The Gifts of Trauma

Compassionate Inquiry
  • 4.7 (15)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Weekly

Presented by Compassionate Inquiry®, the Gifts of Trauma is a weekly podcast that features personal stories of trauma healing and the gifts revealed on the path to authenticity. Compassionate Inquiry® is a psychotherapeutic approach created by Dr. Gabor Maté over several decades while working with both patients and retreat participants.Join us to hear what it was like for our guests to live with the tension of trauma, and what happened when they turned inward with compassionate curiosity. These highly relatable stories illustrate how they transformed their trauma generated fear, anger, pain or shame triggers into understanding, acceptance and love. www.compassionateinquiry.com

  1. 5d ago

    Presence in Policing vs. Institutionalized Isolation, with Brett Key and Brandon Evans

    Hosted by Rosemary Davies-Janes.  Produced by J'aime Rothbard. In this episode, a retired Oklahoma Highway Patrol Lieutenant (and co-founder of Warriors Rest) joins a retired firefighter (and founder of Fire to Light) to discuss the similarities and differences of the challenges each profession faces. They also explain how their organizations meet similar needs from different places; one intervening when there's a crisis, the other going to work upstream, before the crisis happens. Brett and Brandon take turns sharing: - The moment a counselor's simple question finally broke through Brett's resistance to getting help - Why the phrase, "Take a minute to make a minute," stayed with Brandon - What his partner's death, hours after his own son's birth, taught Brett about cumulative trauma - The question Warriors Rest trains people to ask when someone may be suicidal - The weight ever-increasing public scrutiny adds to policing that firefighters and EMS don't experience - Why a net under the Golden Gate Bridge is proof that small interventions save lives Brett remembers the pounding of his heart during his very first highway pursuit, and how over time, even the most adrenaline-charged calls stopped registering as stressful. This conversation is about what it takes for first responders to stay present to stay well. Because if you have to call for help on the worst day of your life, you want those first responders to be mentally, emotionally and physically fit. About Brett Key, OHP Lieutenant (Retired)  A retired Lieutenant with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP), Brett is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Warriors Rest Foundation, an Oklahoma City-based nonprofit organization dedicated to the mental health and wellness of first responders—law enforcement, fire and EMS. After 26 years with OHP, Brett brings a depth of experience that few can match. During his career he served as a K-9 handler and supervisor in the Criminal Interdiction Division, developed curriculum for OHP's Leadership Development and Law Enforcement Driver Training programs, and served as Commandant and Assistant Commandant for three OHP Academies. He also served on OHP's Tactical Team as an operator, sniper, Team Leader, and rising to the position of Assistant Commander before retiring in 2021. For over a decade, Brett served as a peer counselor in OHP's Officer Assistance Program, work that planted the seed for everything Warriors Rest Foundation has become. He is trained in Critical Incident Stress Management through the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, has helped build and train peer support teams across Oklahoma, and has served as a peer counselor at Post Critical Incident Seminars and with C.O.P.S. at National Police Week in Washington D.C. Brett is an experienced presenter and instructor in leadership, peer support, and first responder wellness—speaking to command staff, agencies and conferences across the US. He founded Warriors Rest because he believes mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health should be the number one priority for every first responder, their family, and their department. About Brandon Evans Executive Director, Fire to Light Foundation, Founder & CEO, Fire to Light  Brandon Evans is a retired firefighter and the Founder of Fire to Light, an organisation dedicated to advancing preventative Mental Fitness training inside the fire service. Drawing on lived experience and independent global research involving over 104 fire chiefs and leaders across 13 countries and 5 continents, Brandon developed the Fire to Light Mental Fitness Training System, a practical operationalised approach to training Mental Fitness the same way fire departments train every other critical skill. Through the Fire to Light Foundation, a registered Canadian charity of which Brandon serves as Executive Director, the goal is to make Mental Fitness training accessible to every fire department, removing barriers so that Mental Fitness is systemised and embedded into fire service operations worldwide. not treated as a clinical afterthought, but trained, reinforced, and owned at every level of the organisation. Brandon's mission is to help reduce rates of suicide and psychological injury in the fire service through an upstream approach of Mental Fitness Training, Fitness before Therapy. Promotional Messages Compassionate Inquiry® Professional Training If you've been listening to our podcast and are curious about the Compassionate Inquiry approach developed by Doctor Gabor Maté and Sat Dharam Kaur, consider joining the Professional Training Program. It's open to all healing professionals, including naturopaths, physicians, body workers, coaches, and therapists. In addition to learning how to use compassion to support your clients in their most vulnerable moments with greater empathy and authenticity, you'll also deepen your own internal process. If you're interested, look for the link in the show notes.   Compassionate Inquiry® Conference—Vancouver 2026 If you've completed, or are currently enrolled in Compassionate Inquiry training, you're invited to attend the third international CI Conference in Vancouver, Canada from October 30 to November 1. Dr Gabor Maté is returning as our keynote speaker and master class presenter. Enjoy engaging workshops and inspiring demonstrations with Sat Dharam Kaur, CI Facilitators and Practitioners. Whether you join us in person for three days of shared inquiry with CI cohort partners, and colleagues from around the world, or attend virtually to focus on the teachings, tap the link in the show notes to learn more and secure your place. And yes—there will be dancing.  Resources: Websites: Warrior's Rest Support Warrior's Rest Fire to Light Support Fire to Light Related Links: "Clinicians for Warriors" Conference 2025 ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training Peer Support Teams Law Enforcement Suicides & Riska Study Police Trauma Syndrome Research 2020 Dallas Police Study Golden Gate Bridge Net Social Media: Facebook: Warrior's Rest Fire to Light Instagram: Warrior's Rest @firetolight_firefighters X Warrior's Rest TikTok Warrior's Rest LinkedIn: Warrior's Rest Fire to Light Foundation

  2. Aug 13

    Firefighter Burnout, Fraternity, and Retiring Whole, with Kory Pearn and Brandon Evans

    Hosted by J'aime Rothbard & Rosemary Davies-Janes. Produced by J'aime Rothbard. Twenty-three years into a firefighting career he loved, despite his enviable strategic foresight, what Kory never saw coming was a heart issue that led to a walk-in clinic and a hospital bed. The Captain of his fire company, he was also running a side business, raising a family and saying yes to every request.  In this episode, two firefighters unpack what almost broke them, and what it actually takes to build careers and lives that don't quietly erode them from the inside. In this episode, they explain: - Why firefighters are "overbuilt, not integrated" - What heart failure taught Kory about denial - Why "farming out health and wellness" works well for fire service crews - What binds the global firefighting fraternity - What "retiring whole" can look like Kory and Brandon share hard-won truths about what it costs firefighters to keep showing up, and what it takes to keep doing it well. If you've ever wondered what happens when someone finally stops outrunning their own body, this conversation offers many insights to ponder. About Kory Pearn, Fire Captain / Founder, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of CRACKYL Magazine / Author and Speaker A 23-year veteran of the fire service, currently serving as a Captain and Company Officer, Kory's frontline and leadership service gives him a rare perspective on what drives firefighters to succeed—and what erodes them over time. As the founder, publisher and editor-in-chief of CRACKYL Magazine, he has built a groundbreaking platform that connects science, culture, and lived experience in a way the fire service has never seen before. A respected speaker, author and educator, Kory shares hard-earned lessons and practical strategies with firefighters, leaders, and organizations across North America and beyond. About Brandon Evans Executive Director, Fire to Light Foundation, Founder & CEO, Fire to Light  Brandon Evans is a retired firefighter and the Founder of Fire to Light, an organisation dedicated to advancing preventative Mental Fitness training inside the fire service. Drawing on lived experience and independent global research, Brandon developed the Fire to Light Mental Fitness Training System, a practical operationalised approach to training Mental Fitness the same way fire departments train every other critical skill. The goal of the Fire to Light Foundation, a registered Canadian charity, is to make Mental Fitness training, not a clinical afterthought, but accessible within every fire department. By removing barriers Mental Fitness can be embedded into fire service operations worldwide; systemised, trained, reinforced, and owned at every level of the organisation. Brandon's personal mission is to help reduce rates of suicide and psychological injury in the fire service through an upstream approach of Mental Fitness Training, Fitness before Therapy. Promotional Messages: Compassionate Inquiry® Professional Training If you've been listening to our podcast and are curious about the Compassionate Inquiry approach developed by Doctor Gabor Maté and Sat Dharam Kaur, consider joining the Professional Training Program. It's open to all healing professionals, including naturopaths, physicians, body workers, coaches, and therapists. In addition to learning how to use compassion to support your clients in their most vulnerable moments with greater empathy and authenticity, you'll also deepen your own internal process. If you're interested, please tap this link to learn more.   Compassionate Inquiry® Circles If you're not a therapist or healer, but you've heard our guests describe the personal transformations they experienced during their Compassionate Inquiry® journeys, and wonder what that would be like for you... Circles is a 10-week small group experience offered to anyone who wants to experience the power of Gabor Maté's approach to trauma healing. Use this link to find out if this program is for you. Resources: Websites: Crackyl Website Fire to Light Foundation  Fire to Light Website Support Fire to Light — Zeffy Fire to Light Research Study Crackyl Articles: The Entry Point: Why the Same Approach Won't Ever Reach Every Firefighter Finding My Way Back: A firefighter reclaims her health, purpose, and identity after facing the impact of trauma and alcohol Your brain is built to suppress emotion in a crisis, but staying healthy means knowing when, and where, to unpack what you've been carrying OCD or PTSD? One Firefighter's Journey for Answers Killing Rage, Directed Inward The Suffering We Choose Podcasts:  Kory Pearn: The Man with a Method (2025) It Became a Necessity': Kory Pearn on CRACKYL's Personal Impact (2024) Igniting Wellness: The Story of Kory Pearn and CRACKYL Magazine (2024) Firefighter Wellness, Resilience and CRACKYL Magazine (2024) Upgrade Your Self Love (2025) Heroes are Also Human (2025) Videos: CRACKYL's Crusader for Firefighter Wellness (2024) Firefighter Health (2024) Social Media: Facebook: Kory Pearn Crackyl Magazine Fire to Light Instagram: @pearn.kory @crackylmag @firetolight_firefighters X: @CrackylM LinkedIn:  CRACKYL Magazine       Kory Pearn       Fire to Light Foundation

    Firefighter Burnout, Fraternity, and Retiring Whole, with Kory Pearn and Brandon Evans

  3. Aug 6

    What Running into the Fire Can Cost Firefighters, with Brandon Evans

    Hosted by Kevin Young and J'aime Rothbard. Produced by J'aime Rothbard  More than 15 years spent running into burning buildings taught him that the hardest fires to face are the ones that follow you home. In the first of our five-part First Responders Series, Kevin and J'aime sit down with Brandon, a retired Canadian Firefighter, to explore what it really costs to be the one who shows up for others on the worst days of their lives. Brandon explains: - Why 'mental fitness' is a more useful frame than 'mental health' for firefighters - What his international research (104 fire chiefs across five continents) revealed about the gap between how firefighters train for fire and how they train for their own mental health - How the firehouse storytelling tradition could become the fire service's most powerful teaching tool - The five pillars of Fire to Light, and what 'operationalizing wellness' actually looks like Brandon shares a raw and unflinching perspective on what it costs to be the one who runs toward the fire, and why "We're not broken, we just need to train differently" might be the most important reframe first responders need to hear. Join us to hear what can change when a firefighter stops surviving their career and starts training for it. About Brandon Evans Executive Director, Fire to Light Foundation, Founder & CEO, Fire to Light  Brandon Evans is a retired firefighter and the Founder of Fire to Light, an organisation dedicated to advancing preventative Mental Fitness training inside the fire service. Drawing on lived experience and independent global research involving over 104 fire chiefs and leaders across 13 countries and 5 continents, Brandon developed the Fire to Light Mental Fitness Training System, a practical operationalised approach to training Mental Fitness the same way fire departments train every other critical skill. Through the Fire to Light Foundation, a registered Canadian charity of which Brandon serves as Executive Director, the goal is to make Mental Fitness training accessible to every fire department, removing barriers so that Mental Fitness is systemised and embedded into fire service operations worldwide. not treated as a clinical afterthought, but trained, reinforced, and owned at every level of the organisation. Brandon's mission is to help reduce rates of suicide and psychological injury in the fire service through an upstream approach of Mental Fitness Training, Fitness before Therapy. Promotional Messages: Compassionate Inquiry® Professional Training If you've been listening to our podcast and are curious about the Compassionate Inquiry approach developed by Doctor Gabor Maté and Sat Dharam Kaur, consider joining the Professional Training Program. It's open to all healing professionals, including naturopaths, physicians, body workers, coaches, and therapists. In addition to learning how to use compassion to support your clients in their most vulnerable moments with greater empathy and authenticity, you'll also deepen your own internal process. If you're interested, please tap this link to learn more.   Suicide Attention Training The Compassionate Inquiry Suicide Attention Training is for therapists, health professionals and others working in therapeutic, healing, educational, medical, or coaching roles. If you're seeking sensitive training to help you recognize and support people in your communities who may be experiencing suicidal distress, please tap this link. It will take you to a web page where you can learn more about this training, and decide if it's a good fit for you.  Resources: Websites: Fire to Light Foundation  Fire to Light Website Support Fire to Light — Zeffy Fire to Light Research Study Crackyl Magazine Website Articles: Defining Resilience for Firefighters Firefighters and Mental Health: The Fear of Raising Your Hand The Current State of Mental Health in the Fire Service But There Is Nothing Wrong With Me Trauma: Who, What, Where, When and Why Podcasts:  Upgrade Your Self Love (2025) Heroes are Also Human (2025) Transforming Challenges into Opportunities (2025) Brandon Evans - Fire to Light (2024) Discovering The Energy Of Love (2022) Videos: Firefighting and Mental Fitness (2025) Understanding Mental Health in the Fire Service  (2024) Real Leadership Comes from Courage (2024) Don't Judge a Book (2024) Fire To Light with Brandon Evans  (2024) How to Improve Your Mental Fitness (2023) Social Media: Facebook: Fire to Light Instagram: @firetolight_firefighters LinkedIn: Fire to Light Foundation

  4. Jul 30

    From Colitis to Liver Transplant: Balancing on Shifting Ground, with Lizzie Reumont

    Hosted by Rosemary Davies-Janes.  Produced by J'aime Rothbard Diagnosed with an autoimmune disease at three, Lizzie grew up not feeling safe within her own body. A volatile home meant she didn't feel safe outside it either. This candid conversation traces a decades long journey from a childhood marked by chronic illness and family instability, through disordered eating and compulsive exercise to a liver transplant at 31, the long work of making a stranger's organ her own, and what it takes to keep finding, again and again, a small enough foothold to trust she can balance. Lizzie shares: - How a psyche and body under siege shaped a pattern of control through eating and exercise - What it took to wait for, survive, and recover from transplant surgery - What her transplanted 80-year-old liver is teaching her about time, aging and her own body - What drew her, a 20-year veteran of structural bodywork, to Compassionate Inquiry® Join us to hear how three decades in the treatment room, five decades of living with chronic illness, and one organ transplant brought Lizzie to a practice built on trust, patience and staying gently curious about what her body is still holding. About Lizzie Reumont Yoga Teacher, Rolfer and Rolf Movement Practitioner, Compassionate Inquiry Practitioner, Private Mentor and Somatic Therapist Lizzie's interest in what it means to be in the body originated from an early age, as a young child living with an active auto-immune illness in an environment where her body never truly felt safe. After spending her teenage years doing everything possible to disconnect from her body, in her early twenties Lizzie attended her first yoga class. This became an entry point for what continues to unfold as a lifelong practice of uncovering new layers of understanding about what it means to be herself, and what it means to be human. Lizzie has been teaching yoga and working as a Rolfer, Rolf Movement practitioner and craniosacral therapist for over 20 years. During this time, she has also moved through an arc of personal circumstances that include a liver transplant, a cancer diagnosis and a colectomy. Whilst her body has changed form, her inner landscape has found clarity and depth. Her scope of work has also shifted, adding Compassionate Inquiry and Somatic Experiencing to the tools she uses as a multidisciplinary Somatic Therapist.  Alongside her curiosity about what shapes the experience of being human, Lizzie is also an avid nature enthusiast, bird watcher, piano player and mother, which are all sources of inspiration and joy.   Promotional Messages: Compassionate Inquiry® Conference—Vancouver 2026 If you've completed, or are currently enrolled in Compassionate Inquiry training, you're invited to attend the third international CI Conference in Vancouver, Canada from October 30 to November 1. Dr Gabor Maté is returning as our keynote speaker and master class presenter. Enjoy engaging workshops and inspiring demonstrations with Sat Dharam Kaur, CI Facilitators and Practitioners. Whether you join us in person for three days of shared inquiry with CI cohort partners, and colleagues from around the world, or attend virtually to focus on the teachings, tap this link to learn more and secure your place. And yes—there will be dancing.  Compassionate Inquiry® Professional Training If you've been listening to our podcast and are curious about the Compassionate Inquiry approach developed by Doctor Gabor Maté and Sat Dharam Kaur, consider joining the Professional Training Program. It's open to all healing professionals, including naturopaths, physicians, body workers, coaches, and therapists. In addition to learning how to use compassion to support your clients in their most vulnerable moments with greater empathy and authenticity, you'll also deepen your own internal process. If you're interested, tap this link for more information.   Resources: Websites: Professional Website Books: (Auto-Immune Illness, Chronic Pain, Female Studies) Between Two Kingdoms Unwell Woman The Invisible Kingdom Bodies of Truth Body Horror The Body Keeps The Score When The Body Says No (Authenticity) The Secret to Superhuman Strength Dying To Be Me A Matter of Death and Life The Roles We Play What It Means To Be Human Far From The Tree Daring Greatly (Trauma) Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents Recovering from Emotionally Immature Parents The Drama of Being a Child Meeting the Shadow The Myth of Normal Waking the Tiger In An Unspoken Voice An Autobiography of Trauma Anchored Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/lizzie.reumont/

  5. Jul 23

    Birth, Grief and the Threshold Moments of Life, with Anouk Wehli

    Hosted by Rosemary Davies-Janes. Produced by J'aime Rothbard. What do birth and grief have in common? For Anouk, they are different sides of the same coin; threshold moments where our bodies already know what to do, if our minds allow us to trust the process. Anouk's life has so many facets, layers, and redirects that it would have been easy for her to overlook the consistent theme, which is simply: "Everything was meant to happen." In this warm and wide-ranging conversation, Anouk explores: - What shifts grief from a natural and healthy human experience into pathology - What seeing birth and death as different sides of the same coin, taught her about life - How becoming a parent can activate unprocessed transgenerational wounds - What it means to grow up as a "third culture kid" - How her multicultural inheritance, Korean, Swiss and Taiwanese, shapes her perspectives Throughout this interview Anouk shares many of her beautiful facets: Two decades running a children's forest school. A lifetime of crossing cultural and emotional thresholds. Her work in 'The Portal.' A concept she calls Essence Recovery. And at the end, the gift she offers to anyone hesitating at a life threshold is simple and steadying: "You're not alone in this." About Anouk Wehli:  ⁠Traumatologist Anouk brings a unique synthesis of clinical expertise and lived experience to the fields of growth and development. As a psychotherapist, trained midwife, grief specialist, massage therapist, outdoor educator and mother, her work is rooted in the belief that our personal histories and professional lives are fundamentally interconnected.  She joined Compassionate Inquiry in 2020 and today works as a Portal Facilitator, Circle Leader and behind the scenes in administration. The trauma lens Compassionate Inquiry offers has deepened her work as a grief counsellor, birth worker, communications trainer and bodyworker.  Having survived cultural and generational trauma, she knows first-hand the powerful effects of compassionately being with pain so suffering eases and life becomes more bearable… even enjoyable.  Growing up in Taiwan and Hong Kong with a Korean mother and Swiss father endowed Anouk with an invaluable set of multicultural competencies. Her melting pot upbringing and education in international schools instilled open-mindedness which she embodies when working with clients from all around the world. Working virtually has opened up a cosmopolitan online practice which she invites you to step into, if you're drawn to start your recovery journey with a Compassionate Inquiry session.  Promotional Messages The Portal Training If you've been listening to our podcast, you may have heard guests connect their birth experiences with enduring subconscious behavioural and emotional patterns. To help break this cycle, Compassionate Inquiry® offers The Portal, a 28-week trauma-informed training for perinatal health professionals; such as midwives, obstetricians, nurses and doulas, who want to empower their patients to trust their innate ability to birth, bond & nurture their child. Tap this link to learn more Spotlight Episodes Your journey with Compassionate Inquiry® matters. Your work in the world matters. If you have a story to share about bringing Compassionate Inquiry into the world, we'd like to amplify your voice. Spotlight episodes are full length Gifts of Trauma podcast interviews offered exclusively to CI community members. You'll not only share your story with 55,000 healing professionals across all platforms, you'll receive a pre-interview strategy session plus three promotional video clips. We're offering only 10 Spotlight episodes per year and production realities require a financial contribution. Follow the links to access full details and express your interest. Spotlight Episodes   |   Sponsorships Resources: Websites: Professional Website Compassionate Inquiry Profile Related Links: Grief Recovery Method  The Grief Recovery Handbook Cruse Bereavement (UK) National Bereavement Alliance (UK) What's your Grief? Grief School   The Beyond Addiction Program The Portal Training Compassionate Inquiry Professional Training Compassionate Inquiry Circles Science and Nonduality (SAND) The NVCI Circle Cat McCarthy's Interview Social Media Instagram @anoukwehli

  6. Jul 16

    From 'Difficult Child' To Healing Difficult Clients, with Anouk Bindels

    Hosted by Rosemary Davies-Janes. Produced by J'aime Rothbard. Some healing journeys begin with a single crisis. This deeply moving conversation tracks a healing journey that spans more than 5 decades; from infant medical trauma, to being sent to a children's home, to losing her first husband to cancer, the sudden suicide of her second husband, myelitis-induced paralysis and incontinence, the esophageal cancer that followed years of dexamethasone treatment, and a near-death experience during chemotherapy. Anouk's life is one where extraordinary trauma coexists with luminous aliveness, intelligence and impeccable care. She shares: - How being 'fixated' as an infant wired her nervous system for survival, dissociation and a lifelong resistance to touch - What finally forced her body to say no, and the crack of light that initiated her return - How psychedelics, approached within a carefully held therapeutic container, opened childhood layers that nothing else had reached - What it means to build a healing model from the inside out, and why the safety of the container is everything For anyone considering legal psychedelic work, Anouk's retreat model, with its rigorous preparation, trauma-trained support team, and structured integration program, represents something rare and genuinely trustworthy in a landscape where harm is all too possible. Join us to hear how one woman's most shattering experiences seeded her most profound gifts. About Anouk Bindels A psychologist, systems therapist, coach and trainer, with a private practice based in the Netherlands, Anouk's work focuses on understanding the deep roots of trauma and the protective patterns people develop in order to survive difficult experiences. Having spent 40 years helping people heal from trauma, her Heart & Brain healing approach springs from firsthand experience, deep training, and a desire to offer something better.. Over the years, Anouk has continued to deepen her knowledge and professional skills through various international refresher courses and studying the works of: Jan Foudrenne, Peter Levine, Bessel van der Kolk, Joe Dispenza, Kelly Turner, Bruce Lipton, James Fadiman, Stephen Porges, Dan Siegel, Gabor Maté, Janina Fisher and Frank Anderson. Anouk has also completed the Compassionate Inquiry® professional training and participated in the Kiyumi trauma-informed, psychedelic-assisted therapy, preparation, and integration programs developed in collaboration with Gabor Maté. By combining her versatile, international orientation with her professional insights and personal life experiences, Anouk developed the Heart & Brain healing process, which skilfully bridges the gaps between modern neuroscience and traditional Eastern philosophy, and between cognitive psychology and spirituality.  Anouk's learnings gained through her personal experiences with loss, trauma and illness are woven throughout her book, Wisdom of Trauma. It is currently available in Dutch and German. However, English and Spanish translations are underway.  In addition to her book, Anouk offers various forms of therapy, coaching, small groups and Heart and Brain Healing Camps (4.5 or 7 day psychedelic retreats with full preparation and integration elements). On her website, she offers an online trauma course (9 modules) and numerous meditations. Promotional Messages: Compassionate Inquiry® Professional Training If you've been listening to our podcast and are curious about the Compassionate Inquiry approach developed by Doctor Gabor Maté and Sat Dharam Kaur, consider joining the Professional Training Program. It's open to all healing professionals, including naturopaths, physicians, body workers, coaches, and therapists. In addition to learning how to use compassion to support your clients in their most vulnerable moments with greater empathy and authenticity, you'll also deepen your own internal process. If you're interested, please tap this link.   Spotlight Episodes Your journey with Compassionate Inquiry® matters. Your work in the world matters. If you have a story to share about bringing Compassionate Inquiry into the world, we'd like to amplify your voice. Spotlight episodes are full length Gifts of Trauma podcast interviews offered exclusively to CI community members. You'll not only share your story with 55,000 healing professionals across all platforms, you'll receive a pre-interview strategy session plus three promotional video clips. We're offering only 10 Spotlight episodes per year and production realities require a financial contribution. Follow the links to access full details and express your interest. Spotlight Episodes   |   Sponsorships Resources: Website: Professional Website Related Links: Therapy Offerings Coaching Offerings Meditations Free Meditation Journal Events Trauma-Sensitive Training (with New Mind Institute) Heart & Brain Healcamp (Retreats) Wisdom of Trauma (Podcast - 2025) Wisdom of Trauma (Book - 2021) When the Body Says No (Book) The Myth of Normal (Book) Radical Remission (Book) Radical Hope (Book) Gabor Mate, MD  (YouTube) Howard Schubiner, MD (YouTube) Social Media: Facebook Instagram YouTube LinkedIn

  7. Jul 9

    Your Nervous System Path to Intimacy and Aliveness, with Charon Normand-Widmer

    Hosted by Kevin Young.  Produced by J'aime Rothbard. What if the part of yourself you've been taught to suppress is actually the doorway to being fully alive? Charon has spent a lifetime exploring that question, as a somatic therapist, a shamanic bodyworker, through her training in Compassionate Inquiry® and her new book, Sovereign in Love: The Nervous System Path to Holding Desire, Power and Intimacy. (2026) In this Spotlight Episode, Kevin engages Charon in a wide-ranging conversation that flows from the body's quiet intelligence to the life force that animates everything, including our capacity to tolerate, connect, create and engage fully with the world around us. Charon shares: - How her life's work springs from reading bodily signals as a child, and watching her mother grieve - What it means to "drop into the body;" through a live demonstration - Why sexual energy is about life force, not intercourse, and why a healthy relationship with sexuality doesn't require a partner - How shame around sexuality can shrink our capacity for presence, connection and aliveness - What it means to be sovereign in love… and why pleasure is not a luxury but our birthright This episode offers both a map and a permission slip to anyone who has ever felt disconnected from their own intimacy and aliveness. Charon invites us to consider what we've been taught to suppress, and what might become possible if we free it. About Charon Normand-Widmer LMSW, Relationship Therapist A Licensed Master Social Worker and somatic psychotherapist, Charon is the founder of Luminous Ground, a body of work at the intersection of nervous system science, intimacy, and embodiment. For over a decade, she has worked with individuals and couples in the territory where most healing actually happens: the body. Her approach is trauma-informed, somatic, and deeply relational, drawing on attachment theory, polyvagal theory, and the practices of erotic embodiment. Charon believes that people are not broken, they are carrying nervous systems that learned, often very young, how to survive. The work, in her hands, is helping the body feel safe enough to come back online. Her practice offers a range of doorways into this work: 1:1 sessions, written therapy by letter, group containers including Embodied Tantra, live ceremonies and circles, and Empower Your Pathways, her ongoing WhatsApp community for those committed to longer-term integration.  She also teaches and writes at the intersections of nervous system, intimacy, desire, and sovereignty, with essays appearing on her Substack and across her social platforms. Charon's first book, Sovereign in Love: The Nervous System Path to Holding Desire, Power and Intimacy, released on June 1, 2026 from Sovereign Press. It is available on Amazon and IngramSpark. Promotional Messages 3rd Compassionate Inquiry® Conference—Vancouver 2026 If you've completed, or are currently enrolled in Compassionate Inquiry training, you're invited to attend the third international CI Conference in Vancouver, Canada from October 30 to November 1. Dr Gabor Maté is returning as our keynote speaker and master class presenter. Enjoy engaging workshops and inspiring demonstrations with Sat Dharam Kaur, CI Facilitators and Practitioners. Whether you join us in person for three days of shared inquiry with CI cohort partners, and colleagues from around the world, or attend virtually to focus on the teachings, tap this link to learn more and secure your place. And yes—there will be dancing.  Compassionate Inquiry® Professional Training If you've been listening to our podcast and are curious about the Compassionate Inquiry approach developed by Doctor Gabor Maté and Sat Dharam Kaur, consider joining the Professional Training Program. It's open to all healing professionals, including naturopaths, physicians, body workers, coaches, and therapists. In addition to learning how to use compassion to support your clients in their most vulnerable moments with greater empathy and authenticity, you'll also deepen your own internal process. If you're interested, please follow this link.   Resources Professional Website Related Links Free 'Intimacy Without Armour' Masterclass Embodied Intimacy (Small-group sessions) Private 1:1 & Group Work Muse Codes 1-Month Audio Experience Empower Your Pathways WhatsApp Broadcast:  Books Sovereign in Love: The Nervous System Path to Holding Desire, Power and Intimacy (Amazon) Sovereign in Love: The Nervous System Path to Holding Desire, Power and Intimacy (IngramSpark) The Power of Divine Eros: The Illuminating Force of Love in Everyday Life  Articles Relationship Alchemy (Substack) Compassionate Inquiry Blog Library Social Media Facebook Instagram Tiktok

  8. Jul 2

    25 Stops On the Line: Celebrating 2 Years and 100 Episodes

    Hosted by J'aime Rothbard, Kevin Young & Rosemary Davies-Janes. Produced by J'aime Rothbard. What happens when you look back at a hundred conversations, a hundred faces, and a hundred stories? We're celebrating two years of The Gifts of Trauma with a taster menu; twenty-five small bites pulled froPlem our most listened to episodes. An astonishing range of topics have been covered; from math anxiety to menopause, to addiction and neurodiversity, war and racism to colonization/invasion, grief and wounds to diseases, relationships, masculinity and fatherhood, to adoption and childhood trauma, and so much more. We'd also like to acknowledge Diana Gharib for participating in an interview from the frontlines in Beirut, while drones were flying overhead. [Episode 87] In this special compilation episode, Rosemary, Kevin and J'aime reflect on: - Why each episodes focuses on the gifts trauma reveals, not just the trauma itself - Two beloved guests who passed shortly after their episodes published - The deep wisdom being shared in Spotlight Episodes by community members We all agree that the glory belongs to our guests: the people who showed up and shared their work, their compassion and their humanity. And as Sat Dharam says when this episode opens, sometimes arriving at the destination simply means one person, somewhere, realising they're not alone. Promotional Messages: Compassionate Inquiry® Professional Training If you've been listening to our podcast and are curious about the Compassionate Inquiry approach developed by Doctor Gabor Maté and Sat Dharam Kaur, consider joining the Professional Training Program. It's open to all healing professionals, including naturopaths, physicians, body workers, coaches, and therapists. In addition to learning how to use compassion to support your clients in their most vulnerable moments with greater empathy and authenticity, you'll also deepen your own internal process. If you're interested, tap this link to learn more. Spotlight Episodes Your journey with Compassionate Inquiry® matters. Your work in the world matters. If you have a story to share about bringing Compassionate Inquiry into the world, we'd like to amplify your voice. Spotlight episodes are full length Gifts of Trauma podcast interviews offered exclusively to CI community members. You'll not only share your story with 55,000 healing professionals across all platforms, you'll receive a pre-interview strategy session plus three promotional video clips. We're offering only 10 Spotlight episodes per year and production realities require a financial contribution. Follow the links to access full details and express your interest. Spotlight Episodes   |   Sponsorships Resources: Compassionate Inquiry® Podcast, All Episodes Our Taster Menu: In Order of Appearance Episode 1: Gabor Maté, MD "There's nothing fundamentally wrong with anybody... the wounds that you carry can be healed." Episode 10: Sat Dharam Kaur, ND "I'm allowing something bigger to carry this whole ship... to make the impossible possible." Episode 2: Rhonda Nelson "I had this ability to drop the cane when I was around my family." Episode 5: Stephen Brown "I knew I was in the wrong place," on walking into a Protestant enclave in Belfast as a teenager during the Troubles. Episode 86: Rosemary Wanganeen "I had to empty my physical body of all that grief energy for my spirit to feel safe enough to come home. And between my physical body and my spirit, we've been able to sustain that connection."  Episode 55: Reggie Hubbard "I grew up in a land that saw me as a threat when all I wanted to do was be a blessing."  Episode 63: Juliano Innocenti "Most of humanity is our tribe. We just are taught to see difference and separate. We're not different. We've just been pulled apart."  Episode 18: ⁠Vimalasara Mason-John "When did you lose your play? When did you lose your aliveness? When did you stop being enchanted by your own story?" Episode 25: Sat Dharam Kaur "What happened to you... what happened to your ancestors... you're not what happened to you." Episode 3: Luke Sniewski "I didn't even know what an emotion was until I turned 30." Episode 73: Silva Neves, Diana Safta "There are so many things about sex that people believe to be true [that] are just constructs that have [their] origins in religion."  Episode 36: Wen Harper Harris While sitting at a stoplight in LA, scrolling, "There was no time to stop and pause and do nothing and be." Episode 11: Jordan Decker "Shame is a shortcut to change with long-term consequences, whereas love is a long road that ends in resilience." Episode 28: Dr. Louise Taylor "That would have possibly been quite handy to know prior." [On being diagnosed dyslexic in the final stretch of her PhD.] Episode 13: Sara Easterly "We live in a culture that tells us adoption is beautiful. ​And yes, it can be. ​But I also have a lot of really hard parts of my story. There's grief, there's loss that don't get acknowledged." Episode 29: Gordon Neufeld "We've never had more books... and we've never been so dumbed down." Episode 22: Matthew Green "The real edge of this is asking what role journalists can play in recognizing the role of trauma underneath the crises that we see in the news." Episode 85: Dr Kenneth Doka, Maria Estrada, Ellie Davis "Acknowledge life even with grief. There's lots to live for, lots to learn, lots to know."  Episode 96: Efu Nyaki, Rennet Wong Gates "I'm not going to fix you. I'm sitting here with you so that you can learn something from me as I learn something from you." - Efu Nyaki Episode 16: Allison Creech "I have a visceral, felt sense awareness of that presence... I love that space." Episode 77: Zach Bush, MD, Eva Dalak "More so than the victim or the perpetrator, the savior is actually the one going in to poison the system and see who can survive."  Episode 50: Inés Zabalaga "We've got you, honey bunny, we've got you... you don't have to do it alone." Episode 66: Kate Hazlitt, Inés Zabalaga "I'm pruning not just for myself, but for everyone that is coming up before me and after me." Episode 35: Fredrick Wretman A client, mid-session said: "You are a copy of my abuser." And six months later: "Being able to feel safe with you has made my relationship to men in general much better." Episode 89: Joe Baldock, Bret Hunt, MD "There are no 'others.' These violent or traumatized men aren't 'other' from us. And that is not a very popular line of thought."  And… We're Just Getting Started

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About

Presented by Compassionate Inquiry®, the Gifts of Trauma is a weekly podcast that features personal stories of trauma healing and the gifts revealed on the path to authenticity. Compassionate Inquiry® is a psychotherapeutic approach created by Dr. Gabor Maté over several decades while working with both patients and retreat participants.Join us to hear what it was like for our guests to live with the tension of trauma, and what happened when they turned inward with compassionate curiosity. These highly relatable stories illustrate how they transformed their trauma generated fear, anger, pain or shame triggers into understanding, acceptance and love. www.compassionateinquiry.com

Information

  • Creator
    Compassionate Inquiry
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    119
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2024
  • Show Website
    The Gifts of Trauma

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