The Gifts of Trauma

Hosted by Kevin Young & Rosemary Davies-Janes. Produced by J'aime Rothbard.
When Layla Al-Sheikh's six-month-old son, Qussay, became gravely ill after Israeli soldiers used tear gas in her village, the family set out for the hospital. For more than five hours, soldiers refused to let them through a military zone, and by the time they reached the hospital it was too late to save him. Years later, Layla stood outside a meeting room with a man who had once stopped a family with a sick child from reaching a hospital, and told him she could forgive him.
In this first episode of the No VIllians, Only Wounds Series, guests Layla and Robi, bereaved Palestinian and Israeli mothers, share how they processed their grief through dialogue with bereaved parents from 'the other side.'
They exchange personal stories including:
- What Robi instinctively chose to do with her grief after her son David was killed
- How Layla came to see bereaved Israeli parents as people who share her pain
- Why Robi believes forgiveness can never be forced
- How speaking about her loss changed what Layla was carrying in her body
You'll leave this episode with a hopeful picture of what becomes possible when bereaved parents sit down together and share their stories, even while the conflict around them continues.
About Robi Damelin, 
Israeli Peace Activist & Bereaved Mother
As spokesperson and director of International Relations for the Parents Circle - Families Forum, Robi joined the organization after her son was killed by a Palestinian sniper. All of her work on the ground in Palestine, Israel, and internationally, is geared towards non-violence and reconciliation as a means to end the occupation. Robi was named a 2015 Woman of Impact by Women in the World.
About Layla Al-Sheikh, 
Palestinian Bereaved Mother
Layla lives in Bethlehem in the West Bank. In 2002, her 6 month-old son, Qussay, became ill and Israeli soldiers prevented Layla from taking him to the hospital for more than five hours. Qussay soon died from the lack of timely treatment. 
Layla joined the Parents Circle in 2016. Following her son's death, she never thought of revenge, but rather has devoted her time and energy to ensuring a better, more peaceful future for her children.





About The Parents Circle – Families Forum (PCFF) is a joint Israeli-Palestinian organization of over 850 families, all of whom have lost an immediate family member to the ongoing conflict. The members have undertaken a joint effort amid ongoing and escalating violence to transform their loss and pain into a public and collective demand for peace and reconciliation. 
PCFF's Theory of Change is rooted in the understanding that personal transformation, processing loss, grief and anger, can disrupt cycles of violence, enabling both interpersonal connection and collective action. When those who have paid the highest personal price for the conflict publicly reject the logic of endless war, they challenge dominant narratives of inevitability, revenge and dehumanization.
For its extraordinary work, advancing peacebuilding through educational programs and reconciliation initiatives for Palestinian and Israeli youth and adults of all ages, PCFF was nominated for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. Humbled by this nomination, PCFF bereaved members know it carries not only recognition of past work but also a great responsibility towards future impact. 
Promotional Messages
3rd Compassionate Inquiry® Conference—Vancouver 2026
If you've completed, or are currently enrolled in Compassionate Inquiry training, you're invited to attend the third international CI Conference in Vancouver, Canada from October 30 to November 1. Dr Gabor Maté is returning as our keynote speaker and master class presenter. Enjoy engaging workshops and inspiring demonstrations with Sat Dharam Kaur, CI Facilitators and Practitioners. Whether you join us in person for three days of shared inquiry with CI cohort partners, and colleagues from around the world, or attend virtually to focus on the teachings, tap this link to learn more and secure your place. And yes—there will be dancing. 
Compassionate Inquiry® Circles
If you're not a therapist or healer, but you've heard our guests describe the personal transformations they experienced during their Compassionate Inquiry® journeys, and wonder what that would be like for you... Circles is a 10-week small group experience offered to anyone who wants to experience the power of Gabor Maté's approach to trauma healing. Use this link to find out if this program is for you.
Resources
Websites 
Robi's Wikipedia
PCFF Website
Related Links
We have to bring hope to the world (Video 2026)
Listening From the Heart (Video) 
Harvard Gazette  (Article)
Robi's TedX Talk (Video) 
Layla in Forbes  (Article)
Social Media
Instagram: @robidamelin
@parentscirclefriends 
Facebook: @robi.damelin1
American Friends of the Parents Circle - Families Forum
LinkedIn: American Friends of the Parents Circle - Families Forum
YouTube: American Friends of the Parents Circle

Hosted by Kevin Young and J'aime Rothbard. Produced by J'aime Rothbard.
In the 18 months since her last interview, Wen has a new name, a new memoir, and a new outlook on life that she finds incredibly freeing and joyful. In this conversation, she unpacks institutionalized self-abandonment—the pattern of trading one's own needs and boundaries for belonging—that shows up as much inside universities and workplaces as it does within cults. Wen also tells us how she applied everything she'd learned about walking away, when she was asked to leave a healing community after witnessing and reporting another member's physical assault.
She candidly shares:
- What happened when a 2020 tell-all memoir exposed decades of abuse inside the Kundalini yoga community she'd devoted her twenties and thirties to supporting
- Why her renaming tracks back to the day she legally severed all contact with her mother
- The isolation associated with rejecting the abusers' stories and believing the people who were harmed.
- That her soon-to-be-published memoir, No Contact: The Ultimate Act of Self-Compassion, draws its rich story archive from 35 years of handwritten journals
If you've ever stayed quiet to keep the peace, handed your own authority to a teacher, boss, or institution, or wondered what it actually costs to finally say no, in this episode, Wen offers a hard-won, unflinching look at what it takes to come back to your Self, and the gifts that journey can deliver.
About Dr Wen Harper Harris
Addiction and Trauma Specialist
Passionate about creating safe and welcoming spaces for deep healing and connection, Wen supports students and clients on their learning and healing journeys by integrating the Compassionate Inquiry psychotherapeutic approach with yoga, meditation, and evidence-based practices (DBT). ​
Holding a doctorate in clinical psychology, Wen published Beyond Addiction: Kundalini Yoga and Mindfulness Meditation for Recovery from Opioid Dependence (2015) prior to completing her two-year post-doctoral internship in Dialectical Behavior Therapy. 
A core faculty member at Antioch University, Los Angeles, Wen created and directs the Addiction and Recovery Specialization and is deeply committed to training future therapists in compassionate, trauma-informed approaches. ​
She also facilitates Compassionate Inquiry training groups, leads Beyond Addiction retreats, and leans into the teachings of Gabor Maté and Sat Dharam Kaur for inspiration in her work as a Compassionate Inquiry Practitioner. 
 
​Promotional Messages
Compassionate Inquiry® Conference—Vancouver 2026
If you've completed, or are currently enrolled in Compassionate Inquiry training, you're invited to attend the third international CI Conference in Vancouver, Canada from October 30 to November 1. Dr Gabor Maté is returning as our keynote speaker and master class presenter. Enjoy engaging workshops and inspiring demonstrations with Sat Dharam Kaur, CI Facilitators and Practitioners. Whether you join us in person for three days of shared inquiry with CI cohort partners, and colleagues from around the world, or attend virtually to focus on the teachings, tap this link to learn more and secure your place. And yes—there will be dancing. 
Compassionate Inquiry® Professional Training
If you've been listening to our podcast and are curious about the Compassionate Inquiry approach developed by Doctor Gabor Maté and Sat Dharam Kaur, consider joining the Professional Training Program. It's open to all healing professionals, including naturopaths, physicians, body workers, coaches, and therapists. In addition to learning how to use compassion to support your clients in their most vulnerable moments with greater empathy and authenticity, you'll also deepen your own internal process. If you're interested, tap this link to learn more.  
Resources:
Websites:
Professional Site
Compassionate Inquiry Practitioner Profile
Beyond Addiction Instructor Profile
Antioch University Profile
Related Links
Addicted to Speed & Busyness with Wen Harper Harris (Podcast)
Premka: White Bird in a Golden Cage (Book)
Eternal Echoes (Book)
Social Media
Instagram
LinkedIn
Facebook

Hosted by Rosemary Davies-Janes.  Produced by J'aime Rothbard.
John Cummins built his entire career on learning to see what's beneath the surface, first tissue samples under a microscope, then investment portfolios, then the executives running them. Describing the onset of burnout as 'the body sending an invoice,' he shares that the invoice he received included a divorce and arrived in the middle of an outwardly thriving career. It also demanded that he reexamine every inherited belief he'd ever carried about who a successful husband, father, and professional was supposed to be.
In this episode, John also explains:
- Why a newly promoted executive's boss sent them straight into coaching
- How his own external success co-existed with a complete internal self-disconnection
- Why he walked away from a top role in European finance
- What can happen when a lifelong fixer, people-pleaser, or entertainer, finally removes their mask
Now based in Switzerland, trained in Compassionate Inquiry, Internal Family Systems, and polyvagal-informed somatic work, John spends his days helping high-powered executives find their way back to themselves, often using their familiar language of negotiation and deal-making.
About John Cummins 
Somatic Therapist and Executive Coach
John works with people who look fine from the outside: Leaders, founders and high performers who have insight, language, self-awareness, and bodies that keep telling a different story.
He came to this work by an unusual route, beginning his career in clinical histopathology, reading illness in cells under a microscope. He moved on to spend more than two decades in investment banking and financial market infrastructure, including nine years as a chief executive within a major European stock exchange group. Both worlds taught him the same lesson from opposite ends: The body holds what the mind cannot say.
Today, John is a somatic therapist and executive coach based in Switzerland, working with clients worldwide. He trained in Compassionate Inquiry with Dr Gabor Maté, then integrated Internal Family Systems (IFS), Polyvagal Theory, EMDR, the Safe and Sound Protocol and breathwork. An International Coaching Federation (ICF) Professional Certified Coach, John holds a Master's in Business Psychology.
His practice sits where somatic therapy and corporate leadership meet. The conversation about burnout and executive wellbeing is growing louder, but remains largely surface-level. Leaders are told to meditate, to manage their time better, or build resilience. What's rarely said is that a nervous system can hold a survival state for decades, and that time management will not address what lives in the body.
John's conviction is simple: Nearly everyone carries trauma—and—nobody is broken. The habits that limit a leader today were once intelligent survival responses: over-preparing, over- delivering, holding control. They soften when they are met with compassion. In John's experience, the pattern that built their success is usually the same as the pattern that drains the person. Recognising that is where the shift begins.
Promotional Messages
Compassionate Inquiry® Conference—Vancouver 2026
If you've completed, or are currently enrolled in Compassionate Inquiry training, you're invited to attend the third international CI Conference in Vancouver, Canada from October 30 to November 1. Dr Gabor Maté is returning as our keynote speaker and master class presenter. Enjoy engaging workshops and inspiring demonstrations with Sat Dharam Kaur, Compassionate Inquiry Facilitators and Practitioners. Whether you join us in person for three days of shared inquiry with CI cohort partners, and colleagues from around the world, or attend virtually to focus on the teachings, tap this link to learn more and secure your place. And yes—there will be dancing. 
Spotlight Episodes
Your journey with Compassionate Inquiry® matters. Your work in the world matters. If you have a story to share about bringing Compassionate Inquiry into the world, we'd like to amplify your voice. Spotlight episodes are full length Gifts of Trauma podcast interviews offered exclusively to CI community members. You'll not only share your story with 55,000 healing professionals across all platforms, you'll receive a pre-interview strategy session plus three promotional video clips. We're offering only 10 Spotlight episodes per year and production realities require a financial contribution. Follow these links to access full details and express your interest.  Spotlight Episodes  |  Sponsorships
Resources:
Websites: 
John's Professional Site
John's Substack
John's Compassionate Inquiry Practitioner Profile
Related Links:
Compassionate Inquiry Training 
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Polyvagal Theory
Dr Gabor Maté 
No bad parts. No bad leaders (Article)
Social Media:
John's Instagram
John's LinkedIn

Hosted by Kevin Young.  Produced by J'aime Rothbard
Dagmara grew up in communist Poland, where feelings weren't discussed, and disappointment was carried quietly. She moved to the US at twenty, where she worked at odd jobs, drank, partied hard and led a very colourful life. She continued moving from country to country, searching for the one place where her life would start working. It took her mother's illness, and a conversation at a spiritual retreat, to uncover that she'd actually been running from what she'd been searching for. 
In this conversation Dagmara shares her transformational journey and explains:
- What toxic shame can actually feel like, in the body
- How a single conversation at a spiritual retreat became the doorway into her own childhood
- Why when the phrase, "my life doesn't work" comes up, it is worth taking seriously
- What happens when someone starts questioning whether they were ever the problem
This episode ends with Dagmara passing on something beautiful and brilliant that she wished someone had told her when she was travelling the world, looking for answers. "if you feel lost, or have problems with yourself, or in relationships, with dissatisfaction, or perfectionism, or workaholism or addictions, you may need some healing." 
About Dagmara K. Ziniewicz Psychosomatic Practitioner | Founder of Metamorfosis Therapy 
The founder of Metamorfosis Therapy, a space dedicated to profound inner transformation and changing the paradigm through which we relate to ourselves, others and reality, Dagmara is also a Certified Compassionate Inquiry® Practitioner, Educator and Mentor, with two years of training and internship in Dr. Gabor Maté's approach. She holds a MA in Pedagogy, is trained in Internal Family Systems (IFS Level 1 & Groups), Non-Dual Therapy, Somatic Meditation, Psychodrama, Therapeutic Theatre, Conscious Sexuality and Relating, and is a certified facilitator of Contact Beyond Contact, a therapeutic dance and movement practice exploring embodiment, connection, boundaries and relational patterns.
Dagmara integrates different modalities to meet the complexity of each person's experience. Her work explores not only what we think and feel, but also how our experiences are held in the body, shaped by the nervous system and expressed through our relationships.
At the core of her work is the exploration of toxic shame—the deeply rooted sense that something is fundamentally wrong with us. Through awareness and embodiment she supports people in loosening shame's grip and developing a more conscious, compassionate and authentic way of relating.
Since 2020, Dagmara has created and facilitated experiential workshops and transformational programmes in Poland, Bali and internationally, while cultivating an online community. The education and mentoring she provides for therapists and practitioners, share an experiential approach to trauma-informed, somatic and relational work.
At the heart of her work is a simple belief: You don't need to fix yourself. You need to understand and integrate what led you to believe that something is wrong with you. 
Promotional Messages
Compassionate Inquiry® Conference—Vancouver 2026
If you've completed, or are currently enrolled in Compassionate Inquiry training, you're invited to attend the third international CI Conference in Vancouver, Canada from October 30 to November 1. Dr Gabor Maté is returning as our keynote speaker and master class presenter. Enjoy engaging workshops and inspiring demonstrations with Sat Dharam Kaur, CI Facilitators and Practitioners. Whether you join us in person for three days of shared inquiry with CI cohort partners, and colleagues from around the world, or attend virtually to focus on the teachings, tap this link to learn more and secure your place. And yes—there will be dancing. 
Compassionate Inquiry® Experience
If you've been listening to our podcast and are curious about the transformative power of Compassionate Inquiry®, join us on Sep 26 for a 6-hour online experiential introduction to the Compassionate Inquiry approach and community. This link takes you to a web page where you can get information and, if you choose, register for the CI Experience. 
Resources
Websites:
Dagmara's Metamorfosis Site
Dagmara's Compassionate Inquiry Practitioner Profile
Dagmara's Compassionate Inquiry Private Mento Profile
Related Links:
Happiness is a Choice (Book)
From Self Judgement To Self Love (Video)
Understanding Trauma - Interview (Video)
How to Overcome Toxic Shame, Peter A. Levine, PhD (Video)
The Five Levels of Compassion, Dr Gabor Maté (Video)
Compassionate Inquiry® Professional Training 
Social Media:
Dagmara's Facebook
Dagmara's Instagram
Dagmara's YouTube Channel

Hosted by Kevin Young. Produced by J'aime Rothbard.
Five years ago, during the COVID lockdown, Urszula received an email that informed her that she had cancer. No doctor called first to walk her through it, so she assumed it was a mistake, but her doctor's call the next morning confirmed the diagnosis. Up until that point, Urszula had been the person who managed everything and everyone, a role she first took on as a child. 
She carried that same instinct into music school, journalism, and her own business (a communications agency built entirely on her own terms where she answered to no one). It took a cancer diagnosis and one blunt sentence from a Chinese medicine practitioner, to show her what all of that managing had actually cost her.
In this conversation Urszula also shares:
- The unexpected gift buried inside a diagnosis nobody would have asked for
- Why it took her so long to understand a Chinese medicine practitioner's assessment
- What redefining 'being good' actually means became the hardest part of her recovery
- What she built in Warsaw to share what she learned, and why she refuses to push it on anyone
This isn't a conversation about cancer, it's about a woman who spent decades making sure everyone around her was fine, and learning—the hard way—how to notice when she wasn't fine herself. Today that same instinct to manage everything has shifted into an invitation: "Come find your body at 7am or 8pm, in Polish or English, and no one will try to convince you to stay."
About Urszula Radzińska: Founder, MyMeditation.Space | Meditation Teacher 
& Mindfulness Coach
After discovering meditation as a university student, Urszula's life path led her to build and run a successful communications agency. For 20 years, she was effective, responsible, always 'on.' Then in 2016, while still running her agency, she began sharing meditation with others. In the 2020 pandemic lockdown, she built MyMeditation.Space, a project that has since become her life's work. The real tipping point came in 2021, when a cancer diagnosis forced her to stop controlling everything and start listening to her body, not as a tool to optimize, but as a source of wisdom in its own right.
That shift changed her life. In the years that followed, Urszula became an internationally certified OSHO Active Meditations facilitator, she completed EMCC-accredited* training in mindfulness-based coaching and recently finished the year-long training in Compassionate Inquiry—the approach at the heart of this podcast—which she is now integrating into her coaching and teaching. Ula also lives with ADHD, which shapes how she supports clients in finding steadiness without forcing themselves into constant action.
Since 2022, she has focused on growing MyMeditation.Space, teaching active meditation classes, training future OSHO facilitators, and offering individual sessions and workshops in Warsaw and online. In these few years, she also founded The Mindful Living Foundation, a non-profit she now chairs, and launched and hosts OBECNA, a Polish language podcast that explores mindfulness, meditation, and coming back to oneself.
Contact with oneself, Urszula believes, isn't a luxury, it's the foundation everything else is built on. Curious listeners can start with a free 20-minute consultation via her website.
*EMCC: The European Mentoring and Coaching Council
Promotional Messages:
Compassionate Inquiry® Circles
If you're not a therapist or healer, but you've heard our guests describe the personal transformations they experienced during their Compassionate Inquiry® journeys, and wonder what that would be like for you... Circles is a 10-week small group experience offered to anyone who wants to experience the power of Gabor Maté's approach to trauma healing. Use this link to find out if this program is for you.
The Portal
If you've been listening to our podcast, you may have heard guests connect their birth experiences with enduring subconscious behavioural and emotional patterns. To help break this cycle, Compassionate Inquiry® offers The Portal, a 28-week trauma-informed training for perinatal health professionals; such as midwives, obstetricians, nurses and doulas, who want to empower their patients to trust their innate ability to birth, bond and nurture their child. Use this link to learn more
Resources
Websites:
Ureszula's Professional Website 
MyMeditation.Space Website
Mindful Living Foundation Website
Related Links:
OBECNA podcast 
Compassionate Inquiry® Professional Training 
OSHO Trainings
Social Media:
Instagram: @urszula.radzinska
Facebook: @urszula.radzinska
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/urszularadzinska
YouTube: @urszula.radzinska
Spotify: @urszula.radzinska