Do you intellectualize all the concepts and theories heard on this podcast or the ones you read on The Holistic Psychologist’s social media, but can’t seem to get past the awareness stage of healing and put what you know into practice? In this episode with Dr. Nicole LePera, aka “The Holistic Psychologist,” we discuss the power of embodiment and its role in healing trauma and rewiring the brain to support a healthy nervous system. We do a deep dive into the profound impact our childhood has...

When we think about adverse childhood experiences, emotional neglect is often seen as less significant compared to other forms of trauma. Its subtleties make it easy to overlook, but the truth is that emotional neglect has a profound effect on our relationships and health as adults, from the detrimental effects on the brain and immune system. In this episode, hosts Jennifer and Elisabeth define emotional neglect and go over the signs and behaviors of those who’ve experienced it in childhood....

Is it possible to work through trauma and improve nervous system health when your job requires you to disconnect from your body in order to survive? In this episode, you’ll learn how trauma-informed training can transform the lives of police officers and their communities by addressing issues of trauma and chronic stress within and outside of the organization. Host Elisabeth Kristoff, along with NSI practitioners Victor Jones and Janine Harris Elisabeth, recently trained police officers and...

What role does our ancestral history play in our attachment styles, and mental health as a whole? Joining us on the show to help answer this question is Dr. Jennifer Mullen, a psychologist, educator, and author of “Decolonizing Therapy!” Traditional therapy focuses on the individual, but decolonizing therapy puts forth the concept that understanding one's historical trauma and the current socio-political context can lead to deeper healing. And without a safe place to explore these traumas,...

Shame Season 03, Episode 19 If you listened to our episode on toxic shame last season, then you know that shame is a debilitating emotional response that keeps us from full self-expression. It represses other emotions and inhibits our verbal and non-verbal communication, becoming a barrier to our connection with others. In this episode, hosts Jennifer and Elisabeth dive even deeper into the neurology of shame and how it impacts our health and relationships. They cover the link between...

Earlier this season in episode 3, Trauma Rewired explored the impact of a mother’s nervous system on their child even before birth. But let’s take a step back and focus on the overwhelming experience of birth to discuss the layers of trauma in the birth process and the importance of trauma-informed care. Mandy Irby, founder of The Birth Nurse, is on the show today to share her own traumatic birth experience that transformed her approach to the birth process as a labor and delivery nurse....

As we dive deeper into applied neurology and the immune system, we’re joined by the founder of Stop Chasing Pain, Dr. Bruce Perry. He helps us explore the link between emotion, pain and its impact on the immune system. In this episode, Dr. Perry shares his personal experience with polyautoimmunity as he discusses his experience treating his own shame surrounding his body image. With his expertise, we explore the subconscious and conscious role of emotions, as well as the body’s natural...

One thing you’ve probably heard over and over again on this season of Trauma Rewired is that nervous systems affect one another. In fact, our nervous systems are continuously responding and adapting to each other’s signals — a process called coregulation. Coregulation is important for maintaining safe, healthy relationships but can have a negative impact on the nervous system when someone is dysregulated or experiencing misattunement. A lack of connection through coregulation also impacts...

Last week, Trauma Rewired explored the neurology of narcissism, so this week we’re focusing on empathy. Matt Bush, co-lead educator of the Neuro Somatic Intelligence Training, is back on the show to help us dive deeper into why some people are highly empathic and how they can protect themselves from its overwhelming effects. Believe it or not, empaths and narcissists have foundational similarities. Not only does the brain chemistry look the same, but empaths and narcissists both struggle...

What’s the difference between possessing narcissistic traits and being a narcissist? Can we say narcissistic personality disorder is real when we don’t believe in personalities? How does narcissism develop, and what does it look like in the brain? Tune in as your hosts answer all these questions and more with Matt Bush of Neuro-Somatic Intelligence.  This episode explores the neurology of narcissism, the spectrum of narcissism, and how narcissism can evolve as a survival response when it...

The four trauma responses are the brain’s way of protecting us from threat, real or perceived. They are noncognitive, reflexive outputs that are deeply ingrained in those that have experienced trauma, which makes them incredibly difficult responses to rewire. In this episode, we explore the most dangerous F: fawn and sexual fawn response. To help us dive deeper into fawn response, we’re joined by Luis Mojica, somatics practitioner and the founder of Holistic Life Navigation. Hosts Jennifer...

If you have a pattern of staying in unbalanced, chaotic relationships, this episode is for you. If it’s hard for you to set boundaries with friends, family or romantic partners, this episode is for you. If you fixate on the emotions of others rather than your own, this episode is for you. These are all signs of codependency, which is the topic of this episode. Hosts Jennifer and Elisabeth discuss its negative effects on your emotional and physical health, the behaviors associated with...

When a child’s needs aren’t being met by their caregiver, by not being fed or feeling safe, they develop a distorted view of relationships. This attachment schema is the lens through which they examine the behavior of others, impacting their ability to form relationships and lead a healthy, happy life. In past episodes, hosts Jennifer and Elisabeth have talked about connection being one of our survival needs, but an insecure attachment directly challenges this need. Being close to others,...

Trauma Rewired has talked a lot about threat, including its neurobiology, what happens in the body when we don’t feel safe, and how a history of trauma affects what we perceive as a threat. In this episode with Victor Jones, a resilience educator and neurosomatic intelligence coach, we dive deeper into threat, focusing on our relationship with others and society as a whole, as well as how trauma impacts our ability to regulate our nervous system. For example, connection is a survival need...

Spiritual practices, like meditation or spending time outdoors, have the ability to expand our consciousness and cultivate connection with ourselves and the universe. But today’s guest, NSI practitioner and educator Melanie Weller, is sharing something important for you to remember: “Any evolution that we aspire to experience for ourselves starts with nervous system regulation.” To get the most out of your spiritual practices, for them to truly impact behavior and change your perspective,...

How do you show up in the world, in relationships, at work? Even just sitting in a sauna. Can you safely say you are fully present in these situations? If you feel you aren’t present most of the time, you’re not alone. Most people aren’t, especially if you’ve experienced complex trauma. On the bright side, presence can be learned by using the right tools to get you there. Presence is a topic that is near and dear to our hosts Jennifer and Elisabeth’s hearts, precisely because of how they...

Following our episode on embodiment, we’re diving into the topics of parts of self, sex and pleasure because without presence, we are cheating ourselves out of healthy relationships and empowered sexual experiences. Hosts Jennifer and Elisabeth have brought back Dr. Joli Hamilton, relationship coach and sex educator, to help them further examine how the relationship with our parts of self impact the way we behave towards ourselves and others.   A disconnection between our parts of self...

Embodiment has many different meanings, but to be embodied from a neurosomatic intelligence perspective relates to the integration of the body, mind and spirit. It means you are aware of the connection between your body and its internal sensations, your emotions, and your behaviors.   Sharing her journey to embodiment and how she uses it in her work as a mindset coach is Tracy Litt, speaker and founder of The Litt Factor. Tracy is also a bestselling author and her new book, “Expander: For...

In order to talk about boundaries, we must first understand what they are and why they’re important. That’s why we start off this episode with a definition by somatic practitioner, Prentis Hemphill: “Boundaries are the distance at which I can love you and me simultaneously.” Joining hosts Jennifer and Elisabeth for a second time is Margy Feldhuhn, CEO of Interview Connections and neurosomatic intelligence coach. They’ll explore the role of boundaries in our lives, including how they open the...

Believe it or not, the brain and nervous system process social threat and physical threat the same way, making them equally as harmful to our health. That means that the cultural beliefs that shape our society are causing real trauma and dysregulating our nervous systems.   Today, Jennifer and Elisabeth are talking to Christy Chung, a certified NSI practitioner, advocate and healer, on this episode centered around culture, community, and the nervous system. They discuss how social stressors...

  Our last episode introduced the brain as a social organ, and how this topic relates to the neurobiology of relationships. Today, we dive deeper into how the brain develops through social interactions, why social connection is a survival need, and what happens in the body when we experience connection with other people.   Matt Bush of Next Level Neuro is joining Jennifer and Elisabeth to discuss the impact of trauma on the brain’s functioning, and therefore, our relationships, expression,...

Hosts Jennifer and Elisabeth jump right into this season’s theme of attachment by discussing the neurobiology of relationships, covering our development from the womb to forming attachments throughout our life.   Using the work of Louis Cozolino in his book, The Neuroscience of Human Relationships: Attachment and the Developing Social Brain, this episode explores the concepts of the social synapse and our brains as social organs. You’ll learn how the brain and nervous system evolved to help...

We’re excited to be back for our third season of Trauma Rewired! In this short episode, Jennifer and Elisabeth give a quick overview of what you can expect from this new season that’s centered around attachment and relationships.   Last season focused on the individual nervous system, laying the groundwork for this season’s exploration of how our nervous systems exist together. This season breaks down issues of attachment in our development and relationships, as well as how the experiences...

Do you have trouble getting out of your head and into your body? Does your trauma affect your ability to make deep connections with others? For today’s guest, following a neurosomatic intelligence framework allowed her and her partner to build a stronger relationship, while learning more about themselves in the process.   Sharing her NSI experience with hosts Jennifer Wallace and Elisbeth Kristoff is Dr. Jolie Hamilton, a relationship expert who now brings neurosomatic intelligence into her...

Leadership, especially leadership as an entrepreneur, comes with unavoidable stress. Even those without a history of past trauma can struggle to manage the dysregulation that comes with this kind of consistent stress. Imagine if leaders added nervous system work to their leadership toolkit. Companies and organizations would look and function a lot different, that is for sure!  Sharing her unique perspective on the show today is Margy Feldhuhn, CEO of Interview Connections and executive coach...