Dr. Muller shares his professional experience on the power of relationships. He highlights how relationships are important as a foundation for personal growth. Strategies for parents and young adults are shared to build positive relationships.

Guest:
Robert T. Muller, Ph.D. completed his postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard, was on faculty at the University of Massachusetts, and is currently a professor at York University in Toronto. Dr. Muller is a fellow and member of several scientific societies, and is the 2024 recipient of the Pierre Janet Award for his scholarship on trauma. His most recent psychotherapy book, "Trauma & the Struggle to Open Up" was given the 2019 Written Media Award, for the year's best written work on trauma. And his award-winning bestseller, "Trauma & the Avoidant Client" has been translated widely. As lead investigator on several multi-site programs to treat interpersonal trauma, Dr. Muller has lectured internationally. He founded an online magazine, "The Trauma & Mental Health Report," that is now visited by over 100,000 readers a year. With over 30 years in the field, he practices in Toronto.

To learn more about Dr. Muller, please visit:
https://psychotherapytoronto.ca/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/talking-about-trauma
https://www.youtube.com/user/thetraumareport

To learn more about Trauma Practice for Healthy Communities
https://traumapractice.org/

4:00   – Personal Story – How Dr. Muller Became Interested in Shame Research
10:23 – Concept – What’s Important About a Therapeutic Relationship
11:00 – Common Factors for Good Therapy – Therapeutic Relationship, Readiness for Change, Hopefulness
20:30 – Concepts – Relationships as a Source of Healing and Pain
26:00 – Concepts – Therapeutic Space is a Ground to Explore Interpersonal Dynamics
28:00 – Ways of Coping – Avoidance and Trauma
30:00 – Ways of Coping – Humor to Avoid Emotions
33:40 – Idea – Compass of Shame (Dr. Donald L. Nathanson)
35:30 – Student Strategies to Explore Intense Feelings – Journaling
39:50 – Ways of Coping – Oversharing, Dissociating
41:00 – College Resources – Most College Counseling Centers are Free
42:00 – Free Resources - Trauma Practice for Healthy Communities
44:00 – Free Resources – Trauma Informed Yoga
45:50 – Concept – There are a Lot of Ways to Bring About Healing
47:15 – Personal Strategies – Hanging with Granddaughter, Music, Cooking (Hungarian Food)
50:30 – Parent Strategies to Support Child Traumatic Experiences – Reacting with Support and Empathy
58:30 – Therapist Strategy – Trauma Work Can’t be done Alone (Be Part of a Process Group)

Special thanks to musical artists:
Psalm Trees: https://psalmtreesbeats.bandcamp.com/
Joseph Jacobs: https://josephjacobsmusic.bandcamp.com/music

To provide suggestions for new topics in future episodes, visit:
present-mind.org/podcast