Trauma, Neurodivergence & Compassion with Dr Louise Taylor
Release Date: 02/06/2025
I’m All I Wanted to Be. Now What? With Sat Dharam Kaur
The Gifts of Trauma
Hosted by Kevin Young. Produced by J’aime Rothbard. This conversation opens with Sat Dharam sharing her realization that her original life goals have been achieved, and asking herself, “What’s next?” She goes on to look forward and explore the possibilities. A therapist’s state is known to influence the client's experience and expand the potential for healing. That’s why Compassionate Inquiry® brings empathetic presence into therapeutic contexts. But if current psychological and spiritual understandings were expanded to include environmental consciousness and creative expression,...
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What Happens in Women’s Circles with Tanya Lynn
The Gifts of Trauma
Hosted and Produced by J’aime Rothbard In this lively conversation, Tanya reveals why women gather in Circles and the personal growth that can happen when they do. She shares her long Circling history and what recently motivated her to train in Somatic Experiencing and integrate it into her Circle Work. Tanya also demystifies: - Sisterhood - The Mother Wound, Sister Wound and Witch Wounds - The Role of Circles - The Roles of Perimenopause and Menopause - The Wild Woman - The Council of Queens - The Grandmother Clan Join us to learn what happens in Woman’s Circles. You might...
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Longing to Belong with Cristina Bâra
The Gifts of Trauma
Hosted and Produced by J’aime Rothbard The gentle conversation flows from Cristina’s personal journey to her professional role within the Compassionate Inquiry® organization to the approach’s impact on individual and group development. She highlights how Compassionate Inquiry® groups foster a sense of community and mutual support by inviting individuals to explore their emotions and experiences in the safe facilitated spaces that are essential for meaningful personal exploration. Cristina also explains: - Why the self-discovery and healing path often require us to experience our...
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Bonus Song: U.K. Blessed with Jacob Kishere AKA Culture Pilgrim
The Gifts of Trauma
In our most recent episode, host Kevin Young sat down with the multi-faceted and multi-talented Jacob Kishere in . If you missed it, you can find the conversation . If you've already listened, you'll be pleased to hear that we didn't let Jacob get away without offering a taste of this artform he fully produces and performs independently under his stage name, Culture Pilgrim. U.K. Blessed is a hiphop testament of Jacob's enduring pursuit of mining hope from within when the exterior world is perceivably void of it -- and coming up with glistening things born of weathering the pressures of such...
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Evoking the Resonant Man with Jacob Kishere
The Gifts of Trauma
Hosted by Kevin Young. Produced by J’aime Rothbard. This deep, esoteric and practical conversation addresses the lack of positive role models and meaningful traditions for men, today. Jacob introduces the "Resonant Man," an archetype that aims to evolve masculinity into a sacred form that addresses current societal contexts and the importance of male identity. After recognizing the need for a communal space that fosters growth and understanding in relation to masculinity, Jacob encourages men to connect with supportive communities, engage in dialogues, explore their emotional...
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Enhancing Bodywork & EFT (Tapping) with Compassionate Inquiry with Pam Sommer
The Gifts of Trauma
Hosted by Rosemary Davies-Janes. Produced by J’aime Rothbard. In this intimate, flowing conversation, Pam unravels the interconnections of emotions and physical sensations, particularly pain, in therapeutic settings including Massage Therapy, RMT, Emotional Freedom Technique, EFT (tapping), and Compassionate Inquiry® CI. She shares the therapeutic effects on her anxiety and physical pain she experienced while training in EFT and CI, highlighting that while both issues are still present, she now has the tools to manage them. Pam also touches on: - Generational trauma and how earlier...
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Awakening from Shutdown, Numbness & Not-Enoughness with Irina Sadakova
The Gifts of Trauma
Hosted by Rosemary Davies-Janes. Produced by J’aime Rothbard In this revealing conversation, Irina shares her experience as a child growing up in Soviet Russia, the impact of generational trauma and her journey of personal transformation. She weaves in repeating ancestral themes, highlights the abandonment trauma that impacted three consecutive generations in her maternal line, and explains how grief can fuel growth and healing. In this interview Irina also emphasizes the significance of: - Compassionate Inquiry in the expansion of her understanding of trauma - Personal experiences in...
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Multicultural & Ancestral Healing Perspectives with Soraya Romao-Inglis
The Gifts of Trauma
Hosted by Rosemary Davies-Janes. Produced by J’aime Rothbard. This gentle conversation explores Soraya’s multifaceted approach to therapy which acknowledges personal, cultural, and systemic factors. She shares her personal trauma experiences as a BIPOC female immigrant in Canada, her ancestors' influence in her life and work, and the multicultural compassionate lens she uses to support her clients’ healing. Soraya also explains: Trauma’s roots and manifestations in human behavior - Emotional eating as a coping mechanism for unaddressed trauma. - How nervous system...
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The Art of Integrating CI in Relational Trauma Therapy with Rita Bozi
The Gifts of Trauma
Hosted by Kevin Young. Produced by J’aime Rothbard This nuanced conversation begins with a deep dive into healing relational trauma. Rita explains developmental trauma, relational trauma and how both are rooted in ancestral and intergenerational trauma. After deftly highlighting how trauma experienced during critical developmental periods can lead to gaps in our self-awareness, emotional and relational functioning, she goes on to explore: - Forgiveness as a natural outcome of personal healing rather than a prerequisite for it. - Embodiment’s role in fully experiencing and...
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Transforming Corporate Organizations into Soulful Workplaces with Amy Elizabeth Fox
The Gifts of Trauma
Hosted by Rosemary Davies-Janes. Produced by J’aime Rothbard. This episode explores the role of trauma awareness in leadership and organizational development. By integrating psycho-spiritual insights, Amy’s work supports leaders in fostering healthier, more sustainable, workplaces which can lead to individual and company-wide healing and transformation. Her initiatives invite leaders to explore their early traumas and free themselves from the old survival strategies and untreated traumas that affect their daily decision-making and organizational dynamics. In this deep, rich conversation,...
info_outlineHosted by Kevin Young & Rosemary Davies-Janes, Produced by J’aime Rothbard.
This lively conversation explores many facets of neurodiversity and how individuals with different neurological wiring engage with the world. Our guest shares her personal (neurodivergent) challenges and triumphs navigating relationships, motherhood, academia, employment, misogynistic and patriarchal cultures, bullying, systemic violence and ecological activism.
Listen in as our hosts and guest discuss:
- How trauma, and the traumatic life experiences generated by societal and systemic issues, can affect neurodivergent individuals, and may, in fact, contribute to neurodivergence
- The pros and cons of formal versus self-diagnosis. Dr Taylor cautions that a formal diagnosis can lead to societal stigma and distancing, rather than the expected social support and understanding
- The different meanings of the terms: Neurodiversity and Neurodivergence
- How connecting with one’s authenticity and embracing creativity as a form of self-expression has the potential to lead neurodivergent people to greater fulfillment in life
- The importance of finding supportive communities and individuals who understand neurodiversity
- The need for more compassionate and trauma-informed approaches in services and institutions supporting neurodivergent people
Overall, our guest advocates for greater awareness, acceptance, empathy, support and understanding of neurodivergence, while also recognizing its social and economic complexities and challenges.
About Dr Louise Taylor
A Neurodivergent Therapist and Researcher, Louise believes we must embody our work and live in such a way that we make our lives art.
She received an ASD diagnosis in 2020, and a Dyslexia diagnosis in the final months of her PhD. Passionate about connecting people with the natural world for health and wellbeing purposes, her doctorate, from Queen's University Belfast, is in Nature and Mental Health.
Louise combines her research work with her therapy practice, which blends counselling, consulting and coaching and serves mainly neurodivergent clients. She also works with academics to highlight the importance of mental health, wellness, and equity, and is committed to supporting activists on the frontlines of climate justice and environmental struggles, whether in the Sperrin Mountains, or Uganda.
Louise lives in rural Tyrone in the North of Ireland with her children, dogs and ever-increasing plant collection. Happiest when eating good food, dancing to wonderful music, writing, lounging and laughing with loved ones, she also enjoys slow days spent wandering on beaches and in forests.
Promotional Link: The Portal
To minimize the trauma experiences of infants entering this world, Compassionate Inquiry® offers The Portal, a 28-week trauma-informed online training for perinatal health professionals such as; midwives, obstetricians, nurses and doulas, who want to empower those they serve to trust their innate ability to birth, bond with and nurture their child. Access course details here. Registration closes on February 23.
Resources:
Websites: Louise’s Professional Website
Louise’s Psychology Today Profile
Relevant Links:
Psychology Today Articles
Reflecting on the Traumas of Northern Ireland’s Troubles, with Stephen Brown
The Cleveland Clinic: Neurodiversity Overview
Neurodivergent Climate Activist Article
Roger Hallam
Autism & Friendships Article
Assessments Article
Meltdowns & Shutdowns Article
Masking & ASD Article
Louise Hay Affirmations
The Make-up of Neuro-Diversity
Videos: Empathy & Autism
What is Neurodiversity?
Books: The Myth of Normal
Education: PhD from Queen's University Belfast in Nature and Mental Health
Foundation Degree in Counselling from the University of Ulster in C.B.T.,
Psychoanalysis, and Person Centred Therapy
Certificate in Life Coaching
City and Guilds 7407 Teacher Training Qualification
MA in Women's Studies and Feminist Research
BA in Sociology, 2i Honours
Training: Reclaiming Pleasure: Embodied Joy in Trauma Recovery and Social Change.
Creative Expression/Emancipatory Thinking/Artist's Way Facilitator
Cruse Bereavement Training
Spirituality in Counselling Training
Extensive Domestic Abuse Training
Extensive Youth Work training
Mental Health First Aid training
Quotes: 2010 interview Quotes: Dr. Gabor Maté on the Stress-Disease Connection, Addiction,
Attention Deficit Disorder and the Destruction of American Childhood
“The child’s brain development depends on the presence of non-stressed, emotionally
available parents. In this country, that’s less and less available. Hence, you’ve got
burgeoning rates of autism. It’s gone up 20- or 30-fold in the last 30 or 40 years.”
“…autism is a whole spectrum of disorders, but the essential quality of it is an emotional
disconnect. These children are living in a mind of their own. They don’t respond
appropriately to emotional cues. They withdraw. They act out in an aggressive and
sometimes just unpredictable fashion. They don’t know how to — there’s no sense —
there’s no clear sense of an emotional connection and peace inside them.”