Why do relationships often feel effortless at the start, only to become more challenging as we grow closer? In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah unpacks why deeper intimacy activates the parts of us shaped by our earliest wounds, and how to move forward together. She explains why our nervous system begins to associate a partner or close friend with our family of origin, causing old fears, protector parts, and unresolved emotions to surface just when connection starts to matter most.

Do you tend to focus on what’s wrong more than what’s working? In this episode, Sarah unpacks why our brains and bodies are wired for negativity — and why that doesn’t mean you’re broken or ungrateful. This survival mechanism is actually rooted in the nervous system, which means we can’t just talk or “think” our way out of our experience.

here can be so much confusion and resistance to our grief. But grief is actually a natural, intelligent process your nervous system uses to metabolize change, endings, and loss. In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah explains why humans struggle with grief while nature surrenders with ease, and how unprocessed sorrow can lead to dysregulation, disconnection, and chronic stress.

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.

Do you ever notice how your truth seems to change depending on where you are — or who you’re with? You might feel confident in your career, but small or unsure in love. Or maybe you withdraw when meeting new people, but talk nonstop around old friends. Each version feels real in the moment, because it is the truth to a part of you. It might just not be the truth of your adult self.

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 over your experience. Many traditional models of healing focus only on treating the “symptoms” — like anxiety, depression, stress, fear, burnout, or panic — rather than addressing the root cause. But much of our pain and stuckness is actually a result of unresolved trauma or chronic dysregulation. When you learn how to befriend your nervous system and gently walk it toward safety, it’s possible to feel better, move through the world with more ease, and step toward all that you desire.

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 difficult relationship with food, the role diets or restriction play in maintaining control, how intuitive eating can be inhibited by trauma, and more. If you’re ready to reconnect with your body and find more ease around eating, this episode will give you tangible science-backed tools to help you to transform your relationship to food and with yourself.

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 perpetual pain of the past. Sarah shares practical steps for recognizing, differentiating, and building trust with these parts so they no longer run our lives from the shadows. From learning to anchor in your adult self, to showing up consistently for your inner child, to offering both softness and fierce protection, she outlines a tangible process of reparenting that paves the way for more freedom, safety, and authentic self-expression.

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 experience. You’ll learn two predominant reasons why we struggle with sexual intimacy, how culture and conditioning affect how we show up with others, and how childhood trauma impacts our adult romantic partnerships. Join Sarah for a conversation on pleasure, connection, and safety, and how qualities like embodiment, presence, and openness play a vital role in our sexuality, both with ourselves and with another person.

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. You’ll learn about what causes us to disconnect from one of these energies, how society distorts them from the moment you’re born, and why you might identify with one more than the other depending on the area of life. Sarah also unpacks how each of these energies plays out in romantic relationships and steps to begin leaning more into your true self. Finally, Rachel joins Sarah to answer questions from listeners that touch on healing protective parts, staying in the present, and joining instead of merging.

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 bodies, and why nervous system regulation is the most effective medicine. You’ll get tangible somatic tools for how to process unresolved trauma and emotions by doing what’s called “completing the incomplete experience,” along with steps for reconnecting with your body, validating your pain, and restoring safety and resilience to your system. Later in the episode, Sarah is joined by Rachel to answer listener questions about menstrual cycles, fertility struggles, and navigating chronic pain. Tune in for clarity, reassurance, and hope that healing is always possible.

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 therapist or practitioner. Sarah explains the two most important qualities a professional needs to embody in order to support others. You’ll learn what truly sets a practitioner apart, the red flags that signal caution, and the qualities you should look for when selecting someone. Sarah reminds us how deeply complex healing work is and the importance of finding a practitioner who is trauma-trained. If you’re feeling lost when it comes to seeking support, this episode will empower you with the tools and knowledge to find the right person for you.

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 Make Sense, Sarah explores how vulnerable, protective, and self-like parts shape the roles we play with partners, from caretaking to perfectionism. She shares how these patterns are often rooted in childhood experiences and why they can make intimacy feel both desirable and threatening. With somatic insights and practical tools, Sarah shows how to reparent younger parts, anchor into the adult self, and create relationships that feel authentic and safe.

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 something isn't right—is actually essential for feeling safe and alive in your body. In this episode, Sarah explores why so many of us learned to inhibit this vital, life-force energy, often as a way to survive difficult experiences. If you've ever found yourself being chronically agreeable, struggling to set boundaries, or getting angry about small things while staying silent about the big ones, this episode is for you. You’ll learn gentle, somatic tools to reconnect with this protective energy so that you can access the full spectrum of who you are.

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, and why experiences of trauma can lead to patterns of fawning, isolation, or forming unhealthy relationships. This episode will also equip you with tangible somatic tools to build your capacity for connection, recognize the types of relationships you desire, and begin cultivating community from a place of authenticity. Join Sarah to discover the power of creating internal safety and belonging to navigate social anxiety, shift inner dialogue, and find your chosen family.

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 regulation, Sarah unpacks how anxious, avoidant, and disorganized money attachments develop and how they influence our beliefs about worth, safety, and abundance. Learn how to identify your own patterns, understand the protective role your body has played, and how to begin cultivating a secure, embodied relationship with money. Want to effectively navigate financial anxiety, expand your capacity to receive, and embrace abundance? This is the episode for you! It’s not just a money conversation; it is a pathway to healing, wholeness, and freedom.

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 and nervous system regulation can pave the way for sustainable leadership. Through practical somatic tools and real-life examples, Sarah offers a path to more life-giving leadership rooted in nervous system regulation, nourishment, and the steady presence of your adult self. Whether you’re leading a company or your own healing journey, this episode will help you shift from striving to thriving so you can lead without sacrificing your wellbeing!

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 personal insights, Sarah invites you to explore how to differentiate between old protective patterns and present-day truth, empowering you to build relational capacity, deepen self-trust, and recognize what truly supports growth and connection.

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 not laziness or weakness, but a deeply adaptive survival response. Drawing on neuroscience and compassionate insight, Sarah offers powerful somatic tools to gently help you come out of dysregulation and into safety. If you’ve ever felt stuck in a loop of overthinking, avoidance, or self-doubt—this episode will give you a roadmap for stepping toward the life you desire.

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 lives. Using neuroscience and real-life examples, Sarah will guide you toward tangible tools to address your nervous system and come to the aid of younger parts. Whether you had loving parents who didn’t always get it right or caregivers who were harmful or dangerous, this episode will help you to heal the past and step toward your future with more ease and empowerment.