The Pod at My Village

In this episode, Phil and Mel continue their conversation with trauma educator Stacey Gagnon. They keep it real as Stacey opens up about some of the difficult and hurtful situations that she has experienced in the Church because of the family god has called her to Mother. But they also go beyond and paint a picture for what it would look like for the Church to welcome in the messy and hard of traumatized stories, provide rest for the weary, and healing for the broken.

In this episode—the first of a two-part conversation—Phil and Mel sit down with trauma expert Stacey Gagnon. Stacey shares her powerful journey into trauma education and breaks down how trauma impacts young brains and development. Together, they explore why authentic relationships are the ultimate key to healing and overcoming childhood trauma. We hope you enjoy the episode! Connect & Subscribe: 🎧 Subscribe for Part 2 releasing next week! 💬 Drop your thoughts or questions in the comments below.

This episode is part two of a two part conversation with Mandy Litzke. Despite enduring considerable trauma in her childhood, Mandy chose to take in children with trauma in her adult years. In this episode, Phil, Mel, and Mandy talk about what caused her to begin taking in children with trauma, developmental, and other disabilities. She shares her and Dave's heart posture in parenting, as well as practical advice for understanding and parenting children with trauma. In this conversation they also discuss Trust-Based Relational Intervention and the importance of cultivating relationship over seeking results.

In another episode of the trauma resource, Phil and Mel sit down with Mandy Litzke, an MVM Community Couch Supervisor. Mandy had an especially traumatic upbringing, ending her up in the foster system before being adopted. This episode covers her childhood story. They discuss what trauma is, what it looks like to move forward with trauma, triggers, and the hope of the gospel. Part 2, airing next week, will explore Mandy's adult home. In contrast to the brokenness of her childhood home, Mandy and her husband have taken in 15 kids with a wide array of needs and backgrounds.

This episode kicks off the trauma module. Phil and Mel dive into the topic of trauma, discussing the need for trauma-informed training in the work of family preservation. They introduce Trust-Based Relational Intervention, which prioritizes developing relationship over attaining corrective behaviors. They also introduce the three founding principles of Trauma. For More on TBRI, see episode 5 of the Pod. 00:00:00 - Start 00:05:17 - Making Ben uncomfortable 00:11:38 - What the Green Mile? 00:16:09 - Phil's most traumatic injury 00:19:59 - Why Phil is passionate about trauma training 00:26:03 - The Marshall trauma journey 00:30:48 - Trust-Based Relational Intervention 00:41:05 - Does building trust in a hosting matter, really? 00:43:39 - The Three Founding Principles of Trauma 00:56:19 - Building up the kindling 00:59:23 - 5 Survival Strategies in children