Episodes
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Why are empaths more susceptible to experiencing trauma than most?
Are you a sensitive person? Are you an empath with a more sensitive and perceptive system?
What is happening is that our nervous system is more sensitive, receiving information that others donât, feeling things that others donât, which means having an uncontrollable body response to imperceptible changes in the environment.
Like being in a noisy crowd and not able to turn it off, our sensitivity can lead to overwhelm. Which leads to the hard truth, while being sensitive may be a superpower sometimes, it more often than not is overwhelming for our system and causes a trauma response in our body. Pretty soon we can be having emotional meltdowns, or physical health symptoms that are embarrassing or ones that we think are random.
In this episode, I chat with Dr. Judith Orloff to explore the ways in which this can lead to a greater susceptibility to trauma, as well as how to embrace the unique gifts that heightened sensitivity brings.
Dr. Orloff is a UCLA trained psychiatrist and has been called âthe godmother of the empath movementâ. She synthesizes traditional medicine with cutting-edge knowledge of intuition, energy, and spirituality, and believes in the power of integrating this wisdom.
In this episode, youâll learn:
Why highly sensitive people are more prone to trauma The different types of overwhelming situations an empath might encounter The hidden needs of empaths Why empaths are more vulnerable to physical health symptoms How this level of sensitivity can actually be a superpower Practical strategies for empaths, like sensory inventories and boundary setting, to not just survive but thriveFor more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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What can we do about the brain inflammation that holds us back in fog, fatigue and trauma responses?
To help answer that question and share brain inflammation with you is my guest, Dr. Austin Perlmutter, is a board-certified internal medicine physician, New York Times bestselling author, published researcher, and the executive director for Big Bold Health, a food-as-medicine company focused on helping people rejuvenate health through better immune function.
In the evolving field of trauma therapy, we're increasingly recognizing that healing isn't just about processing memories or changing thought patterns. The application of The Biology of Trauma lens is that it is just as much about addressing the impact trauma has had on our biology, which now keeps us stuck in our trauma responses.
One crucial aspect of this biological impact is brain inflammation. It is one of the most common yet most overlooked gatekeepers of trauma healing. Brain inflammation creates many of the symptoms that people attach to their trauma responses, yet often is what is triggering those trauma responses. Yes, you heard me right. It is not just people, places that can trigger our trauma response. It is also a specific immune cell in our brain - microglia.
In this episode, youâll learn why:
Good insights from therapy seem to fade by the next day Small stresses feel overwhelming to your brain What you eat affects how well you can process emotions Relationship conflicts leave you mentally exhausted Your diet can dysregulate you just as much as your partner Your mind feels clearer in nature than in therapyFor more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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Missing episodes?
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As you know, this is a very special episode. We're both at the two year anniversary and the 100th podcast episode, and what a milestone. I'm even surprised and shocked at how much content I've been able to put out into the world through this podcast, and I'm very grateful and humbled and honored that I get to do that.
To celebrate this special episode, I wanted to bring in some amazing women around the world who have really been doing this inner journey and work with their nervous system. And I invited these three because they are both so unique and different from each other, and yet, they've all had incredible shifts and insights as they have learned about their nervous system and learned how to work with it, develop a very different relationship with their body and have tools for repair that has allowed them to experience more regulation in their life, and we're going to hear about how that's opened things up for them.
For more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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Why should medicine consider trauma as a diagnosis of inclusion and not just when nothing else is found wrong?
The failure to recognize and treat the stored trauma that drives many patients' health challenges has profound and far-reaching consequences. It perpetuates a cycle of ineffective care. It worsens patient outcomes and undermines the overall effectiveness of the healthcare system. As a medical physician and also one who has been this type of patient, this episode and the Trauma-Informed Medicine Project coming out of this was really important to me.
One of the key problems is that trauma manifests in diverse ways across multiple bodily systems, making it difficult to identify as the common thread. Patients may present with a range of symptoms such as migraines, chronic pain, digestive issues, sleep problems, and mood disorders.
Rather than recognizing these as interconnected signs of nervous system dysregulation stemming from trauma, the medical system often compartmentalizes the symptoms, referring patients to various specialists to treat each one in isolation. This leads to a "medical merry-go-round" where patients bounce from one provider to the next, undergoing test after test, without ever getting to the root of their issues.
Which is why I bring in Dr. Jorina Elbers, a board certified physician in neurology with a masters in epidemiology and former assistant professor and pediatric neurologist at Stanford University. She has authored over 25 research articles and book chapters, and really focuses on what's going on in the nervous system in regards to stress and trauma and how to recognize it. She is currently the director of the Trauma Recovery Project at the Heart Math Institute and runs her own trauma sensitive neurology clinic.
In this episode, you will hear Dr. Elbers journey of how she discovered the critical link between trauma, stress, and neurological disorders. You will hear how she started asking better questions of her patients, uncovering stories of family trauma from her patients and just what to do especially when labs and tests show nothing wrong.
In this episode, youâll learn:
How to ask better questions that lead to discovering the true causes behind seemingly inexplicable diagnoses What tools can healthcare practitioners integrate into consultations to uncover patientâs trauma history and why this is so important The importance of including trauma in differential diagnoses, especially when conventional medical tests donât reveal a clear cause. How to move away from treating symptoms on a neurotransmitter level and into treating the whole nervous system The autonomic nervous system and heart rate variability Medical trauma from procedures and treatments that actually contribute further to symptoms and chronic conditionsFor more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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In this episode, I want to teach on an important topic that is either commonly misunderstood or just missed, muscle bracing patterns that have their origins in our attachment style.
I am teaching on how to recognize attachment bracing adaptations to answer the one question How does our attachment create bracing patterns in our body to protect us from pain?
This is important because these same bracing patterns will affect both our breath and our freeze response - our shut down in the face of certain emotions.
In this episode, youâll learn:
How to recognise bracing patterns Which emotions bracing helps protect us from How bracing patterns developed during our attachment years to protect our physiology How bracing patterns affect the breath The relationship between bracing patterns and the freeze responseFor more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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How do we restore the gut microbiome that has been affected by trauma, stress and nervous system dysregulation?
In this episode, weâll focus on how we can get our gut and nervous system back into a space where they can feel safe enough to relax and process the trauma and stress our body is carrying.
Steven Wright is my guest for this episode. Because of his story and life experience with trauma, stress and nervous system dysregulation since infancy affecting his gut, he has had to learn solutions to fight for his health. He is truly a health engineer to understand nervous system and gut connection and solutions. and founded a business based on what he has learned.
I really wanted to have Steven on because he really had to go to a deeper level than most have ever needed to in order to find solutions for a gut impacted by trauma and nervous system dysregulation. Being born with a birth defect that resulted in something called visceral hypersensitivity, he has experienced anxiety, panic attacks and depression, obesity and IBS⊠and is here to share his story and what he learned that can help us with our gut and nervous system connection.
In this episode, youâll learn:
How early life experiences program survival mechanisms into our nervous system How those survival programs become health dysfunctions The 3 nutrients that are power houses for the gut-nervous system connection The optimal ways, types and dosages for the body to absorb these supplements properly Why you still may be struggling with gut issues despite a clean diet How to choose properly functioning digestive enzymesFor more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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Does the overwhelm and experience of trauma create a pre-existing state in our nervous system that sets the stage for chronic pain conditions?
In this episode, we will be talking about chronic pain as a message from our body. Part of an unconscious protective response learned by nerve pathways rather than a physical abnormality.
While chronic pain can be traced back to an injury or event, the science suggests chronic pain is caused by our brainâs attempt to protect us from unbearable emotions. In fact, this purpose of protection is at the root of many common complaints, including back pain, sciatica, migraines, fibromyalgia and many other symptoms.
I have an incredible guest for this episode, Georgie Odlfield, a physiotherapist and chronic pain specialist, who has been a real leader in this space. Georgie is a TEDx speaker and the author of Chronic Pain: Your Key to Recovery. She is a woman, steady and strong in her leadership in trauma-informed care for chronic pain.
I first came across her work when I sought out training in psychosomatic medicine while in preventive medicine residency. I had just switched out of general surgery and knew that I wanted to lean in more into the root cause of conditions that I had only previously been taught to treat with a pill or surgery. This is how I came across these leaders in the space, and have been happy to see Georgie provide such value and community for those with chronic pain and practitioners who work with chronic pain.
In this episode, youâll learn:
How chronic ongoing pain or recurring symptoms can actually be neuroplastic mind body symptoms How to ask questions that will help you get to the root of your chronic pain symptoms and release them Why somebody is more likely to develop chronic pain after having an acute injury and the predisposing factors for this How chronic pain can be the bodyâs protective response to keep us from falling apart emotionally How to communicate with your body, and not just hear but also understand the answers itâs giving youFor more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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Does trauma affect our methylation process and our body's capacity to detox?
Trauma doesn't just live in our minds; it resides in our cells, influencing fundamental biological processes. One of these processes is detoxification, our body's natural ability to eliminate harmful substances. When trauma is stored in the body, it affects the biology of our detoxification pathways, making it harder for us to rid ourselves of toxins.
A build-up of toxins can impede our progress in trauma therapy and healing. It's a two-way street: trauma affects our ability to detoxify, and toxins affect our ability to process and release trauma.
I am very excited about our guest today since he has been a leader in implementing mental health nutrition at the clinical level. It is hard to be a leader, and I want to acknowledge the effort he has put in to create a different experience for his patients.
Albert Mensah has been a family practice physician for over twenty years now. He received his medical degree from Finch University of Health Sciences, Chicago Medical School, and then completed his residency at Swedish Covenant, leading him to follow a very different path than conventional medical, making his approach to body and biochemical imbalances very unique.
In this episode, youâll learn:
The science behind trauma-toxin connection and provide practical insights on what to do about it Learn to recognize methylation imbalances and its health issues Understand how to support your body's detox pathways Learn nutritional and diet toolsFor more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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How can we better manage anxiety by decreasing adrenaline levels through our food and eating habits?
In this episode, we will be talking about the major hormone of stress and trauma - adrenaline. This episode will help you better understand the important role of adrenaline in stress, dsyregulation and stored trauma. Moreover, it will give you knowledge of how to learn more about your adrenaline levels based on your eating habits and the nutritional tools for balancing adrenaline.
My good friend Luis Mojica, a somatic therapist, nutritionist and a musician is my guest for this episode.
Like me, he started noticing how his biology and nutrition were affecting somatic work, got curious and started asking questions and testing his theories on himself.
Luis came into this work through personal experience, having endured a lot of relational trauma in his personal life, he realized he used to binge eat thousands of calories in one sitting just to suppress his anxiety and social fear, until one day, by mistake, he played the guitar.
This is when he discovered co-regulation and parasympathetic response, and he set off to research other modalities that could also create the same feeling of safety and was led to the type of trauma work he does now.
In this episode, youâll learn:
To track cravings back to childhood when we used food for internal regulation How eating certain types of foods can help us metabolize adrenaline How compulsive eating helps us regulate our nervous system What foods lead to experiencing perceived threats and chronic PTSD because of their effect on the adrenal glands How can we metabolize excess adrenaline using food Somatic practices that can help with accessing stored trauma in our stomach, managing cravings and digestive issuesFor more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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Can lithium influence nervous system dysregulation?
In this episode, we are looking at lithiumâs role on the nervous system. You will find that it needs to be central to the conversation for mental health, addiction, and the trauma healing journey, particularly its stabilizing effects on the nervous system.
I have brought in a guest whose work I have high respect for and helped me see the possibilities beyond mood medications for myself. Dr. James Greenblatt has been in clinical practice since 1988 and is the founder and pioneer in the field of integrative and functional psychiatry.
In this episode, youâll learn the role of lithium in helping a dysregulated nervous system become more flexible, regulated and stable:
Lithium's role in impulsivity The interface between lithium and the immune system The use of lithium for depression, suicidal thoughts and addiction Why you should understand your familyâs mental health history prior to considering lithium treatment What other symptoms might indicate the need for a lithium treatment How lithium interacts with other minerals like copper and zincFor more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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Does growing up in chaos impact our nervous systems even as adults?
In this episode, we are looking at early childhood dynamics and how itâs expressed in adulthood through unconscious behaviors and coping mechanisms.
I have brought in a guest who is especially dear to my heart and has played a very significant and pivotal role in my own journey. Dr. Tian Dayton specializes in addiction and trauma, especially when it comes to speaking to the adult child of an alcoholic.
Dr. Dayton is also a leading voice in psychodrama, and she has a very incredible way of combining movement and the body with it, which gives her patients the opportunity to access different times in their past, be able to role play with them and give them a voice that they did not have before.
In this episode you'll learn:
The kind of coping mechanisms we develop in response to early trauma The importance of integrating movement and emotional expression in therapy The importance of physical touch and intimacy in early childhood development How perceived sense of danger can lead to a collapse in the nervous system What kind of environments provide the structure needed for trauma resolutionFor more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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What 2 Neuroscience Features Will Reinforce chronic pain and make it habitual?
In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Howard Schubiner, board certified in pediatrics, adolescent medicine, internal medicine and a leading voice in the mind body medicine field.
Weâll be discussing how the brain regulates and generates a wide range of chronic symptoms, from pain to fatigue to anxiety and how to understand when these symptoms are mind-body related.
His research and clinical experience led him to develop therapies that help to effectively "unlearn" these chronic symptoms by addressing the underlying neural circuits and emotional factors driving these psychophysiological conditions.
In this episode, youâll learn:
Predictive processing and the brainâs role in chronic pain The role of emotional injuries and neural circuit pain in chronic conditions How pain can become habitual and reinforced by fear and conditioned responses Why you should treat the brain like a child and the principle of graded exposure How Internal Family Systems can be used to address fear and anger towards sensations and painFor more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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How can we change our biochemistry to change our trauma responses?
In this episode, we are looking at thoughts and behavior through hormones, metabolism and biochemistry.
I have brought in a distinguished guest, Dr. Robert Lustig, a pioneering neuroendocrinologist. A neuroendocrinologist is someone who studies and works with the intersection of the nervous system with the endocrine system, or hormones. His work has been instrumental in understanding metabolic disorders and their role in stress and mood.
He had a big influence on me as I came into functional medicine in search of answers for my own health issues during my surgery residency. His work on metabolic chronic health issues, obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome, was fascinating, especially coming in with my background, with a Masters degree in biochemistry. It helped to make sense of what I was experiencing in my own physiology, health and mood at the time.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Whether the global epidemic of chronic health problems are a result of separate issues or part of a single larger root issue in our stress resilience and physiology. The four "brakes" of the amygdala in fear conditioning How our metabolism influences serotonin and our stress and mood regulation The intersection of our metabolism, cortisol, and insulin on depression How our thoughts and actions are created at the cellular level by biochemistry and proteinsFor more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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How can tapping on specific points on the body help regulate the autonomic nervous system and promote holistic wellness?
I'm really excited for this episode because we're talking about acupuncture and meridian points on our body as a tool to work with our trauma.
We're going to hear the powerful story of Jennifer Partridge, a friend of mine, who found EFT tapping and it changed her life and helped to reverse her colitis. The outcome was so profound that she made it her life's purpose to empower others through tapping and the gift of emotional mastery that it brings.
Jennifer is a world renowned tapping expert, author and speaker. Not only will she explain how to use tapping to reduce physical symptoms and relax the nervous system, but she'll also explain how she uses tapping to enliven the system and tap into your purpose.
In this episode, you will learn about:
The possibilities with tapping and reducing various physical health problems How to integrate Chinese medicine, energy healing and Western medicine How trauma affects the autonomic nervous system and why this leads to chronic health issues Methods to create a safe environment that allow us to access and work through buried traumas How tapping techniques can help with inner child work Understand the importance of setting energetic boundaries to prevent the absorption of othersâ stress and emotionsFor more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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How can authenticity help us heal from trauma and achieve deeper, more intimate relationships?
Dr. Aimie Apigian is joined by Dr. Peter Levine, the pioneer of Somatic Experiencing, to discuss how trauma disrupts our connection to our authentic selves, which in turn affects our ability to form deep, meaningful relationships. Together, they will explain how we can begin to restore deep intimacy and connection with others through the practice of somatic healing. Allowing for genuine intimacy and presence in our lives after having experienced trauma.
In this episode, you will learn about:
How trauma disrupts our authentic self and impacts our relationships The significance of authenticity and human connection when it comes to healing this trauma How to achieve greater intimacy through authenticity How a dysregulated nervous system impacts our ability to achieve our goals and strategies how to manage this The connection between the flow state and authenticity The importance of authenticity and self-awareness in personal growthFor more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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How does unresolved trauma disrupt our sleep patterns, and what can we do about it?
Iâm thrilled to welcome Dr. Michael Breus, a double board-certified clinical psychologist and clinical sleep specialist. Weâll be discussing the profound effects of trauma on our sleep, exploring how our nervous system processes life experiences and their lasting impact on our rest. Dr. Breus will explain how trauma can disrupt sleep patterns, examine unique case studies from his practice and explore practical solutions for overcoming these challenges.
In this episode, you will learn about:
How past traumas continue to affect sleep long after the event The importance of a felt sense of safety for falling asleep The link between freeze response, escapism and sleep and how to stop numbing in order to sleep How to discover your chronotype and improve your sleep cycle based on it How nightmares prevent emotional processing and how dream therapy can help individuals work through trauma How trauma can make us feel 'wired and tired' 2 practical techniques for calming the mind and body before sleepFor more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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What is the role of genes and epigenetics in trauma at the cellular level?
Joining us today is none other than Dr. Bruce Lipton, an internationally recognized leader in bridging science and spirit. Dr. Lipton will share his pioneering insights into how our perceptions and environment can reshape our biological responses, especially regarding trauma and together weâll explore the foundational concepts of epigenetics, the role of the environment in gene expression, and how our consciousness plays a crucial role in trauma development.
In this episode, you will learn about:
Do genes or environment determine our cellular behavior How identical cells in different environments perform How positive or negative thoughts alter the chemical composition of our blood How chronic trauma affects our epigenetics making us more susceptible to diseases The cause of cancer through the eyes of epigenetics and Practical tools to apply the principles of epigenetics and consciousness to your life to promote an innate state of healingFor more information and links for this episode, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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How can we effectively harness our stress response and work with our freeze response to achieve sustained, high and healthy performance?
Our focus today is on Olympian level of performance. In a world that gives us the message that we need to manage our stress, actually, that may not be what we want to do. We are going to look at our stress physiology through the lens of high performance, because letâs face it, trauma work and personal development can be like Olympian performance for us. Itâs hard, itâs long, and we want to know how to use our stress response to help us accomplish the changes we want in our life.
In this episode, you will learn:
The 2 important measures of performance: activation physiology and recovery capacity The importance of mastering both stress activation and recovery The role of routines and biological rhythms in optimizing performance Overcoming the guilt and discomfort associated with taking time to rest How the messages behind physical health symptoms like shingles or adrenal fatigue are not messages just of stress and what those messages are What relationship you need to have with your freeze response for optimal performance Techniques to increase your ability to handle high-stress situations without compromising your well-beingFor more information and links for this episode, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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How can we build resilience to stress and trauma at a physiological level in addition to psychological level?
I am joined by Ari Witten, a natural health expert and founder of The Energy Blueprint. Ari is the best-selling author of "The Ultimate Guide to Red Light Therapy" and "Eat for Energy: How to Beat Fatigue and Supercharge Your Mitochondria for All-Day Energy." With a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, certifications in corrective exercise and performance enhancement, and extensive graduate-level training in clinical psychology and human nutrition, Ari brings a wealth of knowledge on human energy optimization. His expertise in cellular processes and physiological resilience is unparalleled.
In this episode, we will explore:
Whether physiological resilience is actually more important than psychological resilience How trauma responses occur not just on a psychological level, but also on a cellular and mitochondrial level The difference between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and post-traumatic growth Can the right amount of stress actually build resilience instead of breaking us down How your environment and lifestyle factors affect trauma and resilience Practical strategies to enhance physiological resilience, including regular exposure to manageable stressors like exercise, sun exposure, and cold plungingFor more information and links for this episode, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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Is it possible to use our anxiety as a way to help us?
In this episode, I am joined by Emma McAdams, a licensed marriage and family therapist who has worked in settings such as juvenile corrections, adventure therapy programs, high schools, and wilderness therapy programs. Together, we will discuss the difference between stress and anxiety, why anxiety actually isnât a bad thing, and what to do when you start to feel anxiety in your body.
The behavioral patterns at the root of anxiety The different forms of avoidance and how they contribute to anxiety Whatâs actually causing your anxiety (hint: itâs not the TRIGGER!) How to know you are being affected by hidden anxiety The kinds of messages that you can get from anxiety What to do if you wake up in the middle of the night and feel anxious And more!
Youâll hear more about:
For more information and links for this episode, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/ - Show more
