Neuro-Affective Relational Model (NARM) Therapy in Chicago & Northbrook IL
NARM is a body-mind approach that works simultaneously across physiological, emotional, cognitive, and relational levels. It draws on somatic awareness, attachment theory, and a sophisticated understanding of how the nervous system adapts to early adversity. Distinctively, NARM is not primarily focused on the past. It is oriented toward the present moment and toward what is most alive and accessible in the person right now.
NARM identifies five core survival styles, patterns of being and relating that develop as adaptations to specific kinds of early relational difficulty. These are not diagnoses or character flaws. They were brilliant solutions to real problems. NARM holds them with deep respect while working to support greater flexibility and aliveness.
– Neil Simonton, LCSW, Midwest Counseling & Diagnostics
You are not asked to revisit traumatic narratives in detail. The focus is on what is alive right now: the ways your adaptive survival style is showing up in current life, in current relationships, and in this conversation. NARM works at the intersection of body awareness, relational attunement, and identity exploration.
- Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) and developmental trauma
- Early attachment wounds and insecure attachment patterns
- Chronic shame and profoundly negative self-perception
- Difficulty feeling present in your own body or life
- Chronic relational difficulties and repetitive attachment patterns
- Anxiety and depression with roots in early relational experience
- Disconnection from needs, emotions, or a sense of aliveness
- Patterns that have persisted despite years of other treatment
Because NARM requires specialized training, it is available through a relatively small number of practitioners.
What is NARM therapy?
NARM, which stands for Neuro-Affective Relational Model, is a body-mind therapeutic approach developed by Dr. Laurence Heller for treating complex and developmental trauma. It works simultaneously at physiological, emotional, cognitive, and relational levels, with a particular focus on how early relational wounds shape identity and the nervous system’s capacity for connection and regulation.
What is developmental trauma?
Developmental trauma refers to the cumulative impact of chronic relational adversity, neglect, or emotional misattunement in early life, particularly during critical periods of nervous system and identity development. Unlike single-incident trauma, developmental trauma tends to be relational in origin and broader in its effects, shaping a person’s fundamental sense of self, safety, and connection rather than producing discrete, event-linked symptoms.
How is NARM different from other trauma therapies?
NARM is distinctive in its simultaneous focus on the body, identity, and the therapeutic relationship as primary vehicles for change. Unlike approaches that focus primarily on symptom reduction or trauma memory processing, NARM addresses the adaptive survival patterns and identity-level impacts of developmental trauma. It is present-moment oriented rather than focused on detailed revisiting of the past.
What are the NARM survival styles?
NARM identifies five core survival styles that develop in response to unmet developmental needs: Connection, Attunement, Trust, Autonomy, and Love-Sexuality. Each style reflects a specific set of early relational circumstances and the adaptive patterns that formed in response. These survival styles are understood as protective and intelligent adaptations rather than pathology.
Is NARM available in Chicago?
Yes. Midwest Counseling & Diagnostics has NARM-trained clinicians working with adults in Chicago and Northbrook, as well as via telehealth across Illinois and many other states. Because NARM requires specialized training, availability may be more limited than more common approaches. Contact us to learn about current availability.
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