Trauma Rewired

You can have the most mind-blowing healing experience of your life and still find yourself right back in familiar patterns. Why? Because the nervous system defaults to what it knows. In this episode of Trauma Rewired, we explore why insight alone does not create lasting change and why the most intense healing experiences do not start in the mind, they start in the body. Co-hosts Elisabeth Kristof, founder of BrainBased.com and the Neurosomatic Intelligence Coaching Certification, and Jennifer Wallace, Neurosomatic Psychedelic Preparation and Integration Guide, unpack peak somatic experiences through a trauma-informed lens. Together, they examine how experiences like breathwork, somatic practices, and psychedelics interact with neuroplasticity, interoception, and complex trauma. They also name an often-missing piece of the conversation: these experiences are not inherently healing without preparation, capacity, and integration. This episode offers a grounded, nuanced discussion of why peak somatic experiences can be both transformative and destabilizing, especially for nervous systems shaped by chronic stress, dissociation, or developmental trauma. Rather than promoting quick fixes or heroic doses, Elisabeth and Jennifer emphasize nervous system safety, minimum effective dose, and relational support as essential ingredients for real, embodied change.   Timestamps: 00:00 – Why insight alone does not create change 05:40 – What peak somatic experiences are and are not 14:20 – Neuroplasticity, psychedelics, and the default mode network 28:10 – Somatic memory, dissociation, and complex trauma 44:30 – Why preparation and integration matter more than the experience itself 58:45 – Risks, discernment, and trauma-informed support 1:12:30 – Capacity building and minimum effective dose 1:24:00 – Integration, regulation, and long-term nervous system change Key Takeaways: Peak somatic experiences amplify existing nervous system patterns rather than replacing them. Neuroplasticity is neutral and requires direction, support, and integration. Somatic memory often surfaces without narrative recall, especially in complex trauma. Preparation and capacity determine whether an experience is healing or destabilizing. Lasting change happens through consistent, embodied integration, not one-time breakthroughs. Resources Mentioned: RewireTrial.com: Free two-week access to live neurosomatic intelligence classes and an on-demand library of nervous system practices BrainBased.com: Elisabeth's online community for applied neurology and somatic tools for behavior change, resilience, and stress processing Sacred Synapse: an educational YouTube channel founded by Jennifer Wallace that explores nervous system regulation, applied neuroscience, consciousness, and psychedelic preparation and integration through Neurosomatic Intelligence. Wayfinder Journal :  helps you see the patterns shaping your inner world — and guides you through preparation, integration, and nervous system regulation using Neurosomatic Intelligence principles. → Find your way inward. https://stan.store/illuminated   NSI Certification: https://neurosomaticintelligence.com/nsi-certification/ Call to Action: Subscribe on your favorite audio platform or join us on YouTube! 👉 Ready to deepen your preparation and integration work? Explore the Wayfinder Journal, a guided neurosomatic journal designed to help you notice, name, and navigate your patterns through peak somatic experiences and everyday life. LINK 👉 You can also continue learning tools for nervous system regulation and post-traumatic growth at rewiretrial.com    Disclaimer: Trauma Rewired podcast is intended to educate and inform but does not constitute medical, psychological or other professional advice or services. Always consult a qualified medical professional about your specific circumstances before making any decisions based on what you hear. We share our experiences, explore trauma, physical reactions, mental health and disease. If you become distressed by our content, please stop listening and seek professional support when needed. Do not continue to listen if the conversations are having a negative impact on your health and well-being. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, or in mental health crisis and you are in the United States you can 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. If someone's life is in danger, immediately call 911. We do our best to stay current in research, but older episodes are always available. We don't warrant or guarantee that this podcast contains complete, accurate or up-to-date information. It's very important to talk to a medical professional about your individual needs, as we aren't responsible for any actions you take based on the information you hear in this podcast. We invite guests onto the podcast. Please note that we don't verify the accuracy of their statements. Our organization does not endorse third-party content and the views of our guests do not necessarily represent the views of our organization. We talk about general neuro-science and nervous system health, but you are unique. These are conversations for a wide audience. They are general recommendations and you are always advised to seek personal care for your unique outputs, trauma and needs. We are not doctors or licensed medical professionals. We are certified neuro-somatic practitioners and nervous system health/embodiment coaches. We are not your doctor or medical professional and do not know you and your unique nervous system. This podcast is not a replacement for working with a professional. The BrainBased.com site and RewireTrial.com is a membership site for general nervous system health, somatic processing and stress processing. It is not a substitute for medical care or the appropriate solution for anyone in mental health crisis. Any examples mentioned in this podcast are for illustration purposes only. If they are based on real events, names have been changed to protect the identities of those involved. We've done our best to ensure our podcast respects the intellectual property rights of others, however if you have an issue with our content, please let us know by emailing us at [email protected]. All rights in our content are reserved.  

Integration is often treated as something that happens after a breakthrough — once insight, therapy, or a peak somatic or psychedelic experience is complete. But what if integration is actually the skill that determines whether healing lasts at all? In this episode of Trauma Rewired, co-hosts Elisabeth Kristof and Jennifer Wallace explore integration as a nervous system process, not a mindset shift. Drawing from Neurosomatic Intelligence (NSI), lived experience, and years of trauma and integration work, they unpack why powerful insights so often fade — and why the body, not the mind, decides what sticks. The conversation examines nervous system capacity, preparation, and neuroplasticity, explaining how survival patterns can override even profound experiences when the body isn't resourced to receive them. They discuss emotional and somatic breakthroughs, dissociation, the overlooked role of the body in psychedelic research, and why the "space after" healing experiences can feel disorienting without support. Rather than chasing peak moments, this episode reframes healing as an embodied practice — one built through repetition, regulation, intuition, and daily nervous system support so new ways of being can truly take root. Timestamps: 00:00 Integration as a buzzword — and why it's misunderstood 05:30 Integration as a nervous system skill, not a mindset 12:40 Why breakthroughs fade and survival patterns take over 20:15 Capacity, preparation, and why insight can overwhelm the body 28:50 Neuroplasticity, repetition, and what you get better at 38:10 Emotional breakthroughs, dissociation, and somatic journeys 48:30 Psychedelic experiences, embodiment, and what research misses 58:45 The "space after" healing — identity shifts and disorientation 1:07:30 Worthiness, intuition, and integrating truth into daily life 1:18:00 Why healing takes time — and what it means to give time space 1:25:00 Closing reflections on integration as a way of being Key Takeaways: Integration is not a cognitive process — it is how the nervous system learns to embody insight through repetition, regulation, and safety. Capacity determines whether an experience lands, overwhelms, or gets overridden by survival patterns. Preparation is essential for psychedelic and peak somatic experiences; without it, neuroplasticity can reinforce old patterns instead of creating change. Emotional and somatic breakthroughs require nervous system skill, especially for those with dissociation or long-standing protective responses. Healing often creates space before clarity — integration is choosing what fills that space next. Lasting change happens slowly, through daily practice, nervous system support, and honoring intuition rather than chasing intensity. Resources Mentioned: RewireTrial.com: Free two-week access to live neurosomatic intelligence classes and an on-demand library of nervous system practices BrainBased.com: Elisabeth's online community for applied neurology and somatic tools for behavior change, resilience, and stress processing Sacred Synapse: an educational YouTube channel founded by Jennifer Wallace that explores nervous system regulation, applied neuroscience, consciousness, and psychedelic preparation and integration through Neurosomatic Intelligence. Wayfinder Journal: Track nervous system patterns and support preparation and integration through Neurosomatic Intelligence. Call to Action: Subscribe on your favorite audio platform or join us on YouTube! 👉 You can also continue learning tools for nervous system regulation and post-traumatic growth at RewireTrial.com.  Disclaimer: Trauma Rewired podcast is intended to educate and inform but does not constitute medical, psychological or other professional advice or services. Always consult a qualified medical professional about your specific circumstances before making any decisions based on what you hear. We share our experiences, explore trauma, physical reactions, mental health and disease. If you become distressed by our content, please stop listening and seek professional support when needed. Do not continue to listen if the conversations are having a negative impact on your health and well-being. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, or in mental health crisis and you are in the United States you can 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. If someone's life is in danger, immediately call 911. We do our best to stay current in research, but older episodes are always available. We don't warrant or guarantee that this podcast contains complete, accurate or up-to-date information. It's very important to talk to a medical professional about your individual needs, as we aren't responsible for any actions you take based on the information you hear in this podcast. We invite guests onto the podcast. Please note that we don't verify the accuracy of their statements. Our organization does not endorse third-party content and the views of our guests do not necessarily represent the views of our organization. We talk about general neuro-science and nervous system health, but you are unique. These are conversations for a wide audience. They are general recommendations and you are always advised to seek personal care for your unique outputs, trauma and needs. We are not doctors or licensed medical professionals. We are certified neuro-somatic practitioners and nervous system health/embodiment coaches. We are not your doctor or  medical professional and do not know you and your unique nervous system. This podcast is not a replacement for working with a professional. The BrainBased.com site and RewireTrial.com is a membership site for general nervous system health, somatic processing and stress processing. It is not a substitute for medical care or the appropriate solution for anyone in mental health crisis. Any examples mentioned in this podcast are for illustration purposes only. If they are based on real events, names have been changed to protect the identities of those involved. We've done our best to ensure our podcast respects the intellectual property rights of others, however if you have an issue with our content, please let us know by emailing us at [email protected]. All rights in our content are reserved.    

When Jennifer was asked how she felt getting her cancer diagnosis, her first word was not "scared," it was "shame." If you have ever felt like your emotions are too much, or you started processing feelings only to end up in pain, fatigue, or shutdown, this second part of our emotional expression series is for you. In part two of this essential two-part series on emotional health and post-traumatic growth, Co-hosts Elisabeth Kristof (founder of BrainBased.com) and Jennifer Wallace (Neurosomatic Psychedelic Preparation and Integration Guide) are joined again by Applied Neurology Expert and NSI Educator, Matt Bush of Next Level Neuro. Building on Part 1's conversation about anger, they explore how grief, shame, and positive emotions show up in the nervous system. You will hear real client stories where simple drills or balance work brought repressed emotions to the surface, why grief can feel like "phantom limb pain" for the brain, and how shame is intertwined with freeze responses and the inner critic. The trio shares minimum-effective-dose practices for grief, anger, and even joy, so emotional expression becomes regulating instead of destabilizing and opens the door to genuine post-traumatic growth. Timestamps: 00:00 — Diagnosis, shame and "too much" emotion 06:40 — When drills and bodywork unexpectedly unleash rage or tears 16:20 — Emotional expression that leads to pain, migraines or shutdown 24:45 — Grief as "phantom limb pain" and how loss impacts the body 35:10 — Chronic pain, bracing patterns and emotional repression 44:30 — Shame, freeze and the inner critic's "always and forever" story 58:00 — Minimum-effective-dose grief work and nature as co-regulator 1:09:30 — Making joy, pleasure and intimacy safe for the nervous system 1:19:30 — Daily neurosomatic practice, post-traumatic growth and closing reflections Key Takeaways: Emotional expression can bring on protective outputs like pain, fatigue, inflammation or shutdown when the body does not yet feel safe. Grief often functions like phantom limb pain: the brain must remap after a loss, which can show up in mood, immunity and body sensations. Shame and freeze are tightly linked; the inner critic's absolute "I am / I'll never" language reflects threat perception, not truth. Minimum-effective-dose practices for anger and grief, wrapped in front- and back-end regulation tools, help the nervous system learn that expression is safe. Positive emotions such as joy, pleasure and intimacy can also feel threatening and benefit from being approached in small, titrated doses that build capacity. Resources Mentioned: Rewire Trial – two-week trial of guided neurosomatic classes: RewireTrial.com NSI Foundations Bundle for practitioners: NeurosomaticIntelligence.com/Foundations BrainBased.com – Elisabeth's applied neurology and somatics community Related Trauma Rewired episodes: Emotional Repression vs Healthy Expression, Anger (Part 1 of this series)   Call to Action: Subscribe on your favorite audio platform or join us on YouTube! 👉 Ready to ground your work in neuroscience and somatics? Start with the NSI Foundations Bundle — 3 self-paced workshops blending applied neuroscience, somatics, and trauma-informed tools: www.neurosomaticintelligence.com/foundations 👉 For deeper support this season, explore Boundary Rewire —a 5-module neurosomatic course designed to help you repattern stress responses and create boundaries that feel safe, natural, and grounded in authenticity. It's just $27 through the end of the year. boundaryrewire.com    Disclaimer: Trauma Rewired podcast is intended to educate and inform but does not constitute medical, psychological or other professional advice or services. Always consult a qualified medical professional about your specific circumstances before making any decisions based on what you hear. We share our experiences, explore trauma, physical reactions, mental health and disease. If you become distressed by our content, please stop listening and seek professional support when needed. Do not continue to listen if the conversations are having a negative impact on your health and well-being. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, or in mental health crisis and you are in the United States you can 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. If someone's life is in danger, immediately call 911. We do our best to stay current in research, but older episodes are always available. We don't warrant or guarantee that this podcast contains complete, accurate or up-to-date information. It's very important to talk to a medical professional about your individual needs, as we aren't responsible for any actions you take based on the information you hear in this podcast. We invite guests onto the podcast. Please note that we don't verify the accuracy of their statements. Our organization does not endorse third-party content and the views of our guests do not necessarily represent the views of our organization. We talk about general neuro-science and nervous system health, but you are unique. These are conversations for a wide audience. They are general recommendations and you are always advised to seek personal care for your unique outputs, trauma and needs. We are not doctors or licensed medical professionals. We are certified neuro-somatic practitioners and nervous system health/embodiment coaches. We are not your doctor or medical professional and do not know you and your unique nervous system. This podcast is not a replacement for working with a professional. The BrainBased.com site and RewireTrial.com is a membership site for general nervous system health, somatic processing and stress processing. It is not a substitute for medical care or the appropriate solution for anyone in mental health crisis. Any examples mentioned in this podcast are for illustration purposes only. If they are based on real events, names have been changed to protect the identities of those involved. We've done our best to ensure our podcast respects the intellectual property rights of others, however if you have an issue with our content, please let us know by emailing us at [email protected]. All rights in our content are reserved.  

Have you ever found yourself immediately reaching for a coping behavior like scrolling or stress eating, without even realizing what emotion triggered it? That could be a sign of emotional repression—a survival mechanism that protects you, but at a huge cost to your health and boundaries. In part one of this essential two-part series on emotional health and post-traumatic growth, co-hosts Elisabeth Kristof (founder of BrainBased.com) and Jennifer Wallace (Neurosomatic Psychedelic Preparation and Integration Guide) dive into the powerful energy of anger. They are joined by their friend and lead educator, Matt Bush, an international applied neurology expert and founder of Next Level Neuro. This conversation explores how a lifetime of suppressed anger, tied to the fight response and complex trauma, creates a toxic internal environment, linking chronic stress to diagnoses like Stage 3 cancer. You will learn the crucial difference between conscious suppression and unconscious repression, how this shifts your entire neurological perception of the world, and what safe, structured steps you can take to begin discharging this vital energy from your body. This episode is for anyone who struggles with quick reactivity, feeling disconnected from what they feel, or understanding the deep mind-body connection of stored emotion. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction: anger, fight response, and health diagnosis. 01:37 Emotional expression & its vitality for nervous system health and reducing stress. 07:06 Perceived vs. real threat and the roots of repression in childhood. 16:45 Defining suppression versus repression as protective mechanisms. 23:42 The neurological and physiological consequences of repression. 35:34 Anger as a natural response to a boundary violation and safe release practices. 42:47 The link between repressed anger, boundaries, and immune system dysfunction. 48:28 Rewiring for a new homeostasis and the role of epigenetics. Key Takeaways: Emotional repression—the unconscious blocking of emotions—is a trauma-informed survival strategy that traps the nervous system in a constant state of threat response, leading to the buildup of toxic stress hormones. Repression is often tied to complex post-traumatic stress, where a child's nervous system was unable to process big emotions and lacked co-regulation from caregivers, learning that emotional expression was unsafe or threatening. When repressed, anger (the natural response to a boundary violation) becomes internalized, resulting in behaviors like overworking, people-pleasing, and, ultimately, immune system dysregulation (e.g., autoimmune conditions). Chronic repression can alter your entire perception of the world, making everyday situations feel threatening (non-cognitive), and driving unconscious avoidance or numbing behaviors (e.g., binging, workaholism, mindless scrolling). Healing involves creating a safe and structured environment (alone or with a trusted person/coach) to gradually access and discharge emotional energy, using neurosomatic intelligence tools to repattern the nervous system. Resources Mentioned: NSI Foundations Bundle (Self-Paced Program): NeurosomaticIntelligence.com/Foundations Boundary Rewire (4-Module Neurosomatic Journey): BoundaryRewire.com  Book: When the Body Says No: Understanding the Stress-Disease Connection by Gabor Maté Subscribe on your favorite audio platform or join us on YouTube so you don't miss Part 2 next week, where we dive deeper into shame, grief, and joy!  👉 Ready to ground your work in neuroscience and somatics? Start with the NSI Foundations Bundle — 3 self-paced workshops blending applied neuroscience, somatics, and trauma-informed tools: www.neurosomaticintelligence.com/foundations 👉 For deeper support this season, explore Boundary Rewire —a 5-module neurosomatic course designed to help you repattern stress responses and create boundaries that feel safe, natural, and grounded in authenticity. It's just $27 through the end of the year. boundaryrewire.com  Disclaimer: Trauma Rewired podcast is intended to educate and inform but does not constitute medical, psychological or other professional advice or services. Always consult a qualified medical professional about your specific circumstances before making any decisions based on what you hear. We share our experiences, explore trauma, physical reactions, mental health and disease. If you become distressed by our content, please stop listening and seek professional support when needed. Do not continue to listen if the conversations are having a negative impact on your health and well-being. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, or in mental health crisis and you are in the United States you can 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. If someone's life is in danger, immediately call 911. We do our best to stay current in research, but older episodes are always available. We don't warrant or guarantee that this podcast contains complete, accurate or up-to-date information. It's very important to talk to a medical professional about your individual needs, as we aren't responsible for any actions you take based on the information you hear in this podcast. We invite guests onto the podcast. Please note that we don't verify the accuracy of their statements. Our organization does not endorse third-party content and the views of our guests do not necessarily represent the views of our organization. We talk about general neuro-science and nervous system health, but you are unique. These are conversations for a wide audience. They are general recommendations and you are always advised to seek personal care for your unique outputs, trauma and needs. We are not doctors or licensed medical professionals. We are certified neuro-somatic practitioners and nervous system health/embodiment coaches. We are not your doctor or medical professional and do not know you and your unique nervous system. This podcast is not a replacement for working with a professional. The BrainBased.com site and RewireTrial.com is a membership site for general nervous system health, somatic processing and stress processing. It is not a substitute for medical care or the appropriate solution for anyone in mental health crisis. Any examples mentioned in this podcast are for illustration purposes only. If they are based on real events, names have been changed to protect the identities of those involved. We've done our best to ensure our podcast respects the intellectual property rights of others, however if you have an issue with our content, please let us know by emailing us at [email protected]. All rights in our content are reserved.  

What if "nothing happened" in your childhood, yet you still feel numb, flooded, or stuck in people pleasing or hyper-independence? This episode explores childhood emotional neglect, an often overlooked Adverse Childhood Experience that can wire the nervous system away from felt safety, expression, and connection. We look at how a lack of attunement can shape brain function, stress responses, and adult relationships, and why naming the pattern opens a path to repair. In this conversation, co-hosts Elisabeth Kristof and Jennifer Wallace map out how emotional neglect shows up across attachment patterns, boundaries, and health outputs. They share trauma-informed context, lived reflections, and practical neurosomatic tools to rebuild capacity for feeling, processing, and connection without blame.  You will learn how repression becomes protection, why hyper-independence can feel "safer" than asking for help, and where to begin with gentle, minimum-effective-dose practices to increase interoceptive awareness and co-regulation in daily life. This episode is for anyone who grew up in a "pretty good" home yet struggles with shutdown or overwhelm, for cycle-breaking parents, and for practitioners supporting clients with complex stress patterns. You will leave with language for your experience and first steps to begin rewiring. Timestamps: 00:00 Why emotional neglect is an overlooked ACE 05:00 Defining emotional neglect and attunement needs in development 11:00 Repression as protection and links to adult health outputs 18:00 Attachment patterns, people pleasing, and hyper-independence 25:00 Practicing self-compassion while breaking cycles 32:00 Parenting notes: modeling emotions and co-regulation 39:00 Neurosomatic tools and first steps for repair   Key Takeaways: Emotional neglect can be subtle yet impactful, shaping nervous system patterns, attachment, and long-term health without assigning blame. Repression often begins when big emotions are not met with co-regulation; later, it can appear as numbness, pain, inflammation, or compulsive coping. Hyper-independence can be a protective strategy that avoids the vulnerability of asking for support. Gentle, consistent practices that build interoceptive awareness and capacity help contribute to feeling safe again. Modeling emotional expression and staying present are powerful ways caregivers support nervous system development. Resources Mentioned: Attachment Theory research (John Bowlby and colleagues) Neurosomatic Intelligence Coaching Certification (NSI) Sacred Synapse on YouTube (psychedelics, neuroscience, NSI education) https://www.youtube.comhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0_Bz9OvfHN0nvQos4kfi9Q Explore working with Jennifer www.illuminatedwithjennifer.com Boundary Rewire Course: boundaryrewire.com – Repattern your nervous system for safer, more authentic boundaries. If this conversation resonated with you, subscribe to Trauma Rewired wherever you listen to podcasts and leave a review to help more people discover trauma-informed education grounded in neuroscience. 👉 For deeper support this season, explore Boundary Rewire —a 5-module neurosomatic course designed to help you repattern stress responses and create boundaries that feel safe, natural, and grounded in authenticity. It's just $27 through the end of the year. boundaryrewire.com  👉 You can also continue learning tools for nervous system regulation and post-traumatic growth at rewiretrial.com  Disclaimer: Trauma Rewired podcast is intended to educate and inform but does not constitute medical, psychological or other professional advice or services. Always consult a qualified medical professional about your specific circumstances before making any decisions based on what you hear. We share our experiences, explore trauma, physical reactions, mental health and disease. If you become distressed by our content, please stop listening and seek professional support when needed. Do not continue to listen if the conversations are having a negative impact on your health and well-being. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, or in mental health crisis and you are in the United States you can 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. If someone's life is in danger, immediately call 911. We do our best to stay current in research, but older episodes are always available. We don't warrant or guarantee that this podcast contains complete, accurate or up-to-date information. It's very important to talk to a medical professional about your individual needs, as we aren't responsible for any actions you take based on the information you hear in this podcast. We invite guests onto the podcast. Please note that we don't verify the accuracy of their statements. Our organization does not endorse third-party content and the views of our guests do not necessarily represent the views of our organization. We talk about general neuro-science and nervous system health, but you are unique. These are conversations for a wide audience. They are general recommendations and you are always advised to seek personal care for your unique outputs, trauma and needs. We are not doctors or licensed medical professionals. We are certified neuro-somatic practitioners and nervous system health/embodiment coaches. We are not your doctor or medical professional and do not know you and your unique nervous system. This podcast is not a replacement for working with a professional. The BrainBased.com site and RewireTrial.com is a membership site for general nervous system health, somatic processing and stress processing. It is not a substitute for medical care or the appropriate solution for anyone in mental health crisis. Any examples mentioned in this podcast are for illustration purposes only. If they are based on real events, names have been changed to protect the identities of those involved. We've done our best to ensure our podcast respects the intellectual property rights of others, however if you have an issue with our content, please let us know by emailing us at [email protected]. All rights in our content are reserved.