Wangui Wanjiru's guest appearances

Wangui Wanjiru

Pure Curiosity with Iris McAlpin

Transforming Trauma

Brad Kammer

Mazen Atassi

Victoria Welsby

Lissa Rankin

Adam Gazzaley

Preston Smiles

Shawn Alex Nemeth

Deb Dana

Gabor Maté

Bonnie Badenoch

Jake Heilbrunn

Julie Brown

Lisa Feldman Barrett

David Burns

Daniel Shaw

OwlTail

In this episode I am joined by clinical psychologist Wangui Wanjiru and we cover a LOT of ground, from "pretty privilege," to the narcissistic abuse inflicted upon Black people in societies all over the world. I originally reached out to her to discuss emotional colonization and her work in mental health in Kenya, but with the protests unfolding in the US, we ended up primarily discussing what's happening here. I hope you'll listen to this longer episode in its entirety, and that you'll appreciate learning from Wangui as much as I did. There is much to learn.  About Our Guest: I am Wangui Wanjiru. I’m a mental health and behavioral medicine Counselor - I practice in the fields of clinical psychology with interest in complex and shock trauma. I am currently working as a psychosocial counselor with torture survivors, developing a treatment program for survivors of sexual trauma and will soon be leading the complex trauma division at the Traumatic Stress Society of Kenya. I enjoy reading, music - roots reggae, spicy food, deep conversations, a good work out and travel by road. Currently, I am interested the subject of shame and inspired by love and compassion. To listen to Wangui on the NARM podcast, Transforming Trauma, click here. Check out her recommended books: Shame and Pride Behave: The Biology of Humans at our Best and Worst Ten Types of Human Affluenza The Wretched of the Earth

In this episode I am joined by clinical psychologist Wangui Wanjiru and we cover a LOT of ground, from "pretty privilege," to the narcissistic abuse inflicted upon Black people in societies all over the world. I originally reached out to her to discuss emotional colonization and her work in mental health in Kenya, but with the protests unfolding in the US, we ended up primarily discussing what's happening here. I hope you'll listen to this longer episode in its entirety, and that you'll appreciate learning from Wangui as much as I did. There is much to learn.  About Our Guest: I am Wangui Wanjiru. I’m a mental health and behavioral medicine Counselor - I practice in the fields of clinical psychology with interest in complex and shock trauma. I am currently working as a psychosocial counselor with torture survivors, developing a treatment program for survivors of sexual trauma and will soon be leading the complex trauma division at the Traumatic Stress Society of Kenya. I enjoy reading, music - roots reggae, spicy food, deep conversations, a good work out and travel by road. Currently, I am interested the subject of shame and inspired by love and compassion. To listen to Wangui on the NARM podcast, Transforming Trauma, <a href="https://narmtraining.com/transformingtrauma/episode-008/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here</a>. Check out her recommended books: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0107FRQM2/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&amp;btkr=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shame and Pride</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Behave-Biology-Humans-Best-Worst-ebook/dp/B01IAUGC5S/ref=sr_1_1?crid=CO3Y64IHDYKB&amp;dchild=1&amp;keywords=behave&amp;qid=1591368398&amp;s=digital-text&amp;sprefix=behave,digital-text,204&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Behave: The Biology of Humans at our Best and Worst</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ten-Types-Human-New-Understanding-ebook/dp/B019CGXN06/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2IWI05VE61ZK7&amp;dchild=1&amp;keywords=ten%20types%20of%20human&amp;qid=1591368449&amp;s=digital-text&amp;sprefix=ten%20types%20of%20hu,digital-text,212&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ten Types of Human</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Affluenza-Overconsumption-Killing-Us-Fight-ebook/dp/B00FBME6GQ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=14MXCM2B4CSR3&amp;dchild=1&amp;keywords=affluenza&amp;qid=1591368488&amp;s=digital-text&amp;sprefix=afflu,digital-text,208&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Affluenza</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wretched-Earth-Frantz-Fanon-ebook/dp/B001C32HE6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=5P5I49HN2VSS&amp;dchild=1&amp;keywords=the%20wretched%20of%20the%20earth&amp;qid=1591368548&amp;s=digital-text&amp;sprefix=the%20wre,digital-text,206&amp;sr=1-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Wretched of the Earth</a>

Wangui Wanjiru on Emotional Colonization & the Neuroscience of Racism

“The one thing I love about NARM is that it's empowering. It helps you realize that there’s so much power in you. It returns your agency. The power of agency is that you let go of the helplessness.” -Wangui Wanjiru Host Sarah Buino and her guest Wangui Wanjiru, a Kenyan clinical psychologist and the first NARM Therapist on the African continent, seek to humanize the culturally-specific challenges of complex trauma care in Africa. Wangui describes the cultural orientation that’s very present in Kenyan culture, a strong focus on the group over the individual.  She says people don’t personalize themselves or each other outside of sweeping social categories. And when people do acknowledge their individuality, they are labeled as “selfish”.  While painting the picture of how more communal based cultures work against the individual’s connection with themself, Wangui describes the bind that comes with the desire to remain in connection with your culture. Sarah and Wangui talk about what they’ve learned in their NARM Training-- that when someone is more connected with themselves, they actually have more capacity to be connected with others, their community, and their culture. Paradoxically, reconnecting with the self, which pushes against the Kenyan social construct of “the group over the individual”, will actually allow for more connection with the Kenyan culture as a whole.  Wangui brings up an important question: What are we gaining from losing touch with ourselves? And then Sarah and Wangui go even further in their discussion, reflecting on the impacts of racial oppression and cultural trauma, to ask: Who is benefiting from people losing touch with their individuality? Sarah prompts Wangui to share what it has been like to bring NARM to Africa and applying the NARM approach to her work with her clients.  They discuss whether healing trauma is possible as cultures are still currently living through trauma: How can one transform trauma amidst ongoing trauma and oppression?  “The beauty of reclaiming your self is that when issues come, or even though you’re still living within the trauma, these issues don’t come to an empty soul, or they don’t come to a dead soul.  They’re coming to a soul that can resist and choose what gets in and what does not get in. And that’s the empowering part of it. Yes, people might be continuing to go through trauma, but as long as the software within themselves is different, you’re giving them the virus protection. It’s not about getting people out of trauma, it’s not about let’s do this treatment after the trauma is done, it’s letting empower people as they’re going through trauma so they will carry less of it.”   NARM Training Institute http://www.NARMtraining.com  The NARM Training Institute provides tools for transforming complex trauma through: in-person and online trainings for mental health care professionals; in-person and online workshops on complex trauma and how it interplays with areas like addiction, parenting, and cultural trauma; an online self-paced learning program, the NARM Inner Circle; and other trauma-informed learning resources.   For the full show notes including references, podcast episodes mentioned, and a quick glossary of terms, visit us at http://www.narmtraining.com/transformingtrauma This episode was edited by The Creative Impostor Studios.  We want to connect with you! Facebook @NARMtraining Twitter @NARMtraining  YouTube  Instagram @thenarmtraininginstitute   Sign up for a free preview of The NARM Inner Circle Online Membership Program: http://www.narmtraining.com/freetrial

“The one thing I love about NARM is that it's empowering. It helps you realize that there’s so much power in you. It returns your agency. The power of agency is that you let go of the helplessness.” -Wangui Wanjiru Host Sarah Buino and her guest Wangui Wanjiru, a Kenyan clinical psychologist and the first NARM Therapist on the African continent, seek to humanize the culturally-specific challenges of complex trauma care in Africa. Wangui describes the cultural orientation that’s very present in Kenyan culture, a strong focus on the group over the individual.  She says people don’t personalize themselves or each other outside of sweeping social categories. And when people do acknowledge their individuality, they are labeled as “selfish”.  While painting the picture of how more communal based cultures work against the individual’s connection with themself, Wangui describes the bind that comes with the desire to remain in connection with your culture. Sarah and Wangui talk about what they’ve learned in their NARM Training-- that when someone is more connected with themselves, they actually have more capacity to be connected with others, their community, and their culture. Paradoxically, reconnecting with the self, which pushes against the Kenyan social construct of “the group over the individual”, will actually allow for more connection with the Kenyan culture as a whole.  Wangui brings up an important question: What are we gaining from losing touch with ourselves? And then Sarah and Wangui go even further in their discussion, reflecting on the impacts of racial oppression and cultural trauma, to ask: Who is benefiting from people losing touch with their individuality? Sarah prompts Wangui to share what it has been like to bring NARM to Africa and applying the NARM approach to her work with her clients.  They discuss whether healing trauma is possible as cultures are still currently living through trauma: How can one transform trauma amidst ongoing trauma and oppression?  “The beauty of reclaiming your self is that when issues come, or even though you’re still living within the trauma, these issues don’t come to an empty soul, or they don’t come to a dead soul.  They’re coming to a soul that can resist and choose what gets in and what does not get in. And that’s the empowering part of it. Yes, people might be continuing to go through trauma, but as long as the software within themselves is different, you’re giving them the virus protection. It’s not about getting people out of trauma, it’s not about let’s do this treatment after the trauma is done, it’s letting empower people as they’re going through trauma so they will carry less of it.” NARM Training Institute <a href="https://narmtraining.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.NARMtraining.com</a> The NARM Training Institute provides tools for transforming complex trauma through: in-person and online trainings for mental health care professionals; in-person and online workshops on complex trauma and how it interplays with areas like addiction, parenting, and cultural trauma; an online self-paced learning program, the NARM Inner Circle; and other trauma-informed learning resources.   For the full show notes including references, podcast episodes mentioned, and a quick glossary of terms, visit us at <a href="http://www.narmtraining.com/transformingtrauma/episode-003" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.narmtraining.com/transformingtrauma</a> This episode was edited by <a href="http://www.thecreativeimpostor.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Creative Impostor Studios.</a> We want to connect with you! <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NARMTraining/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook @NARMtraining</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NARMTraining" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter @NARMtraining</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCezENiBJtJQwTAw2wNomLVg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> YouTube</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/the_narm_training_institute/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Instagram @thenarmtraininginstitute</a> Sign up for a free preview of The NARM Inner Circle Online Membership Program: <a href="http://www.narmtraining.com/freetrial" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.narmtraining.com/freetrial</a>

Soul Death and the Reclamation of the Soul - Healing Complex Trauma in Africa with Wangui Wanjiru