Season 2, Episode 12: Childhood Trauma, Disordered Eating & the Nervous System – Domenica Stilwell
This episode discusses childhood trauma, disordered eating, neglect, abuse, PTSD, narcissistic abuse, self-harm and suicide.
This episode of A Bunch of Therapists is proudly sponsored by The Awareness Centre Training School. If you’ve ever thought about becoming a therapist or are looking to enhance your clinical skills, TAC Training School offers a complete, supportive pathway into the profession. From foundation-level counselling courses to their BACP-accredited Diploma in Integrative Counselling and Diploma in Clinical Supervision, their programmes are led by expert tutors and designed to help you grow into a confident, ethical, and skilled practitioner. To find out more, visit www.tactrainingschool.com and take the next step in your therapy journey.
Join us for a fascinating and deeply personal conversation with psychotherapist Domenica Stilwell as she shares her journey from a childhood marked by anxiety, neglect and abuse to finding safety through therapy and becoming a specialist in trauma.
This honest and illuminating discussion explores how disconnection from the body can be a response to childhood trauma, and why working with the nervous system is so powerful in facilitating healing.
In this compelling episode, Domenica openly shares:
- Growing up in Poland and the traumatic experiences she faced in the family home
- Developing an eating disorder at an early age as a response to anxiety, neglect and abuse
- Living so disconnected from her body that she didn’t notice a burn turning septic
- A visit to her GP becoming the unexpected catalyst for beginning therapy
- Working with a therapist to understand the roots of her disconnection
- Discovering how her childhood experiences had shaped her relationship with her body
- Finding a sense of safety through therapy that she had never felt in childhood
- Being inspired by her own healing journey to train as a psychotherapist
- Working as a lecturer and therapist specialising in trauma
- Supporting clients experiencing PTSD and narcissistic abuse
- Using nervous system work to facilitate healing in others
This essential conversation offers valuable insights for anyone exploring childhood trauma, disordered eating, body disconnection, or the healing power of therapy.
Key Topics Discussed:
- Childhood trauma and its lasting impact on the body
- Disordered eating as a response to anxiety, neglect and abuse
- Disconnection from the body and somatic awareness
- The role of the nervous system in trauma and healing
- How an unexpected moment can become a turning point
- Therapy as a path to safety and self-understanding
- PTSD and the effects of narcissistic abuse
- Training as a therapist following personal experience of healing
- Working with trauma in a therapeutic setting
- The journey from surviving to helping others heal
Learn more about Dominica Stilwell.
