The Aliveness Project: Conversations on Connection

Preorder Healing Shame and Guilt, coming from North Atlantic Books on May 12.What if what we take to be our shame actually has nothing to do with us?In this episode of The Aliveness Project: Conversations on Connection, host Iris McAlpin Garrett sits down with NARM® founder Dr. Laurence Heller and NARM Teacher Stephan Niederwieser to discuss their upcoming book, Healing Shame and Guilt, releasing on May 12.Larry and Stephan explore how this book came into being, why they felt compelled to write it now, and what they hope readers will take from it. They reflect on how chronic shame and guilt develop, how these patterns shape us, and why simply understanding our history isn’t enough to create lasting change.🎧 The Aliveness Project: Conversations on Connection is created and produced by the NARM Training Institute.🎬 Post-production, editing, and audio mixing/mastering by Tim Skipper (IG: @timmyskip).About Stephan:Stephan Niederwieser has been working as a psychotherapist for over three decades. His work is guided by a quiet fascination with how human beings become who they believe themselves to be—and how, even after early adversity, they can return to a natural sense of trust, dignity, and authentic self-expression.His therapeutic training began with Haikomi in the late 1980s, followed by advanced training in trauma-oriented modalities including Somatic Experiencing and the NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM), which today forms the core of his clinical work. Stephan is a NARM Teacher and offers training and consultation to therapists internationally.Stephan lives with his partner in Berlin and is deeply inspired by travel, nature, and cross-cultural connection.You can find Stephan on his website or on social media… 👥 Facebook▶️ YouTubeAbout Larry:Laurence Heller, PhD is the creator of the NeuroAffective Relational Model® (NARM®), founder of the NARM Training Institute, international trainer, and co-author of Healing Developmental Trauma: How Early Trauma Affects Self-Regulation, Self-Image and the Capacity for Relationship, now published in fifteen different languages. Dr. Heller has a PhD in clinical psychology and has conducted NARM trainings and case consultations for thousands of therapists throughout the United States and Europe.You can find Larry and the NARM Training Institute on social media...▶️ YouTube💼 LinkedIn👥 Facebook📸 InstagramSpecial ThanksTo the NARM Training Institute team—Lindsey Smith, Olga Piontkowski, Emily Scott, and Tue Kjær—for invaluable production support, and to Tim Skipper for his outstanding post-production, editing, and creative work.

What happens when we’re securely connected? In this episode of The Aliveness Project: Conversations on Connection, host Iris McAlpin Garrett sits down with two longtime friends and NARM practitioners—Ralf Marzen and Maya Vaughan—to explore why connection is central to healing, and what gets in the way.Drawing from both clinical practice and lived experience, Ralf and Maya reflect on the deep human longing for connection, the survival strategies that pull us away from ourselves and others, and how the therapeutic relationship can become a powerful space for reconnection. Together they explore themes around embodiment, authenticity, rupture and repair, shame as a strategy of disconnection, and the role of agency in healing developmental trauma.This wide-ranging conversation also touches on the realities of modern relationships: why conflict is essential for intimacy, how misattunements can actually deepen trust, and why young people today may need new pathways toward connection in an increasingly digital world. With warmth, humor, and candor, Ralf and Maya offer a grounded and hopeful look at what becomes possible when we return to ourselves—and each other.🎧 The Aliveness Project: Conversations on Connection is created and produced by the NARM Training Institute.🎬 Post-production, editing, and audio mixing/mastering by Tim Skipper (IG: @timmyskip).About Maya:Maya Vaughan is a relationship coach and a NARM therapist. She is also the Director of the Trauma Training Institute UK where she collaborates with Ralf Marzen, who is the lead NARM trainer for NARM trainings in the UK.  Maya integrates NARM and Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy to support emotional safety, self-awareness, and authentic connection in her work with individuals and couples. Maya is also an Associate Member of the British Emotionally Focused Therapy Centre, the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy, and the Complementary Medical Association.Drawing on her professional expertise and her own relational healing journey, Maya brings compassion, clarity, and depth to her work. She lives in north London with her husband of 20 years and her three daughters.You can find Maya on her website at mayavaughan.com or on social media…LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maya-vaughanAbout Ralf:Ralf Marzen is a psychologist, trauma therapist, and seminar leader with 25 years of experience working with individuals and groups. He is a NARM teacher and currently teaches NARM trainings in the US, Spain, Germany, the UK and Turkey.Beyond his trauma therapy practice, Ralf serves as the director of the StillPoint Centre for WellBeing in London and the Mudita School of Thai Yoga Massage. Drawing on both his extensive professional training and a lifelong passion for the journey of healing and awakening, Ralf brings sensitivity, compassion, and clarity to his work.Collaborating with Maya, Ralf is the lead trainer for NARM professional courses offered by the Trauma Training Institute, UK.You can find Ralf on his website at https://www.embodied-trauma-healing.com/.You can find both Ralf and Maya at the Trauma Training Institute UK at traumatraininginstitute.co.uk.Special ThanksTo the NARM Training Institute team—Lindsey Smith, Olga Piontkowski, Emily Scott, and Tue Kjær—for invaluable production support, and to Tim Skipper for his outstanding post-production, editing, and creative work. 

Dr. Laurence Heller, clinical psychologist who created NARM, and Dr. Lissa Rankin, OB/GYN turned mind-body-spirit healer and author. They explore developmental trauma, spiritual bypassing, and the risks of premature transcendence. They discuss integrating NARM with IFS, embodiment versus bliss-seeking, and how love, presence, and honest sequencing shape real healing.

In this inaugural episode of The Aliveness Project: Conversations on Connection, we’re joined by Dr. Nadine Macaluso—therapist, author, and trauma bond expert—and Dr. Laurence Heller, the creator of the NeuroAffective Relational Model® (NARM®). Together, they sit down with NARM Master Therapist and podcast host Iris McAlpin Garrett for a candid and layered conversation about narcissism, trauma bonds, and the role of early relational trauma in shaping both sides of these painful dynamics.Drawing from personal and professional experience, Nadine shares powerful reflections on how trauma bonds form and why they can be so difficult to break. Larry offers insights from a NARM perspective, exploring how the Trust Survival Style often underlies these dynamics and how early disconnection impacts a person’s ability to trust themselves and others. Together, the conversation brings a deeper level of understanding to the complexities of narcissistic relationships and developmental trauma.Whether you're a clinician, a helping professional, or someone navigating the aftermath of a trauma bond, this episode invites reflection, curiosity, and hope for meaningful reconnection—with yourself and with others.About Nadine:Dr. Nadine Macaluso (Dr. Nae) is a therapist, writer, and industry expert in narcissistic abuse, trauma bonds, and complex PTSD. At 22, she married Jordan Belfort—the infamous “Wolf of Wall Street”—believing love could save him. After years in a trauma bond, she left at 30, beginning a journey of deep self-reflection and healing. This led her to pursue a PhD in counseling and somatic psychology, launching a career dedicated to helping others break free from abusive relationships. Through her private practice, Dr. Nae has supported countless women navigating toxic dynamics, drawing from both professional expertise and personal experience. She is the author of Run Like Hell: A Therapist’s Guide to Recognizing, Escaping, and Healing from Trauma Bonds. A mother of five (plus two dogs), a cancer survivor, and a devoted advocate for survivors, Dr. Nae continues to educate and empower those impacted by relational trauma.You can find Dr. Nae on her website at https://drnae.com/ or on social media…Instagram: @therealdrnadineTikTok: @drnaelmftFacebook: @drnaelmftYoutube: @TheRealDrNadineAbout Larry:Dr. Laurence Heller is the creator of the NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM), founder of the NARM Training Institute, international trainer, and co-author of Healing Developmental Trauma: How Early Trauma Affects Self-Regulation, Self-Image and the Capacity for Relationship, now published in fifteen different languages. Dr. Heller has a PhD in clinical psychology and has conducted NARM trainings and case consultations for thousands of therapists throughout the United States and Europe. His new book on the NARM perspective on shame is set to be published in March 2026.You can find Larry and the NARM Training Institute at https://narmtraining.com/, at https://drlaurenceheller.com/, or on social media...LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/narm-training-instituteFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/NARMTrainingSpecial thanks to the NARM Training Institute team—Lindsey Smith, Olga Piontkowski, Emily Scott, and Tue Kjær—for their invaluable production support.