In this episode, Gregory guides us through the subtle language of body memory—those physical sensations and tension patterns that carry our trauma history. You’ll hear powerful listener stories of how trembling, tethered breath, and stifled yawns revealed years of hidden stress, and learn three practical somatic invitations—anchoring with the ground, four‑part breathwork, and a mindful body scan—that retrain your nervous system toward safety. Whether you’re new to trauma recovery or deep into your healing journey, you’ll discover how even micro‑moments of embodied awareness can transform trapped stress into profound calm.

Key Takeaways
• Recognize body memory as nonverbal “sentences” of past danger held in muscle and breath.
• Practice three somatic invitations—Anchor & Release, Four‑Part Breath, Guided Body Scan—to shift your autonomic nervous system from fight/flight into rest and digest.
• Use micro‑movements (shaking, vocal toning) and sensory anchors (lavender, silk scarf) to signal safety anytime, anywhere.
• Learn the “Pause of Compassion” four‑step method for meeting sudden triggers with curiosity rather than avoidance.
• Track progress in a simple journal: note shifts in tension, emerging ease, and new felt-sense responses.

What You’ll Discover
• How body memory encodes trauma in posture, muscle tone, and breath patterns.
• Two listener journeys—one liberated by rhythmic foot taps, another by reclaiming the yawn—to illustrate somatic rewiring in action.
• The science of neuroplasticity and recent findings on how movement plus breath accelerates parasympathetic activation.
• Gentle strategies for responding to unexpected triggers through pendulation and compassionate self‑touch.
• Ways to integrate somatic practice into daily rituals—brushing teeth, washing dishes, even walking—to build ongoing safety.

Resources Mentioned
• Van der Kolk, Bessel: The Body Keeps the Score
• Levine, Peter: Waking the Tiger
• Journal of Traumatic Stress (2022): “Movement‑Based Somatic Exercises in PTSD Recovery”
• Insight Timer App – Somatic Meditation Tracks
• Supporters Club & Contact: [email protected]

Next Episode Preview
We’ll explore Reducing Hypervigilance in Trauma Recovery, diving into tools that quiet the alarm bell of the amygdala and re‑establish a sense of calm in everyday life.

📩 Have questions or want to share your experience? Reach out at [email protected].

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Family weddings, reunions, birthday dinners—even small get‑togethers—can trigger deep anxiety when you’re living with CPTSD. In this episode, Gregory shares research‑backed breathing, grounding, and self‑compassion techniques you can use before, during, and after any family event. Learn how to spot your personal triggers, claim quick “safe spots,” and set gentle boundaries so you can stay present, enjoy the moments that matter, and avoid burnout.

Key Takeaways

• Master the 4‑7‑8 breathing hack to soothe your nervous system in just minutes
• Identify a “safe spot” and practice the 5‑4‑3‑2‑1 grounding exercise under tables or in lines
• Use rehearsed boundary scripts (“I need a quick break,” “Let’s change the subject”) to protect your calm without guilt
• Cultivate self‑compassion mantras (“I’m doing my best,” “This feeling will pass”) to quiet your inner critic
• Debrief with a simple recovery ritual—journaling, a walk, a warm bath—to reinforce safety cues post‑event

What You’ll Discover

• How CPTSD rewires your brain to scan for danger—and why that can misfire at family functions
• Practical steps to prep your mind with visualization and phone‑based breathing apps
• Real‑life listener stories of staying calm at weddings, reunions, and holiday dinners
• Long‑term strategies from polyvagal theory and mindful self‑compassion to shift your baseline toward safety

Resources Mentioned

• The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy by Deb Dana
• Mindful Self‑Compassion by Kristin Neff & Christopher Germer
• Insight Timer & Breathwrk apps for guided breathing and meditation
• Online CPTSD support groups (Facebook, Meetup)

Next Episode Preview
Coming up: “Daily Grounding Practices for Lasting CPTSD Recovery”—learn five simple rituals you can weave into your mornings and evenings to gradually retrain your brain and body toward calm.

📩 Share Your Story: [email protected]
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Subscribe now and never miss an episode on healing from complex trauma—because you deserve peace, even at the family table. 

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/c-ptsd-let-s-make-sense-of-this-sh-t--6331440/support.

In this episode of CPTSD – Let’s Make Sense of This Shit, Gregory teaches you how to create a personalized “mental sanctuary” and pair it with simple breathwork to interrupt panic attacks in seconds. You’ll hear listener success stories, learn micro‑visualizations for moments when you can’t close your eyes, and finish with a complete 20‑minute guided session you can record in your own voice. Whether you need relief in a crowded mall or calm at home, this practical, research‑backed toolkit will help you reclaim safety—one image and one breath at a time.

Key Takeaways
• How to design a vivid, multi‑sensory safe‑place visualization that your brain will recognize as “all clear.”
• Breathing patterns (4‑count inhale, 6‑count exhale) that amplify the calming power of imagery.
• Strategies for micro‑visualizations when you’re pressed for time or space.
• Tips for journaling and biofeedback to track your nervous system’s transformation.

What You’ll Discover
• Why visualization isn’t avoidance but a form of self‑soothing that retrains your stress response.
• How to anchor calm with color, movement, and sensory details.
• Real‑world examples of people who stopped panic in grocery aisles, offices, and hospitals.
• Ways to integrate imagery with other grounding tools—body scans, 5‑4‑3‑2‑1, and gentle motion.

Resources Mentioned
• The Healing Power of the Breath by Richard P. Brown & Patricia L. Gerbarg
• InnerBalance™ heart‑rate variability biofeedback app
• Local and online guided‑imagery workshops

Next Episode Preview
Get ready to transform your evenings in Episode 57: “Establishing a Night Routine for Better Sleep.” We’ll explore how to wind down anxiety, build a calming bedtime ritual, and cue your body for deep rest—because healing doesn’t stop when the sun goes down.

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In this episode of “CPTSD: Let’s Make Sense of This Shit,” Gregory guides you through the art and science of turning your living space into a refuge for trauma recovery. You’ll learn why even small sensory shifts—like swapping harsh overhead lights for warm lamps or adding a simple threshold anchor—send powerful signals of safety to your nervous system. We explore practical micro‑decluttering, sensory curation (sight, sound, touch, scent), simple boundary rituals, affirmation anchoring, guided visualization, and self‑compassion practices that transform your home into a living sanctuary. Real listener stories and expert resources show how these approaches rewire hypervigilance into calm, so you can step inside, exhale, and feel held every time you cross your threshold.

Key Takeaways
• Threshold anchoring at your entryway creates an immediate “in‑house” cue for safety.
• Curating each sense—warm lighting, gentle water sounds, cozy textures, healing scents—reprograms the amygdala away from threat.
• Micro‑decluttering one drawer or shelf at a time builds confidence and control over your environment.
• Establishing brief, daily boundary rituals and affirmation cards teaches predictability and rest in a once‑chaotic space.

What You’ll Discover
• How to choose and place a meaningful threshold object for instant calm.
• Techniques for replacing harsh lighting and distracting noises with softly glowing lamps and steady ambient sounds.
• The power of tactile “self‑hugs” through blankets, cushions, and rugs.
• Scent‑based nervous‑system resets using essential oils or simmer‑pot rituals.
• The neuroscience behind micro‑decluttering and why small acts of order reduce overwhelm.
• Ways to embed brief emotional‑safety rituals—like Quiet Half‑Hours—and affirmation‑anchoring into daily life.
• Guided visualization exercises and simple self‑compassion phrases that deepen your sense of sanctuary.

Resources Mentioned
• The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk — for understanding how trauma reshapes the brain.
• Self‑Compassion by Kristin Neff — for practical exercises in inner kindness.
• Insight Timer app — featuring the “Home Sanctuary” guided meditation by Gregory.
• r/ComplexPTSD subreddit and private CPTSD support Facebook groups — for community and shared tips.
• Reach out at [email protected] with your questions or stories.
• 💛 Join Our Supporters Club: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/c-ptsd-let-s-make-sense-of-this-sh-t--6331440/support

📝 Summary
In this episode, Gregory dives deep into how journaling can be a powerful tool for healing from complex PTSD. With a grounded blend of science, lived experience, and guided reflection, you'll explore how to create space for your inner voice, process painful memories, and regulate your nervous system. Whether journaling is brand new to you or something you've struggled to keep up, this episode is a soft invitation to meet yourself with compassion and curiosity.

✨ Key Takeaways
• Journaling can calm the nervous system and help integrate fragmented trauma memories.
• You don’t need to write perfectly—showing up honestly is what matters most.
• There are many ways to journal: freewriting, prompts, art, or even short check-ins.
• Creating safety around your journaling practice is key to making it sustainable.

🔍 What You’ll Discover
• Why journaling works neurologically for trauma survivors
• Common obstacles to journaling and how to move past them
• Practical journaling techniques that meet you where you are
• A guided 5-minute journaling session you can return to anytime

📚 Resources Mentioned
• Opening Up by Writing It Down by James Pennebaker and Joshua Smyth
• The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
• What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo
• Apps like Daylio, Journey, and Reflectly
• Trauma-informed journal prompt guides (searchable online)

🔜 Next Episode Preview
Next week’s episode is called “Healing Through Social Connections and Support.” We’ll explore how relationships can be both challenging and healing, and how building safe, supportive connections is possible—even after trauma.


Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/c-ptsd-let-s-make-sense-of-this-sh-t--6331440/support.

In this Friday Healing episode, Gregory gently unpacks the often unspoken pressure trauma survivors put on themselves to “heal faster” or “do better.” If you’ve ever felt like you're failing your recovery because you’re not “there yet,” this episode is for you. Together, we explore how CPTSD warps our expectations, why shame often drives those internal “shoulds,” and how to shift toward realistic, grace-filled goals that actually support healing. 

Key Takeaways:

• Learn why CPTSD survivors often develop unrealistic expectations around healing.
• Understand how perfectionism and shame feed burnout in trauma recovery.
• Discover practical, trauma-informed tools for setting gentler, more compassionate goals.
• Hear real-life stories that illustrate how small mindset shifts can unlock meaningful change.

What You’ll Discover:

• Why “looping” and setbacks are actually normal in CPTSD recovery.
• How to rewrite harmful internal narratives like “I should be over this.”
• What micro-goals, spoon theory, and self-compassion practices can do for your nervous system.
• Why healing is not a performance, and what it means to move forward without urgency.

Resources Mentioned:

• Spoon Theory by Christine Miserandino (conceptual reference)
• Grounding practices: 5-4-3-2-1 method, breath counting
• Journal prompts for self-reflection on expectations

Next Episode Preview:

Next Friday, we’ll be exploring “Using Mindfulness to Manage CPTSD Symptoms.” If you’ve struggled with staying present or feel overwhelmed by flashbacks or anxiety, this upcoming episode will offer grounding tools and gentle insights to help you anchor in the now.

📩 Have questions or want to share your experience? Reach out at [email protected]

💛 Join Our Supporters Club 💛 If this podcast has helped you make sense of C-PTSD, consider joining. Your support keeps these honest, healing conversations going:
👉 Support Here

In this episode of CPTSD: Let’s Make Sense of This Shit, Gregory explores how deep breathing isn’t just a crisis tool—it’s a long-term nervous system reset. If you’ve ever felt like anxiety is your baseline or that your body never learned how to “stand down,” this episode is for you. We’ll unpack how breathwork helps rewire your brain and body after trauma, share powerful listener stories, and guide you through a practice you can start today. No incense required.

Key Takeaways
• Deep breathing can reshape your nervous system and support long-term anxiety relief.
• Breathwork helps regulate the vagus nerve and improve heart rate variability.
• Consistent daily breathwork rewires hypervigilant trauma responses.
• You don’t need to be perfect—just practicing for a few minutes a day can create lasting change.


What You’ll Discover
• Why trauma survivors often breathe shallowly—and how to change that.
• The science behind sympathetic vs. parasympathetic nervous system states.
• Techniques like box breathing, 4-7-8, and extended exhales explained and demystified.
• Listener experiences: What worked, what triggered them, and how they adapted.
• A guided practice you can return to anytime to help reset your body’s anxiety baseline.


Resources Mentioned
• Polyvagal Theory by Stephen Porges (concept referenced)
• 4-7-8 Breathing by Dr. Andrew Weil
• Apps: Insight Timer, Breathwrk, iBreathe
• Guided breathing videos on YouTube (search “trauma-informed breathwork”)
• Yoga Nidra and Coherent Breathing resources


Next Episode Preview
Up next: The Role of Nutrition in Healing Trauma. We’ll explore how blood sugar crashes, gut health, and nutrient deficiencies can play a surprising role in trauma recovery—and how eating differently might support emotional stability. You won’t want to miss it.

📩 Have questions or want to share your experience? Reach out at [email protected].

💛 Join Our Supporters Club 💛

If this podcast has helped you make sense of C-PTSD, consider joining our Supporters Club. Your support allows us to keep creating these vital conversations about trauma, healing, and the tools we need to survive and thrive.

👉 Click here to join our Supporters Club

We’re in this together. 💛

Navigating public spaces with CPTSD can feel like stepping into a minefield of unexpected triggers. From loud noises to crowded environments, the unpredictability of the outside world can activate anxiety, panic, or dissociation. In this episode, we break down why public spaces can feel so overwhelming and, more importantly, how to manage these situations with confidence. You’ll learn practical techniques to stay grounded, plan ahead, and regain control over your surroundings, so you can move through the world feeling safer and more empowered.

Key Takeaways:

• Why public spaces can be particularly triggering for people with CPTSD.
• How to use grounding techniques, such as the 5-4-3-2-1 method and object anchoring, to stay present in overwhelming situations.
• The importance of planning ahead, including exit strategies, noise-reducing tools, and strategic positioning to reduce stress.
• How gradual exposure and self-compassion can help you build resilience over time.

What You’ll Discover:

• The neuroscience behind triggers and why your nervous system reacts the way it does.
• Real-life stories from people who have learned to navigate public spaces with CPTSD.
• A range of tools you can use immediately to feel more in control in public settings.
• Why progress doesn’t have to be linear, and how small steps add up to big changes.

Resources Mentioned:

• Grounding apps and mindfulness tools for in-the-moment support.
• Noise-canceling headphones and wearable aids for sensory regulation.
• Books and online communities for deeper learning and connection.
• Therapy and self-guided exposure techniques to gradually build resilience.

Next Episode Preview: In the next episode, we’re tackling the importance of structure and routine in trauma recovery. Building a morning routine that actually works for CPTSD can create a sense of stability, reduce overwhelm, and set the tone for the rest of your day. Tune in for tips on how to craft a routine that meets your unique needs and helps you feel more grounded from the moment you wake up.

📩 Have questions or want to share your experience? Reach out at [email protected]. 

💛 Join Our Supporters Club 💛

If this podcast has helped you make sense of CPTSD, consider joining our Supporters Club. Your support allows us to continue these vital conversations about trauma and healing—conversations that are often difficult to find but deeply needed. By becoming a supporter, you ensure we can keep providing insights, support, and real talk to those navigating their journey with CPTSD. Together, we can make sure no one faces this alone.

Click here to join our Supporters Club and support more people.

We’re in this together. 💛

🎨 Healing Through Art: Creative Expression as Therapy 🎨

Creativity isn’t just for artists—it’s for anyone navigating the complexities of CPTSD. In this episode, we explore how creative expression can be a powerful tool for emotional processing, grounding, and self-discovery. From visual arts and writing to music and movement, we’ll uncover real-life stories, scientific insights, and practical techniques to help you integrate creativity into your healing journey.

Whether you’re picking up a paintbrush, writing in a journal, or simply listening to music that speaks to your soul, this episode is here to remind you: You are creative, and your expression matters. Join us as we make sense of this together.

📌 Next Episode: Understanding Non-Linear Recovery in CPTSD—because healing isn’t a straight path, and that’s okay.

📩 Have questions or want to share your experience? Reach out at [email protected].

💛 Join Our Supporters Club 💛   If this podcast has helped you make sense of C-PTSD, consider joining our Supporters Club. Your support helps us continue these crucial conversations on trauma and healing—conversations that can be hard to find but deeply needed.

By joining, you ensure we can keep offering insights, support, and real talk to those navigating their journey with C-PTSD. Together, we can make sure no one faces this alone.   

Click here to join our Supporters Club and support more people.

We’re in this together. 💛

In this Friday Healing episode, Gregory gently unpacks the often unspoken pressure trauma survivors put on themselves to “heal faster” or “do better.” If you’ve ever felt like you're failing your recovery because you’re not “there yet,” this episode is for you. Together, we explore how CPTSD warps our expectations, why shame often drives those internal “shoulds,” and how to shift toward realistic, grace-filled goals that actually support healing.

Key Takeaways:

• Learn why CPTSD survivors often develop unrealistic expectations around healing.
• Understand how perfectionism and shame feed burnout in trauma recovery.
• Discover practical, trauma-informed tools for setting gentler, more compassionate goals.
• Hear real-life stories that illustrate how small mindset shifts can unlock meaningful change.

What You’ll Discover:

• Why “looping” and setbacks are actually normal in CPTSD recovery.
• How to rewrite harmful internal narratives like “I should be over this.”
• What micro-goals, spoon theory, and self-compassion practices can do for your nervous system.
• Why healing is not a performance, and what it means to move forward without urgency.

Resources Mentioned:

• Spoon Theory by Christine Miserandino (conceptual reference)
• Grounding practices: 5-4-3-2-1 method, breath counting
• Journal prompts for self-reflection on expectations

Next Episode Preview:

Next Friday, we’ll be exploring “Using Mindfulness to Manage CPTSD Symptoms.” If you’ve struggled with staying present or feel overwhelmed by flashbacks or anxiety, this upcoming episode will offer grounding tools and gentle insights to help you anchor in the now.

📩 Have questions or want to share your experience? Reach out at [email protected]

💛 Join Our Supporters Club 💛 If this podcast has helped you make sense of C-PTSD, consider joining. Your support keeps these honest, healing conversations going:
👉 Support Here