Groundless Ground Podcast

Kathy L. Kain, PhD returns to share her unparalleled expertise on effective use of somatic interventions in in-person and online psychotherapy. She gets very specific about what interventions work and don’t work, and the kind of patients that may benefit or be underserved when the medium of contact is screen-only. And Kathy gives in-depth analysis of the interplay of awareness and points of contact in somatic interventions; regardless of whether the clinician has physical contact with a patient or not. We also take a deep dive into the role of intersubjectivity in somatic work—the importance of viewing the patient as the expert, and how to skillfully navigate somatic counter-transference while keeping in mind the patient’s benefit and maintenance of therapeutic and relational connection. This episode is appropriate for both somatic practitioners as well as novices who may be interested in the mechanics of this work, particularly in the psychotherapeutic process. Here is the link to hear Kathy's first GG episode.

Kathy L. Kain has practiced and taught bodywork and trauma recovery skills for nearly 40 years. She teaches in Europe, Australia, Canada, and throughout the United States. Kathy is a senior trainer in the Somatic Experiencing training program, an adjunct faculty member of Sonoma State University, and was a senior trainer for 12 years in the Somatic Psychotherapy training program based in Sydney, Australia.

This dialogue with visionary psychotherapist Gina Ross—a pioneer in understanding and healing collective trauma—is both informative and deeply moving. A Syrian Jew with empathy for both Israeli and Arabic cultures, and founder of the International Trauma Healing Institutes, Gina has devoted her life’s work to resolving the societal and individual dysregulation that underlies trauma and ultimately feeds all forms of violence and hatred.

Gina discusses the role of trauma in conflict zones such as the Middle East, and how to heal that trauma and bring about personal and collective peace using integrative methodologies. Her Ross Model and its practical application Emotion Aid, have been successfully deployed in Israel and Palestine, and other conflict zones to help heal traumatized citizens and military personnel. In collaboration with an Israeli clinical research team, Gina recently published a widely-read, peer-reviewed control-group study of Somatic Experiencing.

Gina Ross was on my 'podcast guest bucket list'. Her wisdom is a result of a lifetime of personal and professional experience with Middle East conflict and the trauma that underlies its seeming intractability. The episode starts with Gina’s personal history and how it informed her genuine understanding of collective trauma. She then offers in-depth information about successful treatment of PTSD using SE, somatic psychotherapy, Emotion Aid, and integrative medicine. We finish with a frank discussion about the lack of robust SE research and how that can unfortunate situation can be remedied.

Links and downloads for Gina Ross, MFCC, SEP International Trauma Healing Institutes

Peer-reviewed Somatic Experiencing Study in ISSTS Journal

Emotion Aid Brief Guide

Trauma Vortex in Action in the Middle East (article)

Gina's books on Amazon

Disclaimer: The information in this episode or on groundlessground.com is intended for information and entertainment purposes only, and does not claim to be or constitute therapeutic advice or mental health treatment.

How can mental health professionals understand mental confusion from a Buddhist psychological perspective? This episode features a dharma talk by Lisa Dale Miller on a profoundly informative Sutta from the Pali Canon which offers answers to that question. Lisa also provides supplementary psychological commentary on the Sutta after the talk is finished.

Psychologist Jim Hopper and I discuss the neurobiology of trauma, MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, the critical role embodied treatment modalities play in trauma healing, and use of Buddhist psychology and Internal Family Systems (IFS) for trauma resolution. He fully explicates the process used in the FDA-approved and MAPS-sponsored MDMA phase 3 trials, discusses the results, and clarifies for whom MDMA, Ketamine or psilocybin sessions could be adjunctive trauma treatment. We also discuss a habit model of understanding trauma response as well as an updated ethical view of addiction. Jim is a consummate communicator. That, coupled with his depth and breadth of knowledge about trauma therapy, make this episode a critical listen for every clinician working in the trauma field.

JIm's website

Jim's publications

Jim Hopper, PhD is most often sought for his expertise on the neurobiology of trauma and sexual assault, and on the unique experiences and needs of males who have experienced sexual abuse or sexual assault. He trains others in contemplative practices that transform the brain to bring healing and genuine happiness, and is co-editor of Mindfulness-Oriented Interventions for Trauma: Integrating Contemplative Practices. He is a sub-investigator at the Boston site of the FDA-approved and MAPS-sponsored phase 3 trial of MDMA-Assisted Therapy for PTSD. Jim is a Teaching Associate in Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry of Harvard Medical School, and a consultant to the Outpatient Addictions Service of the Cambridge Health Alliance.

My dialogue with Cuong Lu, Buddhist teacher and prison chaplain in the Netherlands, was by far the most moving experience of my podcasting life. Cuong’s wisdom and limitless compassion brought me to tears several times during our time together. He was born in Vietnam and grew up in the midst of war, only knowing fighting until his mother moved them to the Netherlands when he was twelve years old and he experienced friendliness for the first time. He spent many years as a monk with Thich Nhat Hanh and then became a lay Buddhist teacher in 2009. His is a deeply relational dharma characterized by complete embodiment of interbeing, the empty inseparability of all beings. His remarkable new book, The Buddha in Jail: Restoring Lives, Finding Hope and Freedom recounts his unique application of the Buddhist teachings for prisoners who, he asserts “are often able to understand the Dharma more quickly than those whose lives have been easier.” Cuong is on book tour July 22 - Aug 2 in New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Milwaukee, Madison, and several venues in the San Francisco Bay Area. You can find his schedule in the show notes and I urge any of you who can, to attend and meet this remarkable man.

Cuong Lu's Links:

Mind Only School of Buddhist Psychology

Buy The Buddha in Jail

Disclaimer: The information in this episode or on groundlessground.com is intended for information and entertainment purposes only, and does not claim to be or constitute therapeutic advice or mental health treatment.