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Trauma Rewired

Trauma Rewired

By: Elisabeth Kristof & Jennifer Wallace
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The Podcast that teaches you about your nervous system, how trauma gets stored in the body and what you can do to heal.@2025 Biological Sciences Personal Development Personal Success Science
Episodes
  • Undiagnosed TBI: Why Brain Injuries Are Often Missed and Misunderstood

    Undiagnosed TBI: Why Brain Injuries Are Often Missed and Misunderstood
    Aug 31 2026
    Traumatic brain injuries are incredibly common, yet many mild TBIs and concussions go unrecognized. And when the symptoms of a brain injury overlap with the effects of complex trauma, it can become difficult to understand what is actually driving changes in cognition, emotional regulation, behavior, energy, and capacity. In this episode of Trauma Rewired, Jennifer Wallace and Elisabeth Kristof are joined by Amanda Smith, certified brain injury specialist, applied neurology pain and performance coach, NSI educator, and founder of Amanda's Way, to explore the intersection of traumatic brain injury and complex trauma. Amanda shares her own experience recovering from concussion and whiplash and explains why symptoms such as brain fog, fatigue, irritability, emotional reactivity, poor concentration, sleep disruption, sensory sensitivity, and reduced capacity can easily be attributed to trauma, anxiety, depression, or stress when an underlying brain injury may also be contributing. Together, they explore how TBI can change the brain's ability to process visual, vestibular, sensory, and cognitive information; why everyday inputs can require significantly more resources after injury; and how reduced fuel and capacity can affect everything from relationships and work to emotional regulation and rehabilitation. The conversation also examines why practitioners working with trauma and the nervous system need a foundational understanding of concussion and TBI—and why those working with brain injury populations benefit from understanding the effects of complex trauma, chronic stress, and nervous system patterns. Rather than pushing through symptoms, recovery begins with understanding what the nervous system is actually experiencing, assessing capacity, working with the minimum effective dose, and recognizing when additional rehabilitation, referral, or collaborative care may be needed. In This Episode What traumatic brain injury and mild TBI can look like Why many concussions and mild TBIs go undiagnosed The overlap between TBI, anxiety, depression, PTSD, and complex trauma symptoms How brain injury can affect emotional regulation, cognition, memory, vision, and behavior Why irritability, withdrawal, overwhelm, and reduced capacity may emerge after concussion The relationship between complex trauma and persistent post-concussion symptoms Why women and other vulnerable populations may experience additional barriers to recovery How TBI can increase the energetic demands placed on the brain Visual, vestibular, sensory, and cognitive processing after brain injury Why pushing through symptoms can create diminishing returns Fuel, capacity, assessment, reassessment, and the minimum effective dose How Neurosomatic Intelligence can support individualized nervous system work Why practitioners need to recognize when referral or collaborative care is appropriate Beginning with simple awareness of breath, energy expenditure, restoration, and capacity The importance of compassion for ourselves and others when we cannot see what another nervous system has experienced Featured in This Episode BECOMING TBI & CONCUSSION INFORMED — LIVE WORKSHOP If you work with the nervous system, understanding concussion and traumatic brain injury is essential. Post-concussion symptoms can present as fatigue, overwhelm, emotional reactivity, difficulty concentrating, sensitivity to sound or light, inconsistent progress, or reduced capacity for stress. Join Amanda Smith on September 17 for Becoming TBI and Concussion Informed, a live workshop designed to help practitioners understand how a history of concussion, mild TBI, or head and neck trauma may be affecting what they observe in their clients. Learn to ask better questions, adapt your approach, recognize when referral or collaboration is needed, and work with greater clarity and confidence. neurosomatic.com/concussion Amanda Smith is a certified brain injury specialist, applied neurology pain and performance coach, founder of Amanda's Way, and educator in the Neurosomatic Intelligence Coaching Certification. Her work integrates applied neurology, nervous system education, and rehabilitation to support people navigating traumatic brain injury and persistent post-concussion symptoms. Offerings & Resources START HERE — FREE NERVOUS SYSTEM TRAINING Begin learning how to work with your nervous system with our free two-week Rewire Trial: rewiretrial.com NEUROSOMATIC INTELLIGENCE COACHING CERTIFICATION Learn to work with the nervous system through an integrative framework combining applied neurology, somatics, trauma-informed education, and nervous system assessment. neurosomaticintelligence.com WATCH TRAUMA REWIRED ON YOUTUBE YouTube: youtube.com/@TraumaRewired EXPLORE JENNIFER'S WORK Explore psychedelic neuroscience, nervous system preparation and integration, neuroplasticity, and harm reduction with Jennifer on Sacred Synapse: youtube.com/@sacredsynapse-23 ...
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    49 mins
  • The Science of Feeling Safe in Your Body: Emotional Regulation and Trauma

    The Science of Feeling Safe in Your Body: Emotional Regulation and Trauma
    Aug 24 2026
    Episode Summary Why do you know you're safe logically, but your body still reacts as though you're in danger? Emotional regulation isn't about staying calm, avoiding difficult emotions, or suppressing how you feel. It's about your brain and nervous system working together to accurately interpret what's happening inside and around you so you can respond with flexibility instead of survival. In this episode of Trauma Rewired, Jennifer Wallace and Elisabeth Kristof are joined by NSI educator Matt Bush to explore the neuroscience of emotional regulation through the lens of brain integration, interoception, sensory processing, and neuroplasticity. Together they unpack why trauma disrupts communication between key brain networks, how chronic stress creates fragmented emotional processing, and why many people remain stuck in cycles of overwhelm, shutdown, perfectionism, dissociation, binge eating, emotional flooding, or emotional numbness despite years of personal development or therapy. The conversation also explores why emotional regulation is a trainable neurological skill, how simple nervous system practices improve brain integration, why sensory mismatch contributes to chronic stress, and how properly preparing the nervous system creates safer, more effective emotional processing—including during psychedelic experiences. If you've ever wondered why insight alone doesn't create lasting change, why your emotions sometimes feel bigger than the situation, or why your body seems to react before your mind can catch up, this episode offers a neuroscience-based roadmap toward regulation, resilience, and post-traumatic growth. In This Episode We Discuss What emotional regulation actually is—and what it is not Why emotional regulation depends on brain integration The roles of the insula, anterior cingulate cortex, cerebellum, and prefrontal cortex How trauma disrupts communication between brain networks Why chronic stress creates fragmented emotional processing The relationship between interoception, proprioception, and emotional regulation Sensory mismatch and its hidden impact on nervous system health Emotional flooding, shutdown, perfectionism, binge eating, and dissociation Why "fake it until you make it" comes with a physiological cost The neuroscience behind predictive coding and emotional interpretation Why emotions are physiological—not simply psychological How movement, vocalization, and nervous system regulation support emotional processing Brain-body integration and the limits of insight alone Emotional regulation during psychedelic and peak somatic experiences Building nervous system capacity through daily regulation practices Practical neuroscience tools that support resilience and post-traumatic growth Featured in This Episode NSI Foundations Bundle Learn the foundational neuroscience and practical nervous system tools behind everything taught inside the NeuroSomatic Intelligence Certification. https://neurosomaticintelligence.com/foundations Start Here FREE 2-Week Rewire Trial https://www.rewiretrial.com Learn More About NeuroSomatic Intelligence https://www.neurosomaticintelligence.com Watch More Trauma Rewired Episodes YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TraumaRewired Are you ready to become the woman who can carry the vision? Discover nervous system education, preparation, integration, and resources to support your journey at https://illuminatedwithjennifer.com Sacred Synapse with Jennifer Wallace Learn more about psychedelic neuroscience, applied neurology, Neurosomatic Intelligence, and nervous system-informed psychedelic preparation and integration through educational, harm reduction content. https://www.youtube.com/@sacredsynapse-23 The Wayfinder Journal A guided journal designed to help you track nervous system patterns, deepen self-awareness, and support psychedelic preparation and integration. https://stan.store/illuminated Connect With Us Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trauma.rewired Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/761101225132846 Exclusive Offer FREE 1-Year Supply of Vitamin D + 5 Travel Packs from AG1 https://www.drinkag1.com/rewired 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 contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis ...
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • Boundaries, Attachment, and the Fear of Losing Connection

    Boundaries, Attachment, and the Fear of Losing Connection
    Aug 17 2026
    Most people think boundaries are about saying "no," protecting themselves, or keeping others at a distance. But from a nervous system perspective, boundaries are something much deeper. They are not walls that separate us from connection—they are the foundation that makes authentic connection possible. In this episode, Jennifer Wallace, Elisabeth Kristof, and returning guest Margie Faltin explore boundaries through the lens of neuroscience, attachment, co-regulation, and post-traumatic growth. Together they examine why boundaries can feel so threatening after trauma, why receiving someone else's boundary can activate abandonment, and how early attachment experiences shape the way we relate to authenticity, conflict, and connection throughout our lives. Whether you've struggled with people-pleasing, over-functioning, conflict avoidance, or feeling guilty for putting your needs first, this conversation offers a compassionate, science-backed framework for understanding boundaries as an expression of nervous system health rather than emotional distance. Together they explore why boundaries become easier as nervous system capacity grows, how self-attunement changes the way we communicate our needs, why authenticity requires safety, and how learning to both set and receive boundaries creates stronger relationships, greater resilience, and lasting post-traumatic growth. Key Takeaways Why boundaries are a nervous system skill—not simply communication techniques. How attachment patterns shape the way we set and receive boundaries. Why receiving a boundary can feel like abandonment after trauma. The neuroscience of oxytocin, co-regulation, and the "tend-and-befriend" stress response. Why people-pleasing and fawning are survival adaptations rather than personality traits. The difference between reactive boundaries and boundaries rooted in regulation. Why self-attunement is foundational to authentic relationships. How rupture and repair help build secure attachment over time. Practical nervous system exercises for strengthening boundary capacity. Why authentic connection requires truth—not performance, perfection, or self-abandonment. If you've ever worried that speaking your truth would cost you love, feared disappointing others, or found yourself constantly prioritizing everyone else's needs above your own, this episode offers another perspective: healthy boundaries are not about pushing people away. They are about creating the safety, authenticity, and nervous system capacity that allow genuine connection to grow. Resources 🧠 Start Your Nervous System Journey — FREE for Two Weeks https://rewiretrial.com 🌿 NeuroSomatic Intelligence (NSI) Certification https://neurosomaticintelligence.com Are you ready to become the woman who can carry the vision? Discover nervous system education, preparation, integration, and resources to support your journey at illuminatedwithjennifer.com. 🎙️ Sacred Synapse with Jennifer Wallace https://www.youtube.com/@sacredsynapse 🎧 Watch Trauma Rewired on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@traumarewired 📖 The Wayfinder Journal https://stan.store/illuminated Podcast 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 neuroscience 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 NeuroSomatic practitioners and nervous system health/embodiment ...
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    1 hr and 1 min
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