In this episode of Compassion in a T-Shirt, I’m joined by someone whose work I’ve admired from afar for a very long time – Dr Robyn D. Walser.

Robyn is a clinical psychologist, Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, Director of Research at Bay Area Trauma Recovery Clinical Services, and on staff at the National Center for PTSD at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. She is internationally recognised for her work in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), trauma, moral injury, and values-based living, and is co-author of influential ACT texts such as Learning ACT and The Heart of ACT.

In our conversation we explore her powerful new book, You Are Not Your Trauma, co-authored with Darrah Westrup. We talk about the core message behind the title – that we are much more than the worst things that have happened to us – and how ACT helps people relate differently to painful memories, emotions, and self-stories.

Robyn walks us through the three stages of healing outlined in the book:

. building safety, grounding, and skills,

. turning toward traumatic experiences using exposure-based processes in an ACT-consistent way, and

. reconnecting with values, meaning, and joy to build a life worth living.

We also explore how self-compassion and the therapist’s compassionate presence can gently soften shame and self-blame, especially in complex trauma.

Later in the episode, Robyn reflects on her decades of work with women who have experienced violence, oppression, and systemic disadvantage, including women veterans. We then turn to her new training, Women Rising, which focuses on understanding women’s suffering through a systemic lens, supporting agency and courage, and helping women separate societal expectations from their own deeply held values.

It was an honour to sit with Robyn and hear her wisdom, courage, and humanity in the face of profound suffering. I hope this conversation offers you validation, hope, and some practical ways of thinking about healing from trauma and moving toward a more meaningful life.

Timestamps:

00:00  Introduction to Dr. Robin Walzer

01:04  Discussing 'You Are Not Your Trauma'

02:12  Understanding Trauma and Identity

04:13  The Role of Language and Experience

07:44  Psychological Flexibility and Identity

11:28  Stages of Healing in Trauma

12:05  Building Safety and Grounding

24:42  The Importance of Compassion in Therapy

30:01  Understanding Self-Compassion in Trauma

30:52  Defining Suffering and Avoidance

33:41  Exposure Therapy and Habituation

37:04  Addressing Self-Blame and Shame

41:39  Stage Three: Flourishing and Finding Meaning

45:42  Empowering Women and Addressing Violence

51:59  Concluding Thoughts and Future Work

Links:

For Dr Wasler’s contact, books, resources and trainings, go to her website: https://robynwalser.com/

If you would like to learn more about compassion focused therapy, you can find Dr Stan Steindl's book The Gifts of Compassion here:

https://www.ausapress.com/p/the-gifts-of-compassion-how-to-understand-and-overcome-suffering/

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