Embodied Dialogues for Healing Trauma and Addiction

Jan Winhall
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  • Mental Health
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A living conversation at the intersection of trauma healing, addiction recovery, and nervous system science. Hosted by Jan Winhall, creator of the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model™ and FSPM Institute, this podcast invites therapists, coaches, and embodied practitioners from around the world into deep dialogue about what it means to heal. Each episode explores somatic wisdom, polyvagal-informed practices, Focusing, and the felt sense as a doorway into resilience and connection. More than an interview, Embodied Dialogues is an experiential space—where nervous system science meets the art of being human. To join the live audience, visit https://www.fspminstitute/free-resources#edp

  1. May 8

    Dissociation, Attachment, and the Mind's Genius for Survival

    Dissociation is often misunderstood and heavily stigmatized. Yet from a nervous system perspective, it may be one of the most extraordinary ways the mind adapts to survive overwhelming experience. In this episode of Embodied Dialogues, Jan Winhall, creator of the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model, welcomes psychotherapist and author Sally Maslansky for a powerful conversation about Dissociative Identity Disorder (D.I.D., formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder), attachment trauma, and the possibility of healing. In her thirties, Sally was diagnosed with DID and began therapy with renowned psychiatrist Dan Siegel, whose work in attachment and interpersonal neurobiology helped shape her path toward integration and recovery. Today, Sally is a therapist herself and the author of A Brilliant Adaptation, sharing her remarkable journey from fragmentation to wholeness. Jan’s Felt Sense Polyvagal Model draws, in part, on Dan Siegel’s attachment research, making this conversation a unique opportunity to explore how attachment, nervous system regulation, and dissociation intersect in trauma and addiction healing. Together, Jan and Sally explore: Dissociation as an intelligent survival strategy The role of attachment in fragmentation and healing What recovery and integration can truly look like How therapists can better understand and support dissociative experiences Through lived experience and clinical insight, this dialogue offers a compassionate reframe of one of the most misunderstood trauma adaptations. Join us for a conversation about the mind’s brilliance, the power of the therapeutic relationship, and the possibility of coming back into connection with oneself. Learn more about Sally at sallymaslansky.com. Join the next Embodied Dialogues live podcast recording at www.fspminstitute.com!

    1h 4m

  2. Apr 15

    When Protective Parts Take Over in Relationships: Healing Through Parts Work and FSPM with Dr. Frank Anderson

    In this episode of the Embodied Dialogues podcast, Jan Winhall is joined by trauma therapist and author Dr. Frank Anderson for a rich conversation about healing in relationships. Together they explore how the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model (FSPM) and Frank’s emerging PATH model (Parts Approach to Trauma Healing) can help couples understand the deeper nervous system dynamics that shape conflict, connection, and repair. Through an experiential lens, Jan begins with a short embodiment practice inviting listeners to notice how safety, activation, and co-regulation show up in their own relationships. From there, the dialogue unfolds into a thoughtful exploration of how trauma, attachment wounds, and survival strategies play out between partners. Frank shares how his PATH model integrates parts work, neuroscience, and relational healing to help people reconnect with what he calls “calm power” - an inner space of wisdom, strength, and intuition that supports trauma recovery. Together, Jan and Frank discuss: Why couples often get stuck in repeating nervous system patterns (such as one partner escalating while the other shuts down) How therapists can help partners slow down and track their internal reactions, body sensations, and beliefs during conflict The role of personal healing work in being able to hold the complexity of relationships Why healing requires both internal repair and relational repair -The importance of safety and pacing, especially when working with betrayal or infidelity How attraction can be rooted in shared wounds and the unconscious hope for healing Throughout the conversation, Jan and Frank emphasize that trauma symptoms are not pathologies to fix, but adaptive survival strategies shaped by the nervous system’s attempt to stay safe. With warmth, humor, and vulnerability, they also reflect on their own healing journeys and the importance of therapists doing their own embodied work. This episode offers insights for therapists, coaches, and anyone interested in trauma-informed relationship healing, nervous system awareness, and somatic approaches to growth.

    1h 1m

  3. Apr 15

    Voice as Resource: Healing, Presence, and Personal Truth with guest Mattie Shisko

    Join host Jan Winhall with guest Mathilde (Mattie) Shisko, an acclaimed voice and performance coach whose work helps people access the voice as a powerful pathway to regulation, connection, and truth. Through the lens of Jan’s work with trauma, addiction, and nervous system healing, this episode explores how voice is not just something we use to communicate, but something we can rely on as a profound resource. In the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model, healing happens through embodied awareness, relational safety, and learning to listen inward. Voice becomes part of that listening. It can help us reconnect with ourselves, with others, and with the parts of us shaped by survival. Mattie brings a unique blend of artistry, science, mindfulness, and play to her work, supporting people to move beyond habitual patterns of silence, tension, or performance into vocal expression that is grounded, alive, and authentic. She has coached everyone from public speakers to everyday humans longing to feel more confident, connected, and at home in their own voice. In this episode, Jan and Mattie explore: The voice as a resource — what it means to truly listen with your voice and speak from a place of embodied truth. Stories of resilience and connection, including how voice becomes a resource when walking alongside a loved one whose life has been shaped by addiction. How nervous system awareness and vocal expression offer tools not just for public speaking, but for inner regulation, confidence, and reclaiming agency in life’s most challenging chapters. Practical reflections for therapists, coaches, and individuals on the healing journey. Whether you are a clinician supporting others, someone curious about the physiology of voice, someone in recovery, or simply longing to heal your nervous system and reconnect with your authentic self, this conversation offers a powerful reminder: Your voice is not just something you produce. It is something you can return to. See you there for a conversation that will help you find, deepen, and amplify your voice in the world. ABOUT MATHILDE: Learn more at https://myvoicecoach.org/about

    58 min

  4. Feb 23

    Attachment, Addiction and the Body: Healing what the Body Remembers

    In this moving episode of Embodied Dialogues, Jan Winhall is joined by renowned trauma and addiction pioneer Tian Dayton for a deeply relational conversation on the embodied roots of addiction, attachment wounds, and healing through community. They speak about how relational trauma—whether from addiction, emotional neglect, or untreated complex PTSD—impacts the nervous system in similar ways. Together, they explore how early experiences are held in the nervous system, why addiction and trauma are deeply intertwined, and how recovery requires more than insight alone. They share their personal reflections from growing up in families impacted by addiction, how they healed, and how their stories created who they are today. They talk about healing practices from their books can help and Tian explains the power behind her group-based “floor checks” that invite people through movement, emotion, and connection. This episode is a rich exploration of co-regulation, limbic resonance, and the ways safe relationships and supportive communities become essential medicine for trauma recovery and resilience. A powerful thread throughout the episode is Tian’s personal experience as an adult child of an alcoholic father. She describes the “ghost-like” confusion and chaos of loving someone who was both charismatic and deeply lost in addiction, and how that relational trauma shaped her lifelong work. Her upcoming book "Growing Up with Addiction" is presented as both a professional offering and a deeply personal “song” she is bringing into the world. Together, they explore how early attachment wounds shape the nervous system, why recovery must include the body, and how group connection becomes a vital source of co-regulation and resilience. A rich dialogue on trauma, repair, and the deep human capacity to heal in relationship. Join our Embodied Dialogues live audience at www.fspminstitute.com

    1h 1m

  5. 12/17/2025

    Brain Partnership: Research-Backed Trauma Healing and Resilience Building with Dr. Kate Truitt

    In this powerful episode of Embodied Dialogues, Jan Winhall sits down with clinical psychologist, applied neuroscientist, author, and creator of groundbreaking neuroplasticity-based healing practices, Dr. Kate Truitt. Focuing on healing trauma through brain science & embodied practice, together they explore the meeting place of trauma, the nervous system, the amygdala (“Amy”), and the deep human longing for connection. Dr. Truitt shares her personal story of surviving a devastating loss, tragic accident, living as a “shaky being” and how vulnerability, embodiment, and science intertwine in real healing. She introduces a research-supported micro-practice that helps rewire the brain toward resilience, safety, and self-compassion. Jan highlights the profound overlap with Eugene Gendlin’s Felt Sense work and polyvagal-informed somatic processing, showing just how deeply our bodies hold wise, adaptive intelligence. This episode includes: How the amygdala learns survival patterns and how to teach it new ones Why shame dissolves when we understand the nervous system and find curiosity The neuroscience of resilience, empowerment, and belonging • A guided practice to build new neural pathways toward courage, joy, and safety The role of micro-practices in trauma recovery, addiction healing, eating disorders, dissociation, and chronic stress A gentle conversation about being human, messy, vulnerable... and still deeply capable of growth How brain science and polyvagal-informed somatics beautifully support one another Whether you’re a therapist, coach, healer, or someone on your own recovery journey, this episode offers a unique blend of science, compassion, and embodied wisdom you won’t want to miss. Listen in to learn practical tools you can start using today - and to feel the co-regulating, heartfelt presence between two leaders in the field of trauma-informed healing.

    1h 1m

  6. 12/04/2025

    Mindfulness Meets Felt Sense & Focusing with guest Jeff Warren

    Jeff Warren joins Jan Winhall for a candid conversation about meditation, trauma, and the wisdom of the body. Jeff shares how living with ADHD, bipolar disorder, and deep shame led him to seek support, and how working with Jan through focusing and felt sense practices helped him stabilize and heal. He explains how meditation builds concentration, clarity, and equanimity, while felt sensing allows a more direct relationship with the body and unresolved emotional material. They discuss the risks of spiritual bypassing, the importance of relational support in trauma healing, and how “fresh frozen” trauma can surface during mindfulness practices. Jan brings in polyvagal theory to reframe shame and shutdown as protective, adaptive responses rather than personal failures. Jeff also offers practical examples of regulating his nervous system in real time, especially in challenging parenting moments. The conversation highlights the value of compassion, curiosity, and embodied presence as foundations for lasting healing and genuine connection.

    1h 12m

  7. 11/07/2025

    How to Build a Somatic Resource Kit for Your Nervous System — Tools to Heal Trauma & Attachment

    Holly Lowery-Davis joins host Jan Winhall and the FSPM Institute on Embodied Dialogues for a grounded, practical conversation about building the sturdy foundation needed to heal trauma and attachment wounds. Deep, body-level healing begins with feeling safe enough to stay with our embodied experience - and that sense of felt safety is something we can actively learn to create. Holly, a certified body-oriented coach, somatic practitioner, group facilitator, and mental-health educator, shares why a well-stocked resource kit matters and how to build one by meeting and matching your nervous system while tending to the different needs of your parts. Learn immediately usable ideas to support every domain of experience: physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, energetic, and relational. Together Jan and Holly explore the power of deep felt sense work, rooted in Gene Gendlin's Focusing and Felt Sensing methodology. They discuss why healing attachment, addiction, and trauma isn’t something we think our way through; it’s something we restore in the body. For that to happen we must learn to intentionally and reliably resource ourselves to build the felt safety needed to do the deep work of healing. Reach Holly at hollylowery.com or on insta: @hollylowerydavis. Get her free somatic toolkit at https://www.somacoachholly.com/feelings-toolkit. Get free resources and learn more about the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model at https://www.FSPMinstitute.com

    58 min

  8. 10/27/2025

    Balancing Children’s Gut Microbiome: Supporting the Nervous System and Healing Trauma

    Research now shows seemingly unrelated factors like food, sensory input, digestive health, lack of exercise, and diminished parental availability can influence children’s brain development both in function AND form. BG Mancini, is a Neurodevelopmental Specialist, Advanced Certified in Functional Medicine, licensed since 2013 as an Acupuncture Physician and Primary Care Provider. She is the founder of The Brain & Gut Institute and creator of The Family Nervous System® that helps families understand that healing is never just one person in the living organism we call a family and requires connection to self and each other. She talks with Jan Winhall about how we can help heal a child's gut using the microbiome mashup, air purifiers, and nervous system education. And that this will improve the overall mental and physical health of the entire family. Knowing what contributes to the early developmental signs of inflammation and what these truly look like in the body and brain can make everyone (including parents and clinicians) an aide for a child and family to find the right resources, and majorly alter outcomes. About BG BG Mancini, is a Neurodevelopmental Specialist, Advanced Certified in Functional Medicine, and AP/PCP. She is the founder of The Brain Gut Institute and creator of The Family Nervous System®. With 27 years of practice, she works with children & families to unlock their unique potential through biomedical, nervous system & neurodevelopmental practices. Through educating therapists and clinicians about the underlying factors driving children’s behavior, she advocates for holistic support, emphasizing the impact of internal and external microtraumas on physiology, and its impact on behavior. She highlights the importance of including Interoception, Proprioception, Neuroception, Sensory Processing, Interhemispheric Movement, and Nutrition in any conversation about children’s mental health. Visit: https://braingutinstitute.com/

    54 min
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About

A living conversation at the intersection of trauma healing, addiction recovery, and nervous system science. Hosted by Jan Winhall, creator of the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model™ and FSPM Institute, this podcast invites therapists, coaches, and embodied practitioners from around the world into deep dialogue about what it means to heal. Each episode explores somatic wisdom, polyvagal-informed practices, Focusing, and the felt sense as a doorway into resilience and connection. More than an interview, Embodied Dialogues is an experiential space—where nervous system science meets the art of being human. To join the live audience, visit https://www.fspminstitute/free-resources#edp

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