The Unconscious Mind in Healing with Dr. Brian Alman

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The Trauma Therapist Podcast with Guy MacPherson
April 20, 2026

The Trauma Therapist Podcast with Guy MacPherson raises the awareness of trauma and PTSD, and serves to inspire new trauma healers bring courage and humanity to their work.

Listen:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4uGaBPCt32K0codv8CJmR0

Brian Alman discusses his life’s work in trauma healing, emphasizing mind-body approaches, the unconscious mind, and practical solutions rooted in the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) research.

Background & Influences

  • Alman trained under Milton Erickson, shaping his focus on mind-body healing and hypnosis.
  • Collaborated for decades with Vincent Felitti at Kaiser Permanente.
  • Personal trauma (childhood neglect, parents’ divorce, chronic back pain) drove his passion to help others.

Core Philosophy

  • Trauma (from childhood or adulthood) shapes long-term mental, emotional, and physical health.
  • Healing requires more than traditional therapy—it must address the whole person:
    • Mind
    • Body
    • Emotions
    • Relationships
    • Spiritual dimension

Key Concept: The Unconscious Mind

  • Alman describes three levels:
    • Conscious → everyday awareness
    • Subconscious → critical/judging mind
    • Unconscious → deeper “inner wisdom” or “inner doctor”
  • True healing comes from accessing this unconscious level, where insight and self-healing originate.

Healing Process (Core Framework)

He outlines a step-by-step approach:

  1. Awareness
    • Identify when and how issues began
  2. Acceptance
    • Stop resisting or judging your past and symptoms
  3. Letting Go (Release)
    • Use methods like journaling, movement, meditation, etc.
  4. Work with the Inner Critic
    • Accept it instead of trying to eliminate it
  5. Access the Unconscious
    • From a calmer state, connect with inner wisdom for solutions

Tools & Techniques

  • Self-hypnosis, meditation, and mind-body practices are tools—not the final answer
  • The goal is self-trust and internal guidance, not dependence on external methods or experts

Key Insight

  • “Enlightenment” is not perfection—it’s unconditional acceptance of yourself
  • Healing is ongoing and requires daily integration of these practices

Results & Impact

  • His work (with Felitti) has shown measurable outcomes:
    • ~35% reduction in medical visits
    • ~11% reduction in emergency visits
  • Has helped tens of thousands of people and informed large-scale healthcare approaches.

Mission

  • Help people become healthier and happier by resolving root causes of stress and trauma
  • Scale this through books, teaching, and a digital app (“enlightn”) to reach millions

Advice for Therapists & Individuals

  • Do your own inner work first
  • Practice self-care to avoid burnout
  • Teach from lived experience, not just theory

Bottom Line

Alman’s message is simple but deep:

Healing comes from within—by understanding your past, accepting it, releasing it, and learning to trust your own inner wisdom.

Listen:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4uGaBPCt32K0codv8CJmR0

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