How can experiences from childhood continue to shape our relationships decades later? And can trauma responses actually be changed?
In this episode, Dr. Kibby McMahon sits down with psychotherapist and executive coach Jessica Connell, LCSW, to explore developmental trauma, EMDR, and the ways our early experiences can influence how we connect with others.
Jessica explains what developmental trauma can look like, from major experiences of abuse or instability to moments of shame, rejection, or emotional disconnection that stay with us over time. They discuss how these experiences can show up later as difficulty trusting, fear of conflict, emotional reactivity, withdrawal, or feeling unsafe even in otherwise healthy relationships.
They also take a closer look at EMDR: what happens during a session, how bilateral stimulation is used, and how trauma-focused work can help people respond differently to triggers in the present.
In this episode:
• What developmental trauma actually means
• How childhood experiences shape adult relationships
• Why certain situations can trigger surprisingly intense reactions
• The “tiger and turtle” dynamic in relationships
• What it means to feel emotionally safe with another person
• How EMDR works and what a session can look like
• Why healing doesn’t mean never getting triggered again
• How understanding our patterns can help us communicate differently
Jessica Connell is a psychotherapist, executive coach, and owner of Confident Mind Psychotherapy and Coaching in New York City.
If you’ve ever wondered why certain relationship dynamics affect you so deeply, or how experiences from your past might still be influencing your reactions today, this conversation offers a compassionate look at where those patterns come from and how they can begin to change.
