How Trauma Lives in the Body and How to Heal It

I know you have heard it before: “Trauma lives in the body!” People are talking about it on talk-shows, at dinner parties, on the train. But what does this mean? Most people think of trauma as simply “bad memories” of something that happened to them in the past that come up when triggered; memories, flashbacks, anxiety. While this is true, it’s only part of the story. Trauma is stored in the body, and the body remembers. 

That’s why talk therapy alone sometimes isn’t enough. You might understand your story perfectly, accept rationally that what happened to your wasn’t your fault, but you may still feel stuck in patterns and beliefs you can’t break free from. 

In my work as a trauma therapist in New York City, I help people reconnect to their bodies, not to relive the pain, but to finally release it.

THE SCIENCE: Your Nervous System Never Forgot

Trauma isn’t just “remembered,” it can shift how we feel in our bodies. 

When something overwhelming happens and the body can’t process it in the moment, the nervous system may lock into survival mode:

• Hyperarousal (fight or flight)

• Shut down (freeze or dissociation)

• Or oscillating between both

You may feel this as:

• Chronic tension in your jaw, neck, or shoulders

• Digestive issues or gut distress

• Overreactions to small stressors

• Emotional numbness or disconnection

Your bodies can lock into these nervous system states because it believes its keeping you safe. Being on edge may make a part of you believe you will be prepared to respond if another danger presents itself. 

HOW HEALING HAPPENS:

The good news is, healing doesn’t require you to relive your trauma. It does require you to bring the body into the healing process.

In my practice, I integrate:

• Somatic therapy to listen to your body’s signals

• EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) to gently reprocess memories and sensations

• Breathwork, grounding tools, and HRV biofeedback to rewire your nervous system over time and practice what it feels like to feel safe, grounded and connected. 

Attunement is key. We follow the body’s pace and gently reestablish a sense of safety.

WHAT YOU CAN TRY TODAY:

Start simple:

• Notice where you hold tension in your body right now.

• Place your hand on that area and breathe into it.

• Whisper to it: “In this moment, I allow myself to feel safe.”

Habits become ways of being. Let’s start a habit of safety in the body. 

YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO IT ALONE:

If you’ve tried to think your way out of trauma, and it hasn’t worked it’s not your fault.

Let’s try something different.
Based in NYC or open to virtual work?
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You’re not broken.
Your body is wise.
Its sensations are a roadmap.
And healing is possible.

The Science of Sound: Why I Use Vibrational Healing After EMDR Trauma Sessions

In my clinical practice, I integrate advanced trauma therapy methods like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), a powerful modality that supports the reprocessing of painful memories and stored emotional responses. These sessions can stir deep layers of the nervous system, leading to emotional breakthroughs, but sometimes, they can also leave clients in a heightened or dysregulated state. That’s where sound enters the picture, not just as ambiance, but as a clinically-informed tool for healing.

Sound is not simply a passive experience. It is vibrational energy, measured in waves called hertz (Hz), that interacts directly with the human body. Our bones, tissues, and fluids are excellent conductors of sound. In fact, our entire body is a resonating system, our nervous system especially responsive to specific frequencies. Recent advances in neuroscience and biophysics have begun to catch up to what ancient traditions have long known: sound can heal.

I often turn to sound therapy as a closing ritual in trauma work. In-person, I use the Opus SoundBed, a vibrational healing technology that emits frequencies specifically designed to soothe and regulate the nervous system. It’s not just a luxury or spa-like add-on. When clients lie down on the SoundBed after EMDR, their body receives carefully calibrated sound waves that resonate through their entire system, supporting a shift from sympathetic arousal (fight-or-flight) into parasympathetic calm (rest-and-digest).

This is backed by emerging research. Studies in vibroacoustic therapy suggest that low-frequency sound stimulation can reduce stress markers, improve heart rate variability (a key measure of nervous system resilience), and even decrease chronic pain. Frequencies in the range of 40 Hz–120 Hz have been associated with neural coherence bringing brainwave patterns into greater harmony.

Jonathan Goldman, in Healing Sounds, writes about the idea that frequency plus intention equals healing. In my practice, the intention is to help clients safely return to their bodies after doing deep emotional work. When paired with a resonant frequency, especially after the activation that EMDR can bring, the result is not only calming, but integrative. The body doesn’t just relax; it reorganizes itself around a new experience of safety.

Clients often report feeling grounded, emotionally centered, and physically lighter after these sound sessions. The experience helps seal in the gains made during EMDR while preventing overwhelm or emotional flooding. For those I see virtually, I offer guided sound recordings that echo the vibrational principles of the SoundBed, using binaural beats, harmonic layering, and intention-setting meditations to achieve a similar effect.

Sound is ancient, but the science is catching up. Whether through the physical resonance of a sound bed or the frequencies embedded in a digital track, vibrational healing is more than a trend—it’s a nervous system technology. And in trauma work, where safety and integration are everything, it can make all the difference.

From Childhood Patterns to Executive Presence: How Early Attachment Styles Shape Leadership Behaviors

Have you ever left a high-stakes meeting thinks: “Something doesn’t feel right?”

You stayed composed. You said all the right things. But inside, something was off in your body: tight chest, clenching jaw, sweaty, and nagging thoughts that you weren’t good enough, respected enough, safe enough.

That discomfort? It often started long before that critical promotion, title, or pitch. It starts in childhood and it follows us into boardrooms, brainstorms, and partnerships in ways we don’t always recognize.

Leadership Isn’t Just Strategy—It’s Nervous System History

In my work with high-performing professionals, executives, founders, creatives, I’ve noticed a common thread: behind even the most confident exterior is a nervous system shaped by early childhood relationships.

Attachment theory, first developed by John Bowlby, helps explain this. Our earliest experiences with caregivers form internal blueprints about how safe it is to connect, to lead, to be seen. These attachment styles (secure, anxious, avoidant, or disorganized) don’t just show up in romantic relationships. They show up in how we lead, communicate, delegate (or DON’T delegate), and even manage conflict.

How Attachment Styles Shape the Way You Lead

1. Anxious Attachment:
Often hyper-aware of others’ emotions and approval. You may over-function, over-explain, or avoid asking for help or sharing tasks for fear of disappointing others. This can lead to burnout or resentment over time.

2. Avoidant Attachment:
Fiercely independent and self-reliant, but often disconnected from team dynamics or feedback. You may appear calm but feel isolated, secretly overwhelmed, or rigid when things get emotional.

3. Disorganized Attachment:
A push-pull dynamic with leadership. You may oscillate between micromanagement and withdrawal. Under pressure, reactions can feel unpredictable or chaotic to others, even if you’re unaware of it.

4. Secure Attachment:
Comfortable with autonomy and connection. Able to regulate emotions, navigate conflict, and lead from presence rather than protection.

The good news? Our attachment patterns can shift with insight and healing. You can grow into secure patterns with the right support.

This Isn’t About Blame. It’s About Awareness

Leadership development often skips over this territory because it’s considered “personal.” But let me be clear: your ability to lead is deeply shaped by how your body learned to protect you growing up.

If you were raised around emotional inconsistency, criticism and intense pressure, or lack of emotional attunement and mirroring, your nervous system likely built survival strategies. And those same strategies may now be misread as “leadership style.”

What looks like stoicism might be shutdown. What looks like hustle might be hypervigilance. What looks like confidence might actually be overcompensation.

So, What Can You Do?

Self-awareness changes everything.

Tools I use with clients to evolve leadership from the inside out:

• EMDR therapy to clear unresolved attachment wounds and limiting beliefs

• Somatic practices to notice and regulate your physiological responses in high-stress moments

• Mindfulness and breathwork to ground presence before difficult conversations or decisions

• Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) to open access to deeper self-reflection and emotional healing for those who feel "stuck"

Executive Presence Begins in the Body

The next time you walk into a room, pause. Check in with your body. Are you leading from urgency or grounded clarity?

Because leadership isn’t just about vision. It’s about the internal environment you carry into every interaction.

And if parts of that environment were shaped by early survival patterns, you don’t have to stay trapped in them. There is a path to secure, embodied leadership—and it starts with understanding the story your nervous system has been telling.

Embodied Leadership: Influence Begins in the Body

When you walk into a room, what happens next?

Do people sit up straighter? Shrink back? Do they sense safety—or brace for tension? Do they read your mood before you’ve said a word?

This is the often-overlooked domain of embodied leadership: the unspoken, energetic signature of how you show up—not just what you say or what you know.

As a clinical psychologist who works with high-level professionals, I’ve observed a consistent truth: your nervous system sets the tone for the room. And neuroscience backs this up. Through a process known as neuroception (coined by Dr. Stephen Porges), our brains and bodies are constantly scanning the environment for cues of safety or threat, especially from those in power.

When a leader’s presence evokes anxiety or unpredictability, it shuts down creative thinking, risk-taking, and collaboration. But when a leader’s body signals grounded confidence, it opens the door to psychological safety—and with it, innovation, loyalty, and bold thinking.

Here’s the truth many don’t tell you: your ability to lead is limited by your ability to self-regulate.

The Science of Energy Leadership

Studies in affective neuroscience, polyvagal theory, and organizational psychology all point to the same conclusion: people’s behavior is shaped more by your presence than your performance.

When you haven’t tended to your own stress, your team will absorb it. When you rely on urgency or intimidation to create results, you may get short-term compliance—but long-term burnout, turnover, and resentment follow.

On the other hand, when you learn to calm your body under pressure, you model a kind of executive resilience that’s contagious. Your nervous system becomes a source of stability in a fast-moving, high-stakes world.

How to Become a More Embodied Leader

1. Start with somatic awareness.
Notice your breath, your posture, the tension in your jaw or shoulders before entering any meeting. Ask yourself: What energy am I bringing into this space?

2. Build micro-regulation routines.
You don’t need an hour of meditation. A 30-second reset—exhaling fully, planting your feet, or placing a hand on your heart—can shift your tone from reactive to responsive.

3. Get curious about impact.
Do people edit themselves around you? Do they mirror your anxiety or your calm? Practice listening with your body—not just to words, but to shifts in mood, openness, and creativity.

4. Make regulation part of your leadership training.
Embodied leadership is not an indulgence—it’s a performance enhancer. The best leaders I’ve worked with integrate breathwork, body-based mindfulness, and even somatic coaching into their daily practices.

The Bottom Line

Embodied leadership isn’t a trend—it’s the future of sustainable, human-centered influence. The more you become aware of your own body, the more effective, trusted, and transformational you become as a leader.

Because at the end of the day, leadership doesn’t start with what you do.

It starts in the body.

Feeling Safe in Your Body During Uncertain Times: Daily Nervous System Routines That Help

Are you feeling more anxious lately? You're not alone. With news of layoffs, political unrest, and global uncertainty dominating headlines, many people are experiencing increased stress, sleep disruption, and emotional overwhelm. Google Trends shows a surge in searches like “how to calm anxiety,” “nervous system regulation,” and “stress management techniques.” Now more than ever, our bodies—and minds—are calling for grounding, routine, and safety.

Why We Feel So On Edge: The Role of the Nervous System

When we’re exposed to constant uncertainty or distressing information, our nervous system responds as if we’re under threat. The amygdala, the brain’s fear center, gets activated. It’s excellent at keeping us alert and reactive—but when it’s triggered too often, we can end up living in a state of chronic fight, flight, or freeze.

Over time, this state wears us down. It disrupts sleep, digestion, focus, and emotional regulation. That’s why nervous system regulation isn't a luxury—it’s a necessity.

Routines That Help You Feel Safe Again

Establishing calming rituals throughout the day tells your body: You're safe now. Here are science-backed and soul-nourishing practices to soothe your system:

1. Evening Wind-Down Rituals

• Unplug from news and social media by 6 or 7 p.m. The nervous system needs time to unwind before sleep.

• No electronics at least 2 hours before bed. The blue light and mental stimulation delay melatonin production.

• Create a sensory sleep ritual. Try a nightly cup of chamomile or tulsi tea. Let yourself explore the cup—its warmth, scent, texture—with all five senses. This grounds the body and quiets the mind.

2. Watch Your Stimulants

• Caffeine and sugar can spike anxiety, especially when consumed later in the day.

• Be curious about how your body feels after coffee, chocolate, or energy drinks—some people are more sensitive than they realize.

3. Mindfulness & Meditation

• Even 5–10 minutes a day can lower cortisol and activate the parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) system.

• I’ll be releasing free guided meditations in the next month designed to help you reset your body’s stress response—stay tuned!

4. Conscious Conversations

• Notice who and what leaves you feeling more anxious.

• If someone insists on discussing negative news or topics that activate your stress, try gently shifting the subject:
  “That’s heavy—can we come back to it later? I really need to stay grounded today.”
  Or excuse yourself with kindness: “I’m trying to protect my peace right now.”

5. Simple Grounding Breathwork

Try this:

Inhale for 4 counts – Hold for 4 – Exhale for 6
Repeat 5 times
With each breath, say silently: “I am safe. I am grounded.”

Affirmations to Anchor Your Energy

Here are a few affirmations you can repeat morning and evening:

• My body is a safe place to be.

• The world may shift, but I can choose my inner pace.

• I allow peace to settle into my breath, my muscles, my mind.

Remember: Safety starts inside. The more you nourish your nervous system, the more resilient and responsive you become—no matter what’s happening outside.

GLP-1s and the Mind-Body Connection: A Therapist’s Perspective

You want to know this therapist’s secret? GLP-1s have quietly revolutionized my practice.

As a mind-body therapist, I refer the people I work with to a variety of integrative specialists to support holistic care. Together, we build a care team that addresses the full spectrum of their experiences: psychological, spiritual, and biological. Mental health symptoms can become especially complex when we’re unsure how much is rooted in trauma, attachment history, or present-day conflict and how much may stem from insulin resistance, hormonal shifts, gut-related imbalances or other biologically based issues.

Then something magical happened. My clients began to share their 'little secret'—they had been prescribed GLP-1s. With those medications in play, we could finally disentangle emotional symptoms from physiological ones. Once biology was supported through medical means, clients began accessing deeper psychological work. They experienced new levels of clarity, emotional resilience, and healing.

As GLP-1 medications like Wegovy, Ozempic, and Zepbound continue to rise in popularity, particularly among postpartum and perimenopausal women, a deeper conversation is needed. Not just about the weight loss effects, but about the emotional and psychological shifts that accompany these medications. particularly among postpartum and perimenopausal women. A deeper conversation is needed—not just about the weight loss effects, but about the emotional and psychological shifts that accompany these medications.

How GLP-1s Work

GLP-1 receptor agonists help regulate blood sugar and insulin response, slow gastric emptying, and reduce appetite. The result is often rapid weight loss, improved heart health, and increased insulin sensitivity. But beyond the biological benefits, patients are reporting major shifts in their relationship with food, hunger cues, and emotional eating.

Emotional & Psychological Changes

People on GLP-1s often describe what has been identified in online support groups as a lack of "food noise" for the first time in their lives. Without the thoughts about what meal is coming next or constant cravings, many are left facing underlying emotional needs previously masked by eating. This is where therapeutic support becomes essential.

The Role of Somatic Therapy & EMDR

Somatic therapy helps individuals reconnect with their bodies in a grounded and safe way, supporting nervous system regulation as people adjust to a new relationship with food, weight, and body image. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) can help process trauma or emotional pain that may resurface once eating is no longer used to numb or soothe.

For example, postpartum individuals may experience body image shifts, breastfeeding challenges, identity changes, or unresolved birth trauma. As GLP-1s reduce food-driven coping, these emotions may intensify before they integrate. Similarly, perimenopausal clients may uncover grief, rage, or fatigue that have long been muted.

GLP-1s & Intuitive Eating

Some critics claim that using GLP-1s contradicts intuitive eating. But what if the medication actually supports a return to true body listening? By muting the biochemical chaos of insulin resistance and constant hunger, some individuals find they can finally hear their body's authentic signals. We can use this time of freedom to build in healthier habits, slow down and understand the relationship with food better, and get a newfound clarity that can last long after medication use may stop.

It’s Not the “Easy Way Out”

Many people feel shame about using GLP-1s, fearing judgment that they took the "easy way out." But let’s name what’s actually hard:

Growing up in a food-insecure or diet-obsessed culture

Battling emotional eating rooted in trauma

Navigating modern life in bodies impacted by racism, ableism, and economic stress

Weight stigma, industrial food systems, and under-resourced mental health care have all shaped the global obesity crisis. Medication is just one part of the healing puzzle.

Integrated Care Is the Future

Combining GLP-1s with somatic therapy, trauma-informed care, and EMDR can support sustainable transformation—not just in body size, but in self-concept, emotional freedom, and physical vitality. As more people turn to these medications, let’s also turn to a model of care that honors complexity, healing, and choice.

If you're navigating emotional shifts on GLP-1s or considering starting, know you're not alone. The most effective care doesn't come from one provider—it comes from an intentional team. Integrative care means looking at your hormones, metabolism, nervous system, attachment style, history of trauma, and spiritual wellbeing as parts of a unified whole.

Whether you're just beginning your journey with GLP-1s or deep in the work of healing, therapy can serve as a powerful anchor. When paired with the right medical, nutritional, and somatic supports, the changes you make in your body can ripple outward into your relationships, your self-concept, and your future.

This is your invitation to move beyond survival, into real integration—body, mind, and soul.

Learning to Rest Your Nervous System: A Hidden Key to Career, Family, and Relationship Success

In over 20 years of practicing as a therapist in New York City, I have seen firsthand how deeply many of us hold the belief that constant movement, achievement, and productivity are the only paths to success. Many of us grew up in environments where we were taught--either directly or subtly--that slowing down was dangerous, lazy, or irresponsible. Over time, this conditioning can create a nervous system that is always on high alert, always doing, but rarely resting.

For a while, this survival strategy may seem to work. It can fuel degrees, promotions, accolades, and outward success. But eventually, the cost becomes clear: burnout, anxiety, difficulty connecting deeply with others, and a pervasive sense that something is missing.

When we explore the attachment patterns and internalized beliefs we carry from childhood, we often find that our nervous systems have been trained to equate worth with work. Many high achievers are unconsciously driven by early messages like, "You must earn love," or "You are safest when you're accomplishing something." These patterns, if left unchecked, can undermine even the most well-intentioned efforts at career fulfillment, family harmony, and meaningful relationships.

Learning to rest your nervous system is not just about relaxation; it is about building true resilience. A regulated nervous system allows for clearer thinking, deeper empathy, better decision-making, and greater emotional flexibility. It is foundational to sustainable success, healthy relationships, and internal peace.

Somatic therapy, mindfulness practices, and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) offer powerful, research-supported pathways for this kind of healing. Somatic work reconnects you with the body’s natural signals of safety and danger, helping you rewire patterns of chronic tension and overdrive. Mindfulness creates space between stimulus and response, allowing you to act from presence rather than old conditioning. EMDR facilitates the processing of traumatic memories and limiting beliefs, unlocking the nervous system’s natural capacity for healing.

When we learn to rest, regulate, and truly listen to our bodies, we lay a new foundation for success -- one that is not built on survival strategies but on authenticity, connection, and wholeness.