286: Working with Trauma & Couples Therapy with Dr. Janina Fisher
Welcome back to The Couples Therapist Couch! This podcast is about the practice of Couples Therapy. Each week, Shane Birkel interviews an expert in the field of Couples Therapy to explore all about the world of relationships and how to be an amazing therapist.
In this episode, Shane talks with Dr. Janina Fisher about working with trauma & couples therapy. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and your other favorite podcast spots, and watch it on YouTube – follow and leave a 5-star review.
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- The Couples Therapist Couch Summary
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The Couples Therapist Couch 286: Working with Trauma & Couples Therapy with Dr. Janina Fisher
This episode is brought to you by Alma. Visit https://helloalma.com/dg/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=privatepractice to learn more
Get the Couples Therapy 101 course: https://www.couplestherapistcouch.com/
Join the Couples Therapist Inner Circle: https://www.couplestherapistcouch.com/inner-circle-new
In this episode, Shane talks with Dr. Janina Fisher about working with trauma & couples therapy. Janina is an Author, Clinical Psychologist, and Educator on the forefront in the field of trauma. Hear how trauma & therapy have changed over the years, how to help your clients without triggering them, why you need to use a therapy model your clients like, the similarities between therapy & parenting, and how to validate your clients’ experiences. Here's a small sample of what you'll hear in this episode:
- How trauma was understood in the late 80s and early 90s
- The key distinction between emotional pain and trauma
- The relational core of trauma
- Annie's example of "I'm a failure" and redirecting to the part
- The part that kept functioning through the traumatic environment
To learn more about Dr. Janina Fisher, visit:
You can also listen to Dr. Janina Fisher on Episode 252 & Episode 115 of The Couples Therapist Couch
Show Notes
- 286: Working with Trauma & Couples Therapy with Dr. Janina Fisher
- This episode is brought to you by Alma. Visit https://helloalma.com/dg/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=privatepractice to learn more
- [1:34] Upcoming Webinar Inside a Couple's Intensive: The Four Cs in Action on April 16th: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_P24AEVQEQBOclzxNokvrEQ
- [2:34] Introducing Dr. Janina Fisher and her core idea: trauma is about effects, not events
- [3:03] Dr. Fisher introduced: creator of TIST and author of the new workbook Embracing Our Fragmented Selves
- [3:31] Dr. Fisher's background: 45 years in private practice, 30+ years in the trauma field
- [4:30] How trauma was understood in the late 80s and early 90s
- [5:28] Expanding the definition: child abuse, domestic violence, and everyday experiences as traumatic
- [6:25] The key distinction between emotional pain and trauma
- [7:52] Why adults minimize their trauma: "it happened but it's not a big deal anymore"
- [8:22] The real effects of trauma: shame, rage, fear, sleeplessness, hopelessness which are often misread as depression
- [9:49] The relational core of trauma
- [10:19] Why asking people to revisit traumatic events makes things worse, not better
- [11:41] Annie's story: waking up every morning with dread, and not knowing why
- [13:24] The importance of validating a traumatic past without reliving it
- [14:35] Trauma lives in the environment, not just the events
- [16:36] Normalizing the survivor's experience: of course you feel this way given what you went through
- [18:02] This episode is brought to you by Alma. Visit https://helloalma.com/dg/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=privatepractice to learn more
- [18:58] Introducing the new workbook and the TIST model: the first trauma-informed parts treatment
- [19:30] How TIST was developed: helping clients other treatments couldn't reach
- [21:26] The key shift: focusing on effects rather than events, and noticing distressing feelings as parts
- [23:03] Why client buy-in matters
- [23:32] The role of psychoeducation in building trust without demanding vulnerability
- [26:36] The epiphany: asking "tell me about your childhood" in a first session is the wrong move
- [28:02] Annie's example of "I'm a failure" and redirecting to the part
- [30:20] Interrupting the inner critic: "who wants to toughen up the parts that are afraid?"
- [31:41] The core TIST instruction: every distressing thought, feeling, or physical reaction is a communication from a part
- [33:19] The concept of blending: when you become consumed by a feeling and lose perspective
- [34:01] Why noticing a part causes it to relax: being seen as a reparative experience
- [37:21] The part that kept functioning through the traumatic environment
- [40:19] The neuroscience of noticing: activating the prefrontal cortex quiets the amygdala
- [42:10] How Shane applies this with couples: interrupting blame stories to notice the live interaction
- [43:42] The TIST frame in couples work: each partner taking responsibility for their own inner experience
- [45:08] Dr. Fisher reflects on writing the workbook and why compassion for parts is the heart of healing
- [45:58] The concept of unblending: learning to step back from a part rather than becoming it
- [47:55] Check out Embracing Our Fragmented Selves: A Workbook for Trauma Survivors and Therapists
- This episode is brought to you by Alma. Visit https://helloalma.com/dg/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=privatepractice to learn more
What is The Couples Therapist Couch?
This podcast is about the practice of Couples Therapy. Many of the episodes are interviews with leaders in the field of Relationships. The show is meant to help Therapists and Coaches learn how to help people to deepen their connection, but in the process it explores what is most needed for each of us to love, heal, and grow. Each week, Shane Birkel interviews an expert in the field of Couples Therapy to explore all about the world of relationships and how to be an amazing therapist.
Learn more about the Couples Therapy 101 course: https://www.couplestherapistcouch.com/
Find out more about the Couples Therapist Inner Circle: https://www.couplestherapistcouch.com/inner-circle-new
Transcript
Please note: this transcript is not 100% accurate.