Why Everything Feels Harder Alone

Why Everything Feels Harder Alone

TRAUMATIES — SEASON PREMIERE: Welcome back to TraumaTies and the beginning of a new season. This chapter of the podcast expands beyond trauma awareness into deeper conversations about neuroscience, resilience, relationships, nervous system regulation, and the ways healing shows up in everyday life. In this season premiere, Bridgette Stumpf and Lindsey Silverberg explore a powerful question: Why do hard things feel even harder when we carry them alone? Inspired by research showing that people literally perceive a hill as less steep when standing beside a trusted friend, they unpack how support changes not only our emotional experience, but our brain’s perception of stress and difficulty. Through personal stories, reflections on grief and trust, and insights from trauma-responsive work, Bridgette and Lindsey examine the difference between simply having people around and truly feeling supported. They also discuss how trauma can disrupt a person’s sense of safety, making even manageable challenges feel overwhelming without connection and regulation. This episode sets the tone for a season focused on untangling the science and lived experience of trauma while exploring practical ways we can build resilience, safety, and support in our lives. CONNECT AND LEARN MORE ☑️ Bridgette Stumpf [https://www.volare-empowers.org/team#bridgette] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridgette-stumpf-b9462683/] ☑️ Lindsey Silverberg [https://www.volare-empowers.org/team#lindsey] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/all/?fetchDeterministicClustersOnly=true&heroEntityKey=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_profile%3AACoAAATgqQIBsmOInU6npn-2qFJpsLYwL6y-gRY&keywords=lindsey%20silverberg&origin=RICH_QUERY_SUGGESTION&position=1&searchId=9b2bba11-90c9-418a-9567-18e0d45e6ede&sid=4Te&spellCorrectionEnabled=false] ☑️ Volare [http://www.volare-empowers.org] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/volare-empowers] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/volare_empowers/] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/VolareEmpowers] ☑️ TraumaTies Website [https://www.traumatiespodcast.org/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/traumatiespodcast] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@traumatiespodcast] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@traumatiespodcast] ☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/traumaties/id1612126516] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5PbJbBq6IIiDvA2DLPy79R?si=48ea896c4d324fde&nd=1&dlsi=786549b55bb347e6] 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 [http://www.volare-empowers.org] to learn more about how to access our trauma-informed education training and how to partner with us to expand survivor-defined justice.

The Roots of Trauma: Looking Back, Moving Forward

Season Four of “TraumaTies” explored how trauma lives in our bodies, our systems, our digital spaces. In this finale episode, hosts Bridgette Stumpf [https://www.volare-empowers.org/team#bridgette] and Lindsey Silverberg [https://www.volare-empowers.org/team#lindsey] look back but also share exciting news about the podcast going forward. Recording in Podcasthon [https://podcasthon.org/], the world's largest podcast charity initiative, Bridgette and Lindsey revisit standout Season Four moments such as Ila Kumar's concept of "squishy ground [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trauma-in-systems-designing-digital-care-for-youth/id1612126516?i=1000749042719]" to build safe digital environments for children, Dr. Jaz's traffic light approach to nervous system regulation [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trauma-in-the-body-nervous-system-healing-with-dr/id1612126516?i=1000747833084], Reesie’s work on generational trauma and epigenetics [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trauma-inheritance-and-healing-with-reesie-sims/id1612126516?i=1000750100018], Adaku's practice of pausing to check in with the body [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trauma-lineage-and-collective-healing-with-adaku-utah/id1612126516?i=1000752847834] before entering a space, Patrice's reframing of bold systemic change [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rewriting-justice-trauma-power-and-public-safety/id1612126516?i=1000754414704], and Anna Baucher's fellowship embedding trauma-informed thinking into government systems [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/champions-of-change-trauma-informed-leadership-with/id1612126516?i=1000751159535]. Check out every episode here [https://www.traumatiespodcast.org/]. Bridgette then turns the season's anchor question on Lindsey: What does the public most need to understand about trauma and healing? Lindsey's answer — that trauma doesn't happen in isolation, that connection is essential, and that resilience is something we can all build — captures the spirit of the entire season. The hosts close by previewing the next season: Beginning in May, “TraumaTies” will shift from a seasonal format to a weekly release cadence, bringing more consistent conversations, host reflections, and guest perspectives throughout the year. CONNECT AND LEARN MORE ☑️ Bridgette Stumpf [https://www.volare-empowers.org/team#bridgette] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridgette-stumpf-b9462683/] ☑️ Lindsey Silverberg [https://www.volare-empowers.org/team#lindsey] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/all/?fetchDeterministicClustersOnly=true&heroEntityKey=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_profile%3AACoAAATgqQIBsmOInU6npn-2qFJpsLYwL6y-gRY&keywords=lindsey%20silverberg&origin=RICH_QUERY_SUGGESTION&position=1&searchId=9b2bba11-90c9-418a-9567-18e0d45e6ede&sid=4Te&spellCorrectionEnabled=false] ☑️ Volare [http://www.volare-empowers.org] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/volare-empowers] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/volare_empowers/] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/VolareEmpowers] ☑️ TraumaTies Website [https://www.traumatiespodcast.org/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/traumatiespodcast] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@traumatiespodcast] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@traumatiespodcast] ☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/traumaties/id1612126516] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5PbJbBq6IIiDvA2DLPy79R?si=48ea896c4d324fde&nd=1&dlsi=786549b55bb347e6] 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 [http://www.volare-empowers.org] to learn more about how to access our trauma-informed education training and how to partner with us to expand survivor-defined justice.

Rewriting Justice: Trauma, Power, and Public Safety, with Patrice Sulton

The criminal legal system inflicts trauma at every stage — arrest, incarceration, and prosecution — not only on those accused but on victims, witnesses, and even jurors. Patrice Sulton [https://www.patricesulton.com/] has spent her career working to change that dynamic. The executive director of the Center on Race, Inequality, and the Law at NYU School of Law, Patrice is an attorney, professor, and nationally recognized criminal justice reform advocate who challenges how we think about who we punish, why, and how. Hosts Bridgette Stumpf [https://www.volare-empowers.org/team#bridgette] and Lindsey Silverberg [https://www.volare-empowers.org/team#lindsey] sit down with Patrice for a conversation about what “trauma-informed public safety” looks like in practice. At its core, trauma-informed public safety recognizes our humanity. “We really have to make sure that they're making knowing, intelligent, and voluntary decisions, and that means accounting for things including the trauma that they've experienced over the course of their lives,” she says. Patrice explains how navigating rooms of power requires shifting the question from "was this legally authorized?" to "was this preventable?” and “was this necessary?” And she outlines how language can be manipulated in the public safety context, particularly the word “dangerousness.” She encourages her students to think about “dangerousness” through a different fact pattern to avoid thought bias, racial animus, and unequal outcomes. How to reform the system? Tune in for her insights about why “going big” is better than taking small and incremental steps. CONNECT AND LEARN MORE ☑️ Patrice Sulton [https://www.patricesulton.com/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricesulton/] ☑️ Bridgette Stumpf [https://www.volare-empowers.org/team#bridgette] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridgette-stumpf-b9462683/] ☑️ Lindsey Silverberg [https://www.volare-empowers.org/team#lindsey] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/all/?fetchDeterministicClustersOnly=true&heroEntityKey=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_profile%3AACoAAATgqQIBsmOInU6npn-2qFJpsLYwL6y-gRY&keywords=lindsey%20silverberg&origin=RICH_QUERY_SUGGESTION&position=1&searchId=9b2bba11-90c9-418a-9567-18e0d45e6ede&sid=4Te&spellCorrectionEnabled=false] ☑️ Volare [http://www.volare-empowers.org] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/volare-empowers] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/volare_empowers/] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/VolareEmpowers] ☑️ TraumaTies Website [https://www.traumatiespodcast.org/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/traumatiespodcast] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@traumatiespodcast] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@traumatiespodcast] ☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/traumaties/id1612126516] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5PbJbBq6IIiDvA2DLPy79R?si=48ea896c4d324fde&nd=1&dlsi=786549b55bb347e6] 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 [http://www.volare-empowers.org] to learn more about how to access our trauma-informed education training and how to partner with us to expand survivor-defined justice.

Trauma, Lineage, and Collective Healing, with Adaku Utah

What if trauma isn't just something that happened to you, but something your body has been carrying for generations? Adaku Utah [https://www.adakuutah.com/] offers their perspective on that question in this episode of “TraumaTies.” Born in Baltimore and raised in Nigeria, Adaku is an Igbo, queer, non-binary healer grounded in a lineage of farmers, healers, and community caretakers. They approach healing not as a private endeavor but rather a shared responsibility that lives in our bodies, our relationships, and our lineages. In this conversation with hosts Bridgette Stumpf [https://www.volare-empowers.org/team#bridgette] and Lindsey Silverberg [https://www.volare-empowers.org/team#lindsey], Adaku shares personal reflections about singing as their grandmother did and carrying survival wisdom from parents who endured the Biafran Civil War. “I would even argue that all of us have something in us that comes from a people – not just the way that we physically look, but our instincts, the ways that our blood has learned how to congeal, and even from the oceans that we grew around,” Adaku says. Tune in for their insights about how living in a capitalist society creates the “illusion” that our mind and body are separate. Instead, they suggest that “we literally are alive because of the lineages that we come from – not just because somebody gave birth to us and they passed on a set of traits.” CONNECT AND LEARN MORE ☑️ Adaku Utah [https://www.adakuutah.com/] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/adaku-utah-078a5554/] ☑️ Bridgette Stumpf [https://www.volare-empowers.org/team#bridgette] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridgette-stumpf-b9462683/] ☑️ Lindsey Silverberg [https://www.volare-empowers.org/team#lindsey] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/all/?fetchDeterministicClustersOnly=true&heroEntityKey=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_profile%3AACoAAATgqQIBsmOInU6npn-2qFJpsLYwL6y-gRY&keywords=lindsey%20silverberg&origin=RICH_QUERY_SUGGESTION&position=1&searchId=9b2bba11-90c9-418a-9567-18e0d45e6ede&sid=4Te&spellCorrectionEnabled=false] ☑️ Volare [http://www.volare-empowers.org] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/volare-empowers] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/volare_empowers/] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/VolareEmpowers] ☑️ TraumaTies Website [https://www.traumatiespodcast.org/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/traumatiespodcast] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@traumatiespodcast] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@traumatiespodcast] ☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/traumaties/id1612126516] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5PbJbBq6IIiDvA2DLPy79R?si=48ea896c4d324fde&nd=1&dlsi=786549b55bb347e6] 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 [http://www.volare-empowers.org] to learn more about how to access our trauma-informed education training and how to partner with us to expand survivor-defined justice.

Champions of Change: Trauma-Informed Leadership with Anna Boucher

What does it mean to lead through a trauma-responsive lens — and why does it matter across legal systems, government, and academia? For answers, host Bridgette Stumpf [https://www.volare-empowers.org/team#bridgette] sits down with Anna Boucher [https://anzsog.edu.au/faculty-and-expert-contributors/dr-anna-boucher], associate professor of Public Policy and Comparative Politics at the University of Sydney, solicitor, and global expert on migration, labor rights, and systems-level inequality. Anna works at the intersection of law, public policy, and comparative politics, surfacing what Bridgette describes as "quieter, often hidden forms of harm that live inside institutions.” Anna maps three distinct ways that trauma surfaces in public institutions: through institutional responses (or non-responses) to traumatic events, through dehumanizing bureaucratic processes and leadership styles, and through the inherently re-traumatizing nature of adversarial legal systems. She discusses her upcoming fellowship with the Australian and New Zealand School of Government, where she will explore how senior executive leadership within the Australian Public Service can better understand trauma and protect staff from vicarious trauma. Anna also addresses how professional language itself can function as a form of compassion fatigue, where people dissociate from those they serve. “Professional language – whether it's policy jargon, legalese, or academic language – can be a form of separation from the person who we see as traumatized,” she observes, adding that such separation can be an attempt by the leader to insulate themself from the other person’s trauma. But that attempt always fails: “That is a fallacy, because all of us in our life will experience some form of trauma, even if it is not of the magnitude of our clients.” Tune in for her insights about how “new” ways of thinking about trauma in leadership models are actually very old and for her suggestion of a book that speaks to the deep, repeated nature of complex or developmental childhood trauma. CONNECT AND LEARN MORE ☑️ Anna Boucher [https://anzsog.edu.au/faculty-and-expert-contributors/dr-anna-boucher] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/annakboucher/] ☑️ Bridgette Stumpf [https://www.volare-empowers.org/team#bridgette] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridgette-stumpf-b9462683/] ☑️ Lindsey Silverberg [https://www.volare-empowers.org/team#lindsey] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/all/?fetchDeterministicClustersOnly=true&heroEntityKey=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_profile%3AACoAAATgqQIBsmOInU6npn-2qFJpsLYwL6y-gRY&keywords=lindsey%20silverberg&origin=RICH_QUERY_SUGGESTION&position=1&searchId=9b2bba11-90c9-418a-9567-18e0d45e6ede&sid=4Te&spellCorrectionEnabled=false] ☑️ Volare [http://www.volare-empowers.org] | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/volare-empowers] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/volare_empowers/] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/VolareEmpowers] ☑️ TraumaTies Website [https://www.traumatiespodcast.org/] | Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/traumatiespodcast] | TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@traumatiespodcast] | YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@traumatiespodcast] ☑️ Subscribe Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/traumaties/id1612126516] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/5PbJbBq6IIiDvA2DLPy79R?si=48ea896c4d324fde&nd=1&dlsi=786549b55bb347e6] 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 [http://www.volare-empowers.org] to learn more about how to access our trauma-informed education training and how to partner with us to expand survivor-defined justice.