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Creating Trauma Informed Prisons and Communities Throughout the World.

Compassion Prison Project began as the brainchild of award-winning producer Fritzi Horstman, whose own childhood trauma helped shape its conception. Over the course of several months in 2019-2020, Fritzi and a dedicated team of facilitators and volunteers partnered with incarcerated men at a Kern Valley State Prison (KVSP), a maximum-security prison in Central California. Together, they created powerful tools to address and heal from childhood trauma.

Connect with Fritzi here - 

www.compassionprisonproject.org

www.linkedin.com/in/fritzi-horstman

If you want to stay in contact with Moniquea, please check out her social media pages and website here.

https://www.facebook.com/somaticsynergy

www.somaticsynergy.com.au

https://www.linkedin.com/in/moniquea-spiteri/

Creating Trauma Informed Prisons and Communities Throughout the World. Compassion Prison Project began as the brainchild of award-winning producer Fritzi Horstman, whose own childhood trauma helped shape its conception. Over the course of several months in 2019-2020, Fritzi and a dedicated team of facilitators and volunteers partnered with incarcerated men at a Kern Valley State Prison (KVSP), a maximum-security prison in Central California. Together, they created powerful tools to address and heal from childhood trauma.
Connect with Fritzi here -&nbsp;
<a href="http://www.compassionprisonproject.org">www.compassionprisonproject.org</a>
<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/fritzi-horstman">www.linkedin.com/in/fritzi-horstman</a>
If you want to stay in contact with Moniquea, please check out her social media pages and website here.
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/somaticsynergy">https://www.facebook.com/somaticsynergy</a>
<a href="http://www.somaticsynergy.com.au/">www.somaticsynergy.com.au</a>
<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/moniquea-spiteri/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/moniquea-spiteri/</a>

"Where healing meets humanity."

Welcome to Transcending Trauma, a space where science, story, and soul converge. Hosted by Somatic Psychotherapist and change-maker Moniquea Spiteri, this podcast explores the human journey through trauma, transformation, and embodied awakening. 

Each episode invites you into meaningful conversations with leading experts, healers, and visionaries who are redefining what it means to heal,  from the nervous system up. With warmth, depth, and authenticity, Moniquea guides listeners through the complexities of trauma recovery, the wisdom of the body, and the pathways to reclaiming vitality, connection, and purpose. 

Whether you’re a practitioner, a healing soul, or someone reclaiming your vitality after adversity, Transcending Trauma ® offers grounded insights, somatic practices, and heartfelt stories that remind us: Transformation is not just possible,  it’s how we transcend the patterns of survival, awaken the wisdom of the body, and remember the truth of who we are. 

New Season Theme:The Return - stories of resilience, reinvention, and radical embodiment. To connect with Moniquea, visit her Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/somaticsynergy and connect with Moniquea via her other platforms via Link Tree https://linktr.ee/Moniquea_Spiteri

To connect with Moniquea, visit her Facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/somaticsynergy

Many thanks to The Kondoors for the use of their amazing single, Mr Rain, for our show's theme song in Season 1. To find out more about The Kondoors visit - https://www.thekondoors.com/ or to purchase Mr Rain click this link - https://orcd.co/byqrerj

#TranscendingTrauma #Trauma #MoniqueaSpiteri #TheKondoors

"Where healing meets humanity." Welcome to Transcending Trauma, a space where science, story, and soul converge. Hosted by Somatic Psychotherapist and change-maker Moniquea Spiteri, this podcast explores the human journey through trauma, transformation, and embodied awakening. Each episode invites you into meaningful conversations with leading experts, healers, and visionaries who are redefining what it means to heal,&nbsp; from the nervous system up. With warmth, depth, and authenticity, Moniquea guides listeners through the complexities of trauma recovery, the wisdom of the body, and the pathways to reclaiming vitality, connection, and purpose. Whether you&rsquo;re a practitioner, a healing soul, or someone reclaiming your vitality after adversity, Transcending Trauma &reg; offers grounded insights, somatic practices, and heartfelt stories that remind us: Transformation is not just possible,&nbsp; it&rsquo;s how we transcend the patterns of survival, awaken the wisdom of the body, and remember the truth of who we are. New Season Theme:The Return - stories of resilience, reinvention, and radical embodiment. To connect with Moniquea, visit her Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/somaticsynergy and connect with Moniquea via her other platforms via Link Tree <a href="https://linktr.ee/Moniquea_Spiteri">https://linktr.ee/Moniquea_Spiteri</a>
To connect with Moniquea, visit her Facebook page here <a href="https://www.facebook.com/somaticsynergy">https://www.facebook.com/somaticsynergy</a>
Many thanks to The Kondoors for the use of their amazing single, Mr Rain, for our show's theme song in Season 1. To find out more about The Kondoors visit - https://www.thekondoors.com/ or to purchase Mr Rain click this link - https://orcd.co/byqrerj
#TranscendingTrauma #Trauma #MoniqueaSpiteri #TheKondoors

 Transcending Trauma ® with Moniquea Spiteri

"Where healing meets humanity."

Welcome to Transcending Trauma — a space where science, story, and soul converge.

Hosted by Somatic Psychotherapist and change-maker Moniquea Spiteri, this podcast explores the human journey through trauma, transformation, and embodied awakening. Each episode invites you into meaningful conversations with leading experts, healers, and visionaries who are redefining what it means to heal — from the nervous system up.

With warmth, depth, and authenticity, Moniquea guides listeners through the complexities of trauma recovery, the wisdom of the body, and the pathways to reclaiming vitality, connection, and purpose.

Whether you’re a practitioner, a healing soul, or someone reclaiming your vitality after adversity, Transcending Trauma ® offers grounded insights, somatic practices, and heartfelt stories that remind us:

Transformation is not just possible — it’s how we transcend the patterns of survival, awaken the wisdom of the body, and remember the truth of who we are.

New Season Theme:The Return — stories of resilience, reinvention, and radical embodiment.

To connect with Moniquea, visit her Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/somaticsynergy and connect with Moniquea via her other platforms via Link Tree https://linktr.ee/Moniquea_Spiteri

#TranscendingTrauma #Trauma #MoniqueaSpiteri 

"Where healing meets humanity."
Welcome to Transcending Trauma &mdash; a space where science, story, and soul converge.
Hosted by Somatic Psychotherapist and change-maker Moniquea Spiteri, this podcast explores the human journey through trauma, transformation, and embodied awakening. Each episode invites you into meaningful conversations with leading experts, healers, and visionaries who are redefining what it means to heal &mdash; from the nervous system up.
With warmth, depth, and authenticity, Moniquea guides listeners through the complexities of trauma recovery, the wisdom of the body, and the pathways to reclaiming vitality, connection, and purpose.
Whether you&rsquo;re a practitioner, a healing soul, or someone reclaiming your vitality after adversity, Transcending Trauma &reg; offers grounded insights, somatic practices, and heartfelt stories that remind us:
Transformation is not just possible &mdash; it&rsquo;s how we transcend the patterns of survival, awaken the wisdom of the body, and remember the truth of who we are.
New Season Theme: The Return &mdash; stories of resilience, reinvention, and radical embodiment.
To connect with Moniquea, visit her Facebook page -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/somaticsynergy">https://www.facebook.com/somaticsynergy </a>and connect with Moniquea via her other platforms via Link Tree <a href="https://linktr.ee/Moniquea_Spiteri">https://linktr.ee/Moniquea_Spiteri</a>
#TranscendingTrauma #Trauma #MoniqueaSpiteri&nbsp;

Transcending Trauma® with Moniquea Spiteri

Episode 50 - Fritzi Horstman - Compassion Prison Project

What happens when the very qualities that helped you survive become the patterns that keep you stuck?

In this episode of Season 3, Moniquea Spiteri returns to guest interviews with Benjamin Ahn, former US Navy SEAL, international corporate executive and founder of Nomena, a medically supervised ibogaine retreat sanctuary in Southeast Asia.

Ben's journey has taken him from a childhood shaped by trauma to the intense world of elite military service, followed by more than fifteen years of corporate leadership. But beneath the achievements was a deeper personal journey that eventually led him to explore psychedelic medicine and the transformative potential of ibogaine.

Together, Moniquea and Ben explore the relationship between trauma, survival adaptations, identity and the emerging field of psychedelic-assisted healing.

In this conversation, we explore:


How childhood survival patterns can shape our identity, relationships and drive to succeed.


The mindset of elite military personnel and the challenges of moving beyond a life built around endurance and control.


What ibogaine is, how people describe the experience and why it's attracting interest in trauma recovery.


The importance of medical supervision, safety and responsible psychedelic practice.


Why profound insights don't automatically translate into lasting change.


The role of integration, somatic awareness and nervous system work in supporting meaningful transformation.


What it really means to move beyond survival and reconnect with who we are.

As a somatic psychotherapist and psychedelic-assisted therapy practitioner, Moniquea brings a body-centred perspective to the conversation, exploring an important question:

Can a powerful psychedelic experience create lasting change, or does the deeper work begin when the experience ends?

This episode isn't just about ibogaine. It's about the ways we learn to survive, the identities we build around those adaptations, and what becomes possible when we begin to live differently.

About Benjamin Ahn

Benjamin Ahn is the founder of Nomena and an advocate for the responsible, medically supervised use of ibogaine. A former US Navy SEAL who served in Iraq with SEAL Team 3, Ben later spent more than fifteen years in international corporate leadership before moving into the psychedelic retreat space.

Learn more about Nomena: https://www.nomena.life

Connect with Transcending Trauma

Explore more episodes and resources: https://moniqueaspiteri.com/podcast

Disclaimer: This episode is for education and discussion only and does not constitute medical advice or an endorsement of ibogaine treatment. Ibogaine carries significant medical risks, including potentially life-threatening cardiac complications, and remains an investigational treatment for trauma-related conditions.

What happens when the very qualities that helped you survive become the patterns that keep you stuck?
In this episode of Season 3, Moniquea Spiteri returns to guest interviews with Benjamin Ahn, former US Navy SEAL, international corporate executive and founder of Nomena, a medically supervised ibogaine retreat sanctuary in Southeast Asia.
Ben's journey has taken him from a childhood shaped by trauma to the intense world of elite military service, followed by more than fifteen years of corporate leadership. But beneath the achievements was a deeper personal journey that eventually led him to explore psychedelic medicine and the transformative potential of ibogaine.
Together, Moniquea and Ben explore the relationship between trauma, survival adaptations, identity and the emerging field of psychedelic-assisted healing.
In this conversation, we explore:
<ul data-spread="false">
<li>
How childhood survival patterns can shape our identity, relationships and drive to succeed.
</li>
<li>
The mindset of elite military personnel and the challenges of moving beyond a life built around endurance and control.
</li>
<li>
What ibogaine is, how people describe the experience and why it's attracting interest in trauma recovery.
</li>
<li>
The importance of medical supervision, safety and responsible psychedelic practice.
</li>
<li>
Why profound insights don't automatically translate into lasting change.
</li>
<li>
The role of integration, somatic awareness and nervous system work in supporting meaningful transformation.
</li>
<li>
What it really means to move beyond survival and reconnect with who we are.
</li>
</ul>
As a somatic psychotherapist and psychedelic-assisted therapy practitioner, Moniquea brings a body-centred perspective to the conversation, exploring an important question:
Can a powerful psychedelic experience create lasting change, or does the deeper work begin when the experience ends?
This episode isn't just about ibogaine. It's about the ways we learn to survive, the identities we build around those adaptations, and what becomes possible when we begin to live differently.
About Benjamin Ahn
Benjamin Ahn is the founder of Nomena and an advocate for the responsible, medically supervised use of ibogaine. A former US Navy SEAL who served in Iraq with SEAL Team 3, Ben later spent more than fifteen years in international corporate leadership before moving into the psychedelic retreat space.
Learn more about Nomena: <a href="https://www.nomena.life" data-rich-text-autolink="">https://www.nomena.life</a>
Connect with Transcending Trauma
Explore more episodes and resources: <a href="https://moniqueaspiteri.com/podcast" data-rich-text-autolink="">https://moniqueaspiteri.com/podcast</a>
Disclaimer: This episode is for education and discussion only and does not constitute medical advice or an endorsement of ibogaine treatment. Ibogaine carries significant medical risks, including potentially life-threatening cardiac complications, and remains an investigational treatment for trauma-related conditions.

S3 E3 From Battlefield to Breakthrough: Trauma, Ibogaine & Transformation | Benjamin Ahn

What If You Don’t Need to Be More Regulated?
When nervous-system healing becomes another form of self-control...

What if our obsession with nervous-system regulation is actually becoming another form of hypervigilance?

Welcome to a new chapter of Transcending Trauma®. Following the educational journey of Season 2, Moniquea Spiteri is shaking things up with a new series of Hot Topics — conversations that challenge some of the ideas we've come to accept about trauma, healing and the nervous system.

In this first episode, Moniquea asks whether our constant pursuit of regulation is making us less tolerant of the normal discomfort that comes with being human.

When did healing start to mean being calm all the time? And have we turned nervous-system awareness into yet another way of monitoring and trying to fix ourselves?

Drawing on her experience as a somatic psychotherapist, Moniquea explores the difference between regulation and capacity, how hypervigilance can disguise itself as self-improvement, and why discomfort doesn't always mean we're unsafe.

She also looks at the role of relationships, co-regulation and hyper-independence — and why a healthy nervous system isn't one that never gets activated, but one that has the flexibility to move, respond and recover.

Perhaps healing isn't about feeling less. Perhaps it's about developing the capacity to experience more of life without losing ourselves in the process.

If this episode gets you thinking, join the conversation. Share your thoughts, leave a review or send it to someone who might see nervous-system regulation a little differently.

Coming next: Are We Overusing the Word Trauma?

Discover more about Moniquea's work, somatic psychotherapy and Transcending Trauma® at www.moniqueaspiteri.com

Transcending Trauma® — Where science, story and soul unite.

What If You Don&rsquo;t Need to Be More Regulated? When nervous-system healing becomes another form of self-control...
What if our obsession with nervous-system regulation is actually becoming another form of hypervigilance?
Welcome to a new chapter of Transcending Trauma&reg;. Following the educational journey of Season 2, Moniquea Spiteri is shaking things up with a new series of Hot Topics &mdash; conversations that challenge some of the ideas we've come to accept about trauma, healing and the nervous system.
In this first episode, Moniquea asks whether our constant pursuit of regulation is making us less tolerant of the normal discomfort that comes with being human.
When did healing start to mean being calm all the time? And have we turned nervous-system awareness into yet another way of monitoring and trying to fix ourselves?
Drawing on her experience as a somatic psychotherapist, Moniquea explores the difference between regulation and capacity, how hypervigilance can disguise itself as self-improvement, and why discomfort doesn't always mean we're unsafe.
She also looks at the role of relationships, co-regulation and hyper-independence &mdash; and why a healthy nervous system isn't one that never gets activated, but one that has the flexibility to move, respond and recover.
Perhaps healing isn't about feeling less. Perhaps it's about developing the capacity to experience more of life without losing ourselves in the process.
If this episode gets you thinking, join the conversation. Share your thoughts, leave a review or send it to someone who might see nervous-system regulation a little differently.
Coming next: Are We Overusing the Word Trauma?
Discover more about Moniquea's work, somatic psychotherapy and Transcending Trauma&reg; at <a href="https://moniqueaspiteri.com">www.moniqueaspiteri.com</a>
Transcending Trauma&reg; &mdash; Where science, story and soul unite.

S3 E2 - Hot topic #1 - What If You Don’t Need to Be More Regulated?

Dissociation is often described as disconnection, but it is also an intelligent survival response.

It can occur when an experience feels too overwhelming, threatening or inescapable for the nervous system to process in the moment. The body remains present, but some part of our awareness moves away. For many people, this does not look dramatic. It may appear as emotional numbness, memory gaps, feeling unreal, losing time, living on autopilot or functioning well while feeling strangely absent from your own life.

In this episode of Transcending Trauma, Moniquea explores the protective intelligence of dissociation and the many ways it can shape our relationship with the body, memory, identity, attachment and connection.

You’ll learn about:

• Functional dissociation and why it can be difficult to recognise
• Depersonalisation and derealisation
• The relationship between dissociation, freeze and hidden activation
• How attachment wounds can contribute to relational disconnection
• Why healing cannot be achieved by forcing someone back into their body
• Gentle ways to build orientation, safety and present-moment connection

This episode also marks a new chapter for Transcending Trauma. Following the completion of the previous podcast series, the conversation is opening into individual topic discussions, education and future guest conversations exploring trauma, nervous system healing and embodied transformation.

Dissociation is not evidence that you are broken. It may be evidence of how intelligently your system helped you survive when remaining fully present was simply too much.

Dissociation is often described as disconnection, but it is also an intelligent survival response.
It can occur when an experience feels too overwhelming, threatening or inescapable for the nervous system to process in the moment. The body remains present, but some part of our awareness moves away. For many people, this does not look dramatic. It may appear as emotional numbness, memory gaps, feeling unreal, losing time, living on autopilot or functioning well while feeling strangely absent from your own life.
In this episode of Transcending Trauma, Moniquea explores the protective intelligence of dissociation and the many ways it can shape our relationship with the body, memory, identity, attachment and connection.
You&rsquo;ll learn about:
&bull; Functional dissociation and why it can be difficult to recognise &bull; Depersonalisation and derealisation &bull; The relationship between dissociation, freeze and hidden activation &bull; How attachment wounds can contribute to relational disconnection &bull; Why healing cannot be achieved by forcing someone back into their body &bull; Gentle ways to build orientation, safety and present-moment connection
This episode also marks a new chapter for Transcending Trauma. Following the completion of the previous podcast series, the conversation is opening into individual topic discussions, education and future guest conversations exploring trauma, nervous system healing and embodied transformation.
Dissociation is not evidence that you are broken. It may be evidence of how intelligently your system helped you survive when remaining fully present was simply too much.

Episode 50 - Fritzi Horstman - Compassion Prison Project

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