Memory, Dissociation, and the Question 'Did That Really Happen?'

This week, we are talking about a topic which is coming up a lot lately as people are considering the pervasiveness of sexual violence in patriarchal cultures.

My guest, highly respected colleague and friend Susan Pease Banitt, author of several books including "The Trauma Toolkit," and "Wisdom, Attachment + Love in Trauma Therapy: Beyond evidence based practice." Recently Susan contributed an essay to, and edited the new book, "Women Therapists on Healing: 11 personal essays about overcoming trauma." This book covers many topics related to healing from trauma and this week we're focusing on Susan's contribution, entitled "Did That Really Happen to Me?"

In our conversation we'll talk about trauma, memory and how dissociation both protects us during traumatic experiences while also confusing ourselves and those we disclose our traumatic experiences to later. Susan shares how this book can be used to help trauma survivors understand what the healing process can look like and feel like after trauma. We also talked about the importance of women's and other marginalized people's voices being heard in the context of sharing our wisdom about healing, and what she's seen over her career which began in the 1980"s. Tune in to learn from this leader in the field of trauma and dissociation! 

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Keep up with Susan's work, get in touch with her for coaching, training and consultation, and purchase her books via her website, found at: https://suepeasebanitt.com

Resources for Therapists and Helping Professionals:

Therapists and mental health professionals: I created a FREE video to help you feel more confident in supporting survivors of sexual violence in an embodied and trauma sensitive manner. Check it out here! 

Therapists - if you're ready to allow yourself to be held in nature with a community of like-minded therapists, my Mind, Body + Soul Healing Retreat for Therapists in Tulum, Mexico is here. November/December dates are on the website now! Sign up for my email list to stay up to date on this year's Tulum retreat and future retreats in the US and in beautiful international locations.

Also, new members are being accepted in the Trauma Therapist Network membership community now. I facilitate 4 live calls per month. We have a new membership tier - check out everything included in TTN membership and choose the tier fits your needs! You can upgrade or downgrade your membership at any time. Learn more and apply here. And Sue is going to be a special guest on our Learning Calls in May, June and July! Learn from her for free and gain so much more as a TTN member.

Watch Therapy Chat episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TherapyChatPodcast

Therapists, visit the new For Therapists page on the Trauma Therapist Network website for discounts on CE trainings, save $1000 on Synthesis Institute's May 2026 Psychedelic Facilitation training, other recommended resources and more. Registration for the May training closes on May 11th so hurry and register to take advantage of this amazing offer!

Find a trauma therapist near you via findtraumatherapy.com! We believe that trauma is real, healing is possible and help is available at Trauma Therapist Network. 

TherapyNotes® is the highest-rated EHR, practice management, and billing software for mental health professionals. Its all-in-one platform is designed to streamline all aspects of your practice, from connecting with clients via secure messages, to scheduling, to notes, to billing, and more; you can trust TherapyNotes has you covered. And one of the best parts? 24-7 customer service. It's beyond easy to get help over the phone or by email at any time of day from their knowledgeable and friendly representatives. The best time to give TherapyNotes a try is now! Sign up for your free trial by going to TherapyNotes.com, clicking "Start my free trial", and accessing your first two months free with the promo code CHAT. See why TherapyNotes is the most trusted EHR for behavioral health professionals today.

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Find my most frequently recommended resources for learning about trauma here - includes recommended books and trainings.

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