In this episode, I spoke with Spurgeon, a Marriage and Family Therapist who challenges the modern Western notion that trauma is abnormal. Drawing from his 20 years of experience as an inner-city pastor and work with Indigenous communities, he argues that trauma has been humanity's baseline condition throughout history. We explore how narrative therapy and wilderness experiences can help people heal, and discuss why traditional ceremonial practices still hold profound relevance in modern mental health care.

Chapters: 
(00:00:16 ) - Defining Therapy Through Relationships 
(00:04:52 ) - Trauma as Human Baseline 
(00:11:10 ) - Adapting to Different Environments 
(00:17:12 ) - Wilderness Therapy Insights 
(00:22:16 ) - Indigenous Approaches to Healing 
(00:26:08 ) - AI and Traditional Practices 
(00:32:14 ) - The Future of Authentic Connection

About the Host: 
Moody Abdul is the founder of Klarify and host of the Future of Therapy podcast. After experiencing the powerful combination of therapy and AI tools during a personal breakthrough, he became passionate about helping therapists leverage technology to enhance their practice. Through Klarify, he's working to automate time-consuming tasks like case notes, allowing therapists to focus more on client care. The Future of Therapy podcast reaches over 34,000 therapists across North America.

• Website: https://www.klarify.ca/
• LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/moodyabdul

About Spurgeon: 
Spurgeon is a Marriage and Family Therapist working as a clinical case manager at Regina/Treaty Status Indian Services (RT/SIS). With 20 years of experience as an inner-city pastor involved in prison chaplaincy and gang-exit work, he brings a unique perspective to therapy. Currently pursuing his PhD focusing on culturally appropriate informed consent in an Indigenous context, Spurgeon combines traditional clinical approaches with wilderness therapy and Indigenous healing practices. His work spans across clinical, wilderness, and culturally-informed therapeutic methods.

Contact: spurgeon.root@sasktel.net