The Gifts of Trauma

About The Gifts of Trauma

Presented by Compassionate Inquiry®, the Gifts of Trauma is a weekly podcast that features personal stories of trauma healing and the gifts revealed on the path to authenticity. Compassionate Inquiry® is a psychotherapeutic approach created by Dr. Gabor Maté over several decades while working with both patients and retreat participants.Join us to hear what it was like for our guests to live with the tension of trauma, and what happened when they turned inward with compassionate curiosity. These highly relatable stories illustrate how they transformed their trauma generated fear, anger, pain or shame triggers into understanding, acceptance and love. www.compassionateinquiry.com

Publisher

Compassionate Inquiry

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

11 Jun 2024

Latest episode

12 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

53 of 133 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   12 Nov 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Resilience After Trauma: The Science of Healing & Peace, with George Bonanno & Tim Phillips

   Hosted by Kevin Young & Rosemary Davies-Janes. Produced by J'aime Rothbard In a 1990 speech draft, Nelson Mandela named FW de Klerk, the leader of apartheid-ruled South Africa, as an 'honourable man.' It was a potentially unpopular statement, but one that Mandela left up to de Klerk to disprove. In this fifth and final episode of No Villains, Only Wounds, our guests look at resilience and peace as real, repeatable human capacities. The personal stories our guests share support that thesis, and broaden it to imagining collective futures where we sit with our enemies, and resolve our differences in new ways. Tim and George also explain: - The adaptive function of nightmares and intrusive thoughts after a frightening event - How identity can be maintained, as long as its associated emotions are released - "Coping ugly": Finding a way through something that works for us, but may fail to meet cultural norms - What enables credible leaders to invite their communities to think and act differently This conversation concludes by touching on "The flexibility mindset," (I've gotten through many things before and I will get through this) and the agency-enabling process of understanding how our brains operate, and George's latest book, The End of Trauma. About George Bonanno A Professor of Clinical Psychology at Columbia University's Teachers College, George is internationally recognized for his pioneering research on human resilience in the face of loss and potential trauma. Listed among the top 1% most cited scientists in the world, he has been honored as fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and received lifetime achievement awards from the Association for Psychological Science (APS), the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS), and the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA). In addition to the books, The End of Trauma and The Other Side of Sadness, George has published hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific articles. He is also an avid painter (when he has time) and loves music. About Tim Phillips A leader in the field of conflict resolution and transitional justice, Tim is the founder of Beyond Conflict, a global non-profit that has created powerful and innovative frameworks to open pathways for progress in peace negotiations, transitions to democracy, and national reconciliation in the aftermath of conflict and dictatorship in several countries around the world. Under his leadership, Beyond Conflict has catalyzed the field of behavioral science and social conflict and partners with scientists and practitioners to advance new evidence-based strategies to reduce conflict, increase tolerance, and facilitate positive social change in the United States and abroad. Tim has advised the United Nations, the U.S. Department of State, and the Council of Europe, and helped launch the Club of Madrid, a forum of 150 former democratic leaders who work to strengthen global democracy and institutions.  Educated at Suffolk University and the London School of Economics, Tim was awarded an honorary doctorate in 2018. Promotional Messages: Practitioners' Directory If you're interested in experiencing Gabor Maté's trauma healing approach, consider working with a certified Compassionate Inquiry Practitioner. Access healing support for mental, emotional and physical symptoms, unresolved trauma, relationship issues,  addictions, and more. Follow this link to access our global directory of multilingual certified professionals. In addition to their years of CI training and regular Certification reviews, our Practitioners bring the depth of their own personal lived experiences and skills in additional, complementary therapeutic approaches. Blog Library Did you know that Compassionate Inquiry offers a free public blog library with over a thousand short posts written by our practitioners and facilitators?  Each is only a 5 or 6 minute read, and topics range from connecting with authenticity to overcoming food addictions to understanding epigenetics, rethinking drug use, Compassionate Inquiry & Psychedelics, and much, much more. You can also read excerpts from podcast guests' interviews. Tap this link to access our informative and inspiring blog library. Resources: Websites: George's Professional Website Tim's Beyond Conflict Website (https://beyondconflictint.org) Books & Articles: Tim's Publications & Research The End of Trauma The Other Side of Sadness Beyond Conflict How Emotions Are Made The Principles of Psychology A Grief Observed Beauty: The Invisible Embrace The Presence Process Social Media: X:  @giorgiobee X: @beyondconflict_ Instagram @giorgiobee Instagram: @beyondconflict_ Facebook: George A Bonanno Linkedin: George Bonanno LinkedIn: Beyond Conflict YouTube: Beyond Conflict

2. 

   5 Nov 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Healing Embodied Trauma: The Body Remembers, The Body Recovers, with Dr Alexandra Whitney & Krystalore Crews

   Dr. Alexandra Whitney and Krystalore Crews discuss how the body remembers and recovers from trauma, illness, and military service in this interview.

3. 

   29 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Humanitarian Burnout & Healing in the Midst of Chaos, with Dr Rola Hallam.

   Host Rosemary Davies-Janes interviews Dr. Rola Hallam, an award-winning Syrian-British doctor, about humanitarian burnout and healing amidst chaos, offering insights into personal transformation and sacred stewardship.

Inside a recent episode

Resilience After Trauma: The Science of Healing & Peace, with George Bonanno & Tim Phillips

Published 12 Nov 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] I'll have some pain. I'll have to do some things I'm going to be uncomfortable doing, but I will get through it. And it's a kind of an optimistic, hopeful attitude that I think fits very nicely with spiritual practice in a way, because it says this is all the way it's always been. It's here. […]

Who has been a guest on The Gifts of Trauma

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Alexandra Whitney
• Krystalore Crews
• Rola Hallam
• Matthew Green
• Layla Al-Sheikh

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.7 / 5

16 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

53 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 58 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

95

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

51

Contact The Gifts of Trauma

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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