacral therapy (CST) as working not only with the nervous system but also with the body’s subtle energetic field – helping people access states where old emotional and physical patterns can release. She emphasises that CST isn’t about ignoring or dismissing the difficult, lower-frequency experiences people may be living with; rather, it helps clients recognise that the more time they spend in lighter, more regulated states, the more they can be gently ‘pulled up and out’.  She also shares how even the smallest moments of beauty or presence – like ‘noticing that a particular flower is looking beautiful’ – can create meaningful shifts in the system.  We discuss  How engaging with ‘higher’ or ‘lighter’ experiences can support emotional and energetic regulation Why highly sensitive people and empaths may feel drained or overwhelmed by others How CST supports the body’s natural capacity to let go of held patterns How sensitivity can show up early in life – and why attuned support makes a difference Practical ways to ground and protect your own energy How small, everyday moments can shift how we feel in profound ways Moment of Care: This episode discusses sensitive episodes related to trauma, mental health and potential distressing experiences. If you feel triggered at any point, please take a moment to check in with yourself and seek support.  Watch this episode on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/masteringchangepodcast Follow us on instagram: www.instagram.com/masterseventsltd Visit mastersevents.com/oxford-2026 for more details.

    38 min

  8. 12/30/2025

    Why neurofeedback works when talking doesn’t | Stuart Black | #044 Mastering Change

    Sometimes, talking therapy isn’t enough.  This week on Mastering Change, we speak with neurofeedback specialist Stuart Black, whose work focuses on trauma, PTSD and the patterns the nervous system can’t shift through traditional talking therapy alone.  Stuart explains how neurofeedback helps a dysregulated nervous system re-regulate, especially when trauma has left people stuck in survival mode. He describes how it can support the processing of traumatic memories stored in the emotional brain that otherwise couldn’t be accessed.    “We can enable you to process any traumatic memories which are stuck in your emotional brain… so you're controlling those memories rather than those memories controlling you.”   We explore  Why a dysregulated nervous system can block therapeutic progress How neurofeedback helps the brain access and process traumatic memories Why trying to “fix brain chemistry” misses the root cause Why there is no such thing as an average brain The importance of the therapeutic relationship – and why neurofeedback isn’t “just a machine” Why educating people about neurofeedback could drastically speed up the therapy process Moment of Care: This episode discusses sensitive episodes related to trauma, mental health and potential distressing experiences. If you feel triggered at any point, please take a moment to check in with yourself and seek support.  Watch this episode on Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/masteringchangepodcast Follow us on instagram: www.instagram.com/masterseventsltd Visit mastersevents.com/oxford-2026 for more details.

    37 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Welcome to Mastering Change, a podcast co-hosted by Emma and Araminta, where we engage in meaningful conversations centred around healing. In this series, we bring together leading experts, innovative thinkers, and emerging voices to connect knowledge with real-world impact in the areas of trauma, mental health and wellbeing.    Each episode features insightful discussions with respected figures as well as promising new contributors to the field. We explore a range of topics with a focus on making this knowledge available for anyone interested in supporting their own healing journey or that of others.    At Mastering Change, we understand the significance of conversation as a means of fostering understanding and growth. Our aim is to create a ripple effect, facilitating the transfer of knowledge and establishing a community where impactful voices are heard.     Whether you are a seasoned professional or new to the field, we invite you to engage in thoughtful discussions that can inspire meaningful change in your practice and personal life. Join us as we explore critical insights and perspectives, encouraging a shared commitment to healing trauma. 

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