Inside-Out Connections. A Wellness Podcast.

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Why does our skin seem to change so much as we move through our 40s, 50s and beyond — and how do we know which treatments are worth our time and money?

In this episode of Inside-Out Connections, I sit down with skin expert Lisa Harris, who brings more than 30 years of experience across skin, holistic therapies and advanced skin technology.

We talk about what happens to our skin as we age, particularly through perimenopause and menopause, when changes in collagen, hydration, sensitivity and skin recovery can leave many of us wondering why the products and treatments we once relied on no longer seem to work.

Lisa helps cut through some of the noise around modern skin treatments, from radiofrequency and LED to lasers, microcurrent and electroporation, and explains why she believes the best approach is progressive rather than aggressive.

We also explore the other side of skin health — fascia, lymphatic drainage, massage, movement, stress, lifestyle and the traditional holistic practices Lisa still uses alongside modern technology.

What We Cover

• What happens to collagen, elastin, hydration and skin recovery as we age
• Why perimenopause and menopause can change our skin so dramatically
• Radiofrequency, LED, lasers, microcurrent and electroporation
• Which professional treatments Lisa believes are worth investing in
• At-home LED masks and beauty devices — what to look for before buying
• Why more aggressive treatments aren’t always better
• Botox and the non-invasive alternatives Lisa uses in her clinic
• Peptides and supporting the skin barrier
• Why Lisa believes fascia, lymphatic drainage and facial massage matter
• Gua sha, Kansa wands and using facial tools correctly
• Why our neck, shoulders, posture and facial tension can influence how our face looks
• Whether complicated skincare routines are necessary
• Skin through our 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond
• The role of stress, movement, lifestyle and emotional wellbeing in skin health
• Why it’s never too late to start supporting your skin

One of my favourite reminders from this conversation is that ageing doesn’t mean giving up on our skin. It’s about understanding what our skin needs at the stage of life we’re in, working with it rather than against it, and remembering that consistency often matters more than chasing the latest trend.

Where to Find Lisa

Lisa Harris Skin Science

Website:
https://lisaharrisskinscience.co.uk/

Instagram: @LisaHarrisSkinScience
https://www.instagram.com/lisaharrisskinscience/

Connect with Inside-Out Connections

Follow Tracey-Anne on Instagram:
@inside_out_connnections
https://www.instagram.com/inside_out_connnections/

Listen to more episodes of Inside-Out Connections:
https://insideoutconnectionswellnesspodcast.buzzsprout.com/

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What if being the capable one, the giver, the organiser and the person who never asks for help isn’t just who you are, but a pattern you learned because it once felt safer?

In this episode of Inside-Out Connections, I’m joined by counsellor, focused hypnosis practitioner and somatic guide Nicola Myles for an honest conversation about why receiving can sometimes feel so much harder than giving.

We explore why something as simple as accepting a compliment, letting someone help us or allowing ourselves to rest can feel surprisingly uncomfortable. Nicola shares how years of doing, coping and holding everything together can become a survival pattern, and why receiving often asks us to soften some of the armour we’ve built around ourselves.

We also share our own experiences as mothers and women who are very good at giving, including the uncomfortable question: when does giving come from love, and when does it come from a need to be needed?

What We Cover

• Why receiving can feel vulnerable or unsafe
• Why we deflect compliments or immediately feel the need to give something back
• Being the capable one and fiercely independent
• How childhood patterns can influence our ability to receive
• Survival mode, constant doing and disconnection from ourselves
• The need to be needed and what can sit underneath over-giving
• People pleasing, resentment and control
• Why slowing down and resting can feel uncomfortable
• Somatic work and reconnecting with the body
• Breath, movement, sound and touch as simple ways to create moments of safety
• Learning to recognise what we actually need
• Moving from independence towards healthy interdependence
• Coming back to ourselves with curiosity rather than judgement

Sometimes receiving doesn’t have to begin with anything big.

It can start by noticing the urge to deflect, taking a pause and simply allowing yourself to say, thank you.

Where to Find Nicola

Nicola Myles Wellness
Website: https://www.nicolamyleswellness.com.au
Instagram: @nicola_myles_wellness
https://www.instagram.com/nicola_myles_wellness/

Connect with Inside-Out Connections

Follow Tracey-Anne on Instagram:
@inside_out_connnections
https://www.instagram.com/inside_out_connnections/

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Why can food feel like comfort, reward, relief — and sometimes even our best friend?

In this episode of Inside-Out Connections, I sit down with author, speaker and emotional eating educator Tricia Nelsonfor an honest conversation about something every one of us has: a relationship with food.

Tricia shares her own experience of years spent obsessing over food, weight and dieting, and the turning point that helped her realise that changing what she ate wasn't going to address what was happening underneath.

Together, we explore emotional versus physical hunger, why food can become a way of finding relief, and how patterns such as people pleasing, over-giving and putting ourselves last can leave us depleted and reaching for comfort.

We also talk about childhood conditioning around food, shame and restriction, self-care in midlife, nervous system regulation, and why becoming curious rather than critical can be such an important part of changing our relationship with ourselves.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why our relationship with food is about so much more than hunger
• Physical hunger versus emotional hunger
• Food as comfort, distraction and relief
• How childhood experiences can shape the way we eat as adults
• People pleasing, caretaking and the "I deserve it" binge
• Why women can lose themselves in caring for everyone else
• Emotional eating through midlife
• Self-care and nervous system regulation
• Moving away from shame and towards curiosity
• Why changing our relationship with ourselves may ultimately change our relationship with food

Tricia leaves us with an important reminder: rather than judging ourselves for our relationship with food, perhaps we can get curious about what's happening underneath — and recognise that there is no shame in asking for support.

Where to Find Tricia

Website:
https://healyourhunger.com/

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/tricianelson_/

Free Emotional Eating Quiz:
https://healyourhunger.com/heal-your-hunger-quiz/

Book:
Heal Your Hunger: 7 Simple Steps to End Emotional Eating Now

You can also find Tricia's TEDx talk and more resources through her website.

Connect with Inside-Out Connections

Follow Tracey-Anne Oxley on Instagram for more conversations around gut, skin, wellness and reconnecting with ourselves from the inside out.

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What happens when you’ve done all the “right” things for your health, and cancer still enters your life?

In this deeply honest conversation, I sit down with breast cancer recovery coach Laura Lummer, who was first diagnosed with stage two breast cancer in 2011 and later faced a stage four diagnosis in 2020.

Laura takes us inside the fear of diagnosis, the loss of trust in your own body, and the emotional reality that can remain long after treatment ends. We talk about why recovery is about so much more than simply getting through treatment, and why learning to listen to yourself may be one of the most important parts of healing.

We also explore the gaps Laura experienced within conventional cancer care, the importance of advocating for yourself and building a healthcare team that supports the whole person, and why she believes conventional and integrative medicine don't need to be an either/or choice.

Laura also shares her experience with metabolic and integrative approaches, next generation sequencing (NGS), personalised treatment, nutrition, genetics, stress, emotional health and the mind body connection.

But perhaps the most powerful part of this conversation is what comes after survival.

After almost a decade of supporting breast cancer survivors, Laura believes women need to learn to listen to their bodies and intuition, examine what they're tolerating, create stronger boundaries and ask themselves a simple but confronting question: Am I living a life I actually love?

What We Cover

• Laura's first breast cancer diagnosis at 48 and the fear that followed
• Her later stage four diagnosis and how her approach changed
• Why being “healthy” doesn't make us invincible
• Stress, emotions and the mind body connection
• What Laura believes is missing from traditional cancer care
• Building an integrative healthcare team
• Becoming your own advocate and asking better questions
• NGS testing and more personalised approaches to treatment
• What happens emotionally when cancer treatment ends
• Learning to trust your body again
• Boundaries, self love and prioritising yourself
• Moving beyond survival and creating a life you genuinely want to live

Laura's message is ultimately one of living. Following her stage four diagnosis, she made a decision not to step back from life, but to keep learning, travelling, saying yes and listening to herself. As she says near the end of our conversation, “I am gonna live.”

Where to Find Laura

Website:
https://www.thebreastcancerrecoverycoach.com/

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/thebreastcancerrecoverycoach/

Podcast:
Better Than Before Breast Cancer with The Breast Cancer Recovery Coach

Please note: This episode shares Laura's personal experience and perspectives and is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to replace individual medical advice or cancer treatment.

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What if understanding your patterns isn’t actually enough to change them?

We can spend years becoming more self-aware, understanding our childhood, recognising our triggers and doing the inner work, yet still find ourselves repeating some of the same patterns.

In this episode of Inside Out Connections, I sit down with relationship educator, author and speaker Stefanos Sifandos to explore why awareness is only one part of creating lasting change.

We talk about how our childhood experiences shape the way we relate as adults, attachment styles, people pleasing, the father wound and why we can unconsciously be drawn to relationships that feel familiar, even when those patterns may not be healthy for us.

Stefanos also shares openly about his own childhood, becoming a father and the lessons his closest relationships continue to teach him. We explore conflict and repair in relationships, why intimacy requires ongoing effort, forgiveness when a parent may never acknowledge the hurt and the importance of moving from simply understanding our patterns to actually doing something differently.

We also have a fascinating conversation about raising emotionally healthy young men, the importance of healthy male mentors and why boys need both emotional attunement and strong guardrails as they move towards adulthood.

IN THIS EPISODE WE EXPLORE:

• Why self-awareness alone doesn’t always create change
• How childhood experiences shape our adult relationships
• Attachment styles and the patterns we carry into relationships
• The father wound and how it can influence the partners we choose
• People pleasing and losing ourselves in the needs of others
• Why conflict isn’t necessarily a sign that a relationship is failing
• Emotional safety, intimacy and relational repair
• Forgiveness when a parent never apologises
• Raising emotionally healthy young men
• Why healthy male mentors matter
• The willingness to sit with discomfort as a pathway to growth and freedom

WHERE TO FIND STEFANOS

Website:
https://stefanossifandos.com/

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/stefanossifandos/

Book — Tuned In and Turned On:
https://tunedinandturnedonbook.com/

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What if the symptoms you've been trying to fix are actually messages asking to be heard?

In this episode of Inside Out Connections, Tracey Anne sits down with kinesiologist Sally Thornton from Innate Balance Kinesiology to explore the powerful connection between the body, emotions, subconscious beliefs and the nervous system.

Together they discuss how stress, unresolved emotions and early life experiences can quietly shape our health, behaviours and relationships long after the original event has passed. Sally explains how kinesiology uses muscle testing to access subconscious patterns that may be keeping us stuck and why healing is often less about fixing ourselves and more about learning to listen to what our body has been trying to tell us all along.

Whether you are curious about kinesiology or simply looking for another pathway towards self reconnection, this conversation offers practical insights into emotional wellbeing, nervous system regulation and the wisdom of the body.

In this episode we discuss:

• What kinesiology is and how muscle testing works

• The connection between the body, emotions and the subconscious mind

• Why stress can show up as physical symptoms

• How childhood experiences continue to shape our adult lives

• Self sabotage, procrastination and limiting beliefs

• Why so many women struggle to put themselves first

• The relationship between the nervous system and emotional healing

• The importance of curiosity over self judgement

• What to expect during a kinesiology session

• Simple ways to begin reconnecting with yourself

About Sally Thornton

Sally Thornton is a certified kinesiologist and founder of Innate Balance Kinesiology in Sydney. She helps people uncover the connection between stress, emotions, subconscious beliefs and physical symptoms, using kinesiology to support nervous system regulation, emotional wellbeing and lasting self reconnection.

Where to Find Sally

Instagram: @innate_balance

Website: www.innatebalancekinesiology.com.au

If this conversation resonated with you, please follow, rate and review Inside Out Connections. Your support helps us continue bringing thoughtful conversations that inspire healing, curiosity and deeper connection.

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What happens when all external distractions are removed?

No phone. No emails. No conversations. Not even any light.

In this fascinating conversation, I sit down with Scott Berman, founder of Sky Cave Retreats, to explore what darkness can reveal about ourselves when there is nowhere left to hide.

We discuss why darkness retreats are often very different from what people expect, how our survival patterns emerge when we are stripped of our usual distractions, and why true self awareness may begin with learning to sit with discomfort rather than trying to escape it.

What struck me most about this conversation was Scott's perspective that perhaps healing is not about transcending difficult emotions, fixing ourselves, or chasing peak experiences. Perhaps it is about developing the capacity to stay present with what is already here.

If you've ever wondered what might happen if you slowed down long enough to truly meet yourself, this episode is for you. 

What We Cover

• Why darkness retreats are often very different from what people expect

• How fight, flight and freeze responses emerge in complete darkness

• The surprising challenges experienced by long term spiritual seekers

• Why vulnerability is often the gateway to deeper self connection

• The difference between peak experiences and lasting transformation

• Common misconceptions about darkness retreats

• Self reconnection, intuition and learning to trust yourself

• Why Scott believes darkness is not inherently healing but can create the conditions for profound self awareness

• The role of safety, nurture and nervous system regulation

• What darkness has taught Scott about his own healing journey

About Scott

Scott Berman is the founder of Sky Cave Retreats and has spent more than a decade exploring solitude, self inquiry and the transformative potential of darkness. Through facilitating hundreds of darkness retreat experiences, Scott and his team have developed a unique approach that combines nervous system awareness, self observation and deep personal exploration.

His work challenges many common assumptions about spirituality and healing, inviting people to meet themselves with honesty, curiosity and compassion rather than striving to become someone different.

Where to Find Scott

Website: Sky Cave Retreats

Instagram: @skycaveretreats

YouTube: Sky Cave Retreats

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What if your sleep struggles have very little to do with sleep itself?

For many women, particularly during midlife and menopause, sleep can suddenly become elusive. We find ourselves waking at 3am, replaying conversations, worrying about tomorrow and feeling exhausted yet unable to switch off.

But according to Maria Ruberto, founder of Salutegenics, sleep is often just the messenger.

In this deeply insightful and surprisingly comforting conversation, Maria joins me to explore the connection between sleep, nervous system regulation, stress, resilience and emotional wellbeing.

Drawing on more than 30 years of experience in neuroscience and emotional intelligence, Maria explains why our nervous systems are shaped long before adulthood, how childhood experiences influence the way we respond to life, and why so many of us unknowingly live in a constant state of hypervigilance.

Along the way, Maria shares beautiful stories from her Italian upbringing, where food, family, ritual and connection were woven into everyday life. It is these moments that help illustrate one of the central themes of our conversation: wellbeing is not simply the absence of illness. It is the active cultivation of the things that help us flourish.

Together we discuss why so many women feel tired but wired, what is really happening when we wake in the middle of the night, the difference between safety and feeling safe, and how self compassion may be one of the most powerful tools we have for building resilience.

This conversation felt like a warm exhale and one I know many listeners will return to more than once.

In This Episode We Discuss:

• Why sleep is often a symptom rather than the problem itself

• The connection between menopause, stress and disrupted sleep

• How childhood experiences shape the nervous system

• Why familiarity often drives our adult behaviours and relationships

• What happens in the brain when we feel tired but wired

• Why so many women wake between 2am and 4am

• The surprising reason trying harder to sleep often makes things worse

• The difference between safety and feeling safe

• How self compassion helps build resilience

• Practical strategies for falling asleep and returning to sleep

• The role of rituals, connection and everyday moments of wellbeing

• Salutegenics and the science of helping humans flourish

• Resilience First Aid (RFA) and understanding the biology behind behaviour

About Maria Ruberto

Maria Ruberto is the founder of Salutegenics, a practice grounded in neuroscience, emotional intelligence and strengths based approaches to wellbeing. With more than 30 years of clinical and organisational experience, she supports individuals and teams to build mental fitness, navigate adversity and lead with authenticity.

Her work focuses on helping people understand how their brains influence behaviour and equipping them with practical tools to move from reactivity to resilience.

Connect with Maria

Website: www.salutegenics.com.au

Instagram: @salutegenics

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What if the tension you see on your face has very little to do with your skin and everything to do with how you're moving through life?

In this fascinating conversation, I sit down with Olga Newman, creator of the FACEUP® Method, to explore the connection between fascia, facial tension, posture, hormones, nervous system regulation, and healthy ageing.

We dive into why the face is not an isolated part of the body, how stress, motherhood, jaw tension, sleep, emotional load, and even the way we hold ourselves can influence how we look and feel over time. Olga shares her unique philosophy around facial wellness, explaining why true transformation is about so much more than creams, serums, or quick fixes.

We also explore the different seasons of a woman's life, from our twenties through to menopause, and how our faces often tell the story of what is happening beneath the surface. From jaw clenching and emotional holding patterns to self touch, nervous system safety, and the power of releasing tension, this conversation offers a completely different perspective on beauty and ageing.

This is a conversation about beauty, self connection, ageing, and learning to listen to what your body may have been trying to tell you all along.

What We Cover

• What fascia is and why it plays such an important role in healthy ageing

• Why the face is a reflection of what's happening throughout the entire body

• How tension in the face, jaw, neck, and shoulders can influence appearance

• The connection between posture, facial structure, and overall wellbeing

• Why chronic jaw tension and TMJ can impact more than just your smile

• Emotional release, nervous system regulation, and what happens when the body finally feels safe enough to let go

• How the face changes through motherhood, perimenopause, and menopause

• Why what we do in our 30s can shape how we look and feel in our 40s and 50s

• The difference between the FACEUP® Method and traditional facial massage or sculpting

• Why practitioner presence, touch, and nervous system awareness matter

• Facial tools versus hands and what actually creates meaningful change

• The role of self touch, self care, and self connection in healthy ageing

• How releasing tension can create more energy, confidence, and ease

• FACEUP Club and Olga's approach to long term transformation

Where to Find Olga Newman

Instagram: @olga_faceup

FACEUP® Method: https://faceup.pro

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If this conversation resonated with you, please share it with a friend, leave a review, and subscribe to Inside-Out Connections for more conversations exploring the many pathways back to self connection.

Because sometimes the answers we're searching for aren't found in another product, treatment, or quick fix.

Sometimes they're already within us, waiting to be heard.

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We often think performance is about mindset, confidence, discipline, or mental toughness.

But what if peak performance actually begins in the nervous system?

In this fascinating conversation, I sit down with Michael Allison, creator of The Play Zone and author of the upcoming book The Performance Code, to explore the powerful connection between performance, polyvagal theory, the vagus nerve, and nervous system regulation.

Whether you're an athlete, business owner, parent, public speaker, or simply someone trying to navigate the pressures of modern life, Michael explains why so many of us are operating from survival mode without even realising it.

We discuss why some people thrive under pressure while others freeze, overthink, or shut down, what is actually happening in the body during those moments, and how curiosity, play, connection, and safety can unlock a more sustainable and fulfilling path to performance.

This is a conversation about much more than sport. It's about understanding yourself, softening self criticism, building resilience, and learning how to work with your nervous system rather than against it.

What We Cover

• Why performance begins in the nervous system, not just the mind

• Polyvagal theory explained in simple terms

• The role of the vagus nerve in stress, confidence, and human performance

• Why we freeze, overthink, choke, or shut down under pressure

• The difference between protection and connection

• Competition anxiety and performance nerves

• How high achievers can become trapped in survival mode

• The long term effects of chronic stress and burnout

• Why belonging matters more than we realise

• The Play Zone and what it feels like to perform from a regulated state

• The role of curiosity, play, and flexibility in peak performance

• Practical tools for regulating the nervous system before high pressure situations

• Public speaking fears and nervous system responses

• Parenting, pressure, and supporting young athletes

• Why modern life is creating more dysregulated high performers

• The importance of real human connection in an increasingly digital world

• How to develop greater resilience, flexibility, and nervous system awareness

Where to Find Michael

🌐 The Play Zone
https://theplayzone.com

🌐 The Performance Code
https://theperformancecode.com

📱 Polyvagal Institute

Instagram: @polyvagalinstitute

Website: https://www.polyvagalinstitute.org

📖 Upcoming Book

The Performance Code

Michael's forthcoming book exploring the connection between nervous system regulation, performance, resilience, and human potential.

Closing Thought

Perhaps the most powerful takeaway from this conversation is that your nervous system is not working against you. It's trying to protect you.

Understanding that one simple truth can change the way you view stress, performance, relationships, parenting, and yourself.

And perhaps true performance isn't about pushing harder at all.

Perhaps it's about creating the conditions where your body feels safe enough to access the very best of who you already are.