What if your emotions started in your body – not your brain? In this insightful conversation, Anna sits down with licensed clinical counselor, author, and international trainer Amy Sullivan to explore the life-changing lens of Polyvagal Theory. Known for her warm, accessible teaching style, Amy breaks down the nervous system's three core states and how they shape our sense of emotional safety, trauma response, and ability to connect.

You’ll learn:

• What the vagus nerve is and why it matters for trauma healing
• The difference between feeling safe vs. being safe—and why it matters
• How shutdown, anxiety, and calm each have "safe" and "unsafe" versions
• Somatic and expressive arts practices to help regulate your nervous system
• Why co-regulation (even with pets!) is essential for healing

Whether you’re a therapist, trauma survivor, or just curious about your emotional wiring, this episode is full of empowering insights that can help you reconnect with safety and presence.

Click here to learn more about Amy’s work at Rooted Compassion Counseling.

Join host Anna as she talks with therapist Alyssa Scarano about healing generational trauma. Discover how childhood experiences shape our beliefs and relationships, and how these patterns get passed down through families.

Alyssa explains what generational healing really means and shares how trauma creates survival strategies that might have helped us as kids but now hold us back as adults. Learn to spot signs of generational trauma in your life and get practical steps for healing that start with self-awareness and self-compassion.

Perfect for anyone looking to break free from inherited patterns and build healthier relationships—starting with yourself.

LINKS:

Alyssa's Website

Discover how connecting with your inner child can revolutionize your relationship with self-worth in this episode of Courage to Heal. Learn the crucial difference between self-worth and self-esteem, understand what inner child work really means, and explore practical techniques to begin healing childhood wounds that may be blocking your sense of inherent value.

Through personal stories, guided visualization, and actionable strategies, this episode offers a compassionate roadmap for moving from conditional self-worth to the unshakable knowledge that you are worthy simply because you exist. Perfect for anyone struggling with feelings of "not enough" or looking to deepen their self-compassion practice.

Inner Child Meditation

In this heartfelt episode, Anna explores the challenging dynamics of emotionally immature parents and provides practical guidance for healing.

Discover the four types of emotionally immature parents, recognize common patterns from childhood that might be affecting your adult relationships, and learn effective boundary-setting techniques that preserve your well-being.

Whether you're experiencing parentification, emotional neglect, or struggling with attachment issues stemming from your upbringing, this episode offers compassionate insights and actionable strategies for reclaiming your emotional health.

Perfect for anyone looking to transform their relationship with parents while practicing essential self-care and "reparenting" techniques. Includes resources and recommended reading from trauma-informed therapy perspectives.

Quiz to evaluate your parents

Book: Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents

Discover the power of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy in this comprehensive episode. We break down the science behind EMDR's Adaptive Information Processing model, explain bilateral stimulation's role in healing, and walk through all 8 treatment phases step by step.

From PTSD and complex trauma to anxiety, depression, phobias, and substance misuse—find out how EMDR works for various conditions and why it's gained worldwide recognition. Whether you're a therapy newcomer, mental health professional, or someone seeking healing, this episode provides valuable insights into how EMDR helps the brain reprocess painful memories and install positive beliefs for lasting change.

EMDRIA Directory: https://www.emdria.org/find-an-emdr-therapist/

My Website: https://www.couragetohealtherapy.com/

Discover the most effective trauma therapy approaches in this comprehensive guide to healing. In this episode, we explore trauma and the symptoms of PTSD that millions struggle with daily.

Whether you're dealing with a single traumatic event or complex trauma, we break down seven evidence-based therapy methods that can help: Internal Family Systems (IFS), EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, and Mindfulness-Based Approaches.

Learn how each therapy works, what makes it unique, and who might benefit most from each approach. From body-based therapies that release stored trauma to cognitive approaches that reshape harmful beliefs, this episode provides practical insights to help you or someone you love find the right path to recovery.

In this eye-opening episode of "Courage to Heal," host Anna welcomes Suzanne Culberg, the self-proclaimed "Nope coach" who specializes in helping over-givers and people pleasers set healthy boundaries and prioritize themselves.

Suzanne shares practical wisdom on:

• How to start setting boundaries (hint: don't begin with family and friends!)
• Practical strategies for dealing with pushback when you establish new boundaries
• The telling signs of chronic people-pleasing and how it differs from genuine kindness
• Why rescuing others from natural consequences prevents their growth

With her straight-talking approach and relatable examples, Suzanne explains how proper boundaries teach others how to treat us. Whether you struggle with over-explaining your "no," ghosting people to avoid conflict, or feeling responsible for others' feelings, this conversation provides actionable advice to help you put yourself at the top of your to-do list—without the guilt.

[00:44] Suzanne's Journey to Boundaries Coaching

[03:23] Understanding the Difficulty of Saying No

[04:32] Practical Tips for Saying No

[06:18] The Role of Boundaries in Personal Relationships

[11:12] Overcoming Fear of Rejection and Conflict

[19:01] Starting Small with Boundaries

[23:56] Handling Pushback on Boundaries

[30:55] People Pleasing vs. Kindness

[37:57] Suzanne's Resources

LINKS:

Suzanne’s Newsletter

Suzanne's Website

In this powerful episode of "Courage to Heal," host Anna welcomes Jonathan Schechter, founder of Blue Magic Alchemy. Jonathan shares his remarkable personal journey from a challenging marriage to discovering the transformative power of breathwork, somatic experiencing, and psychedelic integration.

Jonathan candidly discusses how recreational psychedelic use evolved into intentional healing work, revealing how these expanded states of consciousness repeatedly guided him toward important life changes. Listeners will learn about:

• The difference between active and passive psychedelic integration
• How breathwork serves as a gentle, self-controlled alternative to plant medicine
• Why somatic experiencing creates powerful pathways for processing trauma
• The importance of creating safety in the nervous system for true healing to occur

Whether you're curious about alternative healing modalities or searching for tools to process your own trauma, this episode offers practical insights into combining ancient wisdom with modern neuroscience for genuine transformation. Jonathan's story demonstrates how facing our discomfort with compassion can lead to profound healing and personal growth.

[00:48] Jonathan's Journey into Breathwork

[04:45] The Role of Psychedelics in Healing

[12:17] The Concept of Psychedelic Integration

[25:40] Exploring Somatic Experiencing

[31:46] The Power of Breathwork

[45:36] Resources and Recommendations

LINKS:

Jonathan’s Skool Community

In this episode of Courage to Heal, Anna interviews Craig Polsfuss, author of "Reality Shattering Insights." Craig shares his powerful journey of personal awakening that completely transformed his life and professional approach.

Discover how Craig combines psychology, spirituality, and brain science to reveal the profound truth that everything we're seeking is already within us. Learn about:

• How one simple insight can radically change your entire reality
• The "outside-in" paradigm trap that keeps most people stuck
• Why the mind was designed first as a receiver, not a thinker
• The inspiring story of a welder whose life was transformed by a single realization
• Practical steps to access your inner source of healing and transformation

Craig explains how his four-book series "The Vortex of Living Truth" guides readers toward experiencing what he calls "personal heaven on earth." If you've ever felt that something significant is missing from traditional approaches to personal growth, this episode offers a refreshing perspective on how complete transformation is possible in an instant.

[01:08] The Power of Personal Transformation

[03:56] Synchronicities and New Understandings

[08:25] The Role of Brain Science in Awakening

[10:29] Reality Shattering Insights: The Book Series

[17:09] Unlocking Inner Potential

[24:24] Practical Steps to Inner Peace

LINKS:

Craig's Book

This episode features a conversation with Jill McMahon, a licensed professional counselor, trauma specialist, and gun violence survivor who shares her personal journey and professional insights.

In this deeply moving interview, Jill discusses the unique challenges faced by gun violence survivors, the neurobiological effects of trauma on the brain, and effective approaches to healing.

Drawing from both her personal experience of being held hostage at gunpoint as a child and her two decades of clinical work, Jill offers compassionate guidance for survivors, caregivers, and mental health professionals.

Her book "Bulletproof: Healing After Gun Violence and Trauma" serves as a toolkit for understanding and recovering from trauma, with a powerful message that healing is possible and that survivors can emerge with a richer perspective on life.

[01:01] Jill McMahon's Personal Story of Gun Violence

[04:22] Challenges Faced by Gun Violence Survivors

[08:09] Physiological and Biological Responses to Trauma

[12:58] Healing and Regaining Control

[19:00] The Role of Caregivers and Secondary Victims

[23:59] Gaps in Traditional Trauma Treatment

[26:40] Hope and Final Thoughts

LINKS:

Jill's Book

Jill's Website