Trauma Rewired

Borderline, Unresolved Trauma, And The Nervous System; Rewiring Stigma and Rewriting The Story

Did you know that Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) wasn't "discovered" but actually created? A group of male psychiatrists voted to define it as a diagnosis, and women, in particular, are disproportionately labeled with it, and it’s often weaponized against them. What if we told you that BPD isn't a disorder at all, but rather a logical and rational response to repressed emotions and shame caused by trauma, whether systemic or sexual? This is exactly what we’re unpacking in today’s episode....

Unraveling OCD: the Neurosomatic Roots of Obsession, Compulsion, and Trauma

OCD is often reduced to intrusive thoughts and ritualistic behaviors, but let's be real—it’s so much more than that. These are just the surface-level symptoms of a much deeper survival mechanism rooted in childhood brain development and trauma stored in the nervous system. This limited view is part of what keeps so many stuck in the cycle of OCD, struggling to find true relief. But here’s the truth: if we address the root of OCD, we can begin to heal and, over time, reduce those protective outpu...

The Truth About Rest, Trauma, And Success

Join us for a special re-release of a profound conversation with Kate Northrup, renowned author of "Do Less," an expert in creating easeful financial business strategies, and a NSI coach. This episode remains one of our most beloved, resonating deeply with many who grapple with the concept of rest in a culture that glorifies constant productivity as the path to success and abundance. In this re-release, Elisabeth, Jennifer, and Kate explore how embracing rest and scaling back can promote signifi...

How Your Nervous System Shapes Your Money Story

In today’s episode, we’re bringing you something truly transformative. Our host, Elisabeth Kristoff, recently joined Kate Northrup on her podcast, Plenty, for a raw and eye-opening conversation that dives deep into the intricate relationship between the nervous system and financial success. The insights were so powerful, we knew we had to share this rich discussion with the Trauma Rewired audience. In this episode, we’re breaking down the nervous system like never before. You’ll learn how to exp...

What is Financial Trauma? The Nervous System & Your Money Patterns

Why is it that financial abundance comes easier for some, while others struggle? What if we told you it's not about how hard you work for money, but about how your nervous system is patterned? Money is a tricky subject, because it is the foundation for our survival and security. So we can unconsciously create unhealthy relationships with money that are formed from what we have been taught about money at a young age, and unhealed trauma that still lives in our body around money, sex, and parental...

Navigating Shame and Boundaries After Trauma

The statistics on early childhood sexual abuse are heartbreaking. One in four girls and one in thirteen boys have experienced some form of childhood sexual trauma—at least the cases that get reported. It's hard to wrap your head around how something so dark can be happening so often. This is why talking about childhood sexual trauma is so difficult and often carries so much shame—it feels so unimaginable, even when it happens to you. But we know that shame thrives in silence, and the first step ...

Cancer Risk and Childhood Trauma:A Neurosomatic Perspective

When unresolved trauma lingers in our bodies, it often manifests as chronic health issues or diseases, such as cancer. The medical community is just beginning to uncover the powerful link between trauma, ACE scores, and cancer. With trauma-informed care now being integrated into medical practices, we’re seeing a shift towards more holistic approaches to healing—something the healing community has long known. This is a major breakthrough, and it brings us closer to addressing the root cause of il...

The Female Nervous System

Did you know that women are twice as likely to experience depression, yet less than 40 percent of research includes them? This statistic is staggering, highlighting society's inadequate attention to women's mental health and the complexities of their nervous systems. Often overlooked in scientific studies, women's experiences, particularly regarding menstrual cycles, create significant gaps in understanding their physiological, emotional, and hormonal health. This omission, influenced by societa...

Diagnosis and Shame

Receiving a diagnosis can be a life-altering experience, especially when it triggers feelings of shame. Shame can create a whirlwind of emotions—unworthiness, failure, guilt, and loss—which compounds the stress of dealing with a diagnosis. These emotions form a toxic cycle that exacerbates the condition, leading to significant nervous system dysregulation. Often, it's difficult to pinpoint this dysregulation because of our innate resilience in survival mode. That's why it's crucial to bring sham...

Metabolic Health and the Connection to Nervous System Health

In this episode of Trauma Rewired, hosts Elisabeth Kristof and Jennifer Wallace, along with guest Matt Bush, delve into the complex relationship between metabolic health and nervous system health. They explore how issues like chronic stress, inflammation, and blood sugar dysregulation can significantly impact both physical and mental health, especially in individuals with a history of trauma. Metabolic health is not solely determined by diet and exercise but is deeply intertwined with the body's...

Traumatic Brain Injury and Complex Trauma

Did you know that nearly half of all Americans will experience at least one traumatic brain injury (TBI) in their lifetime? Shockingly, many of these cases go unnoticed or undiagnosed. The symptoms can initially be subtle and easily mistaken for other chronic conditions like CPTS. Without proper diagnosis, individuals can face immense confusion, wondering why treatments aren’t working as expected. This is why raising awareness about TBI is crucial. It’s about helping those affected recognize the...

PTSD, Fear, and Memory

Have you ever wondered why some individuals bounce back from trauma while others develop PTSD? The answer might be tied to how our brains encode and process fear memories. According to recent research, resilience isn't just psychological—it’s closely tied to the brain's ability to adapt to stress and process trauma. On today’s episode, Elisabeth and Jennifer are joined by Matt Bush, founder of Next Level Neuro and lead educator in the Neurosomatic Intelligence (NSI) course, who brings a wealth o...

Bridging Individual and Collective Healing Through Embodiment

We often think of healing as an individual journey—going inward to process unresolved trauma, grief, and pain from our past. But what about collective trauma, grief, and pain? We rarely consider the healing that must take place beyond ourselves, addressing the unprocessed wounds we carry as a community. True healing requires creating safety both within and around us, allowing us to move beyond our personal experiences and contribute to something greater than our own individual worlds. On today’s...

Parentification

When a child is forced to carry the emotional or practical burdens of their caregivers, it can result in lasting trauma that often manifests in adulthood as emotional repression, perfectionism, and various mental health challenges. Parentified children are deprived of their natural developmental experiences—play, exploration, and carefree living—which are essential for discovering themselves and their environment. Healing these deep-rooted wounds requires addressing where the trauma resides in b...

Perfectionism and Rejection Sensitivity

In a world obsessed with being competent and perfect, it’s no wonder so many of us slip into the role of a perfectionist. Some of us even wear it like a badge of honor. Sure, it’s helped us in some ways—but let’s be real: at what cost? Perfectionism isn’t the same as striving for excellence. It’s often born out of survival, a way to suppress tough emotions like shame. And the truth? It wreaks havoc on our bodies and pulls us further away from our purpose and authenticity. And then there’s reject...

Chronic Pain and Complex Trauma; The Neurosomatic Connection

A significant portion of the population lives with chronic pain, yet its origins and effective treatments remain some of the least understood aspects of healthcare. Pain is inherently subjective—unique to every individual—and rarely attributable to a single cause. It is a multifaceted experience shaped by a combination of physical, emotional, and neurological factors. When we peel back the layers of chronic pain, a compelling truth emerges: neuroscience plays a pivotal role. The deeper we explor...

The Neurosomatics Of Habit Change

It’s that time of year again when society collectively decides it’s time to level up and make meaningful changes in our lives. Whether the goal is to get in shape, eat healthier, limit doom-scrolling, improve finances, or simply be kinder to ourselves, it all boils down to rethinking and reshaping our daily habits. But completing another trip around the sun isn’t enough to magically transform us into a new or long-lost version of ourselves. To create real, lasting change, we must first understan...

Sexual Fawn and Fawn

The four trauma responses are the brain’s way of protecting us from threat, real or perceived. They are noncognitive, reflexive outputs that are deeply ingrained in those that have experienced trauma, which makes them incredibly difficult responses to rewire. In this episode, we explore the most dangerous F: fawn and sexual fawn response. To help us dive deeper into fawn response, we’re joined by Luis Mojica, somatics practitioner and the founder of Holistic Life Navigation. Hosts Jennifer and E...

Burnout, Functional Freeze, and Depression

Depression is one of the most researched mood disorders, but if we look a bit deeper into how depression is able to develop, it is more nuanced than we think. This means, treating depression isn’t a one size fits all solution. It is agreed upon that depression is a chemical imbalance and can be treated with SSRIs or SNRIs, etc., which can work for some, but this doesn’t always work for everyone. Understanding what happens in the body and brain when it comes to nervous system outputs and how we a...

Complexities of The Holidays And Trauma

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

What is A Memory and How Does It Get Stored In The Body?

In this episode of "Trauma Rewired," hosts Elisabeth Kristof and Jennifer Wallace delve into the intricate relationship between memory, trauma, and the nervous system. Originally this conversation was recorded and released in two parts and what you are listening to is a combination of them. The discussion underscores the multidimensional nature of memory, including how the superior and inferior hippocampus play distinct roles in recalling positive and negative memories. The hosts explain how tra...

Empathy and Narcissism

Believe it or not, empaths and narcissists have foundational similarities. Not only does the brain chemistry look the same, but empaths and narcissists both struggle with nervous system regulation and look to others to help them regulate their emotions. But whereas the narcissist avoids the emotions of others, empaths are deeply affected and have a physiological experience to the emotions of others on a subconscious level. This can lead to emotional fatigue, chronic stress, poor sense of self an...

Attachment, Relational Stress, and Rewiring Complex Trauma

What happens in the brain when a stress response is activated ? How does developmental trauma shapes our nervous system and subconscious reactions as adults? Today, we're answering those questions and diving deeper into how the brain develops through social interactions, why social connection is a survival need, and what happens in the body when we experience connection with other people. Matt Bush is joining Jennifer and Elisabeth to discuss the impact of trauma on the brain’s functioning, and ...

Neurodivergence, Early Childhood Trauma, and Brain Development

In this episode of Trauma Rewired, hosts Elisabeth Kristof, Jennifer Wallace, and Matt Bush delve into the intricate relations between complex trauma, neurodivergence, and brain function dysregulation. The conversation highlights how gradual exposure to non-threatening stimuli can help manage threat responses, and the importance of achieving balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems for resilience. They discuss neurological pathways affected by trauma and neurodivergenc...

Trauma, Nervous System Health, and Attachment Shape Wellness

Trauma isn’t just a single event—it’s the ongoing experience that unfolds afterward. Our access to resources, support, tools, and coping mechanisms greatly influences how our brain and nervous system are patterned in response to trauma, which in turn shapes our emotions and behaviors. By understanding these patterns as protective adaptations rather than flaws, we open the door to repatterning our nervous system and transforming our responses. In today’s episode, we revisit a powerful conversatio...

Emotional Repression, Processing, and Healing

As we unpack the impact of childhood neglect and discuss the ways emotional dysregulation can stem from early experiences, this episode sheds light on the importance of building a relationship with our emotions. The journey of emotional healing starts right where you are, and even the smallest steps—like becoming curious about your emotional responses—can lead to profound change. In today’s episode, our hosts Elisabeth and Jennifer explore the intricate connection between physical health and emo...

Sleep and Insomnia are Evidence of How Trauma and Attachment Impact the Nervous System

In this episode, we delve into the profound connection between trauma, attachment wounds, and insomnia. We begin by discussing how secure attachments, particularly with family members like grandparents, can mitigate stress but their loss can trigger insomnia and other physical symptoms. Both hosts share personal anecdotes to highlight the pervasive impact of family disruptions and relational stressors on sleep patterns and mental health. The dialogue underscores how medical trauma exacerbates fe...

Healing the Relationship To Our Body

Disordered Eating, Complex Trauma, and Mental Health

Autoimmune and Complex Trauma

Autoimmune diseases are often labeled as "illnesses of the unknown." The medical field has yet to identify the root cause of these conditions, which are frequently considered incurable. However, a significant aspect might be overlooked: the role of trauma. Histories of abuse, trauma, and even early relational trauma during infancy are crucial factors in understanding the complex environment where autoimmune diseases may develop, and the role the nervous system regulation can play in the healing ...