You Make Sense
You Make Sense is a manual to understanding your human experience, so that you can navigate the world with freedom, ease, and empowerment. Using the latest neuroscience and trauma research, this podcast will equip you with powerful somatic tools to help you get unstuck and create the life you desire. Sarah Baldwin, SEP, is an expert in trauma resolution, attachment, parts work, and nervous system regulation. But before she was a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and trained in Polyvagal interventions, she first came to this work as someone struggling to find relief. It was through her own healing that led her to become a trained professional, now helping thousands of people across her programs, courses, and classes to do the same.
Episodes
Reclaiming Your Sense of Self
You’ll learn what is really needed to reparent these young parts and why anchoring into your adult self is key to stepping into the full, authentic life you’re desiring. This episode acts as a roadmap to help you make sense of the human experience and, ultimately, reclaim your sense of self, so be sure to tune in now!
Episode Highlights:
• [00:00] Introduction
• [02:11] You’re not alone in you
Navigating Big Life Changes with Trust
Endings are inevitable, and during this conversation, Sarah talks about the extraordinary dimension of life we can unlock when we do the work of shifting our orientation towards change and finding the opportunity within every transition. We explore processing grief, building internal trust, and unpacking what it means to recognize new beginnings, stay connected, and embrace the changing nature of
Escapism, Living in Fantasy, and Idealizing Our Lives
Sarah breaks down how these fantasizing parts inform our actions and why life is not only meant to be easy and happy. You’ll hear all about how these protective parts can keep you from experiencing the good things in your life and why the world we live in fuels our obsession with fantasy. This episode is filled with tangible tools to help you process what was and anchor into the abundance already
What Fawning Really Is and Why It Happens
Sarah offers insight into both the short-term benefits and long-term consequences of fawning. You’ll learn how this behavior relates to the nervous system and the importance of anchoring into regulation and your adult self. She also discusses how social pressures can influence our tendency to fawn in romantic relationships, friendships, and beyond. Listen in for a compassionate guide for how to co
The Nervous System Path to Wealth and Abundance
Sarah highlights how our relationship to money is shaped by past experiences that have linked wealth with danger, shame, or pressure. These patterns can quietly limit our ability to receive and sustain financial well-being, which is why it’s essential to build our capacity to receive pleasure. Through tangible practices like reparenting and nervous system regulation, Sarah offers a compassionate p
When Conflict Shows Up in Our Closest Relationships
Sarah breaks down what happens when the nervous system mistakes present-day conflict for past pain, and why we may protect ourselves by shutting down or getting defensive. She also shares how curiosity can help us pause, look inward, and understand why we’re getting triggered. Instead of seeing conflict as a sign that something is wrong, Sarah shows how it can become a place for healing, honesty,
Learning to Love the Parts of Yourself That Protect You
Sarah highlights simple, effective steps to help you connect with your protective parts by anchoring into your adult self and getting to know that version of you. From seeing your younger parts as separate to letting go of any agenda toward them, this episode offers guidance you can apply on your healing journey. Tune in for an eye-opening and thought-provoking conversation about learning to fall
Navigating Technology and Social Media Without Overwhelm
Sarah offers a grounded, science-backed perspective on how to engage with technology in a way that supports your well-being. From understanding secondary trauma to recognizing how dopamine-driven platforms impact your daily life, she shares practical ways to protect your energy, tend to your inner parts, and stay anchored in regulation. Listen in for a clear, compassionate guide to navigating the
The Formula for Growth: Why Discomfort is Required for Your Expansion
In this episode, Sarah unpacks the formula for growth and why tolerating discomfort is a key component of stepping into your purpose. You’ll get a somatic roadmap for how to work with your nervous system, tend to your younger parts, and unpack jealousy for deeper clarity on your desires. One gentle step at a time, it’s possible to expand into the bigger life meant for you.
Episode Highlights:
Infatuation, Idealizing Romantic Partners, and Putting Others on a Pedestal
In this episode, Sarah breaks down the origins of idealization and infatuation, showing how these patterns are rooted in unresolved experiences and protective strategies. She explains why infatuation is not love, but a survival response that pulls you out of your adult self and into fantasy. Sarah shares what it takes to shift these dynamics through reparenting and parts work, so you can move from
Why Creating Internal Safety is the Foundation for the Life You Want
Perceiving danger when we’re actually safe is one of the most prominent drivers of human suffering and the reason many of us are chronically dysregulated. Sarah will walk you through how to create internal safety by harnessing the power of your nervous system and discharging stored trauma, so the past can finally be resolved. Listen in to discover how to work with your nervous system to begin buil
Reparenting Your Parts: How to Release the Outcome and Build Internal Trust
Sarah walks through the foundations of somatic parts work, including the importance of nervous system regulation, differentiating from our parts, and anchoring into adult self. When we’re able to meet these young parts with empathy, safety, and genuine love, the protective roles you’ve likely carried for years can finally begin to soften. Listen in to discover why falling in love with your parts i
Your Partner Isn’t Your Enemy: How to Build More Fulfilling Relationships by Becoming a Team
In this episode, Sarah explains why we choose partners who poke at what still needs to be resolved. She breaks down how we unknowingly hold each other accountable for pain from the past, why conflict intensifies as love grows, and how to shift from opposing sides to the same team. When you understand what is actually happening in your nervous system, relationship struggles become an invitation to
Who Gets to Know All of You?
This conversation unpacks why relationships feel so exposing, why discomfort isn’t a sign that something is wrong, and how true healing happens first within you. You’ll learn why feeling ‘unknown’ is often a protective strategy, how parts of you get siloed to survive connection, and how the gentle integration of your protective parts creates secure, intimate relationships. Sarah touches on powerfu
The Science of Manifestation and Rewiring for Possibility
Through a grounded, somatic lens, Sarah explores how regulation expands our capacity, why safety must be communicated in a language your nervous system understands, and how slow, tolerable steps retrain your system to tangibly move toward your desires. If you’re ready to stop forcing change and start living the life meant for you, this conversation offers a practical path forward that is backed by
Completing the Stress Response: How to Resolve Shame, Anger, and Unworthiness
In this episode, Sarah explains how unhealthy shame forms, why unresolved anger resurfaces in safe relationships, and how we unknowingly build our lives around avoiding what once felt intolerable. She breaks down what it truly means to complete the stress response by building regulation, reconnecting with younger parts, and allowing the body to express the appropriate response it once inhibited. W
Why You Feel Unseen in Love: Understanding Emotional Absence and Relational Loneliness
She explains how childhood roles such as becoming invisible, emotionally self-reliant, or overly responsible don’t just affect behavior; they shape attraction itself, quietly guiding who we choose and the dynamics we recreate. When these internal blueprints remain unchanged, relationships tend to repeat familiar dynamics rather than support true closeness. This conversation offers a grounded look
The Real Reason Healing Requires Action in Safety, Not Just Awareness
She introduces the concept of disconfirming experiences: small, embodied moments that gently teach the nervous system that the past is over and we’re free to embody a more full, expansive life. Through key nervous system tools and somatic principles, Sarah explores how safety is rebuilt and how freedom becomes possible as the body is shown, again and again, that it no longer has to protect in the
Why We Lose Ourselves in Relationships and How to Reclaim a Sense of Self
She goes on to explain the differences between codependency, enmeshment, attunement, and interdependence. Sarah also discusses how fear of conflict can lead to self-abandonment, what it takes to feel safe during moments of disconnection or disagreement, and how to support children through distress in ways that build resilience. Tune in to better understand your relational patterns and learn how re
What Are Limiting Beliefs: The Science of Shifting Your Thinking
Limiting beliefs are often not representative of who you are today but are self-protective mechanisms that formed as a result of past traumas or experiences. The good news is that it’s absolutely possible to shift this! Sarah will guide you through how to anchor into regulation and your adult self so that you can find more ease, peace, and confidence. Tune in for a somatic approach on how to chang
The Other Side of Trauma: Post-Traumatic Growth and Discovering New Possibilities
Learning how to heal through your living can feel challenging or unfamiliar, especially if we’ve primarily found safety inside therapeutic containers, but it is also a necessary part of fully embodying the life you are here to live. You’ll get tangible tools to step toward your desires, receive abundance without suffering, and find support as you continue to grow. Wherever you are on your healing
Moving Beyond Blame and Becoming Relationally-Focused in Your Romantic Partnerships
Sarah explains how romantic relationships poke at early our attachment wounding the most, often leaving us reacting from old survival patterns rather than responding to what is happening in the present. She introduces the metaphor of the relationship as a battlefield versus a garden, showing how conflict, blame, and shutdown arise when unresolved wounds take the lead, and what becomes possible whe
Your Nervous System Shapes Your Sense of Time
In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah unpacks how dysregulation can lead us to feeling behind in life or that we’ve missed our chance to have the relationships, purpose, and community we desire. You’ll learn about your three states of self-protection and why anchoring into regulation is the key to shifting how you experience time. By harnessing the power of your nervous system, it’s possible to
Living the Life You Long For: Capacity Building in the Nervous System
Sarah breaks down how the autonomic nervous system shapes your entire lived experience, using clear metaphors to explain why you may feel blocked from the relationships, purpose, and opportunities you long for. She shares why the nervous system responds to what you show it (somatically), not what you tell it, and how regulation helps create the internal conditions for growth and fulfillment.The ep
The Truth About Boundaries: Why They're Hard and How to Hold Them
She explores the difference between embodied boundaries and self-protective boundaries, which form as a result of unmet needs and misattunement in childhood. You’ll learn how to reconnect with your adult self, identify the protective parts that might be informing the way you set limits, and communicate your needs without reverting to old patterns.Through practical guidance and compassionate teachi
The Secret to Actually Loving Yourself: Falling in Love with Your Younger Parts
You’ll learn about the importance of consistency in reparenting your parts, why this process is about relationship-building, and how to find love for the protective parts of you that are often responsible for challenging behaviors or patterns. When you do this work, without having an agenda, it’s possible to feel self-love in a way that lasts and transforms every area of your life. Episode Highlig
The Path to Authentic Leadership Through Parts Work
Drawing on parts work and nervous system science, she explains how striving, control, burnout, micromanaging, and difficulty slowing down are often signs that old survival strategies are running the show. This episode will give you a tangible path toward embodied leadership, so that you can lead from your most authentic self and build more capacity for rest, joy, and fulfillment. Episode Highlight
Building Real Intimacy and Deeper Connection in a Romantic Relationship
She breaks down the core elements of intimacy, including vulnerability, presence, play, touch, and verbal connection, and shows how each one can become inhibited when childhood environments did not allow those needs to be expressed safely. This episode offers a compassionate, practical path forward by reconnecting with the walled-off parts of ourselves, taking small steps toward openness, and lear
Why We Feel the Need to Control and How to Actually Let Go
Sarah explains how experiences of chaos, misattunement, and trauma leave the nervous system feeling unsafe, and how control becomes a brilliant survival strategy. She delves into the more subtle versions of control that go unnoticed because they look “responsible” on the surface, and what is actually needed to begin relaxing your grip.She also explores how regulating the nervous system and connect
How to Have Tough Conversations, Make Amends, and Heal Through Repair
Drawing on attachment, parts work, and Polyvagal Theory, Sarah breaks down why romantic relationships often become the most powerful containers for our healing. She explores how conflict, rupture, and repair invite us to meet the last of our unresolved pain, differentiate old wounds from present-day needs, and open with vulnerability rather than protection. With practical guidance on regulation, c
The Nervous System’s Bias for Negativity and How to Rewire It
Real transformation begins not with willpower but with a felt sense of internal safety. Drawing on Polyvagal Theory, Somatic Experiencing, and Parts Work, Sarah shares tangible tools to help you shift from survival mode to genuine ease. Join Sarah to discover how regulation transforms not only your mindset but your entire lived experience, one safe, grounded moment at a time. Episode Highlights:[0
Grief as a Pathway to Love, Safety, and New Possibilities
You’ll learn why grief isn’t just about death or heartbreak; it’s woven into every transition we experience. Whether it’s aging, changing relationships, or healing from the pain of our childhood, Sarah offers a compassionate roadmap to help you meet your grief with safety, embodiment, and compassion.Episode Highlights[00:00] What grief really is, and why everything in nature experiences it[02:32]
Why We Numb: Self-Sabotage, Coping Strategies, and "Bad" Habits
Do you find yourself using things to cope like doom scrolling, eating late at night, or drinking in excess? If so, you’re not alone. This episode unpacks the science behind why we numb and engage in “bad” habits. Whether it’s excessive social media, food, sex, alcohol, or work, these are all intelligent survival responses to unresolved trauma or pain.You’ll learn how to tell the difference between
Understanding Internal Confusion & Building Self-Trust: Is this Me or a Part of Me?
In this episode, Sarah breaks down the science of Parts Work and how trauma shapes the different “selves” we embody. You’ll learn why these parts develop, how to begin differentiating between the truth of a part and the truth of your adult self, and the steps necessary to finally resolve old wounds. This episode will empower you to find clarity within, build trust with your younger parts, and come
The Path to Regulation: How to Find Consistent Presence, Joy, and Aliveness
Your nervous system creates your entire experience. Everything from your thoughts and feelings to your behaviors and perception of self, others, and the world around you are all determined by what’s happening in this self-protective system. In this episode, Sarah will guide you through the fundamentals of nervous system regulation and equip you with tangible somatic tools to help you gain control
The Relationship Between Your Nervous System & Food: How Dysregulation Shapes Our Eating Patterns
So many of us use food as a strategy to numb, disconnect from our emotions, or even as a companion. So how do we heal this unhealthy relationship with food? Today on You Make Sense, Sarah breaks down how unresolved trauma and a dysregulated nervous system can impact the way you eat, your biological functions, and your overall sense of well-being.You’ll learn why you might have developed a difficul
From Fragmented to Whole: Tools to Tangibly Reparent Your Younger Parts
What if the key to living more fully isn’t “fixing” yourself, but learning to meet every part of you with compassion? In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah explores how reparenting our younger parts helps us move from fragmentation back into wholeness. She explains the role of vulnerable parts, protective parts, and the adult self, and how trauma can leave those younger parts stuck in the perpe
Reclaiming Your Sexuality: A Conversation About Pleasure, Intimacy, and Safety
Sexuality is a completely normal and inherent part of the human experience. However, many of us have learned to disconnect from our bodies, hide from our sexuality, or become oversexualized as a result of trauma or societal messaging. If you’ve struggled to feel fully alive in your sexuality, this episode will give you a tangible, step-by-step guide to help you come back into this embodied experie
Connecting to Your Inner Masculine and Feminine: How to Embody Both Your Soft and Protective Energies
We are all created with the ability to access both our inner masculine and feminine energies. These energies shape how we move through the world, but are not confined to gender or societal expectations. In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah breaks down the science behind these polarities, how nature reveals that they’re universal and designed for survival, and why we all carry both within us.Yo
The Physical Symptoms of Trauma: Chronic Illness, Chronic Pain, & More
What if your chronic illness, pain, or fatigue is not random but a reflection of unresolved trauma stored in your body? In this episode, Sarah unpacks the powerful link between trauma, the nervous system, and physical health. Drawing on her own lived experience with autoimmune disease and chronic illness, she explains why time alone does not heal all, how unresolved experiences live on in our bodi
Finding the Right Therapist or Practitioner for You
Have you struggled with where to begin when looking for a therapist? Or maybe you’ve started working with a mental health professional, but you’re worried they might not be the best fit? Finding support is a vital part of healing, but it can often be a confusing or even daunting process. This episode of You Make Sense was created as a trauma-informed guide to help you know what to look for in a th
When the Past Shows Up in Your Relationships: Identifying Younger Parts in Romantic Partnerships
Romantic love has a way of poking at our deepest wounding. Even when life feels steady elsewhere, intimacy can trigger reactions that don’t feel like our true selves. Sarah explains that this is often the work of our parts — younger versions of ourselves that carry past trauma and coping strategies — and that these parts can show up most strongly in our closest relationships.In this episode of You
Understanding Healthy Aggression and How Unprocessed Anger Becomes Internalized
Have you ever been told you're "too nice" or found yourself saying "I'm fine" even when you're really not? For so many of us, anger can feel scary or wrong, like something we should push down or avoid entirely. But Sarah explains that there's a difference between healthy and unhealthy expressions of anger, and that healthy aggression—your natural ability to protect yourself and speak up when somet
Summer Somatic Reset: Finding Your Community and Building Authentic Connection
Have you ever struggled to build or maintain meaningful friendships, felt isolated despite doing the inner work, or wondered why community can feel so hard to create? In the final episode of the Summer Somatic Reset series, Sarah explores one of the most essential yet misunderstood human needs – connection. You’ll learn how your attachment style and nervous system influence your ability to connect
Summer Somatic Reset: Healing the Scarcity Wound: A Nervous System Approach to Trauma & Finances
Many of us carry deep-seated wounds of scarcity rooted in our early attachment patterns, and without realizing it, we continue to recreate those patterns in our adult lives. In this third episode of the four-part Summer Somatic Reset series, Sarah delves into the intricate relationship between trauma, finances, and the nervous system.Through the lens of attachment theory and nervous system regulat
Summer Somatic Reset: High-Performance Leadership Without Engaging in Hustle Culture
In episode two of the four-part Summer Somatic Reset series, Sarah explores how high-performing leaders can shift from leading through scarcity and fear to embodying leadership rooted in safety and abundance. She unpacks the common traits of many high achievers, how the drive to succeed often stems from survival instincts formed in childhood, the toll this can take over time, and how parts work an
Summer Somatic Reset: Are They Wrong For Me? Or Is It My Nervous System?
In this first episode of the four-part Summer Somatic Reset series, Sarah unpacks one of the most common (and confusing) questions in relationships: Is this person wrong for me, or is it my nervous system? Sarah shares how attachment wounds, protective parts, and nervous system patterns shape our experience of love, and why good things don’t always feel good at first.Through guided practices and p
Getting to Know Freeze: How This Self-Protective State Shows Up in Dating, at Work, and More
Many of us know what it feels like to be stuck, wanting to move forward in life but somehow unable to. This is often an indication we’re in freeze—one of the most misunderstood forms of nervous system dysregulation. In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah breaks down the freeze response: what it is, why it happens, and how it shows up in everything from our relationships to our purpose.Freeze is
How Childhood Trauma Impacts Our Present Lives
Our early childhood experiences leave a lasting imprint on how we relate to ourselves, others, and the world around us—often in ways we don’t even realize. In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah unpacks how childhood trauma can shape our nervous system, attachment style, and even our health, and why the self-protective patterns we developed early on often leave us feeling stuck in our adult live
Getting Your Needs Met: Shifting from Codependency and Hyper-Independence to Interdependence
We all have needs. But what happens when we stop listening to them, or never learned how to in the first place? In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah gently guides us through the heart of relational healing: learning how to get our needs met.With tenderness and clarity, she unpacks how early attachment wounds shape our ability to express, feel, or even recognize our needs, leading many of us in
What is Burnout? And How Do We Break the Cycle?
Burnout doesn’t happen overnight—it’s what happens when we chronically override our nervous system. In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah draws upon both Polyvagal Theory and Parts Work to explain what burnout really is, and how our protective parts often push us to keep going, even when our body is begging us to pause.Packed with tangible somatic tools, this episode will guide you toward heali
Heartbreak, Grief and Moving On Using Parts Work
Breakups aren’t just hard—they can feel completely disorienting, terrifying, or even impossible. That’s because we’re often not only grieving the end of a relationship as our adult self, we’re also navigating the pain, fear, and longing of our younger parts. In this episode of You Make Sense, we’ll explore why it can feel so difficult to leave or let go, even when we know deep down that a relation
From Confusion to Clarity: A Path Back to Your Internal Knowing and Truth
Do you ever feel like you’ve lost touch with what’s true for you? In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah gently guides us back to our internal truth—the quiet, steady knowing that lives within the body. She explores why so many of us lose contact with our truth and instead outsource decisions to others. Through powerful stories and somatic insights, she offers a compassionate roadmap for reconne
When You Stop Choosing Yourself: How Self-Abandonment Turns into Resentment
What if the key to thriving isn’t in pushing harder, but in understanding the ways your nervous system brilliantly learned to protect you? In this episode, we will explore how self-abandonment is an adaptive response many of us found, often in early childhood, to maintain safety, belonging, or connection. Sarah unpacks why this pattern, while protective, can also lead to resentment in our relation
What To Do When Life Doesn't Happen on Your Timeline
What if you’re not behind at all, but right on time for the life that’s uniquely yours? In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah explores the emotional weight of unmet timelines and how grief, comparison, and trauma can leave us feeling stuck or wondering if we’ll ever get “there”. She guides you through why things might not be unfolding as quickly—or in the exact order—you might have hoped for, a
The Art of Repair: Moving Through Conflict with Safety and Connection
Do you find conflict overwhelming in your relationships? Fights or moments of disconnection are actually a normal part of any relationship, but many of us were never taught how to navigate these ruptures in a way that facilitates healing. In this episode, Sarah breaks down the rupture and repair process through a multi-faceted approach, incorporating Polyvagal Theory, Parts Work, and Attachment Th
Parenting That Heals: How to Support Your Child’s Nervous System and Your Own
Your child needs your regulated nervous system. Whether you're raising little ones, guiding teens, or showing up as a leader in any area of life, this episode is all about learning how to embody your own healing so you can support others with calm, confidence, and care. With her signature mix of compassion and clarity, Sarah breaks down how our past often informs our parenting style, and how we ca
Understanding Social Anxiety: Are you Actually an Introvert/Extrovert or Is It Trauma?
Many of us are quick to label ourselves as an “introvert” or “extrovert” — but have you ever wondered if this is actually representative of your most authentic self? In this episode, Sarah explores the role trauma plays in shaping our relational identity. Whether you fawn, withdraw, feel drained by connection, or are known as the “life of the party,” this episode will help you to begin distinguish
Procrastination and Self-Sabotage: Understanding Self-Protective Behaviors
There can be so much shame around the ways we procrastinate and self-sabotage. But these behaviors aren’t just “bad habits” — they’re actually forms of self-protection. In this episode, Sarah uncovers the hidden roles our nervous system and parts play in keeping us stuck around the things we desire most. You’ll learn how to work with your nervous system and parts, rather than against them, using p
How to Set and Maintain Boundaries From a Somatic Perspective
Do you struggle to know what kind of boundaries to set? Many of us are taught to intellectualize our approach to boundary setting, which can leave us feeling confused or overwhelmed. In this episode, Sarah explores the embodied nature of boundaries and why unresolved trauma can leave us setting self-protective boundaries that aren’t actually aligned with our highest truth.You’ll learn about three
Creating an Aligned Life and Finding Purpose in the Work You Do
What if the work you do isn’t just a paycheck but a path to alignment and fulfillment? In this episode, Sarah breaks down how our nervous system influences career choices and why so many of us end up in survival-based jobs rather than roles that truly inspire us. She explores the impact being misaligned in our work has on our nervous system, relationships, health, and overall well-being.If you’ve
Family of Origin: Navigating Difficult Family Dynamics in Adulthood
In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah dives into the complex layers of family dynamics, personal boundaries, and healing from past experiences. You'll learn how the dynamics within your family of origin created the roles you had to play, how those roles shape your adult relationships, and how to begin breaking free from those roles to step into your most fully-expressed self.Through personal in
Resolving Sleep Issues Through Nervous System Regulation
If you’ve ever tossed and turned at night, wondering why you just can’t seem to get the rest you need, you’re not alone. In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah Baldwin breaks down how insomnia, struggling to stay asleep, and other sleep disorders are often deeply connected to what’s happening in your nervous system.Sarah explains why stress, unresolved trauma, and even daily overwhelm can keep y
Processing Endings and Making Space for New Beginnings
In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah explores the profound shifts that occur as we heal—both within ourselves and in our relationships. She delves into the challenges of evolving while being in partnerships, the difficulty of letting go when growth outpaces connection, and the natural distance that can emerge between those on different healing journeys.Sarah also answers listener questions abo
A Trauma-Informed Understanding of Forgiveness and Letting Go
There can be a lot of talk around forgiveness in the self-help space, but what does it actually mean to forgive? Forgiveness is not just a mindset shift or something we can “think” our way into—it is a somatic process that requires addressing the nervous system and accessing our healthy aggression. Using the latest neuroscience research, Sarah explains how unresolved trauma gets stored in our bodi
How to Actualize the Life You're Wanting
Do you ever feel like there’s an invisible wall holding you back from the life you desire? In this episode, Sarah explores why achieving our goals can feel so difficult—even when we’re putting in the effort. The key to unlocking our full potential lies in understanding and befriending our autonomic nervous system, which shapes our entire experience and the ease in which we’re able to take steps fo
Relationships: The Intersection Between Polyvagal Theory, Attachment Theory, and Parts Work
In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah explores the science behind relationships using Polyvagal Theory, Attachment Theory, and Parts Work. She explains how these frameworks complement each other and shape our ability to connect, feel safe inside our relational containers, and navigate emotional intimacy.Sarah highlights the importance of understanding how our nervous system and parts inform the
Blended States: The Power of Adding More Play and Stillness to Your Life
What if there was a way to find more lightness and joy in your healing journey along the way? In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah explores the profound impact of two transformative states within the autonomic nervous system: play and stillness. These states aren’t just about fun and quiet—they’re the keys to unlocking creativity, emotional regulation, and deeper connections.Sarah shares pract
The Antidote to Shame and Feelings of Unworthiness
Shame often keeps us from living the full, expansive life we’re desiring. In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah explains the difference between “healthy” and “unhealthy” shame, and why unresolved trauma can often leave us feeling unworthy or like there is something inherently wrong with us.While shame can affect every area of our lives, from our relationships to our purpose, the good news is th
How Trauma Can Keep Us From Our Embodied Spirituality
Diving into the often overlooked but deeply interconnected realms of science and spirituality, Sarah guides listeners through a transformative exploration. She underscores how both domains intertwine, particularly in the context of trauma and healing. Many of us desire to embody the core elements of spirituality—connectivity, presence, love, and surrender—but struggle to actually do so.This episod
The State of Your Nervous System Creates Your Thoughts
The secret to changing your thoughts isn’t in your mind—it’s in your body. In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah uses Polyvagal Theory to unravel the fascinating science behind how our nervous system shapes our story and why just telling ourselves to “think” differently doesn’t actually work.In order to change our thinking, we must first address the underlying dysregulation in our system. Sarah
Slowing Down to Receive More
If slowing down feels impossible or like a luxury you can’t afford, this episode is for you. Sarah unpacks why so many of us stay trapped in a cycle of constant “doing,” where rest feels risky and burnout becomes inevitable. Drawing on her expertise in Somatic Experiencing, Polyvagal Theory, and Parts Work, she explains how your past, trauma, and societal expectations can all keep you stuck on the
Body Image, Aging, and Self-Acceptance from a Somatic Lens
How often do we hear, “Just love your body,” only to feel more disconnected than ever? In this thoughtful episode of You Make Sense, Sarah tackles the complexities of body image, aging, appearance, and the journey to genuine self-acceptance. With her signature mix of science, storytelling, and somatic wisdom, she unpacks why conventional approaches to self-love often miss the mark—and what truly w
How to Thrive in Your Relationships
Ever wonder why the relationships with the most potential sometimes feel the hardest? In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah unpacks the ways in which romantic partnerships often trigger our deepest wounds—and how they can also become the most powerful spaces for healing.Sarah dives into the role our nervous system and parts play in unconsciously shaping the way we show up in love, and what we c
Leading in Business and in Life
This episode unpacks the vital connection between our nervous system and how we lead—in business, at home, and in life. Sarah dives into the science of regulation, exploring how dysregulated states like fight/flight, freeze, or shut down often drive our decisions, keeping us stuck in survival mode. These patterns, rooted in past experiences of stress or trauma, influence how we show up as leaders,
4 Reasons Why New Year Resolutions Don’t Work
In this special New Year’s episode, Sarah invites listeners to reimagine the way they approach goals and resolutions. Kicking off the five-part Somatic Starter Kit series, Sarah dives into four reasons why traditional New Year’s resolutions often fail and offers transformative science-backed tools to use instead. You’ll learn how unresolved past experiences and traumas can keep you stuck in cycles
When We Feel Like We're Going Backward in Our Healing
This episode dives into the ups and downs of healing and why it can sometimes feel like you’re moving backward instead of forward. Sarah breaks down how coming back into our bodies is a marker of progress — but that it can also feel overwhelming at first. Experiencing grief, anger, or other deep emotions can all be signs of the work you’ve done.With real-life examples and simple, science-backed ad
Navigating Loneliness and Grief During the Holidays
In this heartfelt episode of You Make Sense, Sarah explores the often-overlooked emotional complexities of the holiday season. While the holidays are often painted as a time of joy and togetherness, Sarah acknowledges the undercurrent of loneliness, grief, and stress that many experience. She unpacks how societal expectations and past experiences can amplify these emotions, offering relatable insi
Experiencing Healthy Love for the First Time
Do you find romantic partnerships challenging, confusing, or overwhelming? Sarah is going to walk you through what is necessary to heal your attachment wounds and come toward more secure, healthy relationships. Although it might seem counterintuitive, the kind of connection we’re desiring often doesn’t “feel good” at first. In fact, our first experience of a secure attachment can range from being
Getting to Know Your Protector Parts: Perfectionist, Procrastinator & More
This episode pulls back the curtain on how our “younger selves” often influence the way we show up in our adult lives. From the perfectionist to the procrastinator, these protective parts develop in response to early or past experiences of feeling unsafe or overwhelmed. If we have yet to come to the aid of these parts, they will continue to show up in an effort to keep our vulnerable parts safe, o
