What if feeling stuck isn't a sign that something is wrong with you?

What if your nervous system just doesn't believe the life you want is safe for you yet?

In this episode of Safety Within Podcast, I am joined by Lea, founder of the Return To Receiving Method™, certified trauma healing practitioner, and breathwork & somatic movement facilitator, for a conversation about the nervous system and the protective strategies that can quietly keep us feeling stuck in our lives.

Together, we explore what "stuckness" means on a nervous system level and what people-pleasing, perfectionism, hyper-independence, and over-functioning are protecting us from – and how they aren't personality traits but adaptive strategies that developed to keep us safe in environments that didn't always feel safe.

We also unpack how these patterns can show up through our wounded masculine and wounded feminine, influencing how we relate to others and move through the world.

We explore the different nervous system states – fight or flight, freeze, fawn, and shutdown – and the signs that can help you recognize them in yourself.

Throughout our conversation, we explore why awareness alone isn't always enough to create change, what it means to cultivate embodied safety, and how healing begins as the nervous system starts to experience more cues of safety.

If you've ever felt like you're doing all the "right" things but still find yourself returning to the same patterns and the same relationships, I hope this episode offers a new perspective – one rooted in curiosity, compassion, and nervous system awareness.

Because healing isn't about fixing who you are.

It's about creating enough safety within to become your fullest self.

Learn more about Lea's offerings & follow her on socials:

Instagram: @lealisreceiving

Website: https://returntoreceive.com/

Learn more about Kati's offerings & follow her on socials:

Instagram: @safetywithincoaching

I sat down with Lea to talk more about our healing journeys and passions. This mini episode dives into my own journey, the pivotal moment that changed everything, and how it led me to where I am today – studying the nervous system at the Polyvagal Institute, training to become an internationally qualified ICF coach, and building my own nervous system-informed coaching business: Safety Within Coaching.

In this episode, I share the twists and turns of my story, the tools that genuinely helped me regulate my nervous system, and the impact this work has had on my life so far.

Hope you enjoy it. There’s more to come soon, so stay tuned and turn on notifications!

Find me on Instagram: @safetywithincoaching

https://www.instagram.com/safetywithincoaching

Themes: Nervous System, Nervous System Regulation, Coaching, Healing Journey, Career Change, Purpose, Inner Safety

Themes: Loneliness, Solitude, New Year, Happiness, Well-being, Self-loveFinish the year strong – there’s no better time to start living your life to the fullest than NOW! Learn how to enjoy your life more, whether you’re single or in a relationship. I’ll walk you through the key insights and lessons I’ve discovered this year that have helped me become happier, more present, and truly content in my own company.Wishing you a wonderful end to 2024, filled with quality time for yourself and embracing the beauty of solitude.

Themes: Gut Health, Holistic Healing, Mental Health, Gut-Brain Connection, Parasites, Food, Nutrition, Candida Diet, Healing

Summary:

(00:00) Intro

(02:53) Impact of external stressors

(04:00) Holistic approach to healing

(06:36) Parasites

(09:05) Consequences of antibiotic use

(10:26) Connection between gut health and mental health

(11:39) Yeast overgrowth

(14:23) Dietary changes and candida diet

(21:29) Gut health, emotional well-being and stress

(24:10) How antibiotics affect the gut bacteria

(25:21) Nutrition and movement as a healing tool

(27:52) Nervous system's role

(29:01) Alcohol and caffeine

(30:10) Circadian rhythm and morning sun

(33:48) Fermented foods

(35:59) Probiotics and prebiotics

(38:28) Glucose management hacks

Find me on Instagram: @katikumpul

https://www.instagram.com/katikumpul

We're diving straight into a juicy topic: those butterfly feelings in your stomach when you're about to speak in front of a big audience or meet your crush. Is it normal to feel this way? What's the science behind it? Is it a sign of danger, or have you found the love of your life or both? Let's find out!

Themes: Autonomic Nervous System, Butterfly Feeling in the Stomach, Dating, Love, Fight-or-Flight Response

Find me on Instagram: @safetywithincoaching

https://www.instagram.com/safetywithincoaching

Themes: Father Wound, Self-Healing, Inner Child, Childhood Trauma, Emotional Neglect, Emotional Unavailability, Perfectionism, Boundaries, Trust Issues

Summary:

(00:00) Introduction to the father wound

(03:07) Manifestations of the father wound

(05:54) Recognizing childhood dynamics

(09:18) Signs: boundaries & trust issues

(13:03) Self-sabotage

(16:49) Attachment styles

(18:05) Hyper-independence

(19:11) Self-worth + self-esteem issues and need for control

(21:33) Perfectionism and people-pleasing

(23:58) Connection between empathy and trauma

(25:11) Attraction to unavailable partners

(29:06) Healing through writing & community

(32:54) Inner child work

(35:30) Nervous system

Find me on Instagram: @katikumpul

https://www.instagram.com/katikumpul

Themes: Hyper-Independence Hypervigilance, Interdependency, Trauma, Childhood Wounds, Parentification, Emotional Neglect, Abandonment, Relationships, Inner Child, Healing.

(00:00) Intro

(01:22) What is hyper-independence

(02:51) The origins: emotional neglect and parentification

(05:25) The origins: abandonment wounds

(13:29) The connection between trauma, coping mechanisms & nervous system

(16:34) Challenges of hyper independence

(26:18) Negative effects of hyper independence

(30:49) The importance of learning to ask for help

(32:10) Inner child healing, play and reparenting

(37:03) Practicing vulnerability and self-compassion

Find me on Instagram: katikumpul

https://www.instagram.com/katikumpul

Themes: Happiness, Human Connection, Relationships, Love, Mindfulness

Summary:

Find me on Instagram: katikumpul

https://www.instagram.com/katikumpul

Themes: Self-reflection, Self-awareness, Codependency, Dating, Self-love, Attachment Styles, Inner Child Wounds, Fear of Abandonment, Healing.

(00:00) Intro

(01:17) Summary of learnings so far

(02:28) Slipping into old codependent habits

(03:58) Losing parts of self

(06:33) Fear of abandonment and codependency

(10:12) Tools to overcome fear

(11:34) Moving forward with compassion

(14:16) Creating a self-accountability list

(20:14) Self-reflection and personal letter

Find me on Instagram: katikumpul

https://www.instagram.com/katikumpul

Themes: Attachment Theory, Attachment Styles, Insecure Attachment, Secure Attachment, Avoidant Attachment, Anxious Attachment, Disorganized Attachment, Childhood Trauma, Human Connection, Nervous System Regulation, Self-love, Relationships, Dating, Self-belief, Vulnerability, Trust, Healing

Find me on Instagram: @katikumpul

https://www.instagram.com/katikumpul