NARM^® Therapy in Vienna & Online

NARM® is an integrated framework for body and mind that identifies and addresses the complex ways in which childhood trauma can manifest itself in interpersonal difficulties, maladaptive patterns, identity issues and impaired affect regulation.

It was developed by Dr. Laurence Heller, PhD psychologist and psychotherapist with many years of clinical experience. NARM® combines ideas from attachment theory, polyvagal theory, Gestalt therapy, cognitive and somatic approaches, and psychodynamic approaches.

Trauma is not only what happened to you, but also the heartache that often accompanies and follows trauma.

Many of us have experienced relational trauma in our childhood, which has led us to disconnect from our emotions in order to survive. We may have experienced unmet needs, emotional neglect or chronic maladjustment from those we loved most.

To cope, we learned to suppress our feelings and disconnect from our bodies, creating survival patterns that limit our ability to connect and flourish.

The fundamental practice of NARM is to explore what the heart truly wants, often asking the question: ‘What do you really want for yourself?’ to uncover deep, authentic longings rather than superficial goals.

When you embark on this journey of discovery, you take an important step towards reconnecting with your heart and discovering the aliveness that has long been buried under the trauma. 

Healing happens in relationships. 

As a NARM® practitioner, I create an environment characterised by genuine curiosity, shame-free acceptance and heartfelt empathy, empowering my clients to reconnect with their hearts and embrace their wholeness.

NARM® views the mind (our thoughts, emotions, and beliefs) and the body as closely connected. It works with both bottom-up approaches (awareness that begins in the body) and top-down approaches (using the mind to understand body signals). If we only use a top-down method, we ignore the body and emotions. If we only focus on the body, feelings and sensations can be overwhelming without the help of our thinking mind to organise and understand them.

The combination of both approaches is what makes NARM® therapy so effective and leads to real, embodied change.

NARM® is based on the idea that once obstacles are removed, we naturally move towards health, connection and vitality. These obstacles are the survival strategies we once relied on and which now limit us or separate us from our life energy.

The idea of life energy comes from bioenergetics, which was developed by Alexander Lowen, developed by a student of Wilhelm Reich. The adaptive survival strategies in NARM are seen as distortions of life energy.

Our emotional and psychological abilities develop in different stages during childhood and adolescence. If the needs of a stage are not met, these abilities are weakened. Adaptive survival strategies are groups of strategies that we develop in response to these ‘environmental failures’. These limitations can build up over time, similar to ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences). 

When our earliest needs go unmet, it becomes more difficult to cope with the challenges of later life. If the environment continues to be unable to meet a child's developmental needs, the damage increases. As a result, we continue to function as adults with reduced vitality. 

• Healing Developmental Trauma: How Early Trauma Affects Self-Regulation, Self-Image, and the Capacity for Relationship (2012) by Laurence Heller and Aline LaPierre
• The Practical Guide for Healing Developmental Trauma: Using the NeuroAffective Relational Model to Address Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resolve Complex Trauma (2022) by Brad Kammer and Laurence Heller
• Entwicklungstrauma heilen: Alte Überlebensstrategien lösen – Selbstregulation und Beziehungsfähigkeit fördern (2013) by Laurence Heller and Aline LaPierre
• Praxisbuch Entwicklungstrauma heilen: Wege zur Auflösung von Beziehungs-, Selbst- und Emotionsstörungen (2022) by Brad Kammer and Laurence Heller
• Befreiung von Scham und Schuld: Alte Überlebensstrategien auflösen und die eigene Lebenskraft wiederfinden (2022) by Laurence Heller and Angelika Doerne