Your relationship with time and the way you perceive it is a direct result of what’s happening in your nervous system. Whether you are in alignment with the natural unfolding of your life, or you’re always in a hurry and feel like everyone else is passing you by — it all starts with the beautiful self-protective system inside you.

As the year comes to a close, you might be reflecting on why you still feel stuck, even after doing “all the right things.” In this episode, Sarah explores why effort and willpower alone often aren’t enough to create real change, and how the nervous system can keep you running without actually moving forward.

Most people think setting boundaries is just about deciding when to say “no.” But this process is actually a somatic one that starts with first knowing our internal truth. In this episode, Sarah explains why we might lose contact with our truth and how childhood experiences shape the way we set boundaries in our present lives.

The world has done us a disservice by teaching us that we’ll magically love ourselves if we just “tell” ourselves how lovable we are. But the only way to wholly and fully come into self-love is to first fall in love with your younger parts. In this episode, Sarah offers an in-depth understanding of parts work, the different kinds of younger parts who inhabit your experience, and how to begin supporting and finding compassion for them.

The pressure to lead well often collides with the longing for a full and joyful life. In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah explores why so many leaders, parents, and helpers feel split between success and aliveness, and why that tension usually traces back to a dysregulated nervous system and our protective parts trying to keep us safe.

Building deeper intimacy often begins with understanding why it brings up so many challenging emotions. In this episode of You Make Sense, Sarah explains how early experiences of being unseen, misunderstood, or emotionally unsupported can create protective strategies in adulthood, ranging from siloing different versions of ourselves to avoiding closeness when we feel exposed.

Why does it feel so urgent to keep everything tidy and on schedule, and why is it so hard to let go, even when you are exhausted? In this episode, Sarah explores why so many of us turn to control as a way to maintain safety, and how this pattern is rooted not in personality flaws, but in a dysregulated nervous system doing its best to protect itself.

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.