In this episode of Just Like Nana, host Amie (Elizabeth) Penny Sayler is joined by Lisa Lacy, author and trauma educator, where they discuss the role of storytelling in healing and why self-trust is key to healing ancestral trauma.

Together, they explore why some healing modalities may work for you and others won't, and the importance of getting in touch with your body to feel safe and grounded.

About Lisa

Lisa Lacy is a writer, trauma educator, and author of the upcoming memoir “Notes From a Certified Madwoman” and its companion “Field Guide: The Psychology of Performance™️”. After more than three decades in corporate education, healthcare consulting, performance, and storytelling, Lisa now speaks and writes about addiction, psychosis, trauma, nervous systems, identity masking, reinvention, and the hidden realities of high functioning survival in women. Drawing from lived experience, recovery, and years teaching trauma-informed emotional intelligence in addiction recovery centers across Georgia, Lisa creates conversations that are psychologically informed without sounding clinical, emotionally honest, unexpectedly funny, and deeply human.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• You can physiologically inherit fear, anxiety, and behavioral patterns from your ancestral line without ever experiencing the original event yourself. Recognizing that what you are carrying isn't fully yours means you are not losing your mind—it is real science.
• Healing is not a one-size-fits-all journey. If traditional talk therapies leave you blaming yourself, expand your toolbox by exploring somatic work, hypnosis, cognitive processing, or peer support groups until you find what clicks for your unique design.
• Trauma survivors often dissociate, disconnecting completely from their physical bodies to survive. Ground yourself instantly by releasing a big sigh out—which safely down-regulates anxiety—and dropping into your chest space to find your heartbeat.
• Even if an ancestor passed away long before you were born, you can actively form a relationship with their memory. Channeling their history into purpose—such as transforming an ancestral story of abuse into community protection—honors their legacy and breaks the cycle.
• Forcing forgiveness can become a psychological trap. Opt instead for an objective human understanding of what limited tools your ancestors had, while taking radical accountability for your own behaviors and creating your own internal closure.

Resources Mentioned

• It Didn’t Start with You by Mark Wolynn: https://markwolynn.com/it-didnt-start-with-you/
• Dolores Cannon: https://dolorescannon.com/
• Multipotentialite Ted Talk by Emilie Wapnik: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sZdcB6bjI8

Connect with Lisa Lacy

Website: https://www.lisalacy.com/about-1

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisalacycalm

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

Connect with the Show

• Website: justlikenana.com
• Share Your Story: If you have a family story or trauma you’re exploring, reach out via our website for a chance to be interviewed.

Connect with Just Like Nana's Website.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

Theme music by Carter Penny.