NARM Training Institute

This two-part NARM demonstration and debrief series offers a powerful glimpse into the process of healing from the effects of developmental and cultural trauma using the NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM). In these sessions, Dr. Laurence Heller works with Client L (they/them/their), who explores deeply rooted struggles related to gender identity, cultural dislocation, and family conflict. Raised in a conservative Muslim family and having experienced emotional shutdown following a move in childhood, Client L explores feelings of alienation, shame, and disconnection from their authentic self. Through his attuned support, Dr. Heller supports Client L in reconnecting with their formative memories, their present moment body sensations, and their spiritual identity, which has become an important source of meaning and empowerment for them.

In the second session, the focus shifts to themes of belonging, survivor guilt, and emotional boundaries, especially in the context of a strained relationship with Client L's estranged brother. Client L explores feelings of anger, blame, and grief—emotions that they'd previously suppressed and judged. As the session unfolds, they begin to recognize how cultural and intergenerational trauma has shaped their emotional responses and self-perception. Supported by Dr. Heller, Client L accesses a deeper connection to their life force and begins to release strategies of perfectionism and self-blame. The sessions culminate in Client L's growing sense of inner clarity, self-compassion, and increased capacity to hold complexity without shutting down—signaling meaningful steps toward integration and self-acceptance.