Dr. Smita Das is a board-certified psychiatrist specializing in addiction psychiatry and addiction medicine, and Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford. 
With over 20 years of experience in clinical care, research, and leadership—including her role as VP of Psychiatry & Complex Care at Lyra Health—she’s known for bringing nuance and compassion to how we talk about trauma and addiction. 
What sets her apart is how she addresses overlooked trauma, especially among high-functioning populations. She’s been a leading voice in reframing motherhood—not just as joy, but as a potential mental health breaking point. Dr. Das explores how sleep deprivation, identity rupture, hormonal shifts, and the invisibility of caregiving pain can mirror complex trauma, challenging the notion that maternal crises are rare.

In This Episode

• Dr. Smita in Psychology Today
• The Science Behind Recovery
• Dr. Das on LinkedIn

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.




You can learn more about what I do here:

The Trauma Therapist Newsletter: celebrates the people and voices in the mental health profession. And it's free! Check it out here: https://bit.ly/4jGBeSa
———
If you’d like to support The Trauma Therapist Podcast and the work I do you can do that here with a monthly donation of $5, $7, or $10: Donate to The Trauma Therapist Podcast.

Click here to join my email list and receive podcast updates and other news.

Thank you to our Sponsors:
Incogni - Use code [traumatherapist] and get 60% off annual plans: https://incogni.com/traumatherapist
Jane App - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.app/book_a_demo
Journey Clinical - visit https://join.journeyclinical/trauma for 1 month off your membership
Therapy Wisdom - https://therapywisdom.com/jan/

Dr. Gent is an accomplished clinician and expert in psychotherapeutic development with a distinguished career that spans over two decades. He is currently the Chief Clinical Officer at Pacific Quest where he oversees the Clinical program, ensuring the highest standards of care and leading a dedicated team of professionals.

In This Episode

• Rob’s website
• Pacific Quest on Facebook
• Pacific Quest on Youtube

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.




You can learn more about what I do here:

The Trauma Therapist Newsletter: celebrates the people and voices in the mental health profession. And it's free! Check it out here: https://bit.ly/4jGBeSa
———
If you’d like to support The Trauma Therapist Podcast and the work I do you can do that here with a monthly donation of $5, $7, or $10: Donate to The Trauma Therapist Podcast.

Click here to join my email list and receive podcast updates and other news.

Thank you to our Sponsors:
Incogni - Use code [traumatherapist] and get 60% off annual plans: https://incogni.com/traumatherapist
Jane App - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.app/book_a_demo
Journey Clinical - visit https://join.journeyclinical/trauma for 1 month off your membership
Therapy Wisdom - https://therapywisdom.com/jan/

Jill Sitnick is a trauma-informed psychedelic educator, retreat leader, and coach who helps people move from surviving to thriving through safe, grounded psychedelic-assisted healing. 
Through her work with The Journey Sage, Jill offers coaching, retreats, and education that equip clients and clinicians with practical tools for lasting transformation—not just fleeting insights. As an author and educator, she focuses on making the mystical practical so others can walk the path of healing with confidence and safety.

In This Episode

• Jill's website
• Jill on Facebook
• Jill’s books

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.




You can learn more about what I do here:

The Trauma Therapist Newsletter: celebrates the people and voices in the mental health profession. And it's free! Check it out here: https://bit.ly/4jGBeSa
———
If you’d like to support The Trauma Therapist Podcast and the work I do you can do that here with a monthly donation of $5, $7, or $10: Donate to The Trauma Therapist Podcast.

Click here to join my email list and receive podcast updates and other news.

Thank you to our Sponsors:
Incogni - Use code [traumatherapist] and get 60% off annual plans: https://incogni.com/traumatherapist
Jane App - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.app/book_a_demo
Journey Clinical - visit https://join.journeyclinical/trauma for 1 month off your membership
Therapy Wisdom - https://therapywisdom.com/jan/

Juliane Maxwald is a licensed psychoanalyst, AASECT-certified sex therapist, and the author of the upcoming book Psychoanalytic Sex Therapy: Exploring the Unconscious Life of Sexuality (Routledge, Dec 2025). 
She specializes in exploring how trauma shapes adult sexual expression—manifesting as dissociation, shame, compulsive patterns, shutdown, or fear of intimacy—and how healing can emerge through depth psychology, attachment work, and somatic attunement. 
Juliane brings a unique lens to the intersection of trauma, sexuality, and the therapeutic relationship, highlighting the body as both a site of injury and a path to recovery.

In This Episode

• Juliane’s website

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.




You can learn more about what I do here:

The Trauma Therapist Newsletter: celebrates the people and voices in the mental health profession. And it's free! Check it out here: https://bit.ly/4jGBeSa
———
If you’d like to support The Trauma Therapist Podcast and the work I do you can do that here with a monthly donation of $5, $7, or $10: Donate to The Trauma Therapist Podcast.

Click here to join my email list and receive podcast updates and other news.

Thank you to our Sponsors:
Incogni - Use code [traumatherapist] and get 60% off annual plans: https://incogni.com/traumatherapist
Jane App - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.app/book_a_demo
Journey Clinical - visit https://join.journeyclinical/trauma for 1 month off your membership
Therapy Wisdom - https://therapywisdom.com/jan/

Cassandra helps people heal intergenerational trauma through somatic and ancestral practices. Through blending shadow work, inner child healing, and ritual, they guide clients into deeper liberation and authentic empowerment, so they can embody purpose and positively impact the world around them.

In this Episode: 

• instagram.com/healinglineages

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.




You can learn more about what I do here:

The Trauma Therapist Newsletter: celebrates the people and voices in the mental health profession. And it's free! Check it out here: https://bit.ly/4jGBeSa
———
If you’d like to support The Trauma Therapist Podcast and the work I do you can do that here with a monthly donation of $5, $7, or $10: Donate to The Trauma Therapist Podcast.

Click here to join my email list and receive podcast updates and other news.

Thank you to our Sponsors:
Incogni - Use code [traumatherapist] and get 60% off annual plans: https://incogni.com/traumatherapist
Jane App - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.app/book_a_demo
Journey Clinical - visit https://join.journeyclinical/trauma for 1 month off your membership
Therapy Wisdom - https://therapywisdom.com/jan/

Karen C.L. Anderson is a master-certified life coach and author who specializes in helping women understand and relate to shame differently so they no longer hurt themselves (and others) with it. 
She is the author of several books including "You Are Not Your Mother: Releasing Generational Trauma & Shame" and "Difficult Mothers, Adult Daughters: A Guide for Separation, Liberation & Inspiration"

In This Episode

• Books by Karen
• Karen on FB 
• Karen on TikTok 
• Karen on Substack

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.




You can learn more about what I do here:

The Trauma Therapist Newsletter: celebrates the people and voices in the mental health profession. And it's free! Check it out here: https://bit.ly/4jGBeSa
———
If you’d like to support The Trauma Therapist Podcast and the work I do you can do that here with a monthly donation of $5, $7, or $10: Donate to The Trauma Therapist Podcast.

Click here to join my email list and receive podcast updates and other news.

Thank you to our Sponsors:
Incogni - Use code [traumatherapist] and get 60% off annual plans: https://incogni.com/traumatherapist
Jane App - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.app/book_a_demo
Journey Clinical - visit https://join.journeyclinical/trauma for 1 month off your membership
Therapy Wisdom - https://therapywisdom.com/jan/

Arkadiy Volkov is a Registered Psychotherapist and the founder of Feel Your Way Therapy, a private practice in Toronto specializing in trauma-informed care. After a decade-long career as a lawyer, Arkadiy made a personal and professional transformation, shifting into psychotherapy to help people heal from anxiety, trauma, and relationship challenges.
At Feel Your Way Therapy, Arkadiy leads a team of therapists who work with individuals, couples, children, and families using approaches such as Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), EMDR, CBT, DBT, and somatic-based practices. His work is rooted in attachment theory and the belief that healing happens through safe, attuned connection.
Arkadiy is especially passionate about helping people move beyond protective strategies like emotional shutdown or perfectionism, and into deeper self-acceptance and secure connection.


In This Episode

• Arkadiy’s website
• Arkadiy on IG

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.




You can learn more about what I do here:

The Trauma Therapist Newsletter: celebrates the people and voices in the mental health profession. And it's free! Check it out here: https://bit.ly/4jGBeSa
———
If you’d like to support The Trauma Therapist Podcast and the work I do you can do that here with a monthly donation of $5, $7, or $10: Donate to The Trauma Therapist Podcast.

Click here to join my email list and receive podcast updates and other news.

Thank you to our Sponsors:
Incogni - Use code [traumatherapist] and get 60% off annual plans: https://incogni.com/traumatherapist
Jane App - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.app/book_a_demo
Journey Clinical - visit https://join.journeyclinical/trauma for 1 month off your membership
Therapy Wisdom - https://therapywisdom.com/jan/

Tomilyn (“Tomi”) Ward, LPC, is the founder of My Wellness Center and My Wellness Retreats in Pittsburgh whose goal is to help individuals and families heal from past events and navigate life’s challenges. 
She counsels clients through milestones such as pregnancy and adoption, supports veterans living with PTSD, and guides young adults exploring their sexual identity.

In This Episode

• My Wellness Center

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.




You can learn more about what I do here:

The Trauma Therapist Newsletter: celebrates the people and voices in the mental health profession. And it's free! Check it out here: https://bit.ly/4jGBeSa
———
If you’d like to support The Trauma Therapist Podcast and the work I do you can do that here with a monthly donation of $5, $7, or $10: Donate to The Trauma Therapist Podcast.

Click here to join my email list and receive podcast updates and other news.

Thank you to our Sponsors:
Incogni - Use code [traumatherapist] and get 60% off annual plans: https://incogni.com/traumatherapist
Jane App - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.app/book_a_demo
Journey Clinical - visit https://join.journeyclinical/trauma for 1 month off your membership
Therapy Wisdom - https://therapywisdom.com/jan/

Dr. Robert Rhoton is the Chief Clinical Officer of the Arizona Trauma Institute and President of the Trauma Institute International. A Diplomate of the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress, he has spent decades advancing the understanding and treatment of developmental and family trauma. 
Dr. Rhoton has supervised outpatient clinics, juvenile justice and substance abuse programs, day treatment centers, and child and family therapeutic services. Formerly a professor at Ottawa University, he trained counselors to work with traumagenic family dynamics using non-egoic, compassionate models of care. 
Today, he consults with agencies and organizations across the globe, helping them strengthen trauma-informed systems and improve therapeutic outcomes for both individuals and families.

In This Episode

• Arizona Trauma Institute

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.




You can learn more about what I do here:

The Trauma Therapist Newsletter: celebrates the people and voices in the mental health profession. And it's free! Check it out here: https://bit.ly/4jGBeSa
———
If you’d like to support The Trauma Therapist Podcast and the work I do you can do that here with a monthly donation of $5, $7, or $10: Donate to The Trauma Therapist Podcast.

Click here to join my email list and receive podcast updates and other news.

Thank you to our Sponsors:
Incogni - Use code [traumatherapist] and get 60% off annual plans: https://incogni.com/traumatherapist
Jane App - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.app/book_a_demo
Journey Clinical - visit https://join.journeyclinical/trauma for 1 month off your membership
Therapy Wisdom - https://therapywisdom.com/jan/

Andrea Leeb is the author of Such a Pretty Picture, a debut memoir about childhood trauma, dissociation, and the long road to healing. Abused before the age of five and raised in a home of denial and silence, Andrea grew up to look “fine”—a successful attorney, wife, and high-functioning perfectionist. But when she was assaulted in her 30s, the façade cracked, and repressed memories, panic, and PTSD surfaced, forcing her into a profound journey of recovery.
Through inpatient trauma therapy, EMDR, yoga, journaling, and boundary work, Andrea experienced what she calls a psychological rebirth. She now speaks with raw honesty about the hidden impact of childhood abuse, the myth of “I’m fine,” and why healing, though nonlinear, is always possible.Andrea brings a gentle yet unflinching presence, offering audiences validation, hope, and the reminder that it’s never too late to tell the truth—or to reclaim who you were meant to be before the pain.

In This Episode

• Andrea’s website
• Such a Pretty Picture
• RAIN
• Andrea on IG

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.




You can learn more about what I do here:

The Trauma Therapist Newsletter: celebrates the people and voices in the mental health profession. And it's free! Check it out here: https://bit.ly/4jGBeSa
———
If you’d like to support The Trauma Therapist Podcast and the work I do you can do that here with a monthly donation of $5, $7, or $10: Donate to The Trauma Therapist Podcast.

Click here to join my email list and receive podcast updates and other news.

Thank you to our Sponsors:
Incogni - Use code [traumatherapist] and get 60% off annual plans: https://incogni.com/traumatherapist
Jane App - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.app/book_a_demo
Journey Clinical - visit https://join.journeyclinical/trauma for 1 month off your membership
Therapy Wisdom - https://therapywisdom.com/jan/

Melissa Williams is the creator of the YouTube channel Lostat50Something and the originator of the “Backwards Confession,” a powerful practice of entering a confessional not to seek absolution, but to name the harm caused by certain church doctrines and actions — and then to offer forgiveness as an act of reclaiming personal power and peace. 
This deeply personal ritual has become the foundation for a budding movement and online community, r/BackwardsConfession, where individuals are encouraged to engage in similar acts of active forgiveness and liberation from institutional harm.Through this work, Melissa offers a unique perspective on healing from religious trauma, challenging institutional power dynamics, reclaiming agency in the face of patriarchal structures, and transforming pain into empowerment. 
By sharing her own story and guiding others in this practice, she hopes to open new pathways for those navigating religious deconstruction and seeking healing beyond traditional frameworks.

In This Episode

• Melissa’s website

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.




You can learn more about what I do here:

The Trauma Therapist Newsletter: celebrates the people and voices in the mental health profession. And it's free! Check it out here: https://bit.ly/4jGBeSa
———
If you’d like to support The Trauma Therapist Podcast and the work I do you can do that here with a monthly donation of $5, $7, or $10: Donate to The Trauma Therapist Podcast.

Click here to join my email list and receive podcast updates and other news.

Thank you to our Sponsors:
Incogni - Use code [traumatherapist] and get 60% off annual plans: https://incogni.com/traumatherapist
Jane App - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.app/book_a_demo
Journey Clinical - visit https://join.journeyclinical/trauma for 1 month off your membership
Therapy Wisdom - https://therapywisdom.com/jan/