Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The Biology of Trauma® With Dr. Aimie
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Why Fixing Someone You Love Is Destroying Your Nervous System | 24 Feb 2026 | 00:41:42 | |
When someone you love is struggling with addiction, your nervous system absorbs what theirs numbs out. Relational trauma repair therapist Karen Moser joins Dr. Aimie Apigian to explain why the families of substance users often carry deeper nervous system dysregulation than the users themselves. This episode reveals the biological cost of trying to control another person's healing and what it takes to reclaim the parts of yourself that got lost along the way. In This Episode You'll Learn:
Resources/Guides:
Related Podcast Episodes: | |||
| The Biology of Grief: Why Your Gut Holds What You Can’t Feel | 20 Feb 2026 | 00:13:32 | |
Grief, regret, loneliness, inflammation, pain. There are deeper layers than we are even aware of. Dana was a family physician who had managed gut issues for years. Constipation. Bloating. Acid reflux. She had every tool available to her. She rotated medications, over-the-counter laxatives, and antacids. She pushed through. Then one brave question changed everything. I asked her: what happened that should not have happened? Her posture collapsed. The tears came. And she made the connection — that was when my gut issues started. This is the biology behind what so many of us carry without knowing it. In the main episode this week, we explored how grief and gut health are connected. Now I’m taking you deeper into what’s actually happening in your body when grief goes unrecognized — and the three types of grief that are hardest to name. In this episode you’ll hear more about:
Grief is more than an emotion. It is a whole-body response. It creates overwhelm in a way that stress does not. When grief is stored, the gut holds it. The posture holds it. The throat holds it. Dana didn’t just need to grieve what happened. She needed to grieve the silence, the years of self-blame, and the cost to her health she hadn’t seen. Most of us carry grief we haven’t named yet. Resources/Guides:
→ Watch the video version on YouTube → Check out the main episode — EP 161: Dopamine and Depression: The Metabolic Link You Need to Know Try this practice this week: Notice when your gut clenches, your posture collapses, or a lump forms in your throat. Before you push through, pause. Put one hand over your belly. Give it a message: “I see what you’ve been holding. We don’t have to go there today.” Presence interrupts the pattern of pushing through. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. It helps others find trauma-informed care. | |||
| The Body Trauma Loop: Why Time Doesn't Heal Chronic Illness | 09 Jan 2026 | 00:17:31 | |
What if the slogans we've trusted about healing are actually in conflict? "The body keeps the score." "Time heals all wounds." We've heard both. They can't both be true. Here's the tension. If time heals all wounds, staying busy should eventually work. Decades of pushing through should land us somewhere good. But that's not what happens. The body keeps the score whether we acknowledge it or not. I go deeper into the research from my conversation with Dr. Karestan Koenen in Episode 155. She followed 100,000 women over twenty years. What she found confirms what I see clinically. Unresolved experiences don't fade with time. They become biology. That background sense of danger we can't quite name? That's our nervous system still on guard. This was never about time. It's about what happens when we ask the nervous system to stay alert indefinitely. In this episode you'll hear more about:
The body holds trauma through its patterns of surviving. When we understand this, we work with our biology. Not against it. Resources/Guides:
🎙️ Check out the main episode this follows: Episode 155: Time Doesn't Heal—It Becomes Biology with Dr. Karestan Koenen 💭 Try this practice this week: Notice when you reach for your go-to survival strategy. Wine, scrolling, ice cream, overworking. Before you do, pause. Ask: "What am I feeling in my body right now? What am I trying to soothe?" That awareness is the first step. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. It helps others find trauma-informed care. | |||
| Invisible Adoption and Attachment Pain: When High Achievement Masks Childhood Wounds with JJ Virgin | 28 Jan 2025 | 00:24:04 | |
What are common beliefs we form about ourselves that leave us unable to connect, trust and receive love later as adults? Have you ever wondered why success doesn't automatically translate to feeling fulfilled? Or why, despite all our achievements, there's still that nagging feeling that we need to prove ourselves? Today's episode sharing an adoption story might just explain why. Today, JJ Virgin joins me to share a deeply personal story that is part of her reason for her remarkable professional success. In this episode, JJ talks openly about the challenges of growing up feeling like she had to rely only on herself, how those feelings drove her to professional success, and the breakthroughs she's experienced that have helped her heal old wounds, become a proud mom and find love. Yet, this conversation isn't just for those who have been adopted— though it will help you understand yourself better if you have and help you understand anyone in your life who has been. Rather, this episode is about recognizing the unconscious pain that we carry from our childhood. In this episode, you'll learn:
For more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/ | |||
| How Mast Cell Activation, Histamines & Mold Toxicity Place You in a High-Risk Trauma Category with Beth O'Hara | 21 Jan 2025 | 00:23:20 | |
Have you ever wondered why you are so reactive - to people, foods, smells, sounds and stress - while other people around you seem completely fine? You are going in overdrive or even going into overwhelm, and think you just must be having a bad day or looking for what triggered you. The answer might surprise you. A specific cell of your immune system, mast cells, could be actually causing trauma responses in your body, putting you into emotional states, that have less to do with the people around you and more with a compound those cells release, histamine. Today we're tackling a commonly overlooked underlying reason for anxiety. We will be answering the question, How do mast cell activation and mold toxicity keep us stuck in our responses and triggers to trauma? Before we dive in, I want to dedicate this episode to the loving memory of our guest Beth O'Hara, who passed away in July 2024. Beth was a pioneering functional naturopath who transformed countless lives through her work with Mast Cell 360, helping people understand and heal from complex cases of Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), mold toxicity, and related conditions. She was a friend to me and I am sad to not have more time and conversations with her. In this episode, you'll discover:
For more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/ | |||
| How Anxiety, Depression & Trauma Reactions May Be From Mold and Heavy Metals with Kirkland Newman | 14 Jan 2025 | 00:29:16 | |
How does mold and stored trauma in the body create a feedback cycle that makes us susceptible to the other? Studies are confirming that common mental health symptoms, like depression and anxiety, are associated with brain inflammation. I want to share with you some two often overlooked sources of brain inflammation and emotional fragility, toxins from mold exposure and Lyme infection. More importantly, the feedback cycle that they create with stored trauma in the body. This is important because we have a mental health crisis with unprecedented numbers of anxiety, depression and related effects like, burnout. While we usually assume a person, place or situation is causing us stress, we want to consider the increasing amount of mold exposure and undetected chronic Lyme disease. Many are unaware of the association between the two and without knowing to investigate, get on a recommended mood and sleep medications that cause problems and are difficult to get off of later, and are addressing the real problem. My good friend Kirkland Newman, is my guest for this episode. She is a journalist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, who faced postpartum depression and couldn't find answers in the traditional healthcare approach. So she did her own research and created Mindhealth 360 an integrative Mental Health website to be a resource on information for others also trying to find mental health solutions. In this episode, you'll learn:
For more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/ | |||
| How Trauma Fuels Addiction & The 4 Pillars for Recovery with Joe Polish | 07 Jan 2025 | 00:39:29 | |
Have you ever wondered if you have an addiction? Maybe you have openly struggled with one or know someone with one? As an addiction medicine physician, there are more people than the studies estimate who live with an addiction, either because they don't know yet or because no one is asking them the questions to have it be documented. People pull me aside at social events and want to ask me if they have an addiction to their prescription pills for sleep, anxiety or pain or to things like work, exercise and adrenaline. I wanted to share this specific episode on addiction and its antidote connection because the risk for addictions is higher than ever. Our modern world - with increased isolation, social media dependency, and decreased authentic community - creates conditions that make addiction more likely. The increasing rates of anxiety, depression, and overwhelm in our society mean more people are vulnerable to using addictive behaviors as coping mechanisms. In fact, it is a hidden epidemic. Many people are "functional addicts" without recognizing it because society normalizes various addictive behaviors. This makes it critical for each of us to understand the underlying patterns that drive addiction. Whether it is to be mindful of our own vulnerability or to navigate recovery with better success than the traditional approaches, addiction is something we all need to understand now. I'm honored to share a powerful conversation with Joe Polish, founder of Genius Network® and Genius Recovery. Joe's journey from nearly losing everything to addiction to becoming one of the world's most connected entrepreneurs offers hope and practical wisdom for anyone touched by addiction - whether personally or through loved ones. We will be answering the question, "How does creating genuine connection and safety accelerate healing from addiction?" In this episode, you'll discover:
For more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/ | |||
| Addiction & 6-Step Felt Sense Polyvagal Plan to Revolutionize Traditional Treatment with Janet Winhall | 31 Dec 2024 | 00:34:56 | |
What does it mean that our behaviors, conscious and unconscious, serve as state propellers, actually giving us exactly what we need in the moment, whether energy or numbing and disconnecting? By answering this question in this episode, you will not only come to understand yourself better, and why you reach for that second or third cup of coffee or binge watch T.V. shows, but it will give you new eyes to understand addictions and their recovery. It will be a window into your own inner world and felt sense of safety or danger. We will explore emotional regulation and the states of the nervous system through the lens of addictions. One of the reasons I chose to become an addiction medicine physician was because of what I would be able to learn about trauma and the nervous system, and how the body adapts to survive and function despite inner pain. That is why it was important for me to bring you this episode with my friend and guest, Dr. Janet Winhall, an author, teacher and psychotherapist. Author of 'Treating Trauma and Addiction with the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model. In this episode, you'll learn:
For more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/ | |||
| Strategies for Empaths: How to Navigate Sensory Overload, Shame & Trauma with Dr. Judith Orloff | 17 Dec 2024 | 00:38:31 | |
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 don't, feeling things that others don't, 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 "the godmother of the empath movement". 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, you'll learn:
For more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/ | |||
| Brain Inflammation: Addressing The Overlooked Gatekeeper To Trauma Release with. Dr Austin Perlmutter | 10 Dec 2024 | 00:36:35 | |
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, you'll learn why:
For more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/ | |||
| 3 Power Stories: How to Reclaim Your Mental & Physical Health Through Biology of TraumaⓇ with Dr. Aimie Apigian | 03 Dec 2024 | 00:37:02 | |
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/ | |||
| Stress In The Body: Trauma-Informed Medicine & Why Dysregulation Should Be Included In Every Assessment with Dr. Jorina Elbers | 26 Nov 2024 | 00:30:01 | |
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, you'll learn:
For more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/ | |||
| Survival Mechanisms: How Early Attachment Trauma Shapes Your Breathing & Behavior Patterns with Dr. Aimie Apigian | 19 Nov 2024 | 00:32:56 | |
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, you'll learn:
For more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/ | |||
| Time Doesn't Heal: What 20 Years of Research Actually Shows | 06 Jan 2026 | 00:40:39 | |
We've been told time heals all wounds. Go back to work. Stay busy. But what if decades of stress are still rewriting the body right now? Dr. Karestan Koenen, a Harvard researcher who has followed 100,000 women over twenty years, shares what she's discovered about how unaddressed trauma doesn't fade—it becomes biology. In this conversation, we explore why major disease studies have ignored trauma, how stalking affects women's heart health, and what epigenetics reveals about catching these changes early. → Get the full episode breakdown at Biology of Trauma® Podcast - Episode 155: Time Doesn't Heal: What 20 Years of Research Actually Shows In this episode you'll learn:
Resources/Guides:
Related Podcast Episodes: | |||
| A Gut Stuck In Survival Mode: Restoring Gut Microbiome Balance With Nervous System Regulation with Steven Wright | 12 Nov 2024 | 00:45:35 | |
How do we restore the gut microbiome that has been affected by trauma, stress and nervous system dysregulation? In this episode, we'll 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, you'll learn:
For more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/ | |||
| Pain as Protection: Why Your Body Creates Chronic Pain & The 3 Questions to Ask to Release It with Georgie Oldfield | 05 Nov 2024 | 00:37:25 | |
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 brain's 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, you'll learn:
For more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/ | |||
| Trauma and Toxins: Methylation & Unblocking Your Body's Detoxification Pathways with Dr. Albert Mensah | 28 Oct 2024 | 00:30:36 | |
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, you'll learn:
For more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/ | |||
| Nutrition for Trauma Recovery: 3 Superfoods To Calm Adrenaline & Anxiety with Luis Mojica | 22 Oct 2024 | 00:36:19 | |
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, you'll learn:
For more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/ | |||
| Is Lithium the Answer to a Regulated Nervous System, Depression & Addiction Treatment? with Dr. James Greenblatt | 15 Oct 2024 | 00:28:55 | |
Can lithium influence nervous system dysregulation? In this episode, we are looking at lithium's 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, you'll learn the role of lithium in helping a dysregulated nervous system become more flexible, regulated and stable:
For more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/ | |||
| How Chaos of Early Childhood Trauma Affects Our Adult Nervous System with Dr. Tian Dayton | 08 Oct 2024 | 00:39:45 | |
Does growing up in chaos impact our nervous systems even as adults? In this episode, we are looking at early childhood dynamics and how it's 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:
For more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/ | |||
| The Neuroscience of Chronic Pain: How Our Brain Predicts And Creates A Biology of Pain with Dr. Howard Schubiner | 01 Oct 2024 | 00:39:30 | |
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. We'll 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, you'll learn:
For more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/ | |||
| Beyond Talk Therapy: The Biochemical Basis of Behavior & Changing Our Responses with Dr. Robert Lustig | 20 Sep 2024 | 00:34:29 | |
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:
For more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/ | |||
| Tapping, EFT and Energetic Boundaries For Inner Child and Trauma Recovery with Jennifer Partridge | 13 Sep 2024 | 00:32:08 | |
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:
For more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/ | |||
| Authenticity & Somatic Experiencing: How to Access Deeper Intimacy After Trauma with Dr. Peter Levine | 06 Sep 2024 | 00:31:14 | |
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:
For more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/ | |||
| Why Resolutions Fail: The Biology of Survival Strategies | 01 Jan 2026 | 00:11:54 | |
What if the habit you've been trying to break is actually how you learned to survive? It's January. You've made the resolution. This year will be different. You start strong. First week goes well. By February, you're back where you started. Maybe feeling worse because now you've added shame to the pile. I share about Rachel, a 42-year-old marketing director. She tried everything to stop late-night eating. Willpower. Mantras. Accountability apps. Nothing worked for more than a few weeks. When I asked what she felt right before reaching for food, she'd never thought about it. That knot in her stomach? It went away when she ate. Her nervous system had found a way to keep emotions manageable. This wasn't about the food. It was about how she was getting through life. In this episode you'll hear more about:
It is never about the behavior. The behavior is the downstream effect. When we understand this, we can work with our biology instead of against it. Resources/Guides:
🎙️ Check out this week's main episode, Episode 154: The Biology of Burnout (Part 2): What Understanding Can't Do 💭 Try this practice this week: Before you reach for that habit you're trying to break, pause. Ask yourself: "What am I feeling in my body right now? What is this survival strategy helping me avoid?" Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. It helps others find trauma-informed care. | |||
| Hidden Triggers For Insomnia & Solutions For a Stressed Subconscious Nervous System with Dr. Michael Breus | 30 Aug 2024 | 00:31:33 | |
How does unresolved trauma disrupt our sleep patterns, and what can we do about it? I'm thrilled to welcome Dr. Michael Breus, a double board-certified clinical psychologist and clinical sleep specialist. We'll 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:
For more information and show notes, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/ | |||
| Is Trauma Genetic or Epigenetic? Insights with Dr. Bruce Lipton | 23 Aug 2024 | 00:30:43 | |
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 we'll 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:
For more information and links for this episode, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/ | |||
| Stress & Freeze Response: How to Achieve & Sustain High Performance with Olympian Louise Tjernqvist | 16 Aug 2024 | 00:38:16 | |
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 let's face it, trauma work and personal development can be like Olympian performance for us. It's hard, it's 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:
For more information and links for this episode, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/ | |||
| Cellular Resilience And Post-Traumatic Growth with Ari Whitten | 09 Aug 2024 | 00:41:38 | |
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:
For more information and links for this episode, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/ | |||
| Breaking Free: How to Get Out of the Stress-Trauma Cycle by Using the Science of Anxiety with Emma McAdams | 02 Aug 2024 | 00:33:24 | |
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 isn't a bad thing, and what to do when you start to feel anxiety in your body. You'll hear more about:
For more information and links for this episode, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/ | |||
| Using Biological Rhythms to Recover From Trauma with Dr. Leslie Korn | 26 Jul 2024 | 00:24:44 | |
How can we use the body's natural biological rhythms to recover from trauma?
In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Leslie Korn, a clinical fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard University. She has been in private practice for 40 years, integrating psychotherapy and integrative medicine. Together we will discuss awareness and effective utilization of the body's natural rhythms, such as circadian rhythm, digestive rhythm, and sleep rhythm. This episode helps us understand that trauma disrupts our biological rhythms, and aligning with them is part of the trauma healing journey.
You'll also hear more about:
For more information and links for this episode, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/ | |||
| Trauma, Toxins and Autoimmunity: Simple Solutions To Prevent Or Reverse with Dr. Tom O'Bryan | 19 Jul 2024 | 00:34:41 | |
If you have had trauma, early life trauma, what should you know about decreasing your risk for autoimmunity? I have a distinguished guest for this episode, a leading expert in functional medicine, Dr. Tom O'Bryan, who holds teaching positions with the Institute of Functional Medicine and the National University of Health Sciences. Often referred to as the Sherlock Holmes for chronic disease, Dr. O'Bryan is a chiropractor who has dedicated his career to uncovering the underlying mechanisms that trigger immune responses. What you will learn in this episode:
For more information and links for this episode, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/ | |||
| Why We Choose and Stay in Unhealthy Relationships After Complex Trauma with Dr. Frank Anderson | 12 Jul 2024 | 00:44:40 | |
How do our early experiences shape our ability to love, be loved and feel loved?
In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Frank Anderson, a Harvard trained psychiatrist, psychotherapist, and author of To Be Loved, a memoir of his upbringing and life, Transcending Trauma, and coauthor of the Internal Family Systems training manual. Together we will discuss the relational trauma of not feeling loved in our early life, our own self-love, receiving love, and giving love to others.
You'll also hear more about:
For more information and links for this episode, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/ | |||
| How Chronic Health Challenges and Your Work Impact Each Other with Sally Riggs | 28 Jun 2024 | 00:38:24 | |
Is your health impacting the way you show up for work? In this episode, I am joined by Sally Riggs, an entrepreneur, psychologist, and COVID long-haul coach. Together, we'll discuss the interconnectedness of work and health and the strategies and principles you can use to keep going when your body is struggling with long-term health issues. You'll hear more about:
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| How to Transform Yourself During Grief by Empowering Others with Melissa Dlugolecki | 21 Jun 2024 | 00:47:13 | |
How do we navigate the hidden challenges that can arise when experiencing grief?
Today, I am joined by Melissa Dlugolecki, a mother who lost her daughter at around 4 months of age. In the episode, Melissa shares the journey of losing her daughter, the surprising challenges that popped up during her grief journey, and how she's been able to get emotionally where she is today.
You'll hear more on:
For more information and links for this episode, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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| The Biology of Burnout (Part 2): What Understanding Can't Do | 30 Dec 2025 | 00:25:14 | |
In part one, we learned why so many of us stay stuck despite trying everything. This episode reveals what actually worked for the dogs in that study. Spoiler: it wasn't understanding. It was movement. I share Claire's breakthrough moment standing at her kitchen sink. What she felt in those 90 seconds changed everything. → Get the full episode breakdown at Biology of Trauma® Podcast - Episode 154: The Biology of Burnout (Part 2): What Understanding Can't Do In this episode you'll learn:
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| The Effects of Relational Adaptations From Insecure Attachment Styles with Dr. Diane Poole-Heller | 14 Jun 2024 | 00:37:46 | |
Are your attachment pains and patterns impacting not only your relationships, but also your nervous system and overall health? In this episode, I am joined by Dr. Diane Poole-Heller, an internationally recognized speaker, author, and expert in the field of attachment theory and trauma resolution. Together, we will discuss attachment and how it influences the way your form and maintain relationships, communicate (or don't!), and what you can do to start moving towards a secure attachment and healthier relationships! You'll hear more about:
For more information and links for this episode, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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| Polyvagal Theory: Become an Active Operator of Your Nervous System During Grief with Deb Dana | 07 Jun 2024 | 00:58:23 | |
Grief is something that everyone feels, but how they process it depends on their past history. So how do we know which way we experience grief?
There are challenges each of us must face and overcome based on our past experiences. These experiences will help decide what our grief looks like and if we will get stuck in grief. Today, Deb Dana, a polyvagal therapist, joins me to discuss grief, but in particular, what are Dorsal Days and how do we work these days to create life after loss!
You'll hear more about:
For more information and links for this episode, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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| Fear, Attachment & Relational Trauma: Solutions For The Hyper-Sensitive Gut with Dr. Aimie Apigian | 30 May 2024 | 00:30:39 | |
Are the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) connected to trauma? In this episode, I dive into what I've been learning about a hypersensitive and hyperreactive gut looking through the lens of IBS. I answer where IBS comes from, its origins, and the REAL solutions to fixing it. Forget what you think you know about Irritable Bowel Syndrome, because the truth might just shock you!
You'll learn more about:
For more information and links for this episode, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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| Why Stored Traumas Become Syndromes & Somatic Solutions with Peter Levine | 24 May 2024 | 00:36:45 | |
How is trauma work different when there is a syndrome involved? Today, I'm delighted to bring you another episode featuring Dr. Peter Levine. Dr. Levine is the Developer of Somatic Experiencing® and the Founder of both the Ergos Institute of Somatic Education and Somatic Experiencing International. Together, we will discuss how stored trauma can lead to syndromes and the somatic solutions that can help. You'll hear more on:
For more information and links for this episode, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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| Early Attachment Shocks: How Unexpected Stressors Can Cause Developmental Trauma & What To Do | 10 May 2024 | 00:43:02 | |
What is the impact of an early heart shock on our mind and body?
Most of the time we don't even know we've experienced a heart shock. But even if we don't know we've experienced one, it has already made an impact on our lives. In this episode, I discuss what a heart shock is, the impact it can make on our body and mind and why it's so important that you be the hero of your own story. You'll learn more about:
For more information and links for this episode, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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| Gaps In Trauma-Informed Care: Boundaries, Attachment and Generational Impact with Thomas Hübl | 03 May 2024 | 00:42:59 | |
Why is it essential for you to do your own trauma work while also understanding the impact of collective trauma?
In this episode, I am joined by Thomas Hübl, a renowned teacher, author, and international facilitator whose lifelong work integrates the core insights of the great wisdom traditions and mysticism with the discoveries of science. Together, we will discuss how each person can create attuned and co-regulated relationships that are necessary for being trauma informed.
We talk more on:
For more information and links for this episode, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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| Understanding the Trauma Connection Between Attachment, Autoimmunity, and Fatigue with Dr. Aimie Apigian | 26 Apr 2024 | 00:48:51 | |
What is the connection between attachment, autoimmunity and fatigue? The answer… your nervous system! Many practitioners have noticed there has been an uptick in those who are experiencing autoimmunity. What's causing this uptick? In this episode, I'm discussing how the nervous system, and more specifically the freeze response, is connected to attachment, autoimmunity, and fatigue. You'll hear more about:
For more information and links for this episode, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/ | |||
| A Blueprint for Healing: Lessons from a Pioneer in Mind-Body Medicine Dr. James Gordon | 19 Apr 2024 | 00:29:50 | |
Is it possible to heal trauma on your own or does it take a village? In this episode, I'm joined by Dr. James Gordon, a Harvard educated psychiatrist and Founder and CEO of the nonprofit, The Center for Mind-Body Medicine. We will discuss the devastating impact untreated trauma can cause, the importance of relationships in your healing journey, and why you need to find a self care strategy that works for YOU!
Here's what you will learn in this episode:
For more information and links for this episode, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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| How Attachment Shapes Our Biology and Behavior with Dr. Aimie Apigian | 12 Apr 2024 | 00:25:26 | |
How do we begin to have secure attachments as adults?
We develop our attachment style in childhood and there are 3 different types of attachment. But how do we know what our attachment style is and how it impacts our life? One of them, secure attachment, iI've only seen a few times in my life. The other two styles are what most of us tend to be and that's ok! But how can we move from these styles into secure attachments? That's the question I'll be answering on today's episode. You'll hear more about:
For more information and links for this episode, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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Disclaimer: By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. This entire disclaimer also applies to any guests or contributors to the podcast. Under no circumstances shall Trauma Healing Accelerated, any guests or contributors to The Biology of Trauma podcast, or any employees, associates, or affiliates of Trauma Healing Accelerated be responsible for damages arising from the use of the podcast.
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| Struggling with Sleep? How to Regain Restful Nights with Suzie Sink | 05 Apr 2024 | 00:30:13 | |
How to create the safety in my nervous system to sleep well?
In this episode, I am joined by Suzie Senk, functional medicine practitioner, holistic sleep specialist, speaker and author. Together we discuss not only the importance of sleep but how trauma (and an unsafe sleeping environment) can adversely affect the quality of your sleep.
You'll hear more about:
For more information and links for this episode, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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| Hustle Is How I Proved I Mattered | 26 Dec 2025 | 00:09:13 | |
What if the hustle that's wearing you out is actually how you learned to matter? In this final part of my three-part conversation with my friend Jalon, we get honest about why slowing down can feel so threatening. For those of us who weren't seen for who we were, doing became the way we proved we deserved to exist. I share about the moment I stopped blaming my body for breaking down and started thanking it. My body didn't betray me. It was the only thing that could get my attention. I was the kind of person who needed those health issues because otherwise I would never have listened. Jalon and I use the car running out of gas analogy to talk about what it looks like to actually listen before you're stranded on the side of the road. Spoiler: it's not about listening perfectly. It's about catching the warning light a little sooner next time. In this episode you'll hear more about:
Hustle isn't a discipline problem. It's often how we learned to matter. And now we get to reprogram that. 🎙️ Check out this week's main episode, Episode 153: The Biology of Burnout: Why Pushing Through Stops Working 💭 Try this practice this week: Notice when you're pushing past a warning sign. Ask yourself: "Am I hustling right now because this matters, or because I'm trying to prove that I matter?" Catch Part 1 and Part 2 of this conversation here. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. It helps others find trauma-informed care. | |||
| Bonus Episode: Cuál es la mejor forma de ayudar a nuestras familias a recuperarse de su trauma? (Episode 16 Replay in Spanish!) | 03 Apr 2024 | 00:35:40 | |
Hoy en Biología del Trauma, escuchamos a Heather, una graduada del viaje en línea de 21 días hacia una vida tranquila. Después de ver el impacto positivo de abordar su trauma, Heather continuó con su programa de capacitación de mentores para dirigir ejercicios somáticos y guiar a otros en su viaje de curación. En este episodio, abordamos cómo ayudar a su familia a recuperarse del trauma. ¿Quieres saber más información sobre este episodio? ¡Dirígete a nuestro para obtener más información! Descargo de responsabilidad: Al escuchar este podcast, usted acepta no utilizarlo como consejo médico para tratar ninguna condición médica ni en usted ni en los demás. Consulte a su propio médico sobre cualquier problema médico que pueda tener. Este descargo de responsabilidad completo también se aplica a cualquier invitado o colaborador del podcast. Bajo ninguna circunstancia Trauma Healing Accelerated, ningún invitado o colaborador del podcast The Biology of Trauma, ni ningún empleado, asociado o afiliado de Trauma Healing Accelerated serán responsables de los daños que surjan del uso del podcast. | |||
| Gabor Mate: Healing Trauma and Chronic Illness Through Connection (Part 2) | 29 Mar 2024 | 00:29:03 | |
How can we repair the disconnection from trauma that causes disease?
In part two of this series, we continue our conversation on trauma and chronic illness with Gabor Maté. Gabor has spent his career exploring the connections between trauma, childhood development, and stress. Together, we discuss how trauma disconnects us from ourselves and others and creates dysregulation that drives illness. We explore how our bodies speak to us, and why trauma isn't what happens to you, but your response to it. Reconnection and regulation are possible!
You'll hear more about:
For more information and links for this episode, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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| Gabor Mate: The Biology Piece We Have Missed In Trauma & Depression (Part 1) | 22 Mar 2024 | 00:30:06 | |
Is there a missing biology link between trauma and chronic illness? In this episode, I am joined by the one and only Gabor Maté. Gabor has spent his career exploring the connections between trauma, childhood development, and stress. It was his work that inspired me to pursue addiction medicine. Together, in part one of this series, we will discuss the lessons we've both learned around trauma and chronic illness. We talk more about:
For more information and links for this episode, please visit our website: https://biologyoftrauma.com/biology-of-trauma-podcast/
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