Naked Insights Podcast - musing all things health, relationships and trauma

What if your body isn’t failing you… but protecting you? In this episode, Adele, Sam are joined by Dr. Karen Baikie as they unpack the science of metabolomics - the study of your body’s real-time chemistry - and how it reveals why so many people with trauma, chronic illness, or burnout can’t heal. Dr Karen Baikie (PhD, MClinPsych, MAPS, FCCLP, CHT, SEP) is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Certi...

This episode pulls back the curtain on something rarely shared: a real therapy session where Adele’s body diagnosed an injury before doctors did. Featuring our guest Dr. Karen Baikie on this episode, she talks about using Hakomi , a powerful somatic therapy, where Adele’s child state of consciousness revealed exactly what was happening in her foot, long before medical tests confirmed it. Dr Karen...

Born into pain. Raised in resilience. In this deeply personal episode, Adele shares how a traumatic birth, childhood surgeries, and years of chronic pain shaped her path into trauma therapy, trauma-informed coaching psychology and health psychology. Her story takes you through:  🩺 Surviving congenital hip dysplasia and the medical system’s blind spots  🧠 How early trauma fuels lifelong patterns...

99% of your DNA isn’t human — and it’s running the show. In this mind-bending episode, Adele and Sam uncover how the trillions of microbes in your gut influence:  🧠 Mood, anxiety & trauma recovery  💡 Neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine & GABA  🔥 Inflammation, cravings & even your body clock We bust outdated myths (goodbye serotonin hypothesis of depression) and explore how st...

When your stomach is talking, your mind should listen. In this eye-opening episode, Adele and Sam pull back the curtain on the powerful gut–brain axis and why IBS isn’t “just in your head,” but deeply connected to your mental health. We dive into:  🧠 Why 90% of your serotonin is made in your gut, not your brain  ⚡ How trauma and chronic stress rewire your microbiome  🌸 The link between endometr...

Still staring at the ceiling at 2am? It’s time to stop patching and start healing . In this eye-opening episode, Adele and Sam break down:  🧠 Why sleep is your brain’s detox system - and how insomnia messes with memory, mood, and long-term health 💤 The truth about REM vs. non-REM - and how your glymphatic system clears toxins overnight 🚫 Why sleep meds (like zopiclone or melatonin) may be backf...

Episode 9: How we Resource ourselves during Trauma Part 2: Growth Resources — Your Toolkit for Long-Term Resilience Ready to stop stress spirals before they start? This episode is your roadmap. Adele and Sam unpack:  🌱 What growth resources are — and why they’re different from survival coping  🧘‍♀️ How practices like breathwork, movement & meditation rewire your nervous system 🧠 The DREAM F...

Episode 8: How we Resource Ourselves during Trauma Part 1: Survival Mode vs. Real Healing If you’re coping, not thriving — this one’s for you. In this episode, Adele and Sam unpack:  ⚠️ What “survival resources” really are — and why they’re keeping you stuck  🧠 Polyvagal theory explained: how your nervous system drives fight, flight, freeze & fawn  🚩 Coping habits like people-pleasing, overw...

Episode 7: Core Beliefs — The Hidden Rules Running Your Life By age 7, your brain wrote a rulebook. The problem? You’re still living by it. In this powerful episode, Adele and Sam explore:  🧠 What core beliefs really are — and how they secretly shape your choices  👶 How childhood experiences wire deep beliefs about safety, love, and worth  📉 How trauma reshapes your beliefs without you even kno...

Episode 6: Why Compassion is the Game-Changer in Trauma Therapy Forget the “tough it out” approach — real trauma healing starts with compassion . In this heartfelt episode, Adele and Sam explore:  💔 Why trauma survivors carry shame, fear, and self-blame  🧘‍♀️ How compassion-based therapy creates safety and actually works 🌱 The power of mindfulness, loving presence, and nonjudgmental care 🛠️ Too...

Episode 5: PTSD Isn’t What You Think PTSD isn’t just “mental health” — it’s your brain’s survival system on overdrive. In this raw and real episode, Adele and Sam unpack:  🧠 The difference between PTSD and PTS — and why it matters  ⚠️ What trauma actually does to your brain (think amygdala hijack & hippocampus shutdown)  🔥 Why PTSD symptoms feel like you're stuck in a loop 👩‍🔬 Why wom...

Episode 4: Triaging Stress & Reclaiming Your Health Feeling overwhelmed, burnt out, or like your body’s screaming at you? This one’s for you. Adele and Sam break down:  🧠 How chronic stress hijacks your brain, body, and even your genes 📊 The Five Pillars of Health: biochemistry, nutrition, emotional health, environment & epigenetics 💥 Cortisol belly, memory crashes, mood swings — what t...

5 Things We Said in Episode 1 That Most Therapists Won’t Tell You 👀 Not your average therapist talk. Here’s what we laid down in Episode 1 of Naked Insights : Healing is a learning journey – We don’t just sit back and “hold space.” We believe you need skills , education , and a plan . You deserve to know how you're healing, not just hope that you are. Therapy shouldn't be a black box –...

Episode 2: Good Stress vs. Bad Stress Not all stress is bad — but too much of the wrong kind is . In this episode, Adele and Sam unpack:  ⚡ The difference between healthy stress and toxic stress  🧠 How your HPA axis and cortisol hijack your sleep, energy, and immunity  🔥 Hans Selye’s 3 stages of stress: Alarm → Resistance → Exhaustion  🌿 Practical ways to build resilience — from lifestyle twea...

Episode 3: Perfectionism, Shame & Stress — The Toxic Trio Think perfectionism is about high standards? Think again. In this episode, Adele and Sam expose the real drivers behind perfectionism: 🔁 The shame cycle keeping you stuck 🧠 Cognitive distortions that fuel stress 😣 How perfectionism can become an addiction 💥 The cost: burnout, anxiety, and disconnection 🌱 The antidotes: self-compass...