The Aliveness Project: Conversations on Connection

The Aliveness Project: Conversations on Connection is a podcast from the NARM® Training Institute exploring the many dimensions of human connection. Hosted by members of the NARM community, including NARM founder Dr. Laurence Heller, this show invites guests from both inside and outside the world of NARM to share stories and insights from their unique areas of expertise.

Each episode centers around a conversation—sometimes clinical, sometimes personal, often both—that looks at what it means to be in connection: with ourselves, with one another, and with the world around us. Whether you're a therapist, a helping professional, or someone curious about the deeper layers of human experience, these episodes are designed to spark reflection, offer practical insights, and open up new ways of thinking about connection and the healing process.

At its heart, this podcast is about connection, re-connection, and aliveness—our birthright as humans. We’re grateful you’re here.

Co-host

Iris McAlpin Garrett

Iris McAlpin Garrett is a NARM® Master Therapist (AMFT) and online educator specializing in self-sabotage, eating disorder recovery, grief, and complex trauma. Her work is deeply informed by her own lived experience: after battling bulimia, C-PTSD, and depression for over a decade, Iris became determined to understand the root causes of her self-destructive patterns. That search led her into the field of trauma—and what she discovered completely changed the way she saw herself and her story.

Since then, Iris has developed and taught trauma-informed programs that have reached thousands of participants globally. In her clinical work, she helps clients break long-standing patterns of self-protection that no longer serve them, so they can experience more connection, authenticity, and choice in their lives.

https://www.irismcalpin.com/about