Trauma Rewired

Our bodies are always speaking to us, but often we're not able to understand or listen to what they're trying to communicate. In this episode, hosts Jennifer and Elisabeth unpack the complexities of our relationship to the body, including how our perceptions, emotions and beliefs about our bodies significantly impact our overall well-being. They dive deep into the impact the interoceptive system h...

Our bodies are always speaking to us, but often we're not able to understand or listen to what they're trying to communicate. In this episode, hosts Jennifer and Elisabeth unpack the complexities of our relationship to the body, including how our perceptions, emotions and beliefs about our bodies significantly impact our overall well-being. They dive deep into the impact the interoceptive system h...

"Impaired integration is such a hallmark of the traumatized brain. It disrupts our ability to balance our nervous system. Neurobiologist Dan Siegel says that at its very essence, the purpose of trauma therapy is to restore brain integration."   On today's episode, co-hosts Jennifer Wallace and Elisabeth Kristoff of Brain-Based Wellness discuss the neurological impacts of trauma, specifically how d...

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...

Dissociation is one way that our brain keeps us safe from things that may cause us stress or harm. Whether it's a simple moment of daydreaming or constant state of dissociation in an abusive relationship, being cognitively and physically disconnected is not conducive to healing.   During this episode of Trauma Rewired, Jennifer and Elisabeth discuss the spectrum of dissociation and how it can affe...

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 sur...

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 is joining Jennifer and Elisabeth to discuss the impact of trauma o...

The holidays can be a magical time full of celebrations and connection, but they can also evoke feelings of loneliness and overwhelm — especially for those with a history of trauma. This duality of emotions can be hard to navigate, so this episode of Trauma Rewired explores the complex emotions that many experience during this time and strategies to manage them without falling back to harmful beha...

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...

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 em...

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 N...

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-po...

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 neurol...

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...

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,...

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 dysre...

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...

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 narcissi...

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...

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...

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 sur...

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 i...

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...

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 t...

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 fo...