Episode Summary

Have you ever reached a point where your body simply refused to keep going? Where the usual tricks—green juice, journaling, sheer grit—just stopped working? In this powerful episode, Dr. Stacey Denise sits down with Cassandra Love Lambert—globally recognized somatic transformation coach, bestselling author, and founder of the Pain Into Power Process—to explore what it means to move from survival to sovereignty.

Cassandra shares her raw journey: how becoming a mother surfaced unhealed childhood trauma, why all the healing work she did in her 20s (talk therapy, Landmark, shamanic circles) didn't reach the roots, and the moment EFT tapping changed everything. Through evidence-based somatic practices including EFT tapping, brain spotting, parts work, and somatic attachment therapy, she now helps high-achieving women—especially those in perimenopause and menopause—finally feel safe to be fully seen.

This conversation explores how perimenopause strips away the mask, why rage shows up during midlife (and why that's healthy), the connection between boundaries and self-love, and why healing isn't about fixing yourself—it's about coming home to your body.

Key Topics & Timestamps

• 0:00 – Cold Open: When Your Body Says "No More"
• 5:30 – The Rupture: Becoming a Mother and Facing Unhealed Trauma
• 11:20 – What Cassandra Tried That Didn't Work
• 16:24 – The Moment Somatic Work Changed Everything
• 18:41 – When Your Body Becomes Your Teacher
• 20:58 – The Birth of the Pain Into Power Framework
• 24:17 – Parts Work and Inner Child Integration
• 27:30 – Perimenopause: When the Mask Cracks
• 28:23 – Why Rage Shows Up in Midlife (The Rage EFT Tapping Circle)
• 31:04 – Menopause as Rite of Passage and Rebirth
• 34:15 – The Five-Phase Method: Awareness, Balance, Regulation, Safety, Belief
• 38:00 – EFT Tapping, Brain Spotting, and Somatic Practices Explained

Resources & References

Connect with Cassandra Love Lambert:

• Website: cassandralovelambert.com
• Instagram: @c_love_lambert
• Pain Into Power Coaching
• Rage EFT Tapping Circle for Women
• Book: "Into the Light: Becoming My Own Hero" (Number One Bestseller, February 2025)

Practices Mentioned:

• EFT Tapping (Emotional Freedom Technique)
• Brain Spotting
• Parts Work (Internal Family Systems)
• Somatic Attachment Therapy

Connect & Community

• Listen on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / YouTube
• Subscribe to the show for updates and new episodes
• Join our newsletter for science and stories at drstaceydenise.com
• Follow us: @drstaceydenise on Instagram
• Share your story: Tag @drstaceydenise and @c_love_lambert
• Take Dr. Stacey's free quiz: FIND YOUR MENOPAUSE SLEEP PATTERN

Podcast: The Nervous System Eats First
Host: Dr. Stacey Denise | The Neuroaesthetic MD
Guest: Cassandra Love Lamber | Somatic Transformation Coach
Episode: 16

Episode Summary

Have you ever walked into a room and instantly felt calmer? Or caught a scent that made you feel safe for the first time in weeks? In this episode, Dr. Stacey Denise sits down with Amy Anthony—one of New York City's top certified clinical aromatherapists and founder of NYC Aromatica—to explore how scent can be medicine for women whose nervous systems have forgotten how to rest.

For late-diagnosed autistic women navigating perimenopause and menopause, aromatherapy offers something talk therapy alone cannot: a pathway back to your body that doesn't require language. Learn how inhalation of essential oils activates your parasympathetic nervous system, reduces cortisol, increases vagal tone, and directly modulates emotional states—especially for women struggling with alexithymia, brain fog, hot flashes, and the exhaustion of decades of masking.

Amy blends scientific literacy with poetic connection, teaching evidence-based protocols for nervous system repair, emotional regulation, and sensory attunement through private practice, corporate wellness, and public workshops at the New York Botanical Gardens.

Key Topics & Timestamps

• Cold Open: When Scent Becomes Medicine
• Introduction: Meet Amy Anthony, Clinical Aromatherapist
• The Science: How Aromatherapy Activates Your Nervous System
• Aromatherapy for Menopause Symptoms (Hot Flashes, Brain Fog, Night Sweats)
• Scent for Alexithymia: Healing Below the Level of Language
• Essential Oils for Sensory Overwhelm and Burnout
• Creating Boundaries with Aromatherapy
• Morning and Evening Aromatic Rituals
• Which Essential Oils Work for YOUR Nervous System
• Gentle Invitations: Two-Minute Scent Check-In
• Resources, Connect with Amy, and Closing

Resources & References

Connect with Amy Anthony:

• Website: https://nycaromatica.com/
• Instagram: @NYC_Aromatica
• Email: info@nycaromatica.com
• Services: Private aromatherapy consultations, corporate wellness programs, public workshops at NYC Botanical Gardens

Connect & Community

• Listen on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / YouTube
• Subscribe to the show for updates and new episodes
• Join our newsletter for science and stories at drstaceydenise.com
• Follow us: @drstaceydenise on Instagram
• Share your story: Tag @drstaceydenise and @NYC_Aromatica
• Take Dr. Stacey's free quiz: What Kind of Menopause Burnout Are You?

Podcast: The Nervous System Eats First
Host: Dr. Stacey Denise | The Neuroaesthetic MD
Guest: Amy Anthony | Aromatherapist
Episode: 15

Episode Summary

In this powerful episode, Dr. Stacey sits down with Celeste Barbier—professional vocalist, certified sound healer, ordained officiant, and sacred spaceholder—to explore the liminal space where sound becomes sanctuary. Discover how grief, trauma, and identity shifts can be held and softened through vibrational healing, especially for autistic and neurodivergent women navigating sensory overwhelm, emotional disconnection, and the unspoken grief of midlife transitions.

Celeste shares her journey from childhood trauma to using her voice as medicine, her profound work with end-of-life transitions, and practical tools for using sound to regulate your nervous system when words fail. Whether you're struggling with alexithymia, burnout, or simply feeling disconnected from your body, this episode offers gentle, accessible pathways back to embodiment through vocal healing.

Key Topics & Timestamps

• Opening: Sound as sanctuary for grief and trauma
• Celeste's origin story: Childhood trauma and discovering her healing voice
• When performance becomes medicine: The shift to intentional sound healing
• The difference between singing songs and sound healing vocal toning
• Holding space at end of life: Music as a bridge between worlds
• Pairing with mediums and creating sacred transitions
• The science behind sound healing: Vagus nerve, nervous system regulation
• Working with grief, alexithymia, and emotional numbness
• Creating death rituals to close old identity chapters
• Sound healing for sensory overload and autistic burnout
• How to use your voice at home: Humming, toning, and sacred practice
• Color, scent, and vibration: Layering sensory healing
• Nourish or Numb Segment: Rapid-fire sound healing wisdom
• Reclaiming your voice: Literal and metaphorical pathways

Resources & References

• Celeste's Website: celestebarbier.com (Resté Sound Healing portal)
• Instagram: @restesound & @celestebarbierevents
• LinkedIn: Celeste Barbier
• Email: celestebarbierevents@gmail.com
• Upcoming Thailand Women's Wellness Retreat (2026) with wife René Cosby, HHP
• Forthcoming book: The Caterpillar Code

Connect & Community

• Listen: Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms
• Subscribe: Never miss an episode—get weekly nervous system medicine
• Join the Newsletter: Science-backed tools and stories for autistic women in midlife at drstaceydenise.com
• Follow Dr. Stacey: Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn
• Download the Free Guide: 3 Questions That Change Your Menopause Conversation

Podcast: The Nervous System Eats First
Host: Dr. Stacey Denise | The Neuroaesthetic MD
Guest: Celeste Barbier | Sound Healer, Vocalist, Sacred Spaceholder
Episode: 14