TraumaTies

Hosted by Volare

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Nov 2026

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It may be invisible to some or ever present to others. But trauma entangles us all. Welcome to TraumaTies. Brought to you by Volare, TraumaTies is a podcast that creates space and conversations to untangle the societal knots that keep us from addressing trauma after crime. For you, we want this podcast to be an experience--one where you leave understanding how you can be a crossing point to minimize the deeply painful and costly consequences of trauma, no matter who you are. This podcast is just one of our many resources. Volare welcomes all survivors of crime and their supporters, so please visit us at https://www.volare-empowers.org/ to learn more about how to access our trauma education and how to partner with us to create empowering experiences for survivors

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57 recent

November 10, 202622 min

What Makes Someone Feel Safe?

Our sense of safety or anxiety with someone else can come from their behavior toward us, but what does it mean when someone instantly makes us feel calm or more anxious? As Bridgette and Lindsey describe through their own experiences, it can sometimes say more about our own past when we realize what puts us at ease or on edge with someone else. Key Takeaways When our body immediately responds to another person with a sense of calm or stress, that response is known as neuroception, or our brain’s ability to constantly scan for safety or danger. That response is built from a myriad of our own past experiences, relationships, and sense of comfort. We can also have correlating stress or relaxation responses due to the mirror neuron theory, where certain relationships create a sense of anxiety or calm when together. Reflecting on what characteristics or behaviors make us stressed or relaxed can help us understand how to regulate our responses in the moment. Having an accountability partner or a decompression activity can also allow us space to move through discomfort without activating acute stress responses. Resources Mentioned None this week! Connect and Learn More ☑️ Bridgette Stumpf | LinkedIn ☑️ Lindsey Silverberg | LinkedIn ☑️ Volare | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook ☑️ Subscribe to the TraumaTies newsletter ☑️ TraumaTies Website | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube ☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify Brought to you by Volare, TraumaTies: Untangling Societal Harm & Healing After Crime is a podcast that creates space and conversations to dissect the structural and systemic knots that keep us from addressing trauma. Rooted in a belief that survivors of crime deserve respect for their dignity in the aftermath of victimization, Volare seeks to empower survivors by informing them of all of the options available and working to transform existing response systems to be more inclusive of the diverse needs that survivors often have after crime. Volare also provides free, holistic, and comprehensive advocacy, therapeutic, and legal services to survivors of all crime types. Visit our website to learn more about how to access our trauma-informed education training and how to partner with us to expand survivor-defined justice.

November 3, 202623 min

Why Our Brains Love Certainty (Even When It's Wrong)

Our ability to recognize patterns and engage in deductive reasoning is powerful, but what happens when we make decisions about situations or people without all of the information needed? This week, Bridgette and Lindsey share their perspectives on how uncertainty can affect many parts of our lives, especially when it feels uncomfortable to not have the answers we want or need at that moment. Key Takeaways Uncertainty makes us uncomfortable, and research shows that our brains may react to uncertainty similarly to how we react to pain. Our desire to relieve ourselves from uncertainty can be helpful for people trying to rebuild safety and self-assurance after trauma, but can become a pattern of making conclusions without all of the facts. Context greatly affects how we interpret an event or interaction, allowing us to make more informed decisions about people and experiences. We may also attempt to separate ourselves from a harmful situation or experience someone else had by coming to conclusions about them before receiving all of the facts, rather than believing it could happen to us. Becoming more comfortable with uncertainty takes practice in giving ourselves grace and knowing we may make a decision that we don’t fully agree with later on, or change our minds after the fact, building our internal resiliency. Resources Mentioned Cognitive closure research: AW Kruglanski, DM Webster, “ Motivated closing of the mind: ‘seizing’ and ‘freezing’ ,” Psychological Review vol. 103,2 (1996): 263-283. The Just-World Theory: Ethics Resources, “ The Just World Theory ,” Santa Clara Markkula Center for Applied Ethics , updated 13 November 2015. Connect and Learn More ☑️ Bridgette Stumpf | LinkedIn ☑️ Lindsey Silverberg | LinkedIn ☑️ Volare | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook ☑️ Subscribe to the TraumaTies newsletter ☑️ TraumaTies Website | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube ☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify Brought to you by Volare, TraumaTies: Untangling Societal Harm & Healing After Crime is a podcast that creates space and conversations to dissect the structural and systemic knots that keep us from addressing trauma. Rooted in a belief that survivors of crime deserve respect for their dignity in the aftermath of victimization, Volare seeks to empower survivors by informing them of all of the options available and working to transform existing response systems to be more inclusive of the diverse needs that survivors often have after crime. Volare also provides free, holistic, and comprehensive advocacy, therapeutic, and legal services to survivors of all crime types. Visit our website to learn more about how to access our trauma-informed education training and how to partner with us to expand survivor-defined justice.

October 20, 202621 min

The Myth of "Getting Over It"

Healing from trauma is not like solving a problem or fixing an appliance; as Bridgette and Lindsey discuss, trauma is integrated into our lives, and we can react to an experience years after it happened. Where we see true progress is in our ability to name that reaction, not let shame dominate the situation, and understand that reacting isn’t a “loss” in progress or healing. Key Takeaways In the United States, many people and systems see healing as a linear, time-based process; however, as trauma education and neurobiology show, this is not the case. As seen in studies for veterans experiencing PTS, time doesn’t automatically result in trauma cues lessening or stopping. This can also be true for people experiencing other types of trauma and harm. When we react to a trauma cue, we may feel shame or a loss of control because of how we reacted or feeling like we’ve made a situation about us. However, being able to move past shame and feel understood in our reactions to prior trauma are key to true healing well after experiencing harm. Having a person or people to talk to about our feelings allows us to interpret our stories through that initial discomfort, not just trying to forget or “get rid” of our trauma. Resources Mentioned None this week! Connect and Learn More ☑️ Bridgette Stumpf | LinkedIn ☑️ Lindsey Silverberg | LinkedIn ☑️ Volare | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook ☑️ Subscribe to the TraumaTies newsletter ☑️ TraumaTies Website | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube ☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify Brought to you by Volare, TraumaTies: Untangling Societal Harm & Healing After Crime is a podcast that creates space and conversations to dissect the structural and systemic knots that keep us from addressing trauma. Rooted in a belief that survivors of crime deserve respect for their dignity in the aftermath of victimization, Volare seeks to empower survivors by informing them of all of the options available and working to transform existing response systems to be more inclusive of the diverse needs that survivors often have after crime. Volare also provides free, holistic, and comprehensive advocacy, therapeutic, and legal services to survivors of all crime types. Visit our website to learn more about how to access our trauma-informed education training and how to partner with us to expand survivor-defined justice.

October 13, 202633 min

Providing Choice in Justice with Jennifer Thompson

As the founder of Healing Justice, Jennifer Thompson has dedicated herself to providing transparency through the various pathways people may choose when seeking justice. This week, along with Bridgette and Lindsey, she shares how her own experience as a survivor shaped her work, how she sees restorative justice as a lifelong process, and how our current criminal legal system can fail survivors, victims’ families, and exonerated people after wrongful conviction. Key Takeaways Convictions and sentencing are not the destination for closure or “moving on” from harm; what survivors, victims, and victims’ families deserve is transparency and choice. In many cases, the criminal legal system and law enforcement can place a sense of knowing what is best for people pursuing criminal cases; when wrongful convictions take place, the fault or blame for harm is often placed on the person who experienced harm instead of a failing system. In Jennifer’s work, restorative justice looks like providing choice, connection, and holistic healing pathways for everyone involved in wrongful conviction cases, especially when the person who caused harm may never be known. Restorative justice also means providing people who caused harm with meaningful opportunities to succeed after serving their prison sentence and heal from harm they may face while incarcerated. While the harm and trauma that people experience changes them fundamentally, Jennifer sees hope and resilience through the connections people make and knowing that they are not alone in their journeys toward healing. Resources Mentioned None this week; consider reading Jennifer Thompson and Ronald Cotton’s memoir, Picking Cotton: Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption . Learn more about Healing Justice ! Connect and Learn More ☑️ Bridgette Stumpf | LinkedIn ☑️ Lindsey Silverberg | LinkedIn ☑️ Volare | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook ☑️ Subscribe to the TraumaTies newsletter ☑️ TraumaTies Website | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube ☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify Brought to you by Volare, TraumaTies: Untangling Societal Harm & Healing After Crime is a podcast that creates space and conversations to dissect the structural and systemic knots that keep us from addressing trauma. Rooted in a belief that survivors of crime deserve respect for their dignity in the aftermath of victimization, Volare seeks to empower survivors by informing them of all of the options available and working to transform existing response systems to be more inclusive of the diverse needs that survivors often have after crime. Volare also provides free, holistic, and comprehensive advocacy, therapeutic, and legal services to survivors of all crime types. Visit our website to learn more about how to access our trauma-informed education training and how to partner with us to expand survivor-defined justice.

October 6, 202624 min

Meaning-Making From Our Experiences

In part two of our self-narration exploration, Bridgette and Lindsey tackle another challenging component of how we tell ourselves stories: why did something happen to us? While understanding our past experiences can help us process what happened, constantly trying to find the “why” can cause the situation to shape who we are, instead of us shaping the memory. While our brain wants to find meaning and patterns for missing information, finding balance in what we know versus what we may never know is critical. Key Takeaways When we make meaning out of who we are, what’s happened to us, and how we see others, changes to that perspective can feel like a disruption to our sense of self. Beyond our own interpretation of events, being misunderstood or mischaracterized because of our actions can add to the confusion of our role in a situation. For survivors of harm, restorative justice philosophy can play a pivotal role in their meaning-making, including meeting with or speaking with the person who caused them harm. From another perspective, when we’re supporting someone else who has experienced trauma, our first instinct to help them find meaning can be more for our own comfort. As the listener, it is our responsibility to allow someone time, understanding, and support as they decide whether or not to find meaning in the situation, not find it for them or push them toward that decision. Resources Mentioned Brené Brown, I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t) : Making the Journey from “What Will People Think?” to “I Am Enough” . New York: Avery, 2007. Connect and Learn More ☑️ Bridgette Stumpf | LinkedIn ☑️ Lindsey Silverberg | LinkedIn ☑️ Volare | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook ☑️ Subscribe to the TraumaTies newsletter ☑️ TraumaTies Website | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube ☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify Brought to you by Volare, TraumaTies: Untangling Societal Harm & Healing After Crime is a podcast that creates space and conversations to dissect the structural and systemic knots that keep us from addressing trauma. Rooted in a belief that survivors of crime deserve respect for their dignity in the aftermath of victimization, Volare seeks to empower survivors by informing them of all of the options available and working to transform existing response systems to be more inclusive of the diverse needs that survivors often have after crime. Volare also provides free, holistic, and comprehensive advocacy, therapeutic, and legal services to survivors of all crime types. Visit our website to learn more about how to access our trauma-informed education training and how to partner with us to expand survivor-defined justice.

September 29, 202624 min

Why We Tell Ourselves Stories

Memory recall is not like a videotape; our brains add our emotions, beliefs about ourselves, and more when we remember a moment in time. How do the stories we remember about ourselves shape who we think we are? Research shows that how we remember our past can greatly affect how we react to similar experiences in the future, creating patterns of behavior based on these responses. Key Takeaways Our brains tend to remember key events or conversations that we then use as reference for future interactions and experiences. These beliefs can be both positive and negative, but can change how we see ourselves in specific situations or roles, i.e., being unlucky or lucky, “good” or “bad” at certain things. Whether for ourselves or for others, reshaping narratives that entrench us in cycles of self-doubt or harmful cycles can change the pattern of behavior. In relation to trauma, a survivor’s recall of events can change over hours, days, and years after the event. This makes trauma-informed education and credibility assessment training vital for understanding memory recall and its variability. We can reconstruct memories over time with new perspectives, beliefs, and additional experiences that are always changing. Resources Mentioned Narrative Identity research: Dan McAdams, " Narrative Identity ," Handbook of Identity Theory and Research , January 2011. Repeat victimization: Deborah Lamm Weisel, Analyzing Repeat Victimization , August 2005. Memory reconstruction: " Speaking of Psychology: How memory can be manipulated, with Elizabeth Loftus, PhD ." Speaking of Psychology from the American Psychological Association, 2019 (updated August 2023). Connect and Learn More ☑️ Bridgette Stumpf | LinkedIn ☑️ Lindsey Silverberg | LinkedIn ☑️ Volare | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook ☑️ Subscribe to the TraumaTies newsletter ☑️ TraumaTies Website | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube ☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify Brought to you by Volare, TraumaTies: Untangling Societal Harm & Healing After Crime is a podcast that creates space and conversations to dissect the structural and systemic knots that keep us from addressing trauma. Rooted in a belief that survivors of crime deserve respect for their dignity in the aftermath of victimization, Volare seeks to empower survivors by informing them of all of the options available and working to transform existing response systems to be more inclusive of the diverse needs that survivors often have after crime. Volare also provides free, holistic, and comprehensive advocacy, therapeutic, and legal services to survivors of all crime types. Visit our website to learn more about how to access our trauma-informed education training and how to partner with us to expand survivor-defined justice.

September 22, 202624 min

Connection in Places Built for Isolation with Shazad Carbaidwala & Emily Cashell

Making a bad decision or causing harm does not make you less of a person. At Prisoner Visitation and Support (PVS), Shazad Carbaidwala and Emily Cashell emphasize that every incarcerated person deserves to build meaningful relationships. In their discussion with Bridgette and Lindsey, they dive into how connection can shape a person’s path after release; the challenges they face when resources are limited or nonexistent; and more. Key Takeaways Doing visits with incarcerated people builds connections and relationships they may not otherwise have with people outside of the prison. Providing incarcerated people with full control over how the conversation flows, what they speak about, and how they feel during the visit reminds them that they have autonomy in their lives, even in a highly-controlled environment. Lack of access to community and resources due to distance from family or friends, where the prison is located, and other factors can seriously affect their transition from prison to reentering communities. Formerly incarcerated people living in our communities are human beings; they are members of our communities that also need and desire connection with others to succeed. For PVS visitors, doing this work means caring for themselves in a variety of ways; being able to show up for others cannot happen without knowing their own boundaries. Resources Mentioned None this week, but please visit Prisoner Visitation and Support’s website for more information on their amazing work! Connect and Learn More ☑️ Bridgette Stumpf | LinkedIn ☑️ Lindsey Silverberg | LinkedIn ☑️ Volare | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook ☑️ Subscribe to the TraumaTies newsletter ☑️ TraumaTies Website | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube ☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify Brought to you by Volare, TraumaTies: Untangling Societal Harm & Healing After Crime is a podcast that creates space and conversations to dissect the structural and systemic knots that keep us from addressing trauma. Rooted in a belief that survivors of crime deserve respect for their dignity in the aftermath of victimization, Volare seeks to empower survivors by informing them of all of the options available and working to transform existing response systems to be more inclusive of the diverse needs that survivors often have after crime. Volare also provides free, holistic, and comprehensive advocacy, therapeutic, and legal services to survivors of all crime types. Visit our website to learn more about how to access our trauma-informed education training and how to partner with us to expand survivor-defined justice.

September 15, 202625 min

The Risk of Being Fully Known

Relationships require trust and vulnerability, which can make us feel uncomfortable. This sense of being seen means taking that leap into the unknown. This week, Bridgette and Lindsey explore how we develop patterns of attachment, why building new relationships can feel overwhelming, and what challenging ourselves to grow with vulnerability can create. Key Takeaways We build attachment styles from early childhood through adulthood, and can change as we age and build relationships. Allowing ourselves to get to know someone on a deeper level means being vulnerable, which can bring us back to prior feelings of shame or rejection. Creating relationships beyond survival mode can feel like we don’t have to keep emotional distance or put others’ needs before our own. Lower-pressure relationships give us opportunities to practice vulnerability. Being known takes courage in unlearning patterns of behavior and letting go of survival mode to create deeper connections. Resources Mentioned Mary Ainsworth and the Strange Situation experiment Brené Brown, “ TED Talk: The Power of Vulnerability ,” Youtube, 3 January 2011. Connect and Learn More ☑️ Bridgette Stumpf | LinkedIn ☑️ Lindsey Silverberg | LinkedIn ☑️ Volare | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook ☑️ Subscribe to the TraumaTies newsletter ☑️ TraumaTies Website | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube ☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify Brought to you by Volare, TraumaTies: Untangling Societal Harm & Healing After Crime is a podcast that creates space and conversations to dissect the structural and systemic knots that keep us from addressing trauma. Rooted in a belief that survivors of crime deserve respect for their dignity in the aftermath of victimization, Volare seeks to empower survivors by informing them of all of the options available and working to transform existing response systems to be more inclusive of the diverse needs that survivors often have after crime. Volare also provides free, holistic, and comprehensive advocacy, therapeutic, and legal services to survivors of all crime types. Visit our website to learn more about how to access our trauma-informed education training and how to partner with us to expand survivor-defined justice.

September 8, 202624 min

Rewriting Your Story After Trauma with Scott Stolarick

From beginning his career working with court-mandated patients to opening his own practice, Scott Stolarick has learned that trauma exists everywhere. However, what matters most is how we define our lives with trauma, instead of it defining us. Scott’s expertise in EMDR therapy, his belief in creating quality access to care for all, and his journey as a licensed clinical professional counselor all contribute to how he acknowledges the courage it takes to seek support. Key Takeaways Access to care includes care for those who caused harm, as their own trauma and experiences can inform why they engage in dangerous patterns of behavior. Scott’s expertise in court-mandated care allowed him to see the change in how people see themselves and their lives in line with trauma instead of being defined by it. Later in his career, Scott turned toward EMDR therapy as a way to utilize neural pathway training as another form of redefining trauma. People are composed of many smaller pieces, like mosaics, and supporting them through therapy means assessing and learning from them. Trauma exists in small to large pieces; all of them contribute to the larger picture that makes up our life stories. Resources Mentioned Francine Shapiro and the foundations of EMDR therapy methods. Connect and Learn More ☑️ Bridgette Stumpf | LinkedIn ☑️ Lindsey Silverberg | LinkedIn ☑️ Volare | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook ☑️ Subscribe to the TraumaTies newsletter ☑️ TraumaTies Website | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube ☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify Brought to you by Volare, TraumaTies: Untangling Societal Harm & Healing After Crime is a podcast that creates space and conversations to dissect the structural and systemic knots that keep us from addressing trauma. Rooted in a belief that survivors of crime deserve respect for their dignity in the aftermath of victimization, Volare seeks to empower survivors by informing them of all of the options available and working to transform existing response systems to be more inclusive of the diverse needs that survivors often have after crime. Volare also provides free, holistic, and comprehensive advocacy, therapeutic, and legal services to survivors of all crime types. Visit our website to learn more about how to access our trauma-informed education training and how to partner with us to expand survivor-defined justice.

September 1, 202625 min

The Story You Carry Isn't the Whole Truth

Shame. The feeling of “I’m not enough,” or “I don’t deserve good things.” How does this pattern of thought shape our lives? And how do we intervene in this cycle of behavior? This week, Bridgette and Lindsey share how they’re reshaping harmful words and ideas into moments of significance. Hiding from shame doesn’t change us feeling it, but addressing it and knowing what to do next can greatly impact how we move forward. Key Takeaways Shame differs from other emotions because it carries a continual weight rather than passing by. Continual feelings of shame can make us believe that we as people are failures rather than a single event or experience being unsuccessful. Understanding significance and its importance to categorizing experiences allows us to see a difficult situation as something needed despite the pain or as embarrassing. Narrative therapy and other therapeutic techniques can provide a means to separate painful experiences from our sense of self. As adults, understanding how to navigate confrontation, embarrassment, and challenging situations can aid in how we experience shame. Resources Mentioned Dr. Brené Brown, “ TED Talk: Listening to Shame ” Volare’s Trauma-Informed Training Sessions Connect and Learn More ☑️ Bridgette Stumpf | LinkedIn ☑️ Lindsey Silverberg | LinkedIn ☑️ Volare | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook ☑️ Subscribe to the TraumaTies newsletter ☑️ TraumaTies Website | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube ☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts | Spotify Brought to you by Volare, TraumaTies: Untangling Societal Harm & Healing After Crime is a podcast that creates space and conversations to dissect the structural and systemic knots that keep us from addressing trauma. Rooted in a belief that survivors of crime deserve respect for their dignity in the aftermath of victimization, Volare seeks to empower survivors by informing them of all of the options available and working to transform existing response systems to be more inclusive of the diverse needs that survivors often have after crime. Volare also provides free, holistic, and comprehensive advocacy, therapeutic, and legal services to survivors of all crime types. Visit our website to learn more about how to access our trauma-informed education training and how to partner with us to expand survivor-defined justice.