Podcast
How We Can Heal
Hosted by Lisa Danylchuk · EN
A podcast to share deep conversations about How We Can Heal from life’s toughest circumstances.
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26episodes
Episodes
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That's a Wrap for Season 7!
Apr 1500:03:32Tap to summarizeSeason 7 ends with a look back at what we built together: a collection of conversations designed to support embodied, collective trauma healing. I’m taking a summer pause, but before we step away, I want to name the themes that kept returning across the season and why they matter if you live with complex trauma, support survivors, or work in mental health.You’ll hear a quick tour of the guests and topics that shaped this run of the How We Can Heal podcast, from preventing organized and extreme abuse to disability pride, intergenerational resilience, and the ways music can become a bridge back to self. We also touch the clinical questions: how borderline personality disorder can be mistaken for complex trauma, how trauma-informed research is helping us Find Solid Ground, and what to keep in mind when offering transgender-affirming support in trauma therapy. We close with a nod to predictive processing and the Flash Technique, pointing to practical ways the brain can update and soften stuck threat responses.Then the lens widens. A reflection inspired by Artemis space travel lands on a truth that’s hard to unsee: from far enough away, Earth looks like one lifeboat. That perspective invites gratitude and a deeper sense of connection, the kind that makes healing feel less lonely and more like a shared crew effort. If this season supported you, scroll back and catch what you missed, share a favorite conversation with a friend, and stay connected for updates. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell me which guest or idea you want to hear more about next!Support the show
Transcribe →EMDR, Predictive Processing and the Flash Technique with Thomas Zimmerman
Apr 801:12:43Tap to summarizeToday I’m joined by trauma therapist and EMDR trainer Thomas Zimmerman to talk about Flash technique, a fast-evolving approach that aims to process traumatic memories with dramatically less distress, especially for people with complex PTSD and dissociation who may struggle with the “admission cost” of standard EMDR.We unpack what Flash is, why it can work even when someone cannot tolerate long activation, and how it differs from simply “distracting” yourself. Thomas explains his predictive processing version of Flash through a clear image: instead of dumping the whole memory into awareness, we bring in one tiny “bean” of it, then shift into a strong pleasant scene to create the kind of sensory mismatch that helps the nervous system update. We also explore why dissociation can be a brilliant adaptation, how culture shapes what we think healing should look like, and why resourcing can be practical, tolerable, and even fun.We get concrete about clinical application too: the core resources Thomas teaches, why sensory grounding matters, how parts-informed consent changes the pace, and when to slow down for DID or severe amnesia. We close with where the research is headed, what Thomas is building next through trainings and a nonprofit, and why accessible trauma therapy could matter at a societal scale.If this conversation sparks something for you, subscribe, share it with someone who’d benefit, and leave a review. What’s one idea from this talk you want to try or think about more?Learn more: https://thomaszimmerman.us/https://emdrcleveland.com/Support the show
Transcribe →Trauma & Dissociation-Informed Care for Transgender & LGBTQIA+ Clients with Dr. Lou Himes
Mar 2400:56:33Tap to summarizePronouns can feel like a tiny detail until you realize they are a real-time test of safety. When someone’s identity has been questioned, policed, or punished, the smallest moments in a therapy office can signal either danger or relief. I sit down with Dr. Lou Himes, a licensed psychologist and certified specialist in transgender mental health, to get concrete about what gender-affirming care looks like when trauma, dissociation, and systemic betrayal are part of the story.We talk about how Dr. Himes found their way into working with transgender clients, why many well-intentioned clinicians still hesitate, and how a trauma-informed lens can help us understand anger and guardedness as protection rather than “resistance.” We dig into identity-affirming therapy as dignity-affirming care and self-determination, including why it can be more healing to honor a client’s self-definition early on than to rush toward certainty or a perfect clinical formulation. Dr. Himes also shares how psychodynamic psychotherapy makes room for contradiction, parts of self, and shifting truths without treating clients as deceptive.We also zoom out to the sociopolitical climate and what helps when anxiety spikes: boundaries around the news, a return from hypervigilance to inner focus, and simple co-regulation that prioritizes breath and presence. Finally, we touch the tender terrain of spirituality and religious trauma, and the idea that deep therapy is “soul work” that helps people grow back the parts of themselves they had to hide.If this conversation supports you, subscribe, share it with someone who cares about LGBTQIA+ mental health, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s one idea you’re taking with you?Learn more about Dr. Himes here: https://drhimes.com/Support the show
Transcribe →Finding Solid Ground: An Evidence Based Program For Complex Trauma & Dissociation with Dr. Bethany Brand
Mar 2300:55:45Tap to summarizeThis episode is sponsored by the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD).The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation is an international, non-profit, professional association organized to develop and promote comprehensive, clinically effective and empirically based resources and responses to trauma and dissociation and to address its relevance to other theoretical constructs.To learn more and become a member, visit: https://www.isst-d.org/Visit https://cfas.isst-d.org/ to access educational offerings for both professionals and non-professionals---The people most harmed by trauma are often the ones research quietly leaves out: clients dealing with severe dissociation, chronic self-harm risk, suicidal crises, and symptoms that don’t fit neatly into a study design. That’s why this conversation with clinical psychologist and trauma researcher Dr. Bethany Brand lands so hard and so hopefully. We talk about Finding Solid Ground (FSG), a structured stabilization program created specifically for complex trauma, complex PTSD, and dissociative disorders, and why its step-by-step approach can help both survivors and the therapists supporting them. We unpack how the program was built over 15 years with a “dream team” of experts plus direct feedback from people with lived experience with dissociation. Bethany explains the logic behind the sequencing across modules: grounding as the true foundation, separating past from present to reduce flooding from traumatic intrusions, then moving into safety planning and emotional work only after clients have enough internal resources to tolerate it. We also explore the unique role of brief teaching videos and workbook practice, including why the videos can feel relational while still staying safely under the client’s control. Then we dig into the research. Bethany walks through results from a randomized controlled trial showing Finding Solid Ground adds measurable benefit beyond individual therapy alone, along with individual-level findings like reliable change and reduced deterioration. We also touch on what clinicians report learning and how the program can strengthen the therapy relationship, build self-compassion, and expand adaptive capacities in ways people don’t always expect from “stage one” trauma treatment. If you’re looking for evidence-based trauma stabilization tools, grounded coping skills, and a clearer map for dissociation treatment, press play. If the conversation helps, subscribe, share it with someone who needs a steadier path, and leave a review so more people can find this work.Learn more about FSG here: https://www.findingsolidground.info/Support the show
Transcribe →Wayfinding After Trauma: A Guide To Wholeness with Dr. Rochelle Sharpe Lohrasbe
Mar 1801:01:03Tap to summarizeWhat if trauma healing is less about excavating one awful moment and more about learning how to move through life again with skill, support, and a steadier nervous system? I’m joined by Dr. Rochelle Sharpe Lohrasbe, a clinical counselor, educator, and supervisor with four decades of experience in complex trauma, dissociation, EMDR-informed work, and deeply somatic approaches to resilience. We talk about the philosophy behind her upcoming book, Trauma and Somatic Healing: Wayfinding and the Intelligence of Experience in Therapeutic Practice, and why “wayfinding” can be a kinder, more realistic framework than trying to conquer trauma head-on. We explore how trauma therapy can become too reductive, focusing on pieces without enough time or space for integration. Rochelle shares why resourcing matters, how “state becomes trait” can turn adaptive survival responses into identity, and why shifting the conditions around a person can be just as important as what happens inside them. We also dig into how language shapes healing, how clients and therapists can get stuck making trauma feel too big, and how building capacity through smaller steps can restore movement and hope. One of my favorite parts is Rochelle’s use of nature metaphors: the self as a landscape, emotions as weather, and learning to surf internal waves instead of becoming the tsunami that wipes everything out. We end with a grounded conversation about contentment, authenticity, and the kinds of relationships and daily moments that quietly rebuild a life after trauma. If you’re looking for trauma-informed, body-based insights on complex PTSD, dissociation, somatic healing, and resilience, this one is for you. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. What’s one idea from this conversation you want to try this week?Support the show
Transcribe →Borderline Dynamics Through a Trauma & Dissociation-Informed Lens with Dr. Janina Fisher
Mar 1100:54:25Tap to summarizeThis episode is sponsored by the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD).The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation is an international, non-profit, professional association organized to develop and promote comprehensive, clinically effective and empirically based resources and responses to trauma and dissociation and to address its relevance to other theoretical constructs.To learn more and become a member, visit: https://www.isst-d.org/Visit https://cfas.isst-d.org/ to access educational offerings for both professionals and non-professionals-----What if the most misunderstood diagnosis in mental health is actually a trauma story told in code? We sit down with Janina Fisher to unpack why many “borderline” symptoms are survival adaptations and how Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST) helps people find steady ground without getting lost in overwhelm. This is a conversation about dignity, clarity, and the profound relief that comes when symptoms are seen as protective parts doing their best to keep us safe.Janina walks us through the core moves of TIST: recognizing structural dissociation, naming parts linked to fight, flight, freeze, submit, or attach, and using mindful awareness to “notice the part, then notice you noticing.” That simple shift creates a compassionate observing self that calms intensity and restores choice. We talk about reframing suicidality as a mercy offer from a protector, and understanding the inner critic as a rule-enforcer shaped by dangerous homes rather than a permanent enemy. Along the way, Janina shares how stabilization grows when curiosity replaces control, and why skills only work when tied to what is actually happening in the room.We also get practical. You’ll hear how to spot feeling memories when the past feels painfully present, how to ground in ways that are responsive rather than prescriptive, and how therapists can avoid old traps like trying to “make” clients connect with emotions. For those seeking help, Janina offers questions to ask when vetting clinicians and points to training pathways and her new workbook, Embracing Our Fragmented Selves, designed for survivors and therapists alike.If you’re ready to see borderline dynamics through a trauma lens, this episode offers a map filled with compassion and usable steps. Subscribe, share with a colleague or friend who needs this reframe, and leave a review to tell us which insight shifted your practice or your healing journey.Learn more about Dr. Fisher here: https://janinafisher.com/about/Support the show
Transcribe →Context Matters: Immigration, Racism & Resilience with Dr. Usha Tummala-Narra
Mar 400:48:41Tap to summarizeThis episode is sponsored by the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD).The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation is an international, non-profit, professional association organized to develop and promote comprehensive, clinically effective and empirically based resources and responses to trauma and dissociation and to address its relevance to other theoretical constructs.To learn more and become a member, visit: https://www.isst-d.org/Visit https://cfas.isst-d.org/ to access educational offerings for both professionals and non-professionals-----What if healing trauma started with a wider lens—one that includes history, culture, policy, and the daily negotiations of belonging? We sit down with clinical psychologist and researcher Usha Timolinarra to examine how immigration, racism, and collective memory shape individual symptoms, family dynamics, and community resilience. The conversation moves from the shift in care from “what’s wrong” to “what happened, to the include social, economic and political contexts, among others. Context matters, across childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.Usha unpacks dissociation as more than detachment, describing a dual sense of self that many immigrants and their children develop to survive competing expectations. We explore the costs and strengths of compartmentalization, the normalization of silence around sexual violence among Indian American and Mexican American families, and why breaking that silence can threaten belonging even as it opens space to heal. Listeners hear how survivors bridge Western psychotherapy with community-rooted and indigenous practices, building bicultural healing that honors both science and tradition.For therapists, we dive into staying steady in a volatile sociopolitical climate: tending to our own stress, practicing lifelong cultural learning, and inviting specificity around shame, guilt, and identity. Usha illustrates how psychoanalytic concepts—defense, transference, countertransference—become more powerful when joined with a social lens that recognizes racism, colorism, and policy as active forces in the room. We track practical routes from therapy to impact: mentoring students, briefings on the Hill during the DREAM Act era, and using media to translate data with empathy and urgency.We also tackle the debate on racial trauma as a diagnosis, the lived effects of chronic racism, and Usha’s current research on early-career psychologists of color and the intergenerational legacy of colorism. The throughline is hope with a backbone: speak truth, remember history, and keep widening the range of possible futures for our clients, our communities, and ourselves. If this resonates, follow the show, share with a colleague, and leave a review so more listeners can find these conversations.-----Learn more about Dr. Tummala-Narra here: https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/lynch-school/faculty-research/faculty-directory/Usha-Tummala-Narra.htmlSupport the show
Transcribe →Voice As Medicine: Molly Mahoney On Hope And Healing Through Song
Feb 2500:57:25Tap to summarizeWhen the world feels heavy and full of noise, how do we make space for breath, truth, and light? We invited mezzo soprano Molly Mahoney to share how singing— anything from opera to jazz to cabaret—became both her art and her way of meeting hard days with honest hope. Molly’s new recording of Over the Rainbow with Grammy-winning pianist John Wilson anchors our conversation: not as a sugar-coated escape, but as a grounded arc from jumble and rain to a place beyond the rainbow. We talk about why this timeless song still resonates, how long exhales settle the body, and what happens when a melody lets you feel before you have to explain.Together, we unpack the somatic side of voice: simple alignment resets, shhhh exhales, and micro-moments against a wall or on the floor that open the ribs and low back. Molly shares stories from her voice studio, where adult beginners—many told to “just mouth the words”—discover that singing is learnable, gentle, and deeply human. With breath support, vowel shape, and kind feedback, pitch becomes a skill and expression feels safe again. We explore live performance as co-creation, the quiet magic of audience attunement, and the way small imperfections turn into fresh choices on stage.Parenting threads through our talk too: prenatal lullabies, toddlers who light up when a song returns, and the rituals that bind families and friends in kitchens and living rooms. Music becomes a practice for everyday resilience, a place to set burdens down without denying them. If you’ve ever thought “I can’t sing,” this is your invitation to try—one inhale, one long note, one truthful lyric at a time. Press play to learn breath tools you can use today, hear the story behind Over the Rainbow, and remember why your unique voice matters.If this conversation moves you, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs some light, and leave a quick review so more people can find these tools and stories. Your voice matters, and it helps our healing community grow.---Listen on Spotify and Apple Music:https://linktr.ee/mollymarymahoneyLearn more about Molly:www.mollymarymahoney.com"Over the Rainbow" by Harold Arlen & Yip Harburg"Meadowlark" from The Baker's Wife by Stephen SchwartzMolly Mahoney, voiceJohn Wilson, pianoCory Todd, recording engineer and masteringrecorded December 2025 at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music on a Steinway pianoPhoto credit (sky with clouds): Veronique KherianSupport the show
Transcribe →Beauty After Bruises: Healing Complex Trauma Together with Lexi & Anne
Feb 1801:12:49Tap to summarizeThis episode is sponsored by the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD).The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation is an international, non-profit, professional association organized to develop and promote comprehensive, clinically effective and empirically based resources and responses to trauma and dissociation and to address its relevance to other theoretical constructs.To learn more and become a member, visit: https://www.isst-d.org/Visit https://cfas.isst-d.org/ to access educational offerings for both professionals and non-professionals-----What happens when compassion meets competence—and lived experience leads the way? We invited Anne Nicely and Lexi M., co-founders of Beauty After Bruises, to share how a homegrown effort to help one survivor of dissociative identity disorder expanded into a nationwide bridge for people living with complex trauma and dissociation. From funding care to educating clinicians, their mission is simple and urgent: make healing possible, practical, and grounded in research.We unpack the real differences between trauma informed and trauma competent care, why the best therapists’ rosters are often full, and how short trainings can’t substitute for years of learning with complex PTSD and DID. Lexi explains why she chooses anonymity for safety and modeling boundaries, while offering rich, accessible psychoeducation through articles, symptom management guides, and hope-centered resources. Together, we explore the daily practices that prevent burnout—tight boundaries, humor, brief news windows, playful resets, and a “hope folder” of wins—so survivors, families, and helpers can keep going.The conversation gets specific about consent and communication. Families often want to help but can overreach; meta-questions like “Would it help if I asked about this?” and “Is this helping or hurting?” return agency to survivors and protect pacing. We highlight practical stabilization: check basics first (sleep, food, water, movement), ask “What do I need right now?” and, if stuck, reverse engineer by testing a few supports. Anne and Lexi also share what scale could look like with serious funding: year-long therapy grants and more robust therapy boxes for those without local clinicians, ensuring continuity and real foundations for healing.If you care about complex trauma, dissociation, and the path from buzzwords to better care, this episode offers clarity, candor, and grounded hope. Listen, share with a colleague or loved one, and tell us your biggest takeaway. If it resonated, subscribe, leave a review, and pass it along to someone who needs honest encouragement today.Support the show
Transcribe →Anti-Oppressive Trauma Care & Collective Healing with David Archer
Feb 1201:06:37Tap to summarizeThis episode is sponsored by the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD).The International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation is an international, non-profit, professional association organized to develop and promote comprehensive, clinically effective and empirically based resources and responses to trauma and dissociation and to address its relevance to other theoretical constructs.To learn more and become a member, visit: https://www.isst-d.org/Visit https://cfas.isst-d.org/ to access educational offerings for both professionals and non-professionals---What if therapy could feel creative, embodied, and joyful—and still deliver precise, measurable change? We sit down with David Archer—anti-racist psychotherapist, EMDRIA-approved trainer, and developer of Rhythm and Processing—to rethink how healing happens for complex PTSD, racial trauma, and dissociation. David lays out a clear, accessible path from predictive processing and memory reconsolidation to practical tools you can use right away: client-led actions, music and imagery, community rituals, and therapeutic “surprise” that helps the brain update old patterns without forcing catharsis.Across the conversation, we explore how EMDR grows stronger through an anti-oppressive lens that welcomes culture, faith, and art into the room. David shares real-world examples of using visualization, pets, numbers, and rhythm to create disconfirming experiences that soften hyper-vigilance and despair. We also talk frankly about therapist burnout and vicarious trauma, and why protecting helpers is non-negotiable if we want sustainable care. Boundaries and action alongside recovery and rest offer ways to organize both clinical work and daily life.We widen the lens to institutional betrayal, misdiagnosis tied to racial bias, and the urgent need for trauma-informed systems that value courage over comfort. Instead of fitting clients into rigid methods, David urges us to let clients generate the method—an approach that supports neurodiversity, scales to groups, and keeps humanity at the center of mental health. If you’re curious about predictive processing, memory reconsolidation, EMDR, or culturally responsive care, this is a grounded, hopeful roadmap for change.If this conversation resonates, follow the show, share it with a colleague or friend, and leave a review on your favorite app. Your words help others find the tools—and the courage—to heal.---Connect with David here!Meeting Groups:https://calendly.com/archertherapy/Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/rhythmandprocessingAnti-Ractist Psychotherpy:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1777450438Racial Trauma Recovery:https://www.amazon.com/dp/1777450470Trainings:https://archertherapy.com/Support the show
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