Show Notes
In this week's episode of Therapy Chat, I interviewed the amazing Kim Barthel about the intricate connections between trauma, the sensory system, and healing. We explored the role of the vestibular system, the Vagus Nerve, and the importance of co-regulation in therapy. Kim shares insights from her extensive experience in Occupational Therapy and discusses the impact of developmental trauma on individuals. The conversation highlights the significance of sound healing and the need for a nuanced, layered and holistic approach to understanding our relationships to Self and others, and the role of the vestibular system in our survival and connection. Kim Barthel is a Canadian occupational therapist, multi-disciplinary speaker, mentor and best-selling author who is active in supporting people in many contexts globally. She is passionate about understanding complex behavior, neurobiology, trauma-sensitive and neurodiverse-affirming practice, sensory processing, attachment, movement and mental health. In 2025 Kim was honoured to receive an award from ATTACh for innovation in the treatment of children with trauma, and with 41+ years of practice, she is still learning every day. Kim’s overall mission is to support the conscious evolution of the human spirit. Learn more about Kim Barthel and her work here! Additional Resources: Are you a helping professional who wants to learn more about the Safe + Sound Protocol (SSP)? On behalf of our friends at Unyte Health, we are pleased to share this Trauma Recovery Toolkit, a free resource aimed to support you as you work with clients who present with trauma and nervous system dysregulation. Download the toolkit and access an exclusive discount code for the SSP training! Bumble is the dating app built with a focus on meaningful and authentic relationships and with the belief that love—in all its forms—is the foundation to a happy, healthy life. Bumble helps you find the real, intentional connections you're looking for. Download the app for free today on the App Store or Google Play and learn more at Bumble.com! Therapists and mental health professionals: I created a FREE video to help you feel more confident in supporting survivors of sexual violence in an embodied and trauma sensitive manner. Check it out here! If you're interested in being notified when I announce the details of the new Therapy Chat membership - open to anyone, not just therapists - submit your info on this form. Thanks! Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TherapyChatPodcast Therapists, visit the new For Therapists page on the Trauma Therapist Network website for discounts on CE trainings, recommended resources and more. Find a trauma therapist near you via findtraumatherapy.com! We believe that trauma is real, healing is possible and help is available at Trauma Therapist Network. TherapyNotes® is the highest-rated EHR, practice management, and billing software for mental health professionals. Its all-in-one platform is designed to streamline all aspects of your practice, from connecting with clients via secure messages, to scheduling, to notes, to billing, and more; you can trust TherapyNotes has you covered. And one of the best parts? 24-7 customer service. It's beyond easy to get help over the phone or by email at any time of day from their knowledgeable and friendly representatives. The best time to give TherapyNotes a try is now! Sign up for your free trial by going to TherapyNotes.com, clicking "Start my free trial", and accessing your first two months free with the promo code CHAT. See why TherapyNotes is the most trusted EHR for behavioral health professionals today. Podcast Produced by Vaudeo Productions: https://vaudeoproductions.com
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
More from Therapy Chat
Our physiology and our mental health are linked. We’ve all heard about the ACE Study, which describes the long term impact of unresolved trauma. But why does unresolved trauma lead to poor physical health over the lifespan? This week’s guest, Naturopathic Doctor Erin Kinney, explains an important piece of the puzzle: Cortisol! Combatting the confusion and misinformation that is out there about Cortisol, Dr. Kinney explains what happens to our bodies when Cortisol is too low or too high; how the nervous system plays a part; and small actions we can take to create an abundant “Cortisol Bank account,” as she calls it. Dr. Kinney shares some of the strategies detailed in her new book, The Cortisol Cure, and how simple changes you make can contribute to abundant health and well-being over your lifetime.
Continuing our exploration of embodiment, healing, spirituality and wisdom, this week I’m joined by Manuela Mischke-Reeds, a somatic psychotherapist who is a senior trainer in the Hakomi Method and co-founder of the Hakomi Institute of California. Manuela has developed her own method as well, called Innate Somatic Trauma Therapy Approach (ISTTA). In this discussion you’ll learn about the Hakomi method and its principles; movement as a healing modality; the importance of embodiment in trauma processing; somatics and psychedelic therapy; deconstructing from our indoctrination in medical models; accessing Flow and tuning into our innate lifeforce while recovering from trauma, and so much more.
This week we dive deeper into working with Internal Family System and our family of parts with my incredible guest, Tamala Floyd. We discussed Tamala’s book, Listening When Parts Speak, and how her ancestors participated in the process. Our conversation wound back and forth through time and space. You’ll hear us discuss intergenerational trauma, breaking cycles, how healing ourselves heals our ancestors, both those who came before us and those who follow us, inner child work, and so much more!
This week, continuing our discussion of psychedelics and therapy, I’m honored to be joined by three amazing guests who are leaders in the IFS and psychedelics worlds. So HOW does a therapist “do” psychedelic assisted psychotherapy? A number of therapists are already using IFS or IFS informed parts work in their practices. Now, we are fortunate to have a clinical manual co-authored by today’s guests, Sunny Strasburg, LMFT; Martha Sweezy, PhD; and David Lovas, MD, together with the founder of IFS, Dick Schwartz, PhD. In our conversation, you’ll hear our guests share their perspectives on the neuroscience involved; how Protector parts can arise in these experiences; ethics and consent in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy; some descriptions of various psychedelic medicines; and the need for additional research in this field.
Psychedelics are a hot topic lately. People are seeking healing experiences, with or without the participation of their therapists. Some are finding their journeys to be transformational but struggle to integrate what occurred when they return to their ordinary lives. Others need help integrating traumatic material that arose. Yet many therapists, especially those who are more seasoned in the field, are unaware or suspicious about these medicines. This week’s guest, Erin Atkinson, LCSW-C, is the founder of Prism Wellness, a holistic, somatic, and psychedelic therapy practice with a team of therapists providing this specialized work across multiple states. In addition to her clinical training in this work, Erin weaves somatic trauma therapy with earth-based wisdom and plant medicine traditions. She is an animist minister, rooted in Celtic and European traditions and her own ancestral practice. In our conversation, you’ll hear Erin and I discuss aspects of our own processes of connecting with our European ancestors; how psychedelic work can help us connect with nature and the collective; and the importance of integration, often a missing piece of the healing process in psychedelic work. Erin Atkinson, LCSW-C is licensed in Maryland, Colorado, Texas, and Hawaii, a board-approved clinical supervisor, and a psychedelic-assisted therapist. Alongside her clinical work, Erin mentors, supervises, and trains therapists who want to bring spirituality, earth wisdom, and a liberation focus into their practice. If you’re curious about what psychedelic integration is, and what it can be, you’ll want to listen to this episode!