Paul Noiles on, The Malevolent Nature of Emotional Abuse
The Gifts of Trauma
Hosted by Rosemary Davies-Janes & J’aime Rothbard. Produced by J’aime Rothbard. How do smart, accomplished people end up in emotionally abusive relationships without realizing it? As both a trauma coach and former victim, Paul illuminates how emotional abuse operates through fear, manipulation, and control—and why it's so difficult to recognize and name. He also touches on common signs; chronic invalidation, gaslighting, control disguised as concern, walking on eggshells, confusion, toxic shame, and how our earliest attachments can create susceptibility. In this...
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Mandy Rodstrom & Debbie Mason on, Creating Spaces for Stuttering to Exist
The Gifts of Trauma
Mandy Rodstrom & Debbie Mason on, Creating Spaces for Stuttering to Exist Hosted by Rosemary Davies-Janes. Produced by J’aime Rothbard. What if traditional fluency-focused approaches designed to "fix" stuttering cause more harm than healing? In this conversation, speech therapists Mandy Rodstrom and Debbie Mason share personal and clinical insights that reveal how trauma, nervous system dysregulation and social stigma profoundly impact those who stammer. They highlight the critical importance of connecting people who stutter with supportive communities where stuttering is welcomed and...
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Cat McCarthy on Emergent Authenticity & Rewriting Scripts
The Gifts of Trauma
Hosted by Kevin Young. Produced by J’aime Rothbard. What happens when we stop performing and start being? Cat guides us through her transformational journey from codependent conditioning to embodied authenticity. With wisdom drawn from 30+ years of yoga practice, plant medicine journeys, and navigating her own healing from Breast Cancer, Cat reveals why the answers we seek aren't outside ourselves, but waiting to be uncovered within. Cat reflects on: - How shedding her protective layers enabled her to access her true strength - Her expanded her capacity to be present, hold space for others...
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Zach Bush, MD & Eva Dalak on Relating to Our Original Imprint: Nature & Collective Healing.
The Gifts of Trauma
Hosted by J’aime Rothbard & Rosemary Davies-Janes. Produced by J’aime Rothbard. What if the path to inner and outer peace—and to the survival of our species—runs through our biology, not just our psychology? In this bonus finale to our Relating Series, Eva and Zach guide us beyond the familiar terrain of human-to-human relating to the new ground of relating to our original imprint. This conversation weaves hard science with systems thinking and spiritual wisdom to show that rather than transcending our humanity, healing our separation wound is about fully embracing our original...
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Unsafe! Navigating Domestic, Public and Systemic Violence, with Dr Valerie (Vimalasara) Mason-John and Jordan Decker
The Gifts of Trauma
Hosted by Rosemary Davies-Janes and J’aime Rothbard. Produced by J’aime Rothbard. This vulnerable conversation continues exploring relating through the LGBTQ+ lens, as Vimalasara and Jordan share insights rarely disclosed to the heteronormative population. Jordan reflects on the inner work required to create safety for others—unpacking his own trauma so he can hold space for someone else's. Vimalasara addresses the harsh realities of domestic violence in LGBTQ+ communities, highlighting the barriers to seeking help—being subjected to transphobia, homophobia, or violence in...
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Gender & Identity, From Unconscious to Conscious with Valerie (Vimalasara) Mason-John and Jordan Decker
The Gifts of Trauma
Hosted by Rosemary Davies-Janes and J’aime Rothbard. Produced by J’aime Rothbard. This thought provoking conversation explores relating through the LGBTQ+ lens, but not only presented to that community. Instead it is a vulnerable and honest sharing in which Vimalarara and Jordan offer insights and perspectives rarely disclosed to the heteronormative population. In this inclusive episode they touch on the: - Use of pronouns can create a sense of safety and inclusion - Perspective of gender as a social construct rather than a personal identity - Historical impact of religious and...
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Reducing Relationship Issues Through Proactive Design & Planning, with Dr Stan Tatkin and Leila Bahri-Lucas
The Gifts of Trauma
Hosted by Rosemary Davies-Janes & Leila Bahri-Lucas. Produced by J’aime Rothbard. This episode reminds us that the unconscious processes that drive humans, our memories and survival instincts, often lead to misunderstandings and reactive behaviors. Consequently, most relationship issues, while they may seem personal, actually stem from our innate drives. Stan outlines that rather than being approached casually, successful relationships require deliberate design, shared purpose, defined roles, and agreed-upon principles. We also explore: - The PPPRRR Approach: Couples can...
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Polyamory: Attachment, Trauma & Relational Growth Unpacked, with Jessica Fern, David Cooley & JP Bolhuis
The Gifts of Trauma
Hosted by Rosemary Davies-Janes. Produced by J’aime Rothbard. This episode introduces Polyamory, a form of consensual non-monogamy, as a relational style involving multiple loving, consensual, romantic partners simultaneously. It emphasizes trust, open communication (as opposed to secretive ‘cheating’) and mutual agreement. Jessica and David, themselves polyamory practitioners and co-authors of two books on Polyamory, are joined by JP Bolhuis, a Psychosocial Therapist, Compassionate Inquiry Practitioner and Private Mentor who recently entered the world of polyamory. Jesica and David...
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Rethinking Sex Addiction: Trauma, Shame & Compulsive Sexuality, with Diana Safta & Silva Neves
The Gifts of Trauma
Hosted by J’aime Rothbard and Rosemary Davies-Janes. Produced by J’aime Rothbard. In this soft and flowing conversation, Silva Neves differentiates the term "sex addiction" from "sexual compulsivity," as addiction is an independent disorder, while compulsion arises from environmental distress. Like food, sex is a primary drive, and has a natural physiological stopping point not present in other addictions. The analogy of food and diverse cuisines to normalize conversations about sexuality, highlighting that different tastes and preferences in food are accepted, but similar...
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Healing Northern Ireland: From Personal Trauma to Societal Change, with Dr Paul Gallagher
The Gifts of Trauma
Hosted by Kevin Young. Produced by J’aime Rothbard. In this conversation, Kevin introduces us to Dr Paul Gallagher, a lecturer in trauma studies at Cork University who started his formal education at age 40, after a significant "gap" in his life. Born in Belfast in 1972 at the height of "The Troubles," Paul recounts growing up in a war zone, where at 21, his home was invaded and his family held hostage. During this attack, he was shot and paralysed, and while physical and medical care were provided, psychological support was not. Paul highlights: - The crucial roles of...
info_outlineHosted by Rosemary Davies-Janes. Produced by J’aime Rothbard.
This conversation explores Eva’s transformative journey from traditional peacework to a trauma-informed, soul-centred approach. Her own experience of progressive vision loss forced her into two years of deep shadow work. In this process she identified and released unhelpful core beliefs and avoidant patterns Today, Eva believes she lost her eyesight to rediscover her true vision and destiny, through embracing her Palestinian-Israeli identity
She clearly explains why:
- Sustainable peace begins within us
- Traditional peacework as fundamentally broken
- Trauma-informed peacebuilding is able to end suffering comparisons and the weaponizing of trauma
- The Israel-Palestine conflict as a colonial themed theater in which global powers operate
- True conflict resolution requires the recognition of multiple truths and perspectives
Eva emphasizes that bringing people together in the midst of a genocide is immoral. Instead, she suggests the focus be on holding space for community pain, including the deep impact of collective generational trauma. She shares an inspiring vision in which she saw humans experiencing darkness as "particles of light" on a journey back to wholeness.
About Eva Dalak. Founder, Peace Activation
A skilled conflict transformation facilitator and peacebuilding trainer, Eva combines grassroots depth with policy-level insight. For 20+ years she has worked with international organisations in 22+ conflict zones across Africa, the Middle East and Asia, blending systemic change with personal and collective healing. After 30+ years as a gender and conflict expert, she leads trauma-informed, soul-centered initiatives as a women’s empowerment coach.
Growing up as a Palestinian-Muslim in Israel, Eva experienced a fragmented identity within a system designed to ‘divide and rule,’ reflecting the collective fragmentation she later observed. Fluent in five languages, she is trained in international development and law, spiritual psychology, and somatic experience.
Currently based in Costa Rica, Eva launched Peace Activation on October 7, 2023 in response to the escalating crisis in Palestine and Israel. It is a global peace initiative rooted in the belief that sustainable peace begins within.
Eva hosts the Peace is Possible podcast and authors The Other Narrative Substack, sharing stories of resilience and hope from the frontlines of conflict. On October 7, 2025, she will release her new book, Dancing In The Dark: How I Found My True Vision For Peace.
Promotional Message:
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Resources:
Websites:
Related Links
The Other Narrative - Substack
Books:
Dancing In The Dark: How I Found My True Vision For Peace. (Available Oct 7, 25)
Podcasts:
Quotes:
"Peace cannot be imposed through declarations. It is an ongoing process, a daily act of quiet courage... and it must be made again and again.” - Eva Dalak
I didn't fall into darkness—I answered its call. There, I remembered the grief I carried was never mine alone. What breaks us open is sometimes what births us whole." - Eva Dalak
"I believe that I lost my vision so that I could discover within myself where I had already lost my vision for my destiny. I had to lose my vision to find where, why, and what I am choosing to live." - Eva Dalak
"Wholeness is not something granted by a government, a passport, or a flag... Wholeness is something we must reclaim from within." - Eva Dalak
"Peace is not something we wait for. It is something we activate. We do not wait for peace; we embody it. The work is not done. It is just beginning." - Eva Dalak
Social Media:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/evadalak/
LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eva-dalak-0702b02/?originalSubdomain=cr
YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChbEP_Qv3J3PuWr2z-d8G4w
FB: https://www.facebook.com/evadalak/