Trauma, Treatment, and Taking Control of Your Care with Susan MarotoTrauma, Treatment, and Taking Control of Your Care with Susan Maroto
Untold Valor: Veterans Recovery in Action
Clinical social worker Susan Maroto talks with host Mark Killian about PTSD, EMDR trauma therapy, substance use, and pharmacogenomic testing for medications. The conversation focuses on veterans taking control of their care by choosing experienced therapists, asking better questions, and advocating for safer, more effective treatment options.
45:37•28 Aug 2026
Trauma Therapy, EMDR, and Taking Charge of Your Treatment with Susan Maroto
Episode Overview
- PTSD involves persistent reactions to life-threatening events, such as flashbacks and nightmares, which can continue long after a veteran returns home.
- EMDR uses rapid left-right stimulation (eyes, sounds, or taps) to help the brain process traumatic memories and can help with both “big T” and “small t” trauma.
- Trauma-focused work like EMDR can feel intense, so it’s crucial to build trust first and work with an experienced therapist rather than a brand-new clinician.
- Substance use is often a symptom of deeper pain, and some therapists, including Susan, are willing to begin EMDR without demanding complete sobriety, provided safety and support are in place.
- Pharmacogenomic (gene) testing can highlight which psychiatric medications a person may not metabolise well, helping reduce dangerous trial-and-error prescribing and serious side effects.
“"You, the patient, you are in charge. This is your body. This is your brain."”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This conversation on *Untold Valor* zooms in on veterans, trauma, and why the right treatment can change everything. Clinical social worker Susan Maroto shares over 30 years of experience working with trauma, explaining how post‑traumatic stress is very different from everyday stress, especially for those returning from combat. You’ll hear Susan break down E.M.D.R.
(Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) in plain language, from its “accidental” origins to why she calls it “the single most definitive” treatment for combat-related PTSD in many cases. She describes what an E.M.D.R. session can feel like, why it can be emotionally intense, and how it can unlock both recent and decades‑old trauma — whether that’s from the battlefield, childhood, or other painful experiences. As she puts it, once E.M.D.R.
starts, “your brain takes over.” The episode also tackles substance use head‑on. Susan rejects a rigid “you must be totally sober first” rule, saying she’d rather “take people where they are” while still making sure they’re stable enough and have support around them.
She’s clear that addictions often sit on top of deeper pain, calling them “the outward manifestation or symptom of an underlying problem.” A big chunk of the chat is devoted to pharmacogenomic testing – or, as they rebrand it for sanity’s sake, “gene testing for medications.” Susan explains how a simple cheek swab can show which drugs a person’s body may struggle to process, potentially avoiding dangerous side effects and endless trial‑and‑error with antidepressants and other psych meds.
Throughout, veterans are urged to advocate for themselves: to shop around for seasoned therapists, ask about E.M.D.R., push for gene testing, and refuse to settle for care that doesn’t feel right. If you or someone you love is juggling trauma, addiction, and confusing treatment options, could this be the nudge to take back a bit of control over your care?
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