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5 Nervous-System Errors We Make Every Holiday
17 november 2025 · 35 min
What if your holiday stress wasn't about what's happening now—but about what your nervous system remembers? Lees meer
In this episode, co-hosts Elisabeth Kristof and Jennifer Wallace unpack the neuroscience of the holidays, exploring how sensory cues like songs, smells, or family dynamics can reactivate old emotional patterns stored in the body. Together, they explain how neurotags—the networks of neurons linking memory, emotion, and physical response—shape our experience of the season and why this time of year can trigger emotional flashbacks or overwhelm.
You'll learn how to recognize when the past is replaying through your nervous system, how cycles like circadian and seasonal rhythms affect capacity, and why rest is a biological need—not a luxury. The conversation moves from emotional regulation and boundaries to post-traumatic growth, exploring how slowing down and honoring natural rhythms can transform holiday survival into healing and integration.
This episode offers neuroscience-backed practices to help you reclaim presence, build new associations with safety, and rewrite your nervous system's holiday story.
Timestamps:
0:00 – Seasonal mismatch & why holidays strain the nervous system
2:43 – What are neurotags and how they shape holiday reactions
6:39 – Emotional flashbacks: the body's real-time state shifts
10:20 – Orientation and regulation tools for holiday triggers
12:26 – Boundaries as nervous system protection
18:19 – Honoring natural cycles: seasonal, menstrual, and circadian rhythms
27:30 – Post-traumatic growth through rest, reflection, and integration
Key Takeaways:
Neurotags explain why certain holiday cues can trigger powerful emotional and physical responses.
Emotional flashbacks are not regressions—they're real-time nervous system shifts that can be regulated through awareness and sensory grounding.
Setting boundaries is a form of nervous system protection, not disconnection.
Seasonal, menstrual, and circadian rhythms all affect capacity…
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The Neuroscience of Grief: How the Brain Rewrites Safety and Self After Loss
10 november 2025 · 1 uur 5 min
What if grief isn't something to "get over," but a biological process that reshapes your sense of self, capacity, and connection? Lees meer
In this episode, co-hosts Elisabeth Kristof and Jennifer Wallace are joined by Piper Rose—founder of Shadowplay Coaching and Director of Operations and Continuing Education at NSI—to explore grief through the lens of neuroscience and the body.
Together, they examine how the brain and body respond to major transitions, why sensations like heaviness or ache are part of adaptive prediction, and how practices that mobilize breath, voice, and thoracic movement can support your physiology's innate ability to heal.
You'll hear why grief looks different for everyone—from action-oriented logistics to relational sharing—and how both are valid paths. The conversation moves through the concept of a minimum effective dose for grief work, the overlap between pain and emotional circuits, the role of co-regulation, and why meaning-making often comes later in the process.
Anger and sacred rage also get their space here—alongside pathways back to nourishment.
Whether you're navigating loss, identity transitions, or the transformations that come with growth, this episode offers grounded language, body-based tools, and community-centered practices to help you fall apart, be held, and reform with greater capacity.
Timestamps:
00:00 — Grief as a physiological process, not a problem to fix
06:30 — How the brain maps grief: interoception, prediction, pain circuits
14:10 — Two grief styles: action orientation and expressive processing
21:40 — Minimum-effective-dose grief practice and daily resourcing
29:00 — Anger inside grief, sacred rage, and safe expression
36:20 — Belonging, co-regulation, and being held by people or the earth
44:15 — Timing of meaning-making and avoiding premature silver linings
51:00 — Practical ways to start: personal, relational, and community supports
Key Takeaways:
Grief is an adaptive social-threat response that update…
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Inside the Jealous Mind: What Neuroscience Reveals About Threat, Envy, and the Drive for Connection
3 november 2025 · 59 min
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Post Traumatic Growth vs Post Traumatic Wisdom; Emotional Processing and Female Nervous System AUDIO
27 oktober 2025 · 1 uur 2 min
Functional healing isn't about bouncing back, it's about becoming more whole. In this episode of Trauma Rewired, Elisabeth Kristof and Jennifer Wallace are joined by somatic expert Veronica Rottman, founder of Soma School, to explore what happens when post-traumatic growth deepens into post-traumatic wisdom. Lees meer
Together, they unpack how healing often involves grief, identity shifts, and surrender, not just resilience and strength. You'll hear how emotions are constructed in the body, why dissociation and fawning are intelligent survival responses, and how safety is rebuilt through slow, titrated somatic experiences. We discuss how cultural narratives about "getting stronger" can overlook the body's need for modulation, rest, and relational repair.
You'll learn how capacity building is nonlinear, why co-regulation and oxytocin-based safety cues matter, and how tending to wounds rather than fixing them can transform pain into embodied wisdom.
Join us for a workshop, taking a deeper dive into Hormones, Stress and the Female Nervous System, combining applied neuroscience and somatics to support female cycles: https://neurosomaticintelligence.com/female-nervous-system-workshop/
Timestamps:
00:00 Welcome and framing: growth vs. wisdom
05:30 Emotions as predictions and survival patterning
14:00 Dissociation, boundaries, and identity shifts
22:30 Somatic titration, oxytocin, and co-regulation practices
31:00 Capacity, achievement, and health trade-offs
39:30 Reframing fawn and freeze as intelligent responses
47:00 Cyclical needs, rest, and redefining growth
54:00 Integration, tending, and systemic context
59:00 Takeaways and next steps
Key Takeaways:
Post-traumatic wisdom includes grief, ambiguity, and letting identities evolve, not only resilience.
Emotions are constructed from interoception and predictions; safety cues can update those predictions.
Small, consistent somatic doses help the system perceive more safety without overwhelm.
Fawn and freeze are a…
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Self Compassion and How The Science of Kindness Changes Your Brain
20 oktober 2025 · 50 min
In this conversation with Dr. Kristin Neff, Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas and the pioneering researcher who introduced self-compassion into modern psychology, we explore why self-esteem is a fair-weather friend while self-compassion provides steady support through challenge and failure. Dr. Neff shares how her early mindfulness practice reshaped her own relationship with shame, and how research now shows that self-criticism keeps the body's threat system active while compassion engages the brain's caregiving network—reducing cortisol, inflammation, and emotional reactivity. Lees meer
Together we examine the three pillars of self-compassion—mindfulness, common humanity, and kindness—and how these transform both personal healing and co-regulation. You'll learn about the concept of backdraft (why opening to care can surface old pain), the difference between tender and fierce compassion, and why caring for yourself actually strengthens motivation and performance.
If you've ever felt that being softer might make you weaker, this episode offers a science-based reframe: self-compassion is strength regulated.
Timestamps:
00:00 Why self-compassion matters in trauma healing
05:10 Self-compassion vs. self-esteem: stable worth vs. comparison
12:30 Three components: mindfulness, common humanity, kindness
20:45 Threat vs. care systems; shame, rumination, regulation
29:00 "Backdraft" and pacing: minimum-effective-dose practices
37:20 Tender & fierce self-compassion: soothing + boundaries
46:15 Motivation myths: keeping your edge without self-attack
55:00 Post-traumatic growth, wisdom, and everyday practices
Key Takeaways:
Self-esteem is contingent; self-compassion is unconditional. Worth isn't earned—it's acknowledged, especially when things go wrong.
Three pillars: notice suffering (mindfulness), remember you're not alone (common humanity), respond with support (kindness).
Threat vs. care: self-criticism can keep the threat system …
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The Science of Feeling Safe In Your Body
13 oktober 2025 · 1 uur 2 min
"Fake it till you make it" can keep you moving, but there is a cost. When the prefrontal cortex tries to do the job of the whole brain, it burns fuel fast, cravings rise, and coping loops take over. This episode breaks down emotional regulation as a full-body, brain-wide process, not a mindset trick. Matt Bush, lead educator at the NSI certification and founder of Next Level Neuro, joins Elisabeth and Jennifer for this fascinating covnersation. You will learn how integration across interoception, proprioception, the insula, anterior cingulate, cerebellum, and prefrontal cortex supports flexible, context-appropriate responses. We explore why shutdowns, flooding, or masking are often adaptations to threat, how sensory mismatch and modern screen habits compound dysregulation, and why big peak experiences without preparation can overwhelm rather than heal. Expect practical, trauma-informed ways to build capacity with minimum-effective-dose practices, daily nervous system hygiene, and a simple "emotional retrospect" journaling flow that plants new options for next time. If you have ever thought, "I know I am safe, but my body does not," this conversation offers science, compassion, and usable tools to reconnect brain and body. Lees meer
Timestamps:
00:00 What "fake it till you make it" costs the nervous system
05:12 What emotional regulation really is and why context matters
12:30 Integration 101: body signals, brain networks, and coordination
21:45 Everyday patterns: flooding, shutdown, perfectionism, doom-scrolling29:10 Key regions: insula, ACC, cerebellum, prefrontal cortex
36:05 Sensory mismatch, modern lifestyle, and capacity44:20 Peak somatic experiences: preparation, risk, and integration
52:00 Building capacity: daily hygiene, minimum-effective-dose practice
58:40 The "emotional retrospect" journaling protocol
1:05:00 Individual and collective growth, closing takeawaysKey Takeaways:
Emotional regulation means full-spectrum access to feelings without being hija…
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Trauma Isn't Just In Your Head (It's In Your Cells)
6 oktober 2025 · 1 uur 4 min
Trauma is not a single moment. It is an ongoing dialogue between your brain, body, and environment. In this conversation, Dr. Mbemba Jabbi explains how neuroplasticity and affective neuroscience help us understand protective patterns like hypervigilance, shutdown, and dissociation. We explore the roles of the insula, amygdala, and cingulate networks in sensing threat, shaping emotions, and connecting brain states with bodily signals such as heart, gut, and breath. Dr. Jabbi also discusses research that associates early childhood trauma, including sexual trauma, with higher inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein, while emphasizing that biology interacts with environment and change is possible. You will hear how sensory training, co-regulation, psychotherapy, and supportive practices may help repattern responses over time. This is a grounded, science-informed look at why survival strategies make sense in context and how compassionate, skills-based work can support nervous system health. If you or your clients live with complex developmental trauma, this episode offers language, frameworks, and first steps that respect lived experience and prioritize safety. Lees meer
Timestamps:
0:00 Protective patterning and repeating environments
1:00 Meet Dr. Jabbi and his research lens
7:10 Brain circuits in emotion and stress
13:20 Insula, interoception, and body-brain links
18:00 Survival values and environmental context
26:00 Adaptive suppression vs. underdevelopment
40:00 Inflammation and childhood trauma (C-reactive protein)
49:00 Treatment implications and tracking biomarkers
56:00 Fast and slow fear pathways, behavior outputs
59:50 Key takeaways for practitioners and individuals
1:02:00 Repatterning for joy and post-traumatic growth
1:03:30 Where to practice the tools in the community
Key Takeaways:
Emotions are functional survival signals that reflect whole-body states.
The insula, amygdala, and cingulate form networks that integrate sensory input with bodily …
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The Emotional Block That No One Talks About
29 september 2025 · 40 min
Have you ever drawn a blank when asked how you're feeling? Or maybe you experience constant inner buzzing, numbness, or anxiety without any words to describe it. You're not broken—and you're not alone. In this deeply informative and compassionately nuanced episode, Jennifer, Elizabeth, and guest Matt Bush unpack alexithymia: a common and often misunderstood trauma-related trait that involves difficulty identifying, describing, or connecting with emotions. Lees meer
More than emotional "numbness," alexithymia involves disrupted communication between the body and brain, making healing feel elusive. The hosts break down the neurological roots of this trait, how it differs from emotional numbing in PTSD, and why traditional talk therapy often isn't enough. You'll learn how interoceptive training—like what's taught in NeuroSomatic Intelligence (NSI)—can help bring emotional awareness back online.
Whether you're a practitioner, trauma survivor, or someone just feeling disconnected, this conversation offers hope and concrete tools to rewire the nervous system for emotional clarity, embodiment, and relational healing.
Timestamps:
0:43 – What Is Alexithymia?
3:00 – Why It's Common After Trauma
4:40 – The TAS-20 Scale: 3 Key Features
7:00 – Lived Experience + Relationship Impact
10:00 – Alexithymia vs. Emotional Numbing
14:40 – Trauma's Impact on Emotional Mapping
17:00 – Neurological Underpinnings (Insula, DMN, etc.)
20:00 – Substance Use, Shutdowns & Coping
26:00 – Functional Freeze & Stress Sensitivity
30:00 – How Neuroplasticity Supports Change
33:00 – NSI Tools for Rewiring Emotional Awareness
36:00 – Practical Steps to Start Feeling More
40:00 – Emotional Expression, Relationships & Health Outcomes
Key Takeaways:
Alexithymia is not a disorder but a trainable trait, often shaped by trauma and nervous system adaptations.
Traditional talk therapy may not fully address alexithymia due to its neurological roots—interoceptive training is key.
It differs from emotio…
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The Duality of Emotions: Why Ambivalence Isn't Confusion
22 september 2025 · 51 min
Ambivalence isn't confusion or weakness, it's your nervous system doing its job. Feeling both joy and grief, relief and loss, fear and excitement, is not dysfunction but survival wisdom. In this episode of Trauma Rewired, Elisabeth Kristof and Jennifer Wallace unpack ambivalence as a neurobiological phenomenon: how the brain and body construct emotions, why conflicting truths arise during transformation, and how to metabolize them without collapse. Lees meer
You'll learn to notice the tug-of-war between emotions, expand capacity to sit with duality, and reframe ambivalence as part of post-traumatic growth. By honoring both sides, joy and sorrow, fear and courage, you can create deeper connection with yourself and move through change with clarity and trust.
Timestamps
00:00 – Leaving Toxic Love: Relief and Grief Together
01:07 – Ambivalence Defined: Not Confusion, But Wisdom
03:07 – Brain and Body: How Emotions Are Constructed
05:42 – Building Capacity for Emotional Duality
06:39 – Transformation, Identity, and Misread Confusion
08:18 – Neuroscience of Ambivalence: Prediction, Insula, Signals
12:50 – Embodiment and Emotional Vocabulary
24:10 – Boundaries, Family Dynamics, and Attachment Chaos
27:40 – Sitting in Discomfort, Finding Safety Inside
30:59 – Loss of Identity, Grief, and Gratitude
38:08 – Joy Can Be Scary TooTopics Discussed in This Episode
Ambivalence as a nervous system signal, not self-sabotage.
Why leaving toxic relationships brings both relief and grief.
How emotions are constructed in the brain and body.
Expanding capacity for emotional regulation and duality.
The role of interoception and emotional vocabulary in healing.
Transformation and identity shifts as triggers for ambivalence.
Attachment needs versus authenticity during change.
Why joy and fear often arise together.
Practical strategies to metabolize ambivalence and grow.
Ambivalence as a gateway to post-traumatic growth.
🔗 Resources:
🎯 Start Here
FREE 2-week nervous system training: …
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When Attachment Overrides Authenticity: The Fawn Trauma Response
15 september 2025 · 56 min
Fawn is a nervous system survival strategy, not a personality flaw. It helps you keep connection and avoid threat by overriding your needs, smiling through discomfort, and saying yes when you want to say no. In this episode of Trauma Rewired, Elisabeth Kristof and Jennifer Wallace unpack how fawn forms around attachment and safety, why it shows up in daily life and in sex, and how to gently rebuild self trust. Lees meer
You will learn to notice gut and throat signals that precede a reflexive yes, set small boundaries without collapse, and grow capacity to feel both the difficult and the good, so connection can be real, not a performance.
Topics Discussed in This Episode:
Rebuilding trust with the body – learning to honor yes/no signals, expanding capacity for both positive and negative feelings.
Definition of the fawn trauma response – people pleasing, keeping peace, self-abandonment to preserve attachment.
Nervous system mechanisms – how fawn is not just psychological but a survival adaptation deeply wired into the body.
Everyday patterns of fawning – saying yes when you want to say no, constant smiling, hugging, avoiding conflict, relational perfectionism.
Impact on relationships – depletion, shame, freeze states, loss of authenticity, confusing real connection with trauma responses.
Attachment vs authenticity (Gabor Maté concept) – how children often sacrifice authenticity to maintain attachment.
Personal trauma story (kidnapping experience) – how fawn played a role in survival and how fight/flight responses eventually emerged.
Sexual fawning – difficulties with consent, disconnect between cognitive yes and bodily no, patterns of unsafe or unwanted intimacy.
Healing practices – developing awareness of body signals, small boundary setting, self-compassion, nervous system regulation, emotional release practices.
Outcome of healing – creating genuine connection with self, others, and the environment rather than survival-based attachment.
🔗 Resources:
🎯 Start He…
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The Freeze and Flop Trauma Responses and What's Really Happening in Your Nervous System
8 september 2025 · 55 min
Functional freeze is not laziness. It is a learned survival strategy that lets you function on the outside while feeling numb or shut down on the inside. In this episode of Trauma Rewired, Elisabeth Kristof and Jennifer Wallace unpack freeze, tonic immobility, and flop, and show how functional freeze can look like "getting by" while feeling numb inside. Lees meer
They map the differences between freeze and burnout, explain why interoception goes offline, and share gentle, minimum-effective-dose practices to thaw safely and rebuild capacity..
You will learn how chronic stress blunts interoception, why your voice disappears in hard conversations, how shame loops keep the pattern in place, and why high performers often miss freeze because it hides behind perfectionism and people pleasing.
Topics Discussed in This Episode:
The freeze spectrum, acute freeze, tonic immobility, flop
Functional freeze vs burnout
Interoception and emotional numbness
Relationship patterns, shutdown, flat affect, rupture and repair
Language masking, shame loops, lost voice
High performers, people pleasing, perfectionism, hidden freeze
Whole system view, not only the vagus nerve
Minimum effective dose, breath, voice, tiny mobilizations
Resourcing and capacity building before big emotional work
From dissociation to embodiment and agency
🔗 Resources:
🎯 Start Here
FREE 2-week nervous system training: https://www.rewiretrial.com
Learn more about Neurosomatic Intelligence Coaching: https://www.neurosomaticintelligence.com
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YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TraumaRewired
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Trauma Rewired podcast is intended to educate and inform but does not constitute medical, psychological or other professi…
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High Performers and the Hidden Cost of Emotional Repression
1 september 2025 · 53 min
Emotional repression is often invisible to high performers, and it can be one of the biggest barriers to sustainable success. In this episode of Trauma Rewired, we explore how trauma-shaped survival responses like fight, flight, freeze, and fawn can create patterns of overwork, perfectionism, and emotional disconnection. Lees meer
You'll learn how subconscious repression differs from conscious suppression, how shame and perfectionism drive overachievement, and why even big business milestones can feel hollow when your nervous system isn't safe enough to process emotions.
Our guest, Margy Feldhuhn, shares her journey from multi–seven-figure business growth fueled by survival patterns to building capacity for joy, presence, and connection through Neurosomatic Intelligence (NSI) tools and regular emotional processing.
We break down the health risks, relational costs, and business consequences of chronic repression and give you strategies to expand your emotional capacity so you can actually enjoy the success you've built.
Timestamps
00:00 – Why Anger Matters and the Cost of Suppression
04:06 – Honoring Anger and Boundaries
06:06 – How Chronic Fight Shows Up in Life
09:45 – Early Conditioning and Nervous System Patterns
13:00 – Trauma, Parentification, and the Fight Response
15:43 – Impact on Relationships and Work
21:21 – The Neuroscience of the Fight Response
31:41 – Physical and Health Effects of Chronic Fight
39:28 – Anger vs. Chronic Fight: Key Differences
42:09 – Processing Anger Safely
49:36 – Boundaries, Regulation, and Aligned Action
53:38 – Final Takeaway: Fight as Pattern, Anger as CompassTopics Discussed in This Episode:
How trauma survival responses show up in high performers
The difference between suppression and repression
The role of shame and perfectionism in overachievement
Why business milestones can feel empty
How repression impacts health, relationships, and leadership capacity
Emotional hygiene for sustainable success
Recognizing survival patt…
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The Flight Trauma Response, Fear, and Your Nervous System Explained
25 augustus 2025 · 36 min
Ready to break free from burnout and self-sabotage?
Join The Capacity Gap Workshop, register FREE at https://rewirecapacity.com Lees meerThe flight response is often misunderstood as weakness or avoidance, but it's actually a deeply wired survival strategy shaped by fear and trauma. In this episode of Trauma Rewired, we uncover how the nervous system uses constant motion, through overwork, hustle, and productivity, to escape from internal sensations and emotions that once felt unsafe.
You'll learn how fear disguises itself as discipline, why rest feels threatening to high performers, and how chronic busyness creates a false sense of safety while eroding health and connection. From neuroscience to personal stories, Jennifer Wallace and Elisabeth Kristof explain the mechanisms of the flight response, its roots in trauma, and the protective role it sometimes plays.
Most importantly, we share practical somatic tools to slow down, regulate the nervous system, and reclaim fear as a signal for presence and alignment, not something to outrun.
00:00 – Running from internal sensations, not others
00:24 – Busyness and productivity as avoidance
00:43 – Slowing down in somatic therapy
01:33 – Hustler identity and chronic overdoing
02:25 – Flight tied to fear of stillness
03:11 – Welcome to Trauma Rewired
04:15 – Flight patterns: urgency, overscheduling, avoidance
05:13 – When flight signals misalignment
07:46 – Flight as protection against overstimulation
09:31 – Brain-body mechanics of flight
11:50 – Fear bypassed as weakness
13:10 – Trauma and structural reinforcement of flight
15:36 – Movement replacing emotion
17:35 – Somatic healing requires slowing down
18:32 – Signs of inward-directed flight
19:55 – Disconnection from body cues (hunger, fatigue)
23:39 – Somatic regulation steps and tools
25:53 – Fear as primal protective signal
28:12 – Regulation tools to create space between sensation and action
31:24 – Stillness and vulnerability as safety
32:16 – Somatic release of fear: f… -
The Neuroscience of the Fight Trauma Response, Anger, and Boundaries
18 augustus 2025 · 55 min
Ready to break free from burnout and self-sabotage?
Join The Capacity Gap Workshop, register FREE at https://rewirecapacity.com Lees meerThe fight response is often misunderstood as a personality flaw, but it's actually a deeply wired survival adaptation shaped by past experiences and trauma. In this episode of Trauma Rewired, we explore the difference between healthy, time-bound anger and the chronic fight state, how they're created in the brain and body, and why learning to process anger is essential for emotional safety and healthy connection.
You'll learn how the amygdala, hypothalamus, periaqueductal gray, insular cortex, and prefrontal cortex interact during a fight response, and how trauma can train the brain to see threat everywhere. We break down the health consequences of chronic fight, the relational patterns it creates, and why suppression of anger doesn't make it go away — it stores it in the body.
From personal stories to neuroscience, this conversation offers tools to recognize the signals of fight mode, regulate your state, and reclaim anger as a clarifying force for setting boundaries and protecting what matters — without living in constant defense mode.
Timestamps
00:00 – Why Anger Matters and the Cost of Suppression
04:06 – Honoring Anger and Boundaries
06:06 – How Chronic Fight Shows Up in Life
09:45 – Early Conditioning and Nervous System Patterns
13:00 – Trauma, Parentification, and the Fight Response
15:43 – Impact on Relationships and Work
21:21 – The Neuroscience of the Fight Response
31:41 – Physical and Health Effects of Chronic Fight
39:28 – Anger vs. Chronic Fight: Key Differences
42:09 – Processing Anger Safely
49:36 – Boundaries, Regulation, and Aligned Action
53:38 – Final Takeaway: Fight as Pattern, Anger as CompassTopics Discussed in This Episode:
The difference between healthy anger and the chronic fight response
How trauma conditions the nervous system for constant defense
The role of the amygdala, hypothalamus, PAG, insula, and…
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Working with Neuroplasticity and Neurosomatics to Rewire Emotional Resilience in your Nervous System
15 augustus 2025 · 46 min
Your brain is constantly scanning your body and environment, deciding in split seconds whether you're safe or unsafe, and those decisions shape everything from your emotions to your physical health. In this episode, we dive into Applied Neurology and Neuro Somatics, revealing how targeted sensory training can rewire your nervous system for greater safety, resilience, and growth. Lees meer
You'll discover the science of neuroplasticity, the impact of sensory deficits, and how trauma reshapes the brain's interpretations. We break down the Inputs–Interpretations–Outputs framework, the Stress Bucket model, and the concept of "neuro tags" that keep old patterns alive, plus practical, high-payoff tools to shift your state in real time.
From understanding how systems like vision, balance, proprioception, and interoception influence your thoughts and emotions, to applying daily practices for regulation, this episode blends deep science with actionable strategies.
Whether you're a practitioner seeking to integrate nervous system work into your practice or someone ready to move from survival mode into growth and performance, you'll find a clear, practical guide to retraining your brain for safety, adaptability, and lasting change
Topics discussed in this episode:
How to rewire the nervous system for resilience and growth
The Inputs–Interpretations–Outputs framework for nervous system health
How sensory deficits impact pain, anxiety, and emotional regulation
Using neuroplasticity for trauma healing and behavioral change
The Stress Bucket model for understanding overwhelm and shutdown
Higg-payoff tools to shift nervous system states instantly
How to train vision, balance, proprioception, and interoception
Why clear sensory data creates emotional safety
How neuro tags keep you stuck in survival mode
Daily nervous system training for long-term regulation
🔗 Resources:
🎯 Start Here
FREE 2-week nervous system training: https://www.rewiretrial.com
Learn more about Neurosomat…
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How Trauma Lives in the Body and Why Heal Your Nervous System
11 augustus 2025 · 45 min
What if your constant stress, emotional triggers, and exhaustion aren't a mindset problem, but a sign your nervous system is stuck in survival mode? Lees meer
In this episode of Trauma Rewired, we explore the science of nervous system reset, nervous system regulation, and how to restore the nervous system after chronic stress and trauma. Jennifer Wallace and Elisabeth Kristof unpack how the autonomic nervous system governs your reactions, why trauma is stored as patterns in the body, and how to begin the process of nervous system recovery without forcing or overwhelming yourself.
You'll learn how the sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest) branches work together, why dysregulation is not a personal failure, and how practices like movement, breathwork, and interoception can help you regulate more effectively. This conversation also covers the difference between "big T" and "small T" trauma, why nervous system healing requires both individual and collective approaches, and how to build resilience so you can meet life's challenges without staying stuck in survival mode.
This episode is both a science-backed education and a compassionate guide for anyone ready to experience a genuine nervous system reset.
Timestamps
00:00 – Triggers and the Nervous System
02:15 – The Nervous System as the Body's Operating System
05:35 – Autonomic Nervous System and Stress Responses
08:30 – Sympathetic vs. Parasympathetic States
12:05 – Nervous System States and Emotional Patterns
16:50 – Triggers as Nervous System Reset Opportunities
18:05 – The Stress Response and Survival Mode
23:25 – Trauma and Nervous System Dysregulation
28:40 – Chronic and Complex Trauma Effects
36:10 – Emotional Processing for Nervous System HealingTopics discussed in this episode:
How to restore the nervous system after chronic stress and trauma
How nervous system regulation improves emotional resilience and physical health
How the autonomic nervous system works (sympathetic vs. para…
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How the Nervous system translates emotions into symptoms
4 augustus 2025 · 38 min
What if the emotions you were never allowed to feel are the same ones making you sick? Lees meer
In this powerful episode of Trauma Rewired, we explore the lifelong impact of emotional neglect and suppression, and why emotional processing is often the hardest part of healing. From childhood modeling to nervous system adaptations, Jennifer Wallace and Elisabeth Kristof break down how early emotional neglect leads to emotional insecurity, chronic shame, and deep patterns of dysregulation that affect everything from gut health to fatigue.
We unpack how the nervous system stores repressed feelings like sadness and anger, and why "not feeling" is a survival pattern, not a personal failure. This episode walks you through how emotional repression becomes muscle tension, immune suppression, and gut dysfunction, and what you can do to begin feeling again.
You'll learn gentle, neuro-somatic practices—like tapping, swaying, and interoceptive awareness—that help you mobilize emotions safely, access your inner signals, and rebuild your capacity to feel. This is not about forcing your way through; it's about creating the conditions where your nervous system finally says, "It's safe now."
This episode is a compassionate guide to the emotional labor you never got to do—and the healing that begins when you finally do.
Topics discussed in this episode:
● The connection between emotional neglect and emotional insecurity
● Why emotional processing is stored in the nervous system—not just the mind
● How repression contributes to chronic pain, immune dysfunction, and gut issues
● Understanding shame, freeze, and the reflex to shut down
● Gentle tools for mobilizing emotion: tapping, swaying, movement
● How to train interoception and recognize internal signals
● What chronic fatigue may be telling you emotionally
● The emotional roots of "numbness" and "overwhelm"
● Why your body is holding what your mind avoided
● How to rewire your nervous system to feel safely
● Why healing is about expan… -
Sexual Abuse and Shame: How Trauma Shapes the Body and Boundaries
28 juli 2025 · 1 uur 2 min
Shame doesn't live in your head, it lives in your body. In this deeply vulnerable and enlightening episode, somatic practitioner Luis Mojica returns to Trauma Rewired to share the biological impact of trauma, the hidden costs of fawning, and how embodiment is not about peace, it's about presence. Lees meer
Together, we explore how unprocessed shame can drive chronic inflammation, gut dysfunction, and boundary collapse, long after the traumatic event has passed. Luis also shares his own story of sexual trauma, dissociation, and how learning to support his constriction, rather than push through it, changed his life.
We discuss how trauma responses like shame and fawning were once protective, and why repatterning happens not through digging up the past, but by feeling what's here now.
This episode offers hope, clarity, and tangible insights for anyone healing from trauma, struggling with burnout, or navigating the complexities of somatic work.
Topics discussed in this episode:
Why shame is physically stressful to the body
The connection between shame, inflammation, and the gut
How fawning breaks your own boundaries to gain connection
Why trauma healing is not about digging up the past
Embodiment ≠ Peace — what it really means
The power of witnessing and being witnessed
Trauma's impact on autoimmune responses
Constriction as a nervous system signal
The somatic difference between memory and sensation
Why burnout happens from emotional override
The role of titration in safe, sustainable healing
How supporting constriction expands capacity
What boundaries mean in the body — and how to set them
🔗 Learn More & Links
🎓 Explore the Neurosomatic Intelligence Coaching Certification:
https://neurosomaticintelligence.com/🎓 Free 2-week nervous system training trial:
https://www.rewiretrial.com📚 Learn more about Luis Mojica:
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The Female Nervous System: Built For Bonding, Conditioned For Survival
25 juli 2025 · 54 min
Did you know that women are twice as likely to experience depression, yet less than 40 percent of research includes them? This statistic is staggering, highlighting society's inadequate attention to women's mental health and the complexities of their nervous systems. Often overlooked in scientific studies, women's experiences, particularly regarding menstrual cycles, create significant gaps in understanding their physiological, emotional, and hormonal health. This omission, influenced by societal conditioning and patriarchal suppression, leads to misdiagnosis, unanswered questions, and pervasive shame.However, there's a growing shift towards understanding the female nervous system. Lees meer
In today's episode, Elisabeth and Jennifer are joined by Veronica Rottman, founder of Soma School and an expert in somatics and the female nervous system, to explore how the female nervous system is uniquely structured and the challenges women face because of it. Their conversation dives deep into the complex science of hormones and societal influences, uncovering how these factors contribute to shame and perfectionism among women. They also examine the male-centric approach of mental health and medical systems, which often overlook—and even demonize—the female experience.
From an early age, women are conditioned to feel shame about their bodies and emotions. However, a growing awareness is challenging these outdated norms. This shift is essential for uncovering the root causes of many mental and physical health issues that are unique to the female nervous system.
If this resonates with you and you'd like to learn more, tune in!
Topics discussed in this episode:
Veronica's journey to healing her own nervous system through somatic practices
The history and evolution of women's health
Understanding the multilayered and complex nature of the female nervous system
The differences between oxytocin and dopamine
An exploration of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)
The role of a dy…
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The Neuroscience Behind Chronic Pain and Trauma
21 juli 2025 · 52 min
Explore the Neurosomatic Intelligence Coaching Certification: https://neurosomaticintelligence.com/ Lees meer
Chronic pain isn't just about injury, it's a whole-body experience shaped by your brain, nervous system, and unresolved trauma. In this episode of Trauma Rewired, Elisabeth Kristof and Jennifer Wallace are joined by Matt Bush, educator and founder of Next Level Neuro, to unpack the neuroscience of pain. Together, they explore how chronic pain is often a protective output from a dysregulated nervous system, not a sign of damage, but of danger.
Through stories, science, and powerful reframes, you'll learn why pain persists even when tissue damage has healed, and how complex trauma and emotional suppression play a major role. The conversation covers neurotags, interoception, perfectionism, dissociation, and the tools needed to rewire the brain's pain pathways — offering hope for those living in pain and practitioners looking for deeper healing frameworks.
This is a must-watch for anyone who experiences chronic pain, works with trauma, or wants to understand the body's hidden survival strategies.
Topics discussed in this episode:
Why chronic pain is an output, not just a symptom
The neuroscience of pain: neurotags, predictions, and protection
How trauma wires the brain for pain
Why people with high ACE scores are more likely to develop chronic pain
The link between dissociation, perfectionism, and pain
Emotional repression as a driver of chronic pain
What interoception tells us about the pain loop
Central sensitization and why the brain gets "louder" over time
The connection between complex PTSD and somatic symptoms
Why emotional expression is key to nervous system healing
How somatic work, movement, and neuro tools can rewire pain pathways
Why chronic pain relief is possible — but multifactorial
🔗 Learn More & Links
🎓 Explore the Neurosomatic Intelligence Coaching Certification:
https://neurosomaticintelligence.com/🎓 Free 2-week nervous system traini…
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Why Perfectionism Feels Like Survival for the Rejection-Sensitive Brain
14 juli 2025 · 46 min
Explore the Neurosomatic Intelligence Coaching Certification: https://neurosomaticintelligence.com/ Lees meer
What if perfectionism isn't ambition, but a nervous system reflex for survival? In this episode of Trauma Rewired, we're joined by returning guest Piper Rose of ShadowPlay Coaching to explore perfectionism and rejection sensitivity through a neuroscience and trauma-informed lens.
We reframe perfectionism as a high-cost survival strategy rooted in complex trauma, societal conditioning, and early nervous system adaptations. Together, Elisabeth Kristof, Jennifer Wallace, and Piper unpack how perfectionistic behaviors can emerge as reflexive responses to rejection sensitivity dysphoria (RSD), relational trauma, and the need for social safety.
You'll learn the neurobiology of rejection, the health costs of chronic perfectionism, and how to shift from performance and people-pleasing into embodied wholeness. The episode offers practical tools and empowering frameworks for understanding the somatic roots of perfectionism and reclaiming your internal safety and authenticity.
This is a deeply validating conversation for anyone who's ever felt like they had to earn love, approval, or belonging through being "perfect."
Topics discussed in this episode:
Why perfectionism is a survival response, not a personality trait
How rejection sensitivity forms in the nervous system
The difference between perfectionism and growth-oriented excellence
Why our brains respond to social rejection like physical pain
The "garden" metaphor for complex trauma and coping
How societal systems reinforce performance-based self-worth
Chronic illness and the cost of emotional suppression
The link between self-sacrifice and autoimmune conditions
Why the nervous system must be regulated before healing perfectionism
How somatic work shifts self-rejection into self-acceptance
The paradox of people-pleasing and codependency
Reclaiming energy and creativity from high-resource coping mechanisms
…
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What is Parentification? A nervous system deep dive
7 juli 2025 · 37 min
Explore the Neurosomatic Intelligence Coaching Certification: https://neurosomaticintelligence.com/ Lees meer
What if the invisible responsibilities you carried as a child are still shaping your adult life?
In this episode of Trauma Rewired, we explore parentification—a hidden form of childhood trauma where children are forced to become the emotional or physical caretakers of their parents. Whether you managed your parent's emotions or became "the responsible one" too early, these patterns can wire your nervous system for survival rather than safety—and the impact is long-term.
Jennifer Wallace and Elisabeth Kristof unpack how emotional and instrumental parentification lead to chronic stress, emotional repression, gut dysfunction, and deeply rooted perfectionism. You'll learn why healing isn't about changing your parents, but about reclaiming autonomy in your own nervous system through boundary setting, grief integration, and somatic repatterning.
We break down how these early adaptations become nervous system defaults—like freeze, fawn, and shame—and how to begin shifting them using neuro-somatic tools that regulate stress, restore connection, and return you to your body.
This episode is both validating and empowering: you are not broken—you were overloaded. And healing starts when you stop carrying what was never yours to hold.
Topics discussed in this episode:
● What parentification is and why it's often invisible
● The difference between emotional and instrumental parentification
● How parentification leads to chronic shame, perfectionism, and nervous system dysregulation
● The impact of childhood stress on gut health and inflammation
● How emotional repression starts in childhood and lives in the body
● Why boundaries feel threatening—but are essential for healing
● The link between freeze, fawn, and CPTSD
● How nervous system repatterning rewires your relational responses
● The role of somatic practice in processing stored grief and guilt
● Why your healing won't… -
Fear Memory, The Brain, And The Roots of PTSD
30 juni 2025 · 44 min
Why do some people develop PTSD after trauma while others recover? What if it's not about the trauma itself, but the state of your nervous system when it happens? Lees meer
In this episode of Trauma Rewired, we're joined again by Matt Bush, founder of Next Level Neuro and a lead educator in the Neurosomatic Intelligence program, for a deep dive into the latest PTSD research and how it's reshaping what we know about trauma, memory, and healing.
We explore how traumatic memories start out as broad fear associations, and why the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex are essential for integrating those experiences into coherent, time-specific memories. We break down the overlap between PTSD and CPTSD, how trauma affects neurodevelopment in childhood and adulthood, and why nervous system regulation is essential for trauma recovery.
You'll learn how practices like somatic movement and proprioceptive training build the brain's capacity to reprocess fear, improve emotional regulation, and create real, lasting change.
This episode offers a powerful reframe: healing trauma isn't about reliving the past, it's about training the nervous system to safely reintegrate it.
Topics discussed in this episode:
● Why PTSD doesn't depend on the event itself
● How fear memories are stored in the brain
● The role of the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex
● Differences between PTSD and complex PTSD
● How anxiety disrupts fear memory integration
● The brain's adaptive outputs: what symptoms really mean
● Why CPTSD is rooted in relational trauma
● Cerebellum's surprising role in emotional regulation
● Somatic tools to activate memory integration
● How movement helps rewire trauma responses
● Creating safety for nervous system reintegrationExplore the Neurosomatic Intelligence Coaching program:
https://www.neurosomatic.com/leadershipGet started training your nervous system with our FREE 2-week offer on the Brain Based Membership site:
https://www.rewiretrial.comFind Trauma Rewired on YouTube:
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Overstimulated, Overwhelmed, Misunderstood; ADHD through the Neurosomatic Lens
23 juni 2025 · 50 min
When we think of ADHD, we often define it as a list of symptoms: distractibility, impulsivity, hyperactivity. But what if this view is incomplete? What if ADHD is not a deficit at all, but an intelligent set of adaptations your nervous system made to survive in a world that didn't feel safe? Lees meer
In this episode of Trauma Rewired, we're joined by Mari De Luna, certified Neuro-Somatic Intelligence practitioner and trauma coach specializing in neurodivergent clients. Mari sits down with Elisabeth and Jennifer for a deep and practical conversation about how ADHD patterns, from time blindness and emotional dysregulation to addiction and sensory overwhelm, are rooted in nervous system adaptations, and how healing begins with honoring those patterns, not fighting them.
Together, we explore why ADHD is not an attention disorder but a regulation disorder, how sensory processing differences impact burnout and fatigue, and why tools like proprioceptive training and nervous system regulation are game-changing for ADHD healing. Mari also shares her personal experiences of managing ADHD, burnout, and coping mechanisms, and how reframing these patterns as survival intelligence changed her life.
This episode is not about fixing ADHD. It's about building compassion for your nervous system, learning to regulate and resource it, and understanding that you can thrive with your neurodivergence, not in spite of it.
If you've struggled with overwhelm, chronic burnout, time blindness, or addictive coping patterns, this conversation offers hope, tools, and a new way to see your brain and body.
Topics discussed in this episode:
● Why ADHD is a nervous system adaptation
● The sensory overwhelm driving ADHD patterns
● How time blindness and burnout are linked to sensory processing
● Emotional dysregulation as a nervous system response
● Complex trauma's impact on executive function
● ADHD, addiction, and coping behaviors
● Proprioceptive training and prefrontal cortex activation
● How to bui… -
The Hidden Link Between Trauma and Autoimmune Disease
21 juni 2025 · 50 min
When we think of autoimmune disease, we often hear the same story: the body is attacking itself. But what if that view is incomplete? What if autoimmune patterns are not self-attack, but an intelligent protective response of a nervous system shaped by trauma, chronic stress, and relational wounding? Lees meer
In this episode of Trauma Rewired, we're joined by Anna Gieselman, neuro-somatic practitioner and founder of Beyond Functional. Anna sits down with Elisabeth and Jennifer for a powerful, eye-opening conversation about how trauma, attachment wounds, toxic shame, and boundary violations condition the immune system and shape autoimmune responses, and why nervous system-first healing is essential for lasting change.
Together, we explore how relational trauma and suppressed emotions fuel chronic inflammation, why boundaries are critical for immune health, and how shame responses become embodied drivers of disease. Anna also shares her personal journey of healing from lupus, and how nervous system regulation, emotional processing, and boundary repair changed her relationship with her body and her health.
This episode is not about blaming yourself for illness or fighting your body. It's about honoring your body's wisdom, understanding the survival intelligence beneath autoimmune patterns, and building the capacity to heal from the inside out.
If you've struggled with chronic illness, emotional repression, toxic shame, or boundary repair, this conversation offers a compassionate, grounded lens to understand your experience — and new tools for healing.
Topics discussed in this episode:
● Why autoimmune is not self-attack
● How trauma and attachment wounds drive immune dysregulation
● The role of chronic stress in autoimmune flare-ups
● Boundaries, self-abandonment, and immune dysfunction
● How shame fuels inflammation and disease
● Emotional repression and autoimmune patterns
● How to support immune healing through nervous system work
● Why emotional expression reduces inf… -
The Untold Overlap of Autism, ADHD, and Complex Trauma
16 juni 2025 · 52 min
When we think of autism, ADHD, or even trauma, we often place them in separate boxes, as distinct diagnoses with different treatment paths. But what if the reality is far more connected? What if complex trauma itself is a form of neurodivergence? What if masking, sensory overwhelm, and dissociation are not flaws to be fixed, but intelligent adaptations of a nervous system doing its best to survive? Lees meer
In this episode of Trauma Rewired, we're joined by Dr. Megan Anna Neff, clinical psychologist, author of Self-Care for Autistic People, and co-host of the Divergent Conversations podcast. Dr. Neff sits down with Elisabeth and Jennifer for a powerful, eye-opening conversation about the deep overlap between autism, ADHD, complex PTSD, and sensory processing challenges and why embracing this intersection is key to healing and self-acceptance.
Together, we explore how trauma shapes the neurodivergent brain, why so many autistic women remain undiagnosed, and how dissociation and emotional shutdowns are often rooted in sensory overload. Dr. Neff also shares her personal journey of late-diagnosed autism and ADHD, and the life-changing reframes that helped her make sense of her body and nervous system.
This episode is not about pathologizing difference. It's about honoring the body's wisdom, reframing trauma as adaptation, and understanding why a nervous system-first approach to healing is essential.
If you've struggled with masking, emotional dysregulation, chronic dissociation, or a lifetime of "being too much" or "not enough," this conversation offers a compassionate, grounded lens to view your experience, and new possibilities for healing.
Topics discussed in this episode:
● Masking: the hidden labor of social camouflage
● Why complex trauma is a form of neurodivergence
● Sensory trauma, sensory overload, and emotional shutdowns
● Dissociation as a protective nervous system response
● The gender gap in autism diagnosis and late identification
● How trauma and neurodiver… -
Rewiring Shame, Stress & Survival Patterns: Season 4 Closeout
9 juni 2025 · 1 uur 8 min
We often think of trauma healing as a personal journey, a solitary path shaped by diagnosis, insight, and effort. But what if true transformation isn't cognitive at all? What if the real healing starts in the nervous system, in the body, and in community? Lees meer
In this powerful close to Season 4 of Trauma Rewired, Elisabeth Kristof and Jennifer Wallace reflect on the deepest insights and recurring themes that shaped this season: from chronic stress and burnout to neurodivergence, from shame and diagnosis to collective trauma, relational wounds, and the overlooked power of rest.
This episode weaves together the threads of what you've heard all season and invites you to begin integrating, not just understanding, what healing really means. Elisabeth and Jennifer share personal stories, emerging neuroscience, and lived somatic wisdom to reveal why regulation, emotional expression, and safety are not just tools, but the foundation of post-traumatic growth.
They also share what's next in Season 5, including a deeper dive into the emotional landscape, exploring feelings like grief, disgust, jealousy, and joy, as well as the science and practices behind post-traumatic growth.
This is not just a season recap. It's an embodied invitation to pause, reflect, and rewire.
Topics discussed in this episode:
● Why chronic stress affects memory, presence, and cognition
● Functional freeze, burnout, and the myth of personal failure
● Neurodivergence as adaptation,not disorder
● The hidden role of shame in diagnosis and illness
● Emotional repression, chronic pain, and digestive issues
● Complex trauma as a pattern of sensory processing
● The body as the holder of systemic oppression and ideology
● Addiction, sexual trauma, and the survival response
● The necessity of interoceptive accuracy for true healing
● Why healing is not personal,it's collective and relational
● Integration as an ongoing daily practice
● Post-traumatic growth and reclaiming your inner capacity
● What's coming i… -
Trauma, Gut Function, and How Emotional Regulation Impacts Healing
2 juni 2025 · 49 min
We often think of gut health as a matter of diet. What we eat, how we digest, and how we eliminate. But what if your digestive issues, bloating, or IBS symptoms aren't just physical? What if your gut is holding onto unprocessed emotional trauma, stress, and nervous system dysregulation? Lees meer
In this episode of Trauma Rewired, we're joined by Christy Nault, a root cause health practitioner and founder of Hormone Glow Up and Microflow Healing. Christy sits down with Elisabeth and Jennifer for a powerful conversation about the connection between trauma and gut health, and how healing begins not with food, but with safety in the nervous system.
Together, we explore how chronic stress, childhood trauma, and perfectionism deplete our minerals, disrupt digestion, and throw off our hormones, metabolism, and mental health. Christy shares her own story of living with POTS, IBS, endometriosis, and mass cell activation syndrome, and how her recovery began through parasite cleansing, circadian rhythm regulation, and somatic healing.
This episode isn't about a one-size-fits-all gut protocol. It's about understanding the gut-brain connection, why your symptoms may keep returning, and how nervous system regulation, emotional integration, and personalized healing can restore your health from the inside out.
If you've struggled with leaky gut, autoimmune symptoms, histamine intolerance, or protocols that didn't work, this conversation offers a grounded, compassionate path forward.
Topics discussed in this episode:
● The gut as an emotional and sensory organ
● How chronic stress depletes minerals and slows digestion
● Parasite cleansing and root-cause gut healing
● Why top-down protocols often fail without nervous system regulation
● The impact of childhood trauma on long-term health
● Gut-brain axis, emotional suppression, and vagal tone
● Circadian rhythms, blue light, and hormonal regulation
● Emotional digestion vs. food digestion
● Somatic tools for safe and effective h…
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How Structural Trauma Impacts Your Nervous System: From Birth to Collective Healing
26 mei 2025 · 48 min
We often think of trauma as a deeply personal experience, shaped by our childhood, relationships, and emotional wounds. But what if some of our deepest pain didn't start with us? What if trauma is embedded in the very systems we're born into - our medical institutions, cultural ideologies, and societal norms? Lees meer
In today's episode, we're joined by Dr. Tayla Shanaye, somatic therapist, scholar, and expert in birth trauma and structural oppression. Tayla joins Elisabeth and Jennifer for a powerful exploration of how ideologies like white supremacy, patriarchy, and ableism don't just shape policies, they live in our bodies, shaping how we birth, connect, and heal.
Together, they discuss the medicalization of childbirth, the systemic invalidation of birthing bodies, and how trauma is passed down generationally through embodied experiences. This episode invites us to look at birth as more than a physical event, it's a moment of transformation, a portal, and for many, a site of trauma that is rarely acknowledged.
Tayla also shares deeply personal stories of pregnancy, birth, and healing, highlighting the need for preparation, integration, and community-based support to create a culture where somatic safety and agency are the norm. You'll hear how nervous system awareness, collective ritual, and somatic abolitionism can radically change how we relate to our bodies and to each other.
If you've ever felt broken by birth, silenced in your experience, or curious about how deep healing begins at the structural level, this episode is for you.
Topics discussed in this episode:
● The medicalization of birth and its traumatic impact
● Why trauma is systemic—not just personal
● How ideologies like racism and patriarchy are embodied
● The role of the nervous system in healing generational trauma
● Somatic healing and reclaiming bodily agency
● Historical roots of obstetric violence and experimentation
● The missing rituals of birth preparation and integration
● How voice, safety, … -
What It Takes To Heal: Embodiment, Collective Trauma, and the Power of Presence
23 mei 2025 · 47 min
We often think of healing as an individual journey—going inward to process unresolved trauma,
grief, and pain from our past. But what about collective trauma, grief, and pain? We rarely
consider the healing that must take place beyond ourselves, addressing the unprocessed
wounds we carry as a community. True healing requires creating safety both within and around
us, allowing us to move beyond our personal experiences and contribute to something greater
than our own individual worlds. Lees meerOn today's episode, we're joined by embodiment facilitator, political organizer, therapist, and
podcast host, Prentis Hemphill. As the founder of The Embodiment Institute and The Black
Embodiment Initiative, and host of Becoming The People, Prentis brings deep wisdom and
presence to the conversation. They sit down with Elisabeth and Jennifer for a powerful
discussion on healing in community, the role of embodiment in collective transformation, and the
challenges of accountability.Prentis also shares invaluable insights on navigating fear, processing collective grief, and
staying grounded in truth—especially when sharing your gifts with the world on a larger scale.
On Trauma Rewired, often discuss how embodiment and healing requires repetition, practice,
and safe spaces. It also takes courage—especially when facilitating collective healing. Prentis
embodies this work in a profound way, so don't miss today's episode to hear their insights and
much more!Topics discussed in this episode:
● How embodiment unfolds uniquely for each individual
● The healing journey as a shared, communal experience
● Barriers to accountability and how to navigate them
● The nervous system's role in shaping our ability to relate, reflect, and grow
● How Prentis balances visibility with safety and grounding
● The many forms of fear, both individually and collectively
● The impact of being denied the space to grieve
● The dual responsibility—and gift—of inner and collective healing
● Extending grace to othe… -
Peak Somatic Experiences, Complex Trauma, and the Nervous System
19 mei 2025 · 51 min
What happens when your body feels more than your mind can make sense of?In this deeply grounding episode of Trauma Rewired, Elisabeth and Jennifer open up a necessary and often overlooked conversation about peak somatic experiences—powerful moments of healing that happen in the body, not the mind. Lees meer
Whether you're drawn to psychedelics, breathwork, or trauma release exercises, this episode unpacks the neurobiological, emotional, and spiritual layers of somatic breakthroughs. But more importantly, it's a cautionary tale: for those with chronic dissociation or unresolved trauma, these experiences can be overwhelming or even destabilizing if approached without preparation, interoceptive training, and long-term integration.
Through the lens of Neurosomatic Intelligence (NSI), you'll learn how peak somatic experiences interact with neuroplasticity, the default mode network, implicit memory, and emotional patterning. Jennifer and Elisabeth share their personal journeys and offer practical tools to build capacity, safety, and support before—and after—these experiences.
Whether you've already walked this path or are considering it, this episode will help you explore the power and risks of embodiment with reverence, curiosity, and care.
Topics discussed in this episode:
What defines a peak somatic experience through the NSI lens
The science behind psychedelics, neuroplasticity, and the 5HT2A receptor
Why preparation is more than a checklist—it's a relationship with your body
The role of the default mode network in identity, emotion, and trauma
Emotional breakthroughs: what they are and what they're not
How dissociation impacts your ability to benefit from embodiment work
Why "purging" trauma isn't the goal—and what to do instead
The risks of somatic experiences for trauma survivors without proper resourcing
Real-life stories of dysregulation and recovery after peak experiences
Building interoceptive awareness and emotional processing capacity
Why integration is…
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Integration, Neuroplasticity, and the Art of Rewiring
12 mei 2025 · 51 min
"Integration" is a word that gets thrown around in the healing world, but what does it really mean?
In this powerful episode of Trauma Rewired, Elisabeth and Jennifer unravel the true meaning of integration, not as a final step, but as the heart of sustained transformation. Without integration, even the most profound somatic release, emotional breakthrough, or psychedelic insight can quickly fade back into old survival patterns. The nervous system, always seeking safety and familiarity, needs time, rhythm, and repetition to embody change. Lees meerWe explore the neurobiological foundation of integration through the lens of Nneurosomatic Iintelligence. You'll learn about neuroplasticity, minimum effective dose, how somatic preparation sets the stage for transformation, and the dangers of skipping integration in psychedelic or peak somatic experiences.
Jennifer shares her deeply personal journey through years of NSI, medicine work, and vision quest, offering lived insight into how patterns like unworthiness get rewired over time. Together, we invite you to rethink healing as an ongoing relationship with your nervous system, your intuition, and your body.
Whether you've had a mystical experience, a big emotional release, or a subtle insight in therapy, integration is how you make that change last. If you're navigating your own healing journey, or supporting others in theirs, this episode is essential listening.
Topics discussed in this episode:
Why integration is the process, not the end
The brain's need for pattern repetition and safety
What neuroplasticity is and how NSI uses it for lasting change
Somatic preparation before peak experiences like psychedelics
The three measurable types of psychedelic breakthroughs
Emotional, psychological, mystical, and somatic insights
Signs your nervous system isn't ready to receive a breakthrough
The dangers of bypassing integration
Practical examples of integrating new beliefs like worthiness
How NSI supports embodied transf…
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Addiction Is An Adaptation: The Neurobiology of Survival and Shame
5 mei 2025 · 1 uur 1 min
Society has long framed addiction as a character flaw—but at Trauma Rewired, we know that couldn't be further from the truth. Addiction isn't about who we are at our core; it's about how we've learned to survive in chaotic, neglectful, or unsupported environments. As humans, we're always seeking homeostasis. When we don't have the tools—or the environment—to support that, we adapt in the ways we know how. Lees meer
Just as trauma and addiction can rewire the brain, healing and regulation can too. In today's episode, Elisabeth and Jennifer welcome a dear friend and special guest, Brooke Wolfe. Once an addiction recovery coach and now a somatic voice coach, Brooke helps women heal by reclaiming their voice. Together, they share their personal journeys with addiction and recovery, offering powerful reframes that challenge shame-based narratives.
They also explore the neurobiology of addiction—discussing the brain structures involved, the roles of the pain and pleasure systems, and how hormones like oxytocin shape our experience. Brooke reveals how working with the voice can unlock deeper emotional regulation and expand our capacity to feel. She also shares a few simple but transformative practices you won't want to miss.
We may not be able to change what happened to us, but we can change how we relate to it. The outdated idea that addiction means something is wrong with you must be left behind. Addiction is a biological strategy for relief, not a moral failing—and when we view it through that lens, healing becomes possible.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, this episode is a must-listen. Share it with someone who needs it—and tune in for an inspiring, compassionate conversation.
Topics discussed in this episode:
Addiction as a biological strategy for relief and safety
How trauma impacts and rewires the brain
The reward circuitry of the brain and its role in addiction
The influence of attachment styles and the hormone oxytocin
How hypersensitivit…
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Depersonalization-Derealization Explained; Understanding This Hidden Trauma Response
28 april 2025 · 44 min
Our brain and nervous systems are incredibly protective—they can shield us from overwhelming stimuli by shutting out sensations. This mechanism plays a central role in depersonalization and derealization (DPDR), causing you to feel detached and like you are observing yourself from a distance. While these dissociative states can offer short-term protection, chronic experiences can lead to further dysregulation as unprocessed emotions accumulate. Lees meer
In today's episode, Elisabeth and Jennifer dive into DPDR, explaining its impact on the brain and nervous system. They discuss why our senses become muted, its protective role, and how it shows up in those with childhood trauma. Elisabeth and Jennifer also share their personal experiences and how they found safety in their bodies to process their emotions.
While our brain and body protect us from overwhelming sensations, the stored experience remains within us. The journey to healing involves convincing our brain and body that it's safe to reconnect with these feelings, building internal capacity to do so. Simply understanding DPDR isn't enough; we must communicate with our nervous system to reclaim our sense of self.
If you've experienced depersonalization and derealization and are seeking healing insights, don't miss this episode!
Topics discussed in this episode:
What is depersonalization and derealization (DPDR)?
Why are our senses muted, yet still active, during DPDR?
The connection between CPTSD and DPDR
The high levels of dysregulation that occur with DPDR
Co-regulation versus nervous system disconnection
How derealization and depersonalization function as adaptive strategies
Why healing DPDR requires working directly with the nervous system
What happens when you finally start feeling again after DPDR
How to cultivate a sense of safety around your internal signals
The vagus nerve's role in healing DPDR and practical techniques to activate it
Get started training your nervous system with our FREE 2-week …
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Borderline, Unresolved Trauma, And The Nervous System; Rewiring Stigma and Rewriting The Story
21 april 2025 · 1 uur 21 min
Did you know that Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) wasn't "discovered" but actually created? A group of male psychiatrists voted to define it as a diagnosis, and women, in particular, are disproportionately labeled with it, and it's often weaponized against them. What if we told you that BPD isn't a disorder at all, but rather a logical and rational response to repressed emotions and shame caused by trauma, whether systemic or sexual? This is exactly what we're unpacking in today's episode. Lees meer
Join Elisabeth and Jennifer as they welcome Mollie Adler, podcaster, writer, and existential thinker, to dive deep into the issues surrounding the BPD diagnosis. Together, they discuss the stigma around BPD, the trauma as a potential cause, and how repressed emotions and shame fuel the symptoms. Also, Mollie shares her own experience of seeking a diagnosis, and why she didn't receive one.
What we explore in this episode is eye-opening: BPD is not a disorder, but a survival mechanism from unresolved trauma, one that can be healed by working to create safety in the nervous system and getting to the root cause.
If this resonates with you, don't miss out—tune in to learn more and discover how healing is possible.
Topics discussed in this episode:
Mollie Adler's personal journey with BPD
The problems with the current diagnostic framework
The stigma surrounding personality disorders
How BPD characteristics contribute to long-term emotional and interpersonal instability
The systemic trauma linked to BPD
Understanding the inputs that create the output, and how to create change with BPD
The impact of sexual trauma and fawning in women with BPD
The history and legacy of hysteria
The power of releasing repressed emotions and toxic shame to heal
The privilege of reclaiming your BPD diagnosis
What it means to disidentify from your diagnosis
Connect with Mollie Adler by heading to her Instagram page here: https://www.instagram.com/backfromtheborderline/?hl=en
Find Molly'…
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Unraveling OCD: the Neurosomatic Roots of Obsession, Compulsion, and Trauma
14 april 2025 · 51 min
OCD is often reduced to intrusive thoughts and ritualistic behaviors, but let's be real—it's so much more than that. These are just the surface-level symptoms of a much deeper survival mechanism rooted in childhood brain development and trauma stored in the nervous system. This limited view is part of what keeps so many stuck in the cycle of OCD, struggling to find true relief. But here's the truth: if we address the root of OCD, we can begin to heal and, over time, reduce those protective outputs like intrusive thoughts and rituals. Lees meer
In this episode, Elisabeth and Jennifer bring Matt Bush back to the podcast for a powerful conversation about how OCD is a protective mechanism and how we can treat it by working directly with the nervous system. They explore the brain structures involved in OCD, how it affects our nervous system, and where it all begins in childhood. They also dive into why OCD leads to compulsive behaviors and the emotions that fuel them. Plus, they'll break down the latest scientific studies on OCD treatment and share why and how it forms.
What if we could start viewing OCD as a feature, not a flaw? By doing this, we can begin to strip away the shame and truly understand it as the protective response it is—one that's embedded in our nervous system and can actually be worked with. It doesn't have to be a life sentence. There's a way through OCD, and we're here to show you how.
If you or someone you know is struggling with OCD and is ready for answers, be sure to tune in and share this episode. Let's break the stigma and take the first step toward healing together.
Topics discussed in this episode:
Viewing OCD as a protective output
Definition of OCD
The impact of OCD on the brain and nervous system
How deep brain stimulation affects OCD in children
Key scientific studies and breakthroughs in understanding OCD
Why OCD develops in the first place
The connection between OCD and the freeze and fawn responses
The role of shame in OCD
Building…
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The Truth About Rest, Trauma, And Success
11 april 2025 · 55 min
Join us for a special re-release of a profound conversation with Kate Northrup, renowned author of "Do Less," an expert in creating easeful financial business strategies, and a NSI coach. This episode remains one of our most beloved, resonating deeply with many who grapple with the concept of rest in a culture that glorifies constant productivity as the path to success and abundance. Lees meer
In this re-release, Elisabeth, Jennifer, and Kate explore how embracing rest and scaling back can promote significant business and financial growth, challenging the myth that more work equals more success. They candidly share personal experiences of burnout, forced breaks, and the surprising transformations they discovered when prioritizing rest. Kate introduces her insightful metaphor of treating rest as "active rest," akin to a cover crop that nourishes and prepares the soil for future growth—a concept pivotal for clients navigating dysregulation from rest.
Our society's ingrained belief that our worth is tied to productivity has led to widespread dysregulation, burnout, and dissatisfaction. Through this episode, we aim to dismantle this programming and advocate that doing less can lead to greater well-being and productivity. Just as the Earth cycles through seasons, so too should our lives. We are all interconnected after all.
If you're looking to regulate your nervous system and allow for more rest, be sure to check out this episode!
Topics discussed in this episode:
The domino effect of dysregulation, from hypervigilance to burnout
The impact of insufficient sleep on the nervous system
Kate's embodied experience that revealed doing more is not always better
How pulling back and resting led to more growth for Trauma Rewired
Rethinking rest: the concept of active rest
Two strategies Kate uses to integrate rest into her business for sustainable growth
Overcoming limiting beliefs to dismantle the productivity-driven system we've been conditioned to follow
Understanding how…
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How Your Nervous System Shapes Your Money Story
7 april 2025 · 1 uur 10 min
In today's episode, we're bringing you something truly transformative. Our host, Elisabeth Kristoff, recently joined Kate Northrup on her podcast, Plenty, for a raw and eye-opening conversation that dives deep into the intricate relationship between the nervous system and financial success. The insights were so powerful, we knew we had to share this rich discussion with the Trauma Rewired audience. Lees meer
In this episode, we're breaking down the nervous system like never before. You'll learn how to expand its capacity for abundance, uncover the hidden connections between the nervous system and your money patterns, and discover tangible steps to heal and regulate it. Elisabeth and Kate also open up about their own personal healing journeys, sharing how radically different their lives are today after rewiring their nervous systems. They offer invaluable advice on recognizing and managing anxiety, and—perhaps most importantly—how to identify when your nervous system is out of balance.
Understanding the nervous system is foundational to how we show up in the world. It governs everything from our ability to thrive in relationships to how we respond to stress and abundance. If we view our automatic reactions as protective mechanisms that can be rewired, using tools like NSI, we can radically shift our capacity for resilience and long-term fulfillment. This episode will challenge you to rethink how you engage with your nervous system, and how healing it can unlock the life you truly desire.
Tune in to hear more about nervous system healing and an exclusive offer for Trauma Rewired listeners that you don't want to miss!
Topics discussed in this episode:
Biggest misunderstandings people have about being a high performer
What are ACE scores and how do they affect you?
How does nervous system healing relate to personality disorders?
Understanding inflammation, flare-ups, pain, etc., as protective outputs
How to expand your capacity for abundance
Where to start if you're ex…
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What is Financial Trauma? The Nervous System & Your Money Patterns
31 maart 2025 · 52 min
Why is it that financial abundance comes easier for some, while others struggle? What if we told you it's not about how hard you work for money, but about how your nervous system is patterned? Money is a tricky subject, because it is the foundation for our survival and security. So we can unconsciously create unhealthy relationships with money that are formed from what we have been taught about money at a young age, and unhealed trauma that still lives in our body around money, sex, and parental figures. Lees meer
In today's episode, Elisabeth and Jennifer are joined by Preston Smiles, a transformational leader and author, who helps heal traumas to cultivate financial abundance. They touch on everything from childhood trauma around money and sex, as well as what financial trauma looks like, and the invisible thread we can follow to learn where our scarcity or lack around finances stems from. Preston also conveys how creating financial success is all about healing our traumas to create a relaxed body, and a clear channel for money to flow in easily. This episode is filled with tangible exercises that you can start today to help create a clear channel to allow in, not only financial abundance, but joy and calm.
If we reframe our mind to think of money as energy, we can start to see how attracting it comes down to being open enough to receive it. The way we do this is a personal journey of healing and acceptance of the fact that we are worthy of financial abundance. We just need to believe it to receive it!
If this episode resonates with you, be sure to check it out!
Topics discussed in this episode:
Preston's money story and the pivotal moment that changed everything for him
Understanding financial trauma
Personal examples of financial trauma from Elisabeth and Jennifer
A common financial trauma many children in the Western world experience
How we're conditioned to believe talking about money is dangerous
Creating a clear, open channel in the body for financial succe…
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Navigating Shame and Boundaries After Trauma
24 maart 2025 · 50 min
The statistics on early childhood sexual abuse are heartbreaking. One in four girls and one in thirteen boys have experienced some form of childhood sexual trauma—at least the cases that get reported. It's hard to wrap your head around how something so dark can be happening so often. This is why talking about childhood sexual trauma is so difficult and often carries so much shame—it feels so unimaginable, even when it happens to you. But we know that shame thrives in silence, and the first step in healing is unpacking that trauma. Lees meer
In today's episode, Elisabeth and Jennifer sit down with Lovey Bradley, an NSI-certified practitioner, trauma therapist, and brain-based coach, to talk about the lasting impact of sexual trauma on our lives. Together, they explore how deeply trauma affects the body—from freeze responses and dissociation to bracing, pelvic floor tension, and pain—and how these experiences shape our lives. They also open up about their personal journeys and the ways they've worked to re-pattern their nervous systems with healing modalities like NSI, helping them heal and thrive after early childhood trauma.
When shame has been your constant companion, it can feel impossible to set boundaries and reclaim your sense of self. But healing is possible. Lovey, Elisabeth, and Jennifer are living proof of that. Our bodies are always sending us signals on how to heal; the key is learning how to listen.
If this episode resonates with you, whether you've experienced this trauma yourself or know someone who has, we invite you to listen and share.
Topics discussed in this episode:
Sobering statistics around sexual trauma in the population
How the freeze response shows up in early childhood sexual trauma
Why the freeze response is actually a survival mechanism
Lovey's experience with becoming aware of her own freeze response pattern
The most common ways sexual trauma shows up in our lives
Pelvic floor contractions and how they affect intimacy
How dissociation …
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Cancer Risk and Childhood Trauma:A Neurosomatic Perspective
17 maart 2025 · 51 min
When unresolved trauma lingers in our bodies, it often manifests as chronic health issues or diseases, such as cancer. The medical community is just beginning to uncover the powerful link between trauma, ACE scores, and cancer. With trauma-informed care now being integrated into medical practices, we're seeing a shift towards more holistic approaches to healing—something the healing community has long known. This is a major breakthrough, and it brings us closer to addressing the root cause of illness, not just the symptoms. Lees meer
In this episode, Elisabeth and Jennifer sit down with Dr. Aleksandra Filipovic, a medical doctor, oncologist, and scientist in cancer cell biology, who's at the forefront of creating holistic treatments for cancer and immune-related conditions. Dr. Filipovic shares her insights on ACE scores and their impact on both our physical health and society. She explores the deep connection between mental and physical health, especially in relation to our immune systems, and how nervous system work can be a game-changer in healing chronic illnesses.
Dr. Filipovic also opens up about her personal journey with chronic illness and how it led her to develop a trauma-informed practice that integrates nervous system regulation to promote healing. The conversation highlights the importance of understanding the nervous system's role in chronic health issues and how NSI can be used as a tool to address these issues.
It's easy to blame our bodies when chronic health issues arise, but the truth is, these responses are often a call for healing. By reframing how we view health and learning to work with our nervous systems, we can uncover the root causes of disease and begin the journey to true healing.
If this resonates with you, tune in to this episode for more insights into trauma-informed healing and the powerful connection between mind, body, and immune health. Don't miss it!
Topics discussed in this episode:
Dr. Aleksandra Filipovic's personal healing journ…
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The Female Nervous System
10 maart 2025 · 52 min
Did you know that women are twice as likely to experience depression, yet less than 40 percent of research includes them? This statistic is staggering, highlighting society's inadequate attention to women's mental health and the complexities of their nervous systems. Often overlooked in scientific studies, women's experiences, particularly regarding menstrual cycles, create significant gaps in understanding their physiological, emotional, and hormonal health. This omission, influenced by societal conditioning and patriarchal suppression, leads to misdiagnosis, unanswered questions, and pervasive shame.However, there's a growing shift towards understanding the female nervous system. Lees meer
In today's episode, Elisabeth and Jennifer are joined by Veronica Rottman, founder of Soma School and an expert in somatics and the female nervous system, to explore how the female nervous system is uniquely structured and the challenges women face because of it. Their conversation dives deep into the complex science of hormones and societal influences, uncovering how these factors contribute to shame and perfectionism among women. They also examine the male-centric approach of mental health and medical systems, which often overlook—and even demonize—the female experience.
From an early age, women are conditioned to feel shame about their bodies and emotions. However, a growing awareness is challenging these outdated norms. This shift is essential for uncovering the root causes of many mental and physical health issues that are unique to the female nervous system.
If this resonates with you and you'd like to learn more, tune in!
Topics discussed in this episode:
Veronica's journey to healing her own nervous system through somatic practices
The history and evolution of women's health
Understanding the multilayered and complex nature of the female nervous system
The differences between oxytocin and dopamine
An exploration of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)
The role of a dy…
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Diagnosis and Shame
3 maart 2025 · 47 min
Receiving a diagnosis can be a life-altering experience, especially when it triggers feelings of shame. Shame can create a whirlwind of emotions—unworthiness, failure, guilt, and loss—which compounds the stress of dealing with a diagnosis. These emotions form a toxic cycle that exacerbates the condition, leading to significant nervous system dysregulation. Often, it's difficult to pinpoint this dysregulation because of our innate resilience in survival mode. That's why it's crucial to bring shame into the conversation when discussing diagnoses, and create a dialogue around its impact. Lees meer
In today's episode, Elisabeth and Jennifer are joined by Alexandra Harbushka, who has reclaimed her power after a herpes diagnosis and is actively breaking the stigma through her podcast Life With Herpes. Alexandra opens up about the deep despair she felt upon her diagnosis—the hopelessness, helplessness, and belief that she was unworthy of love. This dark cloud clouded her life until she made the conscious decision to change her mindset. By cultivating self-love and nervous system regulation, she was able to take control of her diagnosis and work through the shame attached to it.
Elisabeth and Jennifer also share their personal journeys with mental health and cancer diagnoses, exploring how the emotional journey is similar regardless of the condition. They discuss the steps they took to confront their shame, regulate their nervous systems, and ultimately find empowerment.
Shame wreaks havoc on both our nervous and immune systems. It keeps us hidden, isolated, and paralyzed. When you're faced with something as daunting as a diagnosis, healing the shame around it can seem like an insurmountable task. But it's possible. By connecting with others, regulating our nervous systems, and expressing our emotions, we can shift our perception of a diagnosis from something to be ashamed of to something that can be embraced as a gift.
This episode offers practical strategies for overcoming sha…
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Metabolic Health and the Connection to Nervous System Health
24 februari 2025 · 44 min
In this episode of Trauma Rewired, hosts Elisabeth Kristof and Jennifer Wallace, along with guest Matt Bush, delve into the complex relationship between metabolic health and nervous system health. Lees meer
They explore how issues like chronic stress, inflammation, and blood sugar dysregulation can significantly impact both physical and mental health, especially in individuals with a history of trauma.
Metabolic health is not solely determined by diet and exercise but is deeply intertwined with the body's ability to produce energy, adapt to stress, and process emotions. The conversation delves into the role of mitochondria in energy production, the impact of chronic stress on metabolism, the importance of blood sugar regulation, and the necessity of emotional regulation for overall metabolic health.
Practical steps for improving metabolic health are also shared, emphasizing the need for a holistic approach to healing and resilience.The discussion includes personal experiences, scientific insights, and practical tools for improving metabolic and nervous system health.
Topics Discussed In This Conversation:
• Metabolic health is about energy production and stress adaptation.
• The nervous system significantly influences metabolic health.
• Chronic stress can lead to metabolic dysfunction.
• Mitochondria are crucial for ATP production and energy.
• Blood sugar regulation is essential for metabolic health.
• Emotional regulation impacts metabolic efficiency.
• Healing from trauma can improve metabolic health.
• Nutrition plays a vital role in metabolic function.
• Lifestyle changes can enhance mitochondrial health.
• Recovery tools for emotional regulation have energy costs.Learn more about the Neuro-Somatic Intelligence Coaching program and sign up for the next cohort now! https://www.neurosomaticintelligence.com
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This spring, gift yourself the transformative experience of our Trauma Rewired Retreat in the tranquil gateway of Texas Hi…
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Traumatic Brain Injury and Complex Trauma
17 februari 2025 · 50 min
Did you know that nearly half of all Americans will experience at least one traumatic brain injury (TBI) in their lifetime? Shockingly, many of these cases go unnoticed or undiagnosed. The symptoms can initially be subtle and easily mistaken for other chronic conditions like CPTS. Without proper diagnosis, individuals can face immense confusion, wondering why treatments aren't working as expected. Lees meer
This is why raising awareness about TBI is crucial. It's about helping those affected recognize their condition early on, gaining deeper self-understanding, and finding the right path to effective treatment.
In today's episode, Elisabeth and Jennifer are joined by Amanda Smith, an applied neurology pain and performance coach and NSI practitioner with extensive expertise in the field. Together, they dive into the complex layers of TBI. They cover its foundational aspects, how it differs from conditions like CPTS, its impact on childhood development, and the brain's altered nutritional needs post-injury.
This conversation sheds light on a topic often overlooked yet profoundly impactful in many Americans' lives. Awareness is half the battle when it comes to identifying and treating TBI amidst the array of potential health concerns, including CPTS. Our brains and bodies are resilient, and with timely intervention, coping with TBI is not only possible but hopeful.
If this resonates with you and you're curious to learn more, don't miss this episode!
Topics discussed in this episode:
The foundational concepts of TBI
Why TBI goes underreported in the US
Populations most affected by TBI
The interconnectedness of CPTS and TBI symptoms
How to differentiate between CPTS and TBI outputs
The implications of mild traumatic brain injury in childhood
How NSI amplified Amanda's work as a neurology pain and performance coach
The importance of having a framework when working with TBI clients
How the brain needs more fuel after TBI
The first place to start when trying to unders…
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PTSD, Fear, and Memory
10 februari 2025 · 47 min
Have you ever wondered why some individuals bounce back from trauma while others develop PTSD? The answer might be tied to how our brains encode and process fear memories. According to recent research, resilience isn't just psychological—it's closely tied to the brain's ability to adapt to stress and process trauma. Lees meer
On today's episode, Elisabeth and Jennifer are joined by Matt Bush, founder of Next Level Neuro and lead educator in the Neurosomatic Intelligence (NSI) course, who brings a wealth of knowledge on the latest research in PTSD and trauma healing. Together, they unravel the fascinating science of fear memory—how it begins as a broad, generalized response, and over time, becomes specific, tied to particular events. But what happens when that process doesn't work quite right? How does the brain get stuck in trauma? And what can we do about it? They take a close look at the key brain areas involved in emotional regulation, memory consolidation, and resilience, including the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and cerebellum.
Whether you're a trauma survivor or a practitioner working with clients, this episode offers profound insights into how trauma is stored in the body and brain—and how you can support yourself or others in healing. Matt, Elizabeth, and Jennifer break down complex neuroscience concepts into practical, actionable advice, all while emphasizing the importance of mind-body connection in trauma recovery. Healing is a journey, but with the right tools and knowledge, you can rewire your nervous system, integrate your memories, and build resilience in the face of adversity.
This episode is packed with practical, science-backed strategies to help you understand the neuroscience of trauma healing. You don't want to miss this one!
Topics discussed in this episode:
What the latest research on PTSD has discovered
What is needed to change a broad fear based memory into a specific episodic memory
The hippocampus' role in memory formation and PTSD outpu…
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Bridging Individual and Collective Healing Through Embodiment
3 februari 2025 · 47 min
We often think of healing as an individual journey—going inward to process unresolved trauma, grief, and pain from our past. But what about collective trauma, grief, and pain? We rarely consider the healing that must take place beyond ourselves, addressing the unprocessed wounds we carry as a community. True healing requires creating safety both within and around us, allowing us to move beyond our personal experiences and contribute to something greater than our own individual worlds. Lees meer
On today's episode, we're joined by embodiment facilitator, political organizer, therapist, and podcast host, Prentis Hemphill. As the founder of The Embodiment Institute and The Black Embodiment Initiative, and host of Becoming The People, Prentis brings deep wisdom and presence to the conversation. They sit down with Elisabeth and Jennifer for a powerful discussion on healing in community, the role of embodiment in collective transformation, and the challenges of accountability.
Prentis also shares invaluable insights on navigating fear, processing collective grief, and staying grounded in truth—especially when sharing your gifts with the world on a larger scale.
On Trauma Rewired, often discuss how embodiment and healing requires repetition, practice, and safe spaces. It also takes courage—especially when facilitating collective healing. Prentis embodies this work in a profound way, so don't miss today's episode to hear their insights and much more!
Topics discussed in this episode:
How embodiment unfolds uniquely for each individual
The healing journey as a shared, communal experience
Barriers to accountability and how to navigate them
The nervous system's role in shaping our ability to relate, reflect, and grow
How Prentis balances visibility with safety and grounding
The many forms of fear, both individually and collectively
The impact of being denied the space to grieve
The dual responsibility—and gift—of inner and collective healing
Extending grace to others on th…
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Parentification
27 januari 2025 · 38 min
When a child is forced to carry the emotional or practical burdens of their caregivers, it can result in lasting trauma that often manifests in adulthood as emotional repression, perfectionism, and various mental health challenges. Parentified children are deprived of their natural developmental experiences—play, exploration, and carefree living—which are essential for discovering themselves and their environment. Healing these deep-rooted wounds requires addressing where the trauma resides in both the body and mind, a process explored through neurosomatic techniques. Lees meer
In today's episode, Elisabeth and Jennifer dive into the different types of parentification and the long-term impacts it can have on a child's emotional and relational well-being. They share personal stories of their own experiences with parentification and how they've worked through their trauma using neurosomatic methods and the principle of minimum effective dose. The episode also unpacks the roles of shame and guilt as common byproducts of parentification, offering insights into how to repattern these emotional responses to build healthier relationships.
While the effects of parentification can run deep, healing is possible. By recognizing how it shows up in our lives and working with our nervous systems to cultivate safety, we can set boundaries and honor our needs. This process creates the foundation for genuine healing and growth.
If this topic resonates with you, tune in to learn more about breaking free from the cycle of parentification and reclaiming your sense of self.
Topics discussed in this episode:
The two types of parentification and how they differ
The patterns of compensation that develop in parentified children
How parentification impacts the nervous system
The connection between parentification and gut dysfunction
The nuanced nature of parentification and its complexities
The role of shame and guilt in the experience of parentification
Adult relationships that mirror par…
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Perfectionism and Rejection Sensitivity
20 januari 2025 · 43 min
In a world obsessed with being competent and perfect, it's no wonder so many of us slip into the role of a perfectionist. Some of us even wear it like a badge of honor. Sure, it's helped us in some ways—but let's be real: at what cost? Perfectionism isn't the same as striving for excellence. It's often born out of survival, a way to suppress tough emotions like shame. And the truth? It wreaks havoc on our bodies and pulls us further away from our purpose and authenticity. Lees meer
And then there's rejection. If we spend our lives dodging rejection in the name of being perfect, how can we ever truly know what true acceptance feels like, and in turn, learn who we truly are?
On today's episode, Elisabeth and Jennifer are back with Piper Rose to unpack these heavy hitters. They dive into why perfectionism clings on so tightly, how rejection sensitivity (and rejection sensitivity dysphoria) shows up as a coping mechanism, and—most importantly—how we can start to shift it. They explore how trust and safety in our bodies are essential before we can feel truly accepted by others. This means working with our nervous systems, using tools like NSI, to get to the root of it all.
When we finally face how we've rejected or judged ourselves for not being "perfect," we can take our first real steps toward authenticity—and eventually, toward the purpose we're meant to live.
Ready to dive deeper? Don't miss today's episode—it's a conversation you won't want to miss.
Topics discussed in this episode:
The difference between perfectionism and excellence
Why control feels like safety
Perfectionism as a path to healing
Why the phrase "you are enough" is more than just a meme
The neuroscience behind rejection sensitivity
How the term "rejection" can be vague and misunderstood
Does rejection sensitivity dysphoria only affect people with ADHD?
The cost of perfectionism and rejection sensitivity on the body
How perfectionism and rejection sensitivity contribute to chronic health issues
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Chronic Pain and Complex Trauma; The Neurosomatic Connection
13 januari 2025 · 52 min
A significant portion of the population lives with chronic pain, yet its origins and effective treatments remain some of the least understood aspects of healthcare. Pain is inherently subjective—unique to every individual—and rarely attributable to a single cause. It is a multifaceted experience shaped by a combination of physical, emotional, and neurological factors. Lees meer
When we peel back the layers of chronic pain, a compelling truth emerges: neuroscience plays a pivotal role. The deeper we explore its causes and remedies, the more evident the profound connection between the mind and body becomes.
In today's episode, Elisabeth and Jennifer are joined by Matt Bush for a fascinating discussion on chronic pain and its intricate ties to nervous system health. Together, they explore how past experiences, unprocessed emotions, trauma, stress, and sensory input shape our perception of pain. They also examine pain as a protective mechanism and discuss how chronic pain impacts quality of life, often leading to avoidance behaviors and other challenges.
While chronic pain is complex, this conversation highlights how tuning into our body's signals and understanding the mind-body connection can unlock transformative insights. Even if you've never experienced chronic pain, this episode offers valuable perspectives on the neuroscience behind this connection, providing tools to better understand your own well-being.
Don't miss this episode—it's packed with thought-provoking insights and practical takeaways!
Topics discussed in this episode:
The distinction between pain and injury
The "snake or stick" example: how the brain predicts pain
The various types of information the brain uses to interpret pain
Pain as a protective output of the nervous system
Understanding neurotags and their connection to pain
The link between complex trauma and chronic pain
What is central sensitization (also known as "sprouting")?
Protective outputs as distractions from unprocessed emotions
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