High-functioning women often mask hidden trauma, struggling in silence. Susan Martin’s approach to trauma recovery addresses these overlooked struggles, offering a transformative healing path.
In a world that prizes success and achievement, many high-functioning women find themselves silently carrying emotional burdens that are never acknowledged by those around them. Outwardly, they appear to have it all—successful careers, vibrant social lives, and a sense of control. Yet, beneath this polished exterior, many women are quietly grappling with the lingering effects of unresolved trauma, burnout, and emotional numbness.
Susan Martin, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Certified Life Coach, and Certified Brainspotting Practitioner, has made it her mission to help these women heal. As the founder of Susan Martin Therapy and Wellness in Nashville, Tennessee, Martin works with women who are high-functioning on the surface but struggling in silence with trauma that has long been overlooked by traditional therapeutic practices.
Martin’s own journey into the field of trauma recovery was shaped by her personal experience with emotional suppression, perfectionism, and the pressures of constantly performing at a high level. As an adult adoptee, she internalized the belief that success and achievement were the keys to happiness and connection. However, after years of pushing through emotional pain and neglecting her own needs, Martin reached a breaking point. Burned out and overwhelmed, she realized the impact of unaddressed trauma on her mental and physical health.
This moment of reckoning became the driving force behind her work today. “It wasn’t until I burned out myself that I understood the full impact of hidden trauma and the emotional toll it takes,” says Martin. “Many women go through their lives feeling disconnected, anxious, or numb but don’t realize that trauma is the root cause.”
Martin’s breakthrough in her practice came with the discovery of Brainspotting, a therapeutic modality based on neuroscience that helps individuals access and release deep-seated trauma through eye positioning. She saw firsthand how this technique, which engages the brain’s natural healing mechanisms, could provide profound emotional relief. Brainspotting, developed by Dr. David Grand, became the cornerstone of Martin’s therapeutic approach, and it was this discovery that led her to create The Reclaim Way™, a trauma recovery framework designed specifically for high-functioning women.
The Reclaim Way™ integrates neuroscience, somatic techniques, and emotional attunement to help women heal trauma at a deep, embodied level. The approach focuses not just on verbal processing but on creating a safe space for women to reconnect with their bodies, regulate their nervous systems, and reclaim their emotional well-being.
Through this method, Martin has helped hundreds of women heal from the effects of emotional numbness, chronic anxiety, and perfectionism. One client, an executive in a corporate environment, found that The Reclaim Way™ allowed her to release the anxiety that had plagued her for years. Another client, a healthcare professional, experienced a significant shift in her emotional state after embracing the holistic approach of The Reclaim Way™.
“Women often believe that they have to sacrifice their own well-being in order to succeed,” says Martin. “But this approach allows them to heal from the inside out, reclaiming their authenticity without having to burn their lives down in the process.”
What further distinguishes Martin’s approach is her ability to integrate spirituality with trauma healing. While she does not impose religious practices on her clients, she creates a space where women can explore their personal spiritual journeys as part of their recovery process. This holistic approach fosters healing on multiple levels—mental, emotional, and spiritual—empowering women to reclaim their lives in a way that feels whole and authentic.
For Martin, the work she does is deeply personal. Having experienced the effects of trauma herself, she is able to empathize with the challenges her clients face. Her personal journey—from burnout to embodied healing—shapes the way she guides others through their own healing paths.
“You have to feel to heal,” says Martin. “It’s not about fixing what’s broken. It’s about reconnecting with who you really are – before the world got its hands on you – and honoring your body and emotions in the process.”
Martin’s work is creating waves in the field of trauma recovery, and she is quickly becoming a thought leader in the space. Through her individual therapy sessions, her signature online program The Reclaim! Room, and her consulting work with healthcare organizations, she is providing a new path for women to heal trauma that is often hidden behind their success.
For women who feel they’ve been overlooked in the conversation about trauma recovery, Susan Martin offers a unique and empowering approach. Through The Reclaim Way™, Martin is showing that healing is not about pushing through, but about reclaiming the emotional freedom and authenticity that so many women have lost along the way.
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