You don't decide to beat your heart, take your next breath, or digest your lunch. Something else runs all of that, every second, without checking in with you. That's your autonomic nervous system. This episode breaks down what Polyvagal Theory is in plain language and how it questions the old "sympathetic vs. parasympathetic" idea.

👉 Start free in the community: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/start

📘 Prefer to read, or want to support the work?: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/books

🎧 Practice on your own, the Self-Regulation Coach app: https://studio.com/justin/self-regulation-coach

👥 Do the work alongside others, the Unstucking Academy: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/unstuckingacademy

😊 About the Host: Justin Sunseri is a therapist and coach committed to helping you live with calm, confidence, and connection without psychobabble or woo-woo. Justin is the author of the Stuck Not Broken book series, a member of the Polyvagal Institute's Editorial Board, a father of two, and a husband.

✅ Crisis resources:

• National Suicide Prevention Hotline - 988
• National Domestic Violence Hotline -1 (800) 799-7233
• LGBT Trevor Project Lifeline - 1 (866) 488-7386
• National Sexual Assault Hotline - 1 (800) 656-4673
• Crisis Text Line - Text “HOME” to 741741
• Call 911 for an emergency

This and other content produced by Justin Sunseri (“JustinLMFT”) (i.e; podcast, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) is not therapy, not intended to be therapy or be a replacement for therapy.  Nothing in this creates or indicates a therapeutic relationship.  Please consult with your therapist or seek for one in your area if you are experiencing mental health symptoms.  Nothing should be construed to be specific life advice; it is for educational and entertainment purposes only.

Justin Sunseri is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist registered in the State of California (#99147).

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast! When you do, you will immediately get the next episode as soon as it's available. What's better than having the next episode of SNB ready and waiting for you? (Nothing, that's what.)

"That's bulls***." That was my honest first reaction, back in 2018, to the work I now build my entire career around.

In this episode of the Stuck Not Broken audiobook, I invite you to challenge your paradigm:

• How I came to Polyvagal Theory, and nearly dismissed it
• What a paradigm is, and why you need a new one before the science can land
• The urge most of us feel to skip ahead to the fix, and why there isn't one to skip to

👉 Start free in the community: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/start

📘 Prefer to read, or want to support the work?: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/books

🎧 Practice on your own, the Self-Regulation Coach app: https://studio.com/justin/self-regulation-coach

👥 Do the work alongside others, the Unstucking Academy: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/unstuckingacademy

This and other content produced by Justin Sunseri (“JustinLMFT”) (i.e; podcast, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) is not therapy, not intended to be therapy or be a replacement for therapy.  Nothing in this creates or indicates a therapeutic relationship.  Please consult with your therapist or seek for one in your area if you are experiencing mental health symptoms.  Nothing should be construed to be specific life advice; it is for educational and entertainment purposes only.

Justin Sunseri is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist registered in the State of California (#99147).

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast! When you do, you will immediately get the next episode as soon as it's available. What's better than having the next episode of SNB ready and waiting for you? (Nothing, that's what.)

What if the stories you tell yourself about your worth, your past, and how you got here aren't the whole truth, and you're still the one holding the pen?

This is Episode 1 of the Stuck Not Broken audiobook: Book 1 - Trauma & the Polyvagal Paradigm. We start by questioning the stories you have about yourself and open the possibility of a new one.

👉 Start free in the community: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/start

📘 Prefer to read, or want to support the work?: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/books

🎧 Practice on your own, the Self-Regulation Coach app: https://studio.com/justin/self-regulation-coach

👥 Do the work alongside others, the Unstucking Academy: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/unstuckingacademy

This and other content produced by Justin Sunseri (“JustinLMFT”) (i.e; podcast, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) is not therapy, not intended to be therapy or be a replacement for therapy.  Nothing in this creates or indicates a therapeutic relationship.  Please consult with your therapist or seek for one in your area if you are experiencing mental health symptoms.  Nothing should be construed to be specific life advice; it is for educational and entertainment purposes only.

Justin Sunseri is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist registered in the State of California (#99147).

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast! When you do, you will immediately get the next episode as soon as it's available. What's better than having the next episode of SNB ready and waiting for you? (Nothing, that's what.)

After seven years and nearly 300 episodes, I'm trying something I don't think anyone else is doing: giving you all of my Polyvagal Theory knowledge, directly. And free.

Season 2 of the Stuck Not Broken podcast is different from the regular show. It's the full audiobook of my first book, Stuck Not Broken: Book 1 - Trauma & the Polyvagal Paradigm, read chapter by chapter, right here in the feed. No book to buy. No course. Just the whole thing.

If you've ever wanted to actually understand your nervous system, what it's doing and why, this is the place to start. By the end of the audiobook, you'll have written a new, simple self-narrative and be ready for the next phase of your unstucking journey. No quick fixes. No hacks. No gimmicks.

👉 Start free in the community: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/start

📘 Prefer to read, or want to support the work?: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/books

🎧 Practice on your own, the Self-Regulation Coach app: https://studio.com/justin/self-regulation-coach

👥 Do the work alongside others, the Unstucking Academy: https://www.stucknotbroken.com/unstuckingacademy

This and other content produced by Justin Sunseri (“JustinLMFT”) (i.e; podcast, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) is not therapy, not intended to be therapy or be a replacement for therapy.  Nothing in this creates or indicates a therapeutic relationship.  Please consult with your therapist or seek for one in your area if you are experiencing mental health symptoms.  Nothing should be construed to be specific life advice; it is for educational and entertainment purposes only.

Justin Sunseri is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist registered in the State of California (#99147).

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast! When you do, you will immediately get the next episode as soon as it's available. What's better than having the next episode of SNB ready and waiting for you? (Nothing, that's what.)

What does it mean to be a "gentle rebel" — and how does creativity fit in? In this episode, I talk with Andy Mort of The Haven community about rebellion as openness rather than aggression, why highly sensitive people often need space and safety to access their creative voice, and how creativity is less about the finished product and more about the ongoing process of becoming yourself. We get into the difference between self-soothing and self-expression, the role of constraints in creative work, why unsolicited criticism rarely helps, and how to take a small, honest first step toward reconnecting with what moves you. If you've ever felt like the "should" of creativity has crowded out the joy of it, this one's for you.

🤩 Ready to go deeper? Explore resources at every price point here - https://www.stucknotbroken.com/how-i-can-help-you

😬 Don't know the Polyvagal Theory? Catch up here - https://player.captivate.fm/collection/cce134e7-1550-4d33-8e56-738d344c63b0

This and other content produced by Justin Sunseri (“JustinLMFT”) (i.e; podcast, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) is not therapy, not intended to be therapy or be a replacement for therapy.  Nothing in this creates or indicates a therapeutic relationship.  Please consult with your therapist or seek for one in your area if you are experiencing mental health symptoms.  Nothing should be construed to be specific life advice; it is for educational and entertainment purposes only.

Justin Sunseri is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist registered in the State of California (#99147).

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast! When you do, you will immediately get the next episode as soon as it's available. What's better than having the next episode of SNB ready and waiting for you? (Nothing, that's what.)

If you've ever sat down to meditate and felt like you were failing at it, this episode is for you. In this special episode, I read a section from my new book, Stuck Not Broken Book Three, on why most people are meditating wrong — and what to do instead. We'll get into:

• What meditation actually is through a nervous system lens
• Why "clearing your mind" misses the point entirely
• How rejecting the present moment sabotages your practice
• Why quality matters far more than quantity
• What realistic, incremental progress looks like

Meditation isn't about forcing your thoughts to stop or sitting still for 30 minutes. It's about connecting with your internal experience of the present moment — whatever it brings.

📘 Get Stuck Not Broken Book Three (and books one and two): https://stucknotbroken.com/books

🤩 Ready to go deeper? Explore resources at every price point here - https://www.stucknotbroken.com/how-i-can-help-you

😬 Don't know the Polyvagal Theory? Catch up here - https://player.captivate.fm/collection/cce134e7-1550-4d33-8e56-738d344c63b0

This and other content produced by Justin Sunseri (“JustinLMFT”) (i.e; podcast, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) is not therapy, not intended to be therapy or be a replacement for therapy.  Nothing in this creates or indicates a therapeutic relationship.  Please consult with your therapist or seek for one in your area if you are experiencing mental health symptoms.  Nothing should be construed to be specific life advice; it is for educational and entertainment purposes only.

Justin Sunseri is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist registered in the State of California (#99147).

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast! When you do, you will immediately get the next episode as soon as it's available. What's better than having the next episode of SNB ready and waiting for you? (Nothing, that's what.)

In this episode, Justin Sunseri sits down with Erick Cloward, host of the Stoic Coffee Break podcast, for a deep dive into the Stoic practice of Amor Fati, or "loving your fate." Learn how to connect ancient Stoic wisdom with modern nervous system science. Erick and Justin discuss how to use principles from Stoicism and Polyvagal Theory to practice self-regulation, manage anxiety, and build emotional strength.

Discover how to stop fighting reality and instead find power in accepting what is. This conversation explores how to embrace your emotions, turn obstacles into opportunities, and live a more virtuous, regulated life.

➡️ Learn more from Erick Cloward:

• Stoic Coffee Break Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StoicCoffee
• "Stoicism 101" Book: https://www.amazon.com/Stoicism-101-Epictetus-Essential-Philosophy/dp/1507223579
• Build an Unbreakable Mind Program: https://stoic.coffee/unbreakable/

🤩 Ready to go deeper? Explore resources at every price point here - https://www.stucknotbroken.com/how-i-can-help-you

😬 Don't know the Polyvagal Theory? Catch up here - https://player.captivate.fm/collection/cce134e7-1550-4d33-8e56-738d344c63b0

This and other content produced by Justin Sunseri (“JustinLMFT”) (i.e; podcast, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) is not therapy, not intended to be therapy or be a replacement for therapy.  Nothing in this creates or indicates a therapeutic relationship.  Please consult with your therapist or seek for one in your area if you are experiencing mental health symptoms.  Nothing should be construed to be specific life advice; it is for educational and entertainment purposes only.

Justin Sunseri is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist registered in the State of California (#99147).

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast! When you do, you will immediately get the next episode as soon as it's available. What's better than having the next episode of SNB ready and waiting for you? (Nothing, that's what.)

The Polyvagal Theory has transformed how we understand the nervous system—but somewhere along the way, it became a wellness industry bandwagon. In this episode, I'm breaking down how a legitimate scientific framework got diluted into oversimplified soundbites, and why that matters for your actual healing.

🤩 Ready to go deeper? Explore resources at every price point here - https://www.stucknotbroken.com/how-i-can-help-you

😬 Don't know the Polyvagal Theory? Catch up here - https://player.captivate.fm/collection/cce134e7-1550-4d33-8e56-738d344c63b0

This and other content produced by Justin Sunseri (“JustinLMFT”) (i.e; podcast, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) is not therapy, not intended to be therapy or be a replacement for therapy.  Nothing in this creates or indicates a therapeutic relationship.  Please consult with your therapist or seek for one in your area if you are experiencing mental health symptoms.  Nothing should be construed to be specific life advice; it is for educational and entertainment purposes only.

Justin Sunseri is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist registered in the State of California (#99147).

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast! When you do, you will immediately get the next episode as soon as it's available. What's better than having the next episode of SNB ready and waiting for you? (Nothing, that's what.)

When your partner is in shutdown, you're not just watching it happen—you're in it too. This episode is for the partners who feel like they're losing their person, who don't understand what's happening, and who wonder if they're making it worse. In this episode, I break down:

• What shutdown actually looks like (and why it's not a choice)
• What you CAN'T control (and why that matters)
• 4 concrete ways to influence the situation without trying to fix them
• The myth of co-regulation and what it actually means
• How to regulate yourself so you can show up differently
• Why healthy boundaries aren't selfish—they're essential
• What your real job is as a partner in shutdown

The invisible pain on both sides is real. You're not failing. You're not weak. And you're not alone.

🤩 Ready to go deeper? Explore resources at every price point here - https://www.stucknotbroken.com/how-i-can-help-you

😬 Don't know the Polyvagal Theory? Catch up here - https://player.captivate.fm/collection/cce134e7-1550-4d33-8e56-738d344c63b0

This and other content produced by Justin Sunseri (“JustinLMFT”) (i.e; podcast, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) is not therapy, not intended to be therapy or be a replacement for therapy.  Nothing in this creates or indicates a therapeutic relationship.  Please consult with your therapist or seek for one in your area if you are experiencing mental health symptoms.  Nothing should be construed to be specific life advice; it is for educational and entertainment purposes only.

Justin Sunseri is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist registered in the State of California (#99147).

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast! When you do, you will immediately get the next episode as soon as it's available. What's better than having the next episode of SNB ready and waiting for you? (Nothing, that's what.)

EMDR is everywhere — but do you know what's actually helpful? Or if it is at all?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) has become one of the most talked-about trauma treatments around. But most people — and, honestly, many therapists — reduce it to one image: a finger waving in someone's face. That shorthand is costing people clarity about what's actually working.

In this episode, Justin Sunseri breaks down what EMDR really is beyond the eye movements, what the research actually says about its effectiveness, and — more importantly — what the science says is doing the heavy lifting when it works.

In this episode:

1. The 8-phase structure of EMDR (and where bilateral stimulation actually shows up)
2. What happens when you compare EMDR to other trauma therapies
3. 4 common factors that explain most of therapy's results — across every modality
4. What dismantling studies reveal about eye movements specifically
5. The "Toe Curling" thought experiment that puts it all in perspective
6. Why the research has real weaknesses — and what that means for you
7. What to actually look for in a therapist or healing approach

🤩 Ready to go deeper? Explore resources at every price point here - https://www.stucknotbroken.com/how-i-can-help-you

😬 Don't know the Polyvagal Theory? Catch up here - https://player.captivate.fm/collection/cce134e7-1550-4d33-8e56-738d344c63b0

This and other content produced by Justin Sunseri (“JustinLMFT”) (i.e; podcast, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) is not therapy, not intended to be therapy or be a replacement for therapy.  Nothing in this creates or indicates a therapeutic relationship.  Please consult with your therapist or seek for one in your area if you are experiencing mental health symptoms.  Nothing should be construed to be specific life advice; it is for educational and entertainment purposes only.

Justin Sunseri is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist registered in the State of California (#99147).

Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast! When you do, you will immediately get the next episode as soon as it's available. What's better than having the next episode of SNB ready and waiting for you? (Nothing, that's what.)

Links to research:

1. APA and EMDR - https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/ptsd.pdf
2. WHO and EMDR - https://www.who.int/teams/mental-health-and-substance-use/treatment-care/mental-health-gap-action-programme/evidence-centre/conditions-related-to-stress/posttraumatic-stress-disorder-%28ptsd%29--psychological-interventions---children-and-adolescents
3. VA on EMDR and limits of study - https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/txessentials/emdr_pro.asp; https://www.healthquality.va.gov/HEALTHQUALITY/guidelines/MH/ptsd/VA-DoD-CPG-PTSD-Full-CPG-Edited-111624-V5-81825.pdf
4. Meta-analysis of EMDR - https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0022-006X.69.2.305
5. Ten Things to Remember About Common Factor Theory - https://societyforpsychotherapy.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Laska-and-Wampold-2014-1.pdf
6. Eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing: part 1 – theory, procedure and use in PTSD - https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/bjpsych-advances/article/eye-movement-desensitisation-and-reprocessing-part-1-theory-procedure-and-use-in-ptsd/025D573300054876F5B2096F42C983D4
7. A Review of EMDR Literature - https://www.nausstherapy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/emdr-article.pdf
8. A meta-analysis of the contribution of eye movements in processing emotional memories - https://emdrmagazine.nl/EM2013-2/A%20meta-analysis%20of%20the%20contribution%20of%20eye%20movements%20in%20processing%20emotional%20memories%20(Lee%20&%20Cuypers,%202013).pdf
9. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing for mental health problems: a systematic review and meta-analysis - https://www.research.unipd.it/retrieve/ff4c348a-80f5-47b4-9b7c-2e831918ed05/Eye%20movement%20desensitization%20and%20reprocessing%20for%20mental%20health%20problems%20a%20systematic%20review%20and%20meta-analysis.pdf
10. On EMDR: Measuring the working memory taxation of various types of eye (non-)movement conditions - https://repub.eur.nl/pub/118641/Repub_118641_O-A.pdf