Are you struggling with the effects of past trauma? Discover how the neuroaffective relational model, an innovative therapeutic approach, can help address underlying issues often linked to addiction and mental health challenges.
At Clinic Les Alpes, our certified NARM therapy practitioners provide expert support for healing developmental trauma and building a healthier relationship with yourself.
The NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM) is a cutting-edge biopsychological therapeutic treatment model developed by Dr. Laurence Heller to treat C-PTSD, relational trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). NARM therapy is specifically designed to address the complex interplay between developmental trauma, survival styles, and the physiological impacts of early life experiences. It is used by specifically trained and certified therapist practitioners at Clinic Les Alpes.
The fundamental principle embraced in our work with NARM is that there is a driving force in all of us which is a spontaneous movement towards connection, health and aliveness. No matter how withdrawn or isolated we have become – whether through addiction, mental health issues or relationship problems – no matter how serious the trauma we have experienced - on the deepest level, just as the plant spontaneously moves toward sunlight, there is in each of us an impulse moving towards connection and healing. This organismic impulse is the fuel of the NARM approach.
NARM therapy can help individuals address the impact of childhood trauma and adverse experiences that often underlie addiction and mental health challenges. By integrating both top-down (cognitive) and bottom-up (somatic) approaches, NARM therapy provides a comprehensive framework for addressing complex trauma and its manifestations.
Unlike traditional therapeutic approaches that focus primarily on the past, NARM therapy emphasizes working with present-moment experiences to resolve the lingering effects of developmental trauma. This makes it particularly effective for addressing the complex ptsd symptoms that many of our clients experience.
NARM uses four primary organizing principles to address relational, attachment and developmental trauma. These are:
These principles guide our therapeutic work, allowing us to help clients build greater capacity for self-regulation and authentic connection.
In our one-to-one therapeutic and relational work with our clients, we recognize that there are five organizing developmental themes that are essential to healthy development:
When basic needs are met in these five areas we experience regulation and connection. When these basic needs are not met we develop survival styles to try to manage the disconnection and dysregulation.
While what happened in the past for our clients is significant, NARM holds that trauma or adverse childhood experiences alone don't create the symptoms we experience as adults. Continuing to rely on survival mechanisms that have outlived their usefulness creates ongoing disconnection from our authentic self – our bodies – our emotions and others. No matter how serious the trauma we have experienced, the spontaneous movement in all of us is towards connection and health.
Through NARM therapy, clients learn to recognize how their survival styles—patterns developed to cope with childhood trauma—continue to limit their capacity for relationship and authentic self-expression in adulthood. These survival styles, while once necessary for protection, often create the very disconnection and suffering they were meant to prevent.
Dr. Laurence Heller, the founder of the NARM approach, identified specific survival styles corresponding to each developmental theme. Understanding these patterns helps clients recognize how past experiences continue to shape their present-day responses and relationships.
NARM therapy uniquely combines cognitive (top-down) and somatic (bottom-up) approaches to address the complex nature of developmental trauma. While many therapeutic models focus primarily on one approach, NARM recognizes that effective trauma resolution requires attention to both the narrative and physiological aspects of experience.
NARM resource-oriented techniques work with subtle shifts in the nervous system which is fundamental in disrupting the predictive tendencies of the brain. This in turn helps dissolve distortions of identity such as low self-esteem, self-rejection and self-hatred. Using techniques that increase connection with the self as well as others is instrumental in supporting effective self-regulation.
The overall intention of working with NARM with our clients is to support the possibility of increasing their internal freedom – which in effect means them having choices and more possibilities. By embodying adult consciousness, more opportunities are provided for the client to become less dependent on the environment (or the substance in the case of addiction) for their internal well-being. This means that the client begins to experience the freedom to trust in themselves.
Self-acceptance, compassion and kindness function as solvents for old identifications (while shame, self-rejection and self-hatred binds them).
In NARM we hold that it's not what happened in the past that drives the symptoms that people have (like other psychological models) but rather it's the way our relationship to our own self and our world has been distorted through what happened in the past. We develop these distorted identifications, identities and relationships which cause profound physiological dysregulation and this is the part of the adaptation to the trauma.
Our therapists who practice NARM have undergone extensive NARM training to develop the skills needed to effectively guide clients through this healing process. This training, developed by Dr. Laurence Heller, equips practitioners with the specialized knowledge and techniques to work with complex trauma and its manifestations.
Through this specialized approach, clients develop greater capacity for self-regulation, emotional resilience, and authentic connection. This increased capacity extends to all areas of life, supporting recovery from addiction and other challenges that may have roots in developmental trauma.
Many individuals struggling with addiction and mental health challenges have histories of developmental trauma or adverse childhood experiences. NARM therapy provides a framework for understanding how these early experiences contribute to current difficulties and offers pathways for healing.
By addressing the underlying trauma and its impact on self-regulation, identity, and relationship patterns, NARM therapy helps clients develop new resources for managing distress without turning to substances or other maladaptive coping strategies.
For clients with complex PTSD resulting from childhood trauma or other adverse experiences, NARM therapy offers a compassionate approach that acknowledges both the adaptive nature of survival responses and the possibility for growth and change.
The NARM approach helps clients understand how trauma has affected their nervous system and shaped their self-perception, while simultaneously supporting them in developing new capacities for connection, regulation, and authentic self-expression.
Many clients who come to us struggle with negative self-image and identity distortions rooted in developmental trauma. NARM therapy helps individuals recognize these distortions and begin to develop a more accurate and compassionate sense of self.
By working with present-moment experience rather than focusing exclusively on past events, NARM therapy creates opportunities for new experiences that challenge old beliefs about the self and others. This process of transformation supports not only recovery from addiction but also the development of a more fulfilling and authentic life.
At Clinic Les Alpes, our team of certified NARM practitioners brings expertise and compassion to the therapeutic relationship. We understand the complex interplay between developmental trauma, addiction, and mental health challenges, and we're committed to supporting our clients in their healing journey.
NARM therapy is offered as part of our comprehensive treatment approach, which may include other therapeutic modalities tailored to each client's unique needs. This integrated approach ensures that all aspects of a client's experience are addressed, supporting holistic healing and recovery.
If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction or mental health challenges that may be rooted in developmental trauma, we invite you to contact us to learn more about how NARM therapy at Clinic Les Alpes might support your healing journey.
Our compassionate team is ready to answer your questions and help you take the first step toward greater well-being and authentic connection. Reach out today to discover how the neuroaffective relational model can help you build a healthier relationship with yourself and others.
