NARM Training Institute

This session is the second in a five-part NARM demonstration series. In this second session with Dr. Heller, Megan shares that she’s been sleeping and feeling better since their last session, noting that Dr. Heller’s reframe of her depression as a “love affair with survival” was a turning point for her. This insight led to increased self-compassion and emotional clarity. She also describes somatic shifts, such as improved movement in yoga, suggesting the possibility of deeper nervous system regulation. Throughout the session, Megan explores with Dr. Heller her recurring patterns in relationships—particularly merging with others, difficulty asserting boundaries, and an overwhelming fear of disappointing people, which often leaves her feeling powerless and disconnected from herself.

Recounting memories her past, Megan discusses childhood experiences with a verbally and physically abusive, alcoholic father who frequently frightened her. These early dynamics laid the foundation for her to adapt by people-pleasing, shame spiraling, and not expressing anger or advocating for herself. As the session unfolds, Megan becomes more in touch with her anger—not as a destructive force, but as a sign of vitality and self-protection. Dr. Heller supports her in seeing these long-standing patterns as survival strategies from childhood that she no longer needs. By the end of the session, Megan talks about feeling more grounded and aligned, expressing a sense of empowerment and compassion for her younger self and a renewed desire to live as a “fully expressed human being.”