Treating Trauma Podcast

Many of us hesitate to label our experiences as trauma and even sometimes dismiss and diminish their impact. We reserve this word for particular situations and struggle to apply it to ourselves. Today, Mickenzie and Christopher are joined by Milestones Alum Billy, who shares his Milestones journey and beyond. After living what Billy would describe as a successful, seemingly content life, he was overwhelmed when the impact of his past loss, hurt, and pain caught up with him. Like many of us, he would not have categorized what he experienced as trauma, but also, like many of us, Billy shares how accepting this made way for healing, self-love, and restoration.

We often have everything inside of us to heal, we just need the right tools and guide to discover it. At Milestones, our entire team works to empower our clients to own their healing while equipping them with the tools they need for sustained emotional and mental health.Today, Christopher and Mickenzie are joined by Milestones Primary Therapist Mo Tedder to explore the final tenant of this series—Empowered Healing. Together, they discuss how our clinical team comes alongside guests to guide them in self-discovery and healing and empower them to regain a sense of agency in their journey.

For the McHugh family, life felt like too much for too long. They have faced more than their fair share of trauma and pain and eventually reached a point where they weren't sure they could take anymore. That's when Leith attended Milestones, followed shortly by her son Holden.  Today, we're joined by Leith, Aaron, Holden, and Averi McHugh, who offer a glimpse into their family's journey to find individual and collective healing. In a vulnerable and beautiful conversation, they share the lessons they learned while prioritizing healing for every family member and how they've formed lives and connections beyond what they ever thought possible.

Every human is unique. Your treatment experience should be, too!Today, Psychiatrist and Milestones VP of Medical Services Dr. Neil Bomar joins the show to share the importance of our holistic approach to healing. He explores how the entire team partners to create a customized, innovative plan for each and every client. We strive to create a complete picture of a client's unique circumstances to treat the whole person.

At Milestones, we firmly believe in the healing power of community. We often say that we're wounded in community, and therefore, our greatest level of healing happens in community.Despite it being one of the most impactful aspects of their stay, most individuals are initially apprehensive about the community element of the Milestones experience. When you've experienced trauma, your sense of safety and trust within a community is often lost.Today, Mickenzie and Christopher sit down with Milestones Alum Jennifer to explore the importance, difficulty, and power of healing in community. Jennifer shares how her expectations of community shifted, how she navigated the good, bad, and beautiful elements, and how her Milestones community has continued to impact her healing journey.Watch Jennifer's Video Testimony Learn more about the Milestones Experience

According to Eric Erickson, the first thing a trauma survivor loses is trust. And in a counter-intuitive way, the only way to begin to heal from trauma is to trust.At Milestones, we know that the most effective way to rebuild trust and heal from trauma is within the context of a safe and connected community of people who understand. Today, Mickenzie and Christopher are joined by Milestones Family and Adventure Therapist Bobby Chapman.Reflecting on over 40 years in the treatment industry, Bobby shares the differentiators that Milestones brings to the space and offers a beautiful exploration of the magic of the community forged amongst the guests and staff. He also shares how Milestones facilitates work for clients and their families through our Family Weekend programming to help individuals address larger systemic struggles and introduce healing within a larger community.

What happens when you're a trauma therapist who needs trauma therapy? When Meghan Riordan Jarvis lost her mom, as a trauma therapist, she recognized the signs of what was happening to her. She knew all the right things to do to help her traverse the trauma response she was experiencing. But despite knowing what to do conceptually, she quickly realized she couldn't find her way through alone. After having referred her own clients to Milestones for years, Meghan found her way to Milestones. Today on the Treating Trauma Podcast, Meghan joins Mickenzie and Chase, sharing her unique perspective as a trauma therapist and alum and how the Milestones experience transformed her understanding of herself, her grief, and her work. 

As we continue to explore the tenants of the Milestones experience, today we're joined by Clinical Supervisor Amanda Morrow to discuss our innovative trauma expertise.Together, Mickenzie, Christopher, and Amanda share the "magic" behind the Milestones clinical approach and the innovative recovery that works. As Amanda shares, the differentiating factor amongst the team of highly skilled clinicians is the heart, compassion, and care they bring into everything they do.She shares about different therapeutic modalities, how we approach trauma and addiction, and encouragement for people considering this work.Learn More About our Clinical ProgramMentioned in this Episode: 2:02 - Amanda's role as Milestones' Clinical Supervisor 5:35 - How Milestones approaches trauma 8:00 - The difference between attachments and addictions 12:27 - The importance of creating a predictable and supportive environment 15:57 - The indescribable "magic" of Milestones 19:33 - Milestones therapeutic modalities 21:43 - How trauma impacts our bodies 24:50 - How we unlearn our trauma 27:54 - The most surprising things about the Milestones experience 33:45 - Regulating the effect of trauma on our nervous systems38:54 - Amanda's encouragement for those considering Milestones 

One of the most challenging barriers to overcome when contemplating attending Milestones is the priorities and responsibilities people leave at home. When you have people depending on you, it can feel selfish to walk away from your life for 30-90 days to focus on yourself and your healing.Today on the Treating Trauma Podcast, we welcome Milestone's alum Shawnna, who candidly shares about the barriers she overcame as a mom of seven children to attend both Onsite and Milestones. Shawnna shares how the healing hospitality she experienced enveloped her and gave her the permission to do the most selfless thing she's ever done—prioritizing her healing in a season when she needed it most.Mentioned in this Episode 2:56 - Shawnna's Onsite and Milestones journey4:21 - How growing up in a restrictive religious environment impacted Shawnna's view of therapy and herself7:39 - Shawnna's first days at Milestones9:59 - The importance of safety in trauma healing11:10 - How somatic therapy impacted Shawnna's trauma healing13:30 - Navigating faith through trauma therapy15:29 - How Shawnna overcame her resistance to Milestone's healing hospitality and learned to ask for what she needed21:33 - The ongoing lessons from Milestones that Shawnna takes into her work as an educator24:04 - How Shawnna's community supported her journey26:53 - Shawnna's biggest Milestones takeaways28:59 - Shawnna's encouragement for someone considering Milestones

To kick off this new season of the Treating Trauma Podcast, which is all about the tenants of the Milestones experience, we're joined by Miles Adcox, the Onsite and Milestones Owner and Chairman. Miles shares the heart behind one of our most important values, "Healing Hospitality." As Milestones celebrates 10 years, Miles also takes us back to the beginning days and how the idea of healing people back to wholeness is the foundation of everything we do at Milestones. From our clinical team to our culinary, hospitality, and client support, our team is committed to treating each and every guest with safety and care.Learn more about Milestones Healing Hospitality. Mentioned in this episode: 2:58 - Where trauma and substance abuse treatment intersect 16:50 - The origins of Milestones' Healing Hospitality and Miles' journey in residential treatment 24:10 - Creating a supportive community for mental health treatment 30:00 - Repairing through hospitality 38:37 - Valuing guests and corrective experiences 44:00 - Mental health, recovery, and support 

The Treating Trauma Podcast is BACK on August 1st! This season, we're diving into the five tenets of the Milestones experience. Join Mickenzie and Christopher for a series of conversations with our incredible clinicians and remarkable alum! 

On the final episode of our Stories of Healing series, Christopher and Nicole sit down with Milestones alum Brooke Scherer to further examine the effects of trauma on her life and the profound healing she experienced during her time at Milestones. While knee deep in what she describes as “the darkest years of her life,” Brooke decided to pursue healing at Milestones after gentle encouragement from her husband (and fellow Milestones alum) Jordan. Upon witnessing the major shift in him, she became hopeful that real healing was possible for her too. We close out this episode by welcoming Jordan back to illuminate the beautiful unfolding of Brooke's “new enlightenment” and the newfound intimacy of their deepened connection.  

Today Christopher and Nicole connect with Milestones alum Jordan Scherer to delve into his story and the work that changed not just his life, but the trajectory of his entire family. In this episode, we also invite Jordan's “soul partner” and wife Brooke, who after witnessing his transformation, came to Milestones in pursuit of her own deep healing. She shares candidly about the incredible change she saw in Jordan when he came home from his time at Milestones and the powerful impact of his ongoing commitment to growth and the undoing of his former unhealthy patterns.  

This week, we invite Montanna Christoffersen to share her healing journey with us. In this conversation, we examine the importance of really, truly revealing yourself to another to inaugurate the process of healing. Montanna describes that the moment she finally allowed herself to be seen was only the beginning of the journey, and that life on the other side of Milestones has encouraged her to help destigmatize the notion of “residential treatment” so that people might understand that healing is possible inside a safe environment like Milestones. Her hope is that we might reframe this environment as a beautiful place, or as she describes it, “a cocoon of healing.”  Full Show Notes: https://treatingtraumapodcast.com/ep015/

Welcome back to the Treating Trauma podcast! During the last 13 episodes of this limited series, we explored the nature of trauma and various healing modalities with our expert therapists and clinicians at Milestones. The series was such a helpful tool but in reflecting back, we felt like the story was incomplete without hearing firsthand from our Milestones alum about their personal experiences of transformation. In the next 4 episodes, we welcome past clients as they share the impacts of trauma on their lives, the pivotal moments that encouraged them to reach out in pursuit of a different path, and the transformative work they experienced inside the safe and nurturing environment of the healing hospitality at Milestones.  In this episode, Christopher and Nicole sit down with Tristan Trechsel to discuss his time at Milestones, the power of community, and his ongoing pursuit of healing.   Full Show Notes: https://treatingtraumapodcast.com/ep014/

On our final episode of this installation of our limited series, Christopher and Mickenzie sit down with therapist Tara Booker to explore how we can lean into a recovery lifestyle and pursue a healing journey. We round out this episode with encouragement from several of the voices you've heard from throughout the series.   Full Show Notes: https://treatingtraumapodcast.com/ep013/ 

Today we invite Clinical Supervisor Amanda Morrow and Admissions Director, Shannon Yates to help us explore how to determine if residential is the right next step in your recovery journey. They outline how the Milestones and Admissions teams collaborate to help people assess their unique needs and goals and make the right choice for their season and situation.  

This week Christopher and Mickenzie sit down with Equine and Adventure Therapy Director, Megan Repass to take a deep dive into a uniquely powerful and connecting modality to address trauma. Together they explore how Equine Therapy can unlock healing and curate connection with ourselves and others.   Full Show Notes: treatingtraumapodcast.com/ep011 

In this special episode, we're getting a behind-the-scenes look into life at Milestone with team members Crystal and Matthew. They answer all our questions about the ins and outs of the residential treatment experience. Discover more about the Milestones Experience. 

In this week's episode, we sit down with therapists Tara Booker and Emily Carroll who help us explore how the therapeutic modalities of IFS (Internal Family Systems) and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) can be effective tools in healing trauma. They both share how their unique specializations can be used to gently come alongside people in their recovery. Full show notes: treatingtrauma.com/ep009

Today we're exploring how to support the people in our lives who have experienced trauma. Therapist Tara Booker kindly walks us through the best ways to show up for our loved ones and offer sustainable support. (Spoiler alert the best way to show up for someone else is to first show up for ourselves!)  Full show notes: treatingtrauma.com/ep008

Today we sit down with therapists Marie Turley and Bobby Chapman. Together they talk through the impactful modality of adventure therapy. They share their years of experience and their passion for helping patients get outside the therapy room and into their bodies with this unique way of treating trauma.  

Today Therapist Samantha Bishop is back to help Mickenzie and Christopher explore how trauma impacts our relationships with the people around us. We often say that we're hardwired for community, but the effects of trauma have real consequences on our relationships, in this episode, Sam helps us assess how we can regain a sense of connection and safety.

In today's episode, Mickenzie and Christopher chat with therapists Amanda Morrow and Ian Chapman to explore the therapeutic modalities of Brain Spotting and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). Together they explain how these two forms of therapy can help people address their trauma and decrease panic and anxiety by utilizing neurobiology and a trusted therapeutic relationship.  

This week Christopher and Mickenzie sit down with Onsite Director of Medical Services, Psychiatrist Dr. Neil Bomar and Functional Medicine Doctor Dr. Sara Bomar to explore how trauma can impact our physical and mental health. The four discuss how Dr. Sara and Dr. Neil partner to help clients better understand the mind/body connection and many of the things we often dismiss or overlook regarding our physical health.  Full show notes and additional recommendations:  https://treatingtraumapodcast.com/ep004/ 

In today's episode, Mickenzie and Christopher chat with therapists Samantha Bishop and Terence Smith to explore an effective experiential modality called psychodrama. Together they explain how psychodrama, coupled with the presence of a safe community, can help rightsize our past, gain insight into our present, and create a path toward the future we desire.   Full show notes: https://treatingtraumapodcast.com/ep003/ Learn more about Onsite's Workshops and Intensives. 

In this episode, Mickenzie and Christopher chat with therapist Terence Smith to explore how traumatic experiences rewire and impact our brains. Terence explains the automatic response our bodies and brains go through when we encounter adverse events and outlines a few treatment methods that help the brain heal from trauma.  

In this episode, we're pulling in voices from many of the experts you'll be hearing from throughout this limited series to help us explore the question: What is trauma?  While it seems like a straightforward question, we find the answer is not so straightforward. This episode will help set the stage for the rest of the episodes to come and provide a glimpse into the incredible interview to come!  Learn more about Milestones. 

Join co-hosts Mickenzie Vought and Christopher O'Reilly as they introduce Treating Trauma. Together they provide a glimpse of the topics and questions we'll be exploring on this limited series from Onsite.  We all have moments where life is hard, yet some of us have had to endure more than our fair share of pain, hardship, struggle, and trauma.  If you or someone you love is struggling with behaviors associated with unaddressed trauma, Treating Trauma offers a unique look at how various healing methods and trauma treatments can offer a path toward recovery, growth, and wholeness.