Nobody Thinks Neglect Is Trauma… But It Is

In this powerful first episode of In Conversation with Janina Fisher: Wisdom Between Colleagues—Insights for Us All, Janina Fisher, PhD, is joined by longtime friend and colleague Ruth Cohn, MFT, for a deeply moving exploration of one of the most overlooked forms of trauma: neglect. Ruth shares the origins of her groundbreaking work on neglect—what she calls “the trauma of nothing”—and invites listeners to rethink the invisible wounds carried by those who, on the surface, report no abuse or violence. Together, Janina and Ruth illuminate how missing experiences, in addition to overt events, shape our relationship templates, emotional regulation, and sense of self. This episode touches on: • The origins of Ruth’s clinical curiosity about neglect • Why “nothing happened to me” can signal a profound trauma • Intergenerational transmission of disconnection and diffuse attention • Gendered vulnerability in attachment and emotional development • The survival strategy of caregiving in children with unmet needs • The importance of attuning to implicit memory and early relational absence • A compassionate reframing of “avoidant” clients and men in therapy With warmth, clinical insight, and decades of experience between them, Ruth and Janina challenge the field to hold space for what has too often been dismissed: nothingness that shaped everything. Ruth Cohn is a psychotherapist, educator, and certified sex therapist who has spent more than four decades helping individuals and couples heal the effects of trauma on relationships, intimacy, and sexuality. An early pioneer in the study of trauma, attachment, and neuroscience, she has dedicated her career to understanding how traumatic experiences shape our capacity for connection and how healing can restore it. Ruth is widely respected for her compassionate, practical, and deeply hopeful approach to helping people create more fulfilling relationships with themselves and others. https://ruthcohnmft.com/ Janina's links Website: https://janinafisher.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjaninafis... My new book: https://www.amazon.com/Embracing-Our-...