35. Trauma and Somatic Healing with Carista Luminare

How can somatic therapy help us move from embodying our wounding to embodying our wisdom? Join Michaela Carlin in conversation with Dr. Carista Luminare, a psychotherapist who has spent over 40 years exploring this very question using her unique, holistic approach. Carista shares about how she works with the most common wounds that show up in her practice – unworthiness, shame, abandonment, and feeling insecure and unsafe in relationship – and the importance of expressing authentic emotions in real-time to help release stored trauma in the body. Carista and Michaela also touch on the potential of working with plant medicines in the healing process, the roots of addiction, adaptive vs. maladaptive ‘parts’, and the role of early conditioning in shaping our lives. The interview wraps up with an exploration of Carista's comprehensive assessment methods with her clients, a deeper look into the concept of 'big T' and 'small t' traumas, and the overarching notion of healing as a journey of self-discovery.