Unsafe! Navigating Domestic, Public and Systemic Violence, with Dr Valerie (Vimalasara) Mason-John and Jordan Decker
Release Date: 01/08/2026
Giving What We Didn’t Get: Reimagining Father & Son Relationships, with Luke Sniewski & Warren McCaig
The Gifts of Trauma
Hosted by Kevin Young and J'aime Rothbard. Produced by J'aime Rothbard. The Men in the World series began by asking, “What happened to men?” It concludes by offering some honest perspectives on what becomes possible when men find their way back to themselves. Kevin, Warren and Luke are men who have done the work, are still doing the work, and have built their lives around supporting others to do the same. With J’aime holding space, the three men explore: - The affirmation economy: What happens when a man builds his entire life on other people's approval - Why it’s important...
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This World Was Not Built for Us: Unburdening & Building Brotherhood, with HawaH Kasat & Reggie Hubbard
The Gifts of Trauma
Hosted by Kevin Young & J'aime Rothbard. Produced by J’aime Rothbard. In addition to the personal weight of masculinity that all men carry, brown and black skinned men are burdened by additional collective weights that must be carried while navigating a world not built for them, in bodies that are policed, feared, criminalized and often murdered. In this episode, co-hosts Kevin and J'aime are joined by two remarkable men: HawaH Kasat and Reggie Hubbard. Together they explore the experiences of BIPOC men, and address: - The male loneliness epidemic - The alchemy that can occur...
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It’s Time to Step Up: An Ongoing Invitation, with Tony Coffey & Stephen Brown
The Gifts of Trauma
It’s Time to Step Up: An Ongoing Invitation, with Tony Coffey & Stephen Brown Hosted by Kevin Young. Produced by J’aime Rothbard. In this episode, Kevin is joined by two friends and Compassionate Inquiry® colleagues for a full spectrum conversation that moves from desolation and helplessness, to grief, hope and laughter. They begin in grim terrain shaped by intergenerational trauma, measured by dismal statistics and broadcast through news stories and images of violence that shock us precisely because the perpetrators are so young. Then somehow, their focus shifts to...
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Nothing's Wrong with Boys & Men: An Appreciative Inquiry, with Susan Morgan
The Gifts of Trauma
Hosted by Kevin Young. Produced by J’aime Rothbard Researchers have studied it, governments have funded it, and schools have intervened. But 30 years later, boys are still falling behind in education. Why is this problem so ‘stubborn?’ Why has so little changed? In this episode, Susan talks about her work in the Taking Boys Seriously research project, Appreciative Inquiry, what actually works for boys, why it matters for the men they’ll become, and to society overall. She explains: - The "bricks in the backpack;" a compounded weight that can hold boys back - Why asking ‘what...
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The Boys We Were Never Allowed To Be, with Bret Hunt and Joe Baldock
The Gifts of Trauma
Hosted by Kevin Young. Produced by J’aime Rothbard. Three men walk into a podcast. One tells a knock knock joke, then, somehow, all three end up delving into the disappearance of male genetic diversity, what it feels like to carry traumatized masculinity in the body, and whether compassion—rather than condemnation—might be the only thing that actually changes anything. In this first episode of the new Men in the World series, Kevin sits down with two grounded, conscious, refreshingly honest men; CI practitioners who are doing the work, asking the questions, and refusing to look...
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Griefs We're Denied: Nature, Climate, Land Loss… with Steffi Bednarek
The Gifts of Trauma
Hosted by: Rosemary Davies-Janes & Kevin Young What happens when grief isn't personal, when it belongs to the land, the climate, and the fractured relationship between humans and the living world? Join us as climate psychologist, systems thinker and trauma therapist, Steffi Bednarek moves this conversation from the personal to the planetary, and from the clinical to the deeply, wildly human. She suggests that our epidemic of depression, anxiety, and disconnection may not be a malfunction, but an unanswered call to an unnamed grief so large, Western psychology barely has the language for...
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When Survival Usurps Grief: Showing Up When the World Is on Fire, with James Gordon, MD & Diana Gharib
The Gifts of Trauma
Hosted by Kevin Young. Produced by J’aime Rothbard. In this episode, Kevin is joined by James Gordon, MD, founder of the Center for Mind Body Medicine, whose teams have worked in Gaza, Kosovo, Syria, Bosnia, Northern Ireland and beyond, and Diana Garib, a clinical psychologist on the front-line in Beirut, recording live as conflict surrounds her. Together they explore: - What it looks like to show up for others when your own world is on fire - How humanizing the other can become the first act of healing - Why finding common ground—from shared grief to shared hummus—may be where peace...
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When Grief Is Stolen: Invasion, Colonization & Griefology, with Rosemary Wanganeen
The Gifts of Trauma
Hosted by Rosemary Davies-Janes & Kevin Young. Produced by J'aime Rothbard. If grief is the energy generated by loss, what happens to a people whose grief has been stolen for generations, and what becomes possible when we grieve our way home? In this episode, Rosemary Wanganeen, a Kaurna, Wirungu, and Koogatha Aboriginal woman and Australia's only griefologist, presents one of the most provocative perspectives explored in this series. She traces the suppression of grief and the ensuing psychopathic violence of Australia’s colonizers/invaders to a declaration by Plato in 388 BC—the...
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When Grief Doesn't Get a Funeral, with Dr Kenneth Doka, Maria de los Angeles Estrada & Ellie Davis
The Gifts of Trauma
Hosted by Rosemary Davies-Janes. Produced by J'aime Rothbard. If you’ve ever grieved an unrecognized loss, please join us to explore Disenfranchised Grief, the term Dr Doka coined over 35 years ago to describe the grief that rises when a loss isn't openly recognized, publicly mourned, or socially supported, and why so many of us—unkowingly—carry this form of grief. Drawing on his 50 years in the field, Dr Doka, along with Maria and Ellie who share their lived experiences of disenfranchised grief, unpack: - How grief (the energy generated by a significant loss) can show up...
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What We Don't Know About Grief, with Pam Sommer & Manisha Billimoria
The Gifts of Trauma
Hosted by Rosemary Davies-Janes. Produced by J’aime Rothbard. This gentle conversation launches a new series exploring death, loss and grief—experiences we all face yet are rarely taught to navigate. Our guests debunk grief ‘myths’, as it doesn't follow “5 Stages,” we can't “pre-grieve” and being told to "be brave" can trap grief in our body for decades. They also offer practical suggestions for supporting those who are grieving, and explain: - How grief can manifest in physical, emotional and mental issues - Why talking about the deceased is essential for the living -...
info_outlineHosted 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 shelters intended to provide refuge.
They also explore:
- Why trans women face the most heinous violence
- The erosion of trans rights which give people "permission" to be openly transphobic
- Why supporting trans youth requires parents' unconditional love
- The trauma of conversion therapy, and the impact of ‘unsafe’ school policies
Both guests emphasize that change begins within as "humans are capable of transformation," and cultivating self-compassion allows us to see others more clearly. The conversation concludes with Jordan offering his mantra: "Every minute is a choice. I choose to get better by the minute."
About: Dr Valerie (Vimalasara) Mason-John, M.A (hon.doc)
Hailed by Dr. Ken Hardy as, "One of the premier social, cultural, and psychological healers of our time" Vimalasara is an award-winning author of 11 books including Detox Your Heart, Meditations for Emotional Trauma, and Eight Step Recovery Using The Buddha’s Teachings to Overcome Addiction.
They are a co-founder of the secular 8-week course Mindfulness-Based Addiction Recovery (MBAR) and one of the new leading African Descent Voices in the field of Mindfulness Approaches for Addiction. Their latest book, a First Aid Kit for the Mind, Breaking the Cycle of Habitual Behaviours has been described by Gabor Maté as distilling 'Aeons of Wisdom."
About Jordan Decker
Jordan “SameHeart” Decker is a National and International Speaker, Course Creator of the HeartLine Approach to Gender Affirmation, Creator of the Alchemy of Authenticity Coaching, a Polarity Integration Consultant, a Plant Medicine Guide and Accidental Activist for Transyouth Suicide Prevention.
His background in Neuro-linguistic programming, Somatic Experiencing, Compassionate Inquiry® Training with Dr. Gabor Maté, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Certificate ground him in educating, consulting and healing trauma through hands-on bodywork.
Tapping into his Indigenous ancestry, he lives to be in alignment with the land, trees, water, air and self. In his spare time he is a cat whisperer and animal lover.
Promotional Message:
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Resources:
Websites:
Vimalasara's CI Practitioner Profile
Related Links:
Videos:
Courses:
First Aid Kit for the Mind Course
Compassionate Inquiry Professional Training
Books:
Quotes:
“Humans are capable of change. Humans are capable of transformation and liberation of the mind and we are capable of true compassion.” - Dr. Valerie Mason-John
“If we look at the emotional component of a heart attack, it's a heartbreak. My heart broke.”
- Jordan Decker
“Healing is not the erasure of pain, but the capacity to hold it with consciousness until it transforms.”
- Solea Anani
“There needs to be more services, and to make it safe for [LGBTQ+] people to go somewhere and say, this is happening in my relationship. I need help.” - Dr. Valerie Mason-John
“Every minute is a choice. So, yeah, I choose to get better by the minute." - Jordan Decker
Social Media:
IG: @vmasonjohn
@_jdeck__
FB: Vimalasara - Valerie Mason-John