They also discuss the societal pressure to uphold perfectly happily family narratives, even when that is not the reality for many people.

About Lolita Guarin

Lolita Guarin is a stress management expert, speaker, coach, six-time Amazon #1 bestselling author, creator of the CALM Process, and Story to IMPACT mentor. She helps audiences move from stress and burnout into clarity, confidence, and self-trust with practical tools they can use right away. 

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Understand that ancestral trauma is an inherited historical memory that converts into rigid behavioral patterns. Recognizing that your constant state of hyper-vigilance is an inherited default setting allows you to separate the trauma from who you truly are.
• By looking through a third-person lens rather than a wounded child's perspective, you can see how an ancestor’s inability to show love often stems from unresolved trauma in their own childhood.
• Many adults self-abandon and refuse to practice self-care because they unconsciously believe that suffering honors the sacrifices of their lineage. 
• Stop bulldozing your own needs. Reclaim your personal sovereignty by practicing small boundaries, like pausing before saying "yes" to a demand, and actively celebrating your small daily victories to heal your inner child.

Resources Mentioned

Dr. Gabor Maté: https://drgabormate.com/

Connect with Lolita

Lolita’s Website: https://www.beamazingyou.com/

Lolita’s Books: https://beamazingyou.lpages.co/get-the-books/

Book a Session: https://beamazingyou.lpages.co/book-a-session/

Connect with the Show

• Website: justlikenana.com
• Share Your Story: If you have a family story or trauma you’re exploring, reach out via our website for a chance to be interviewed.

Connect with Just Like Nana's Website.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

Theme music by Carter Penny.

Together they discuss the importance of addressing generational trauma and the potential for mental health recovery through neuroscience and epigenetics.

About Yildiz Sethi

Yildiz Sethi is a psychotherapist, author, and innovator in mind science, with over 25 years of experience helping people create deep, lasting change. She is the founder of Emotional Mind Integration, Rapid Core Healing, and PTIT Trauma Recovery, offering brief, powerful approaches to healing personal and generational trauma in just 1–4 sessions. Her work bridges neuroscience, consciousness, and spirituality, challenging outdated mental health models that focus on managing symptoms rather than resolving root causes.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Your struggles are split between your personal subconscious mind (repressed personal experiences) and your generational mind (the systemic patterns, anxieties, and relationship dynamics you carry from your family tree).
• Traditional talk therapy can flood your system by forcing you to relive painful memories. Rapid core healing uses resourced, distanced subconscious processing to release stored adrenaline safely and effectively within a session.
• Modern neuroscience tells us the brain can constantly rewire itself. 

Resources Mentioned

• Crazy Normal for Better Mental Health and Wellbeing podcast
• Let's Take the Crap Out of Psychotherapy by Yildiz Sethi

Connect with Yildiz

• Website: https://yildizsethi.com/
• Books: https://yildizsethi.com/mind-and-trauma-healing-books/

Connect with the Show

• Website: justlikenana.com
• Share Your Story: If you have a family story or trauma you’re exploring, reach out via our website for a chance to be interviewed.

Connect with Just Like Nana's Website.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

Theme music by Carter Penny.

Together they discuss how to begin working with your ancestors, trusting your intuition as it draws you to specific healing modalities, and more.

About Malinda

Malinda DeMercurio is a licensed acupuncturist in New York, Connecticut, and Wisconsin, a certified instinctive meditation teacher, a Reiki master, and an initiated Sangoma, which is a traditional healer from the Zulu lineage of South Africa. She integrates acupuncture, meditation, energy medicine, and ancestral healing to help individuals restore health, reconnect with their spiritual inheritance and step into greater sovereignty.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Awaken Your Ancestral Qi: Recognize that you carry the energy, strength, and life force of those who came before you in your very DNA. True vitality comes from learning to unblock and honor this spiritual inheritance.
• Listen to the Call of the Grandmothers: Reconnecting with the wisdom of the grandmothers allows us to ground ourselves in fierce, nurturing energy and find our way back to the heart.
• Trust Your Intuitive Memory: Pay attention to the sudden signs, repeating patterns, or subtle inner pulls that draw you toward specific healing modalities like acupuncture, massage, or ritual work. Your ancestors often communicate through these intuitive nudges.
• The Power of Ritual Prescription: Move your healing beyond mental processing by engaging in physical rituals. Honoring family stories and ancestral spirits through intentional acts helps metabolize stored emotional grief.
• Fierce Self-Care Filters Outward: True matriarchal energy reminds us that taking care of ourselves is not selfish; it gives us the vital wherewithal to fiercely love, protect, and offer deep healing to our families and communities.

Resources Mentioned

• Amazon Magic by Jaya Bear: https://www.abebooks.com/9780967425504/Amazon-Magic-Life-Story-Ayahuasquero-0967425506/plp
• An Overview of Sangomas: https://www.britannica.com/science/sangoma

Connect with Malinda DeMercurio

Dragon Springs Wellness: https://dragonspringswellness.com/

 90-Day Ancestral Healing & Sovereignty Reset: https://dragonspringswellness.com/programs-classes-and-events

Malinda's Substack: https://substack.com/@primordialmothers

Connect with the Show

• Website: justlikenana.com
• Share Your Story: If you have a family story or trauma you’re exploring, reach out via our website for a chance to be interviewed.

Connect with Just Like Nana's Website.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

Theme music by Carter Penny.

Together, they explore how to navigate family dynamics that result from trauma, and the importance of separating the love from the trauma.

About Dr. Irit Felsen

Irit Felsen, PhD is a clinical psychologist specializing in trauma and traumatic loss, whose clinical work and research have been focused on Holocaust survivors and their families. Dr. Felsen is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University and was previously an Assistant Professor at Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University for 14 years. Dr. Felsen is a Fellow of the APA Trauma division (Division 56) and a member of the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress. She is the chair of the Trauma Working Group at the NGO Committee on Mental Health in Consultative Relationship to the United Nations.  

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Dr. Felsen was the chair of the Working Group focused on the needs of Vibrant Older Adults in the APA Interdivision Covid-19 Task Force, and when she resided in NJ,  she was a board member of the Holocaust Council of MetroWest.  

Dr. Felsen’s papers have been published in peer-reviewed professional journals, and she authored multiple book chapters. Her research was the basis for the book “Psychoanalysis and Holocaust Testimony: Memories of Unwanted Social Trauma.” 

Dr. Felsen is sought-after speaker presenting nationally and internationally about the long-term effects of trauma on survivors and about the intergenerational transmission of trauma and resilience to the descendants of survivors. She is in private practice in Englewood, NJ.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Learn to distinguish between your parents' true core personality—what they actually wished and wanted for you—and the restrictive, anxious behaviors caused by post-traumatic stress.
• Gain a clearer psychological perspective on why trauma survivors sometimes struggle with boundary-setting and letting their children separate, removing the blame and introducing deep compassion into the relationship.
• Reclaim your family narrative by honoring the immense resilience it took for your lineage to survive, turning that historical strength into fuel for your own personal growth and success.

Resources Mentioned

• Psychoanalysis and Holocaust Testimony: Memories of Unwanted Social Trauma
• The work of Beatrice Beebe, PhD
• Nothing Makes You Free edited by Melvin Jules Bukiet
• Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels

Connect with Dr. Irit Felsen

• Website: https://www.iritfelsen.com/
• Research: https://www.iritfelsen.com/research/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irit-felsen-3b316712/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoPm6rBX9nGA0g76s4A-UpA

Connect with the Show

• Website: justlikenana.com
• Share Your Story: If you have a family story or trauma you’re exploring, reach out via our website for a chance to be interviewed.

Connect with Just Like Nana's Website.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

Theme music by Carter Penny.

Together they discover how to balance ancestral anger while honoring those ancestors, the importance of acceptance and belonging, and so much more.

About Liza

With over 15 years of hands-on experience with different modalities, Family Constellations facilitator and trainer Liza Miron is passionate about nurturing growth, fostering awareness, and uncovering underlying threads that keep people from enjoying their lives. This is complemented by her dynamic academic background, including a BA in Business Administration, an MA in Coaching and Human Resources Management, and spectrum-wide certifications including NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), Reiki, and Syntara System Energy Healing.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Recognize that you are part of a larger energetic web. When an ancestor is forgotten, excluded, or judged, the system often entangles a later generation to represent that person, leading us to repeat their difficult patterns.
• Healing begins when we acknowledge the black sheep or the forgotten ones and return them to their place in the system.
• Discover why the most powerful healing sentence is a simple Yes to reality. Looking at the truth of your family history without judgment allows the heavy energy of the past to transform into strength.
• You don't have to suffer to show loyalty to your lineage. Learn how to honor your ancestors by living a full, happy life—turning their survival and sacrifices into your fuel for success.

Resources Mentioned

• Another Self (Zeytin Agaci)

Connect with Liza Miron

• Website
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Instagram
• LinkedIn

Connect with the Show

• Website: justlikenana.com
• Share Your Story: If you have a family story or trauma you’re exploring, reach out via our website for a chance to be interviewed.

Connect with Just Like Nana's Website.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

Theme music by Carter Penny.

They also dive into the impact of systemic oppression on family dynamics and the importance of recognizing and validating individual experiences.

About Melissa

Navigating both physical and virtual spaces, Melissa is a third-culture individual deeply versed in cultural nuances and intergenerational trauma. Driven by a mission to reconnect with her ancestors and to help others on their own journeys of reconnection, she specializes in addressing relational and intergenerational trauma as well as oppression. Melissa’s practice is grounded in principles of anti-racism, anti-oppressive practices, and Black feminism. She’s committed to working with individuals impacted by colonization, enslavement, and 2SLGTBQ+ oppression.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Ancestors are not just biological; they can include community members, writers, artists, or even elements of nature like a specific lake or river that provides a felt sense of connection.
• We don't just inherit intergenerational wounds; we also inherit intergenerational wisdom—skills, ways of knowing, and a capacity for playfulness that can anchor us during difficult times.
• Healing often begins with a sensation rather than a thought. Look for glimmers of okayness or a settlement in the body, even if it only lasts for a few seconds.
• Individual trauma is often inseparable from systemic oppression, including racism, misogyny, and the patriarchy. Recognizing these external forces helps take the pathology off the individual.

Resources Mentioned

• Ancestral Memory Therapy’s blog

Connect with Melissa Taylor

• Ancestral Memory Therapy: https://www.ancestralmemorytherapy.com/

Connect with the Show

• Website: justlikenana.com
• Share Your Story: If you have a family story or trauma you’re exploring, reach out via our website for a chance to be interviewed.

Connect with Just Like Nana's Website.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

Theme music by Carter Penny.

Together they explore pre-cognitive memories and how we can metabolize emotional distress.

About Annie
Annie Brook is a psychologist, educator, and author whose work focuses on trauma healing, birth imprint therapy, and applied neuroplasticity. Through The Brook Institute she teaches practical body mind tools that help therapists, parents, and individuals heal early developmental trauma and build healthier relationships. For more information visit https://anniebrook.com.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• While the mind can analyze trauma, the nervous system is what stores it. Healing requires moving into the felt sense to release energy that talk therapy alone often cannot reach.
• How experiences from the womb and birth—moments before we have language—create foundational blueprints in our bodies. Recognizing these early imprints can be helpful in understanding unexplained adult anxiety or shut-down.
• How to identify when your system has entered a freeze or existential shock state. Annie explains how dissociation serves as a survival mechanism and provides tools to safely bring your awareness back into your body.
• How to use sensory feedback and somatic techniques to finish incomplete trauma responses. Whether it’s reclaiming a birth push or moving through ancestral grief, these tools help your body understand that the danger is in the past.
• To develop a compassionate witness within yourself. By replacing self-attack thinking with curious body awareness, you create the internal safety necessary for deep integration and personal growth.

Resources Mentioned

• Annie’s PDF Library: https://www.anniebrook.com/pdf-library
• Annie’s “Blink Blink” video: https://www.instagram.com/p/C35qUqMOZ7T/
• Molecules of Emotion by Candace Pert, PhD
• There’s No Such Thing As a Dragon by Jack Kent

Connect with Annie Brook

Instagram: @anniebrooktherapy

Website: https://www.anniebrook.com

Connect with the Show

• Website: justlikenana.com
• Share Your Story: If you have a family story or trauma you’re exploring, reach out via our website for a chance to be interviewed.

Connect with Just Like Nana's Website.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

Theme music by Carter Penny.

About Erica

Erica Bonham is a licensed professional counselor, speaker, best selling author and embodied leadership coach. Her work bridges individual transformation and collective healing. She leads trainings on EMDR, ancestral trauma, and embodied, heart-led leadership.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• The difference between fake resiliency, a high-functioning trauma response rooted in fear, and true capacity.
• How to stay present with difficult emotions. Instead of avoiding the hard things, learn to use them as fuel for your growth and leadership.
• Moving beyond repeating affirmations like "I am worthy." Shift into an embodied practice where your value is something you feel in your cells, not just something you think in your head.
• Explore the intersection of the body, the heart, and the mind. When you unwind the patterns in all three areas, you stop playing small and start trusting your own intuition and impact.
• Why setting boundaries isn't just a social skill, but a physiological requirement for your nervous system. Strengthening your capacity to say "no" increases your capacity.

Resources Mentioned

• Kim Krans The Wild Archetypes Deck
• Kasia Urbaniack’s Book, Unbound

Connect with Erica Bonham

Website: https://www.avoscounseling.com

Embodied and Unstoppable Workshop

Nervous System Reset Toolkit

Erica’s Book: Always Enough, Never Done

Connect with the Show

• Website: justlikenana.com
• Share Your Story: If you have a family story or trauma you’re exploring, reach out via our website for a chance to be interviewed.

Connect with Just Like Nana's Website.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

Theme music by Carter Penny.

Together, they explore the non-linear nature of healing, ways to regulate your nervous system, tapping into ancestral resilience, and more.

About Bee

Bee Doyle is a nurse practitioner, intuitive healer, and spiritual teacher who uniquely bridges the worlds of medicine and metaphysics. As a combat veteran, her own path to wellness began after returning from a tour in Afghanistan, where she navigated the complexities of post-traumatic stress and a lost sense of purpose.Today, she is the owner of Double Libra Astrology, where she blends her medical background with evolutionary astrology, ancestral healing, and embodiment practices to guide others toward a holistic state of empowered living. 

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Healing is never a linear path from A to Z; it is a journey full of twists and turns that requires self-grace when you feel you’ve taken a step backward .
• True healing often remains stuck if your body doesn't feel safe. Learning to move out of high-alert states—like fight, flight, or freeze—is the essential foundation for any deep ancestral or trauma work.
• Use the "Heavy vs. Light" tool to build your intuition like a muscle. Pay attention to how your body physically reacts to truths (feeling "light" or expansive) versus untruths (feeling "heavy" or restricted) to guide your daily decisions .
• While we often focus on ancestral wounds, our lineage also contains the "resilience and positive tools" that allowed our ancestors to survive. Reclaiming these gifts is just as vital as healing the trauma .
• Showing up for yourself with softness and compassion creates a ripple effect, softening the world around you and positively impacting your community and future generations.

Resources Mentioned

• What is Somatic Therapy?: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-is-somatic-therapy-202307072951 

Connect with Bee

Bee’s Upcoming Book, Keepers of the Light: https://publishizer.com/keepers-of-the-light/

Website: https://doublelibraastrology.com/

Instagram: @doublelibracoaching

Connect with the Show

• Website: justlikenana.com
• Share Your Story: If you have a family story or trauma you’re exploring, reach out via our website for a chance to be interviewed.

Connect with Just Like Nana's Website.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

Theme music by Carter Penny.

Together they explore the feeling of psychological homelessness, where the fractures in our family history leave us feeling disconnected from our roots and our sense of belonging. 

About Dr. Erika Yourdan

Dr. Erika Yourdan is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, addiction counselor, and certified EMDR practitioner based in Abilene, Texas. As a systemic thinker, Dr. Yourdan specializes in looking beyond individual symptoms to uncover the complex web of relational and ancestral transmissions that shape our lives.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Understand Psychological Homelessness: Recognize that the feeling of not fitting in often stems from a lack of emotional or ancestral safety. Healing begins when we acknowledge this displacement and start building an internal sense of home.
• The Power of Relational Transmission: Learn how trauma isn't just an event, but a vibe or way of relating that is passed down through generations. By identifying these systemic patterns, you can stop the copy-paste of trauma in your own life.
• Regulate Your Nervous System with Eco-Therapy: Discover how connecting with nature—whether through a hike or simply sitting with a tree—can help ground your felt senses and provide the safety your brain needs to process difficult family histories.
• The Logic of Safety: Move beyond the just do it scared mentality. Dr. Yourdan explains how to logic your way into safety by reminding your brain that the current environment is secure, allowing you to take steps forward, sideways, or even back with grace.
• Embrace Your Role as a Cycle Breaker: Accept your calling as a disruptor or transitional character. You don't have to heal generations of wounds in one day; even a single, small step is enough to start changing the story for your descendants.

Resources Mentioned

• What is Polyvagal Theory?
• Dr. Laurel Thorton

Connect with Dr. Erika Yourdan

https://thesumofyoucounseling.com/

Connect with the Show

• Website: justlikenana.com
• Share Your Story: If you have a family story or trauma you’re exploring, reach out via our website for a chance to be interviewed.

Connect with Just Like Nana's Website.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

Theme music by Carter Penny.

Together they discuss how healing your personal lineage is a vital step in dismantling systemic oppression and understanding your belonging in the world.

About Jo Kent Katz

Jo Kent Katz is an intuitive healer, social justice educator, and an ordained Kohenet (Hebrew Priestess) dedicated to the work of justice and healing. With a lineage rooted in Ashkenazi Jewish history across Russia, Romania, Ukraine, and Poland, Jo brings a deep understanding of how historical trauma and cultural assimilation impact our modern lives. She is the creator of "Transcending Jewish Trauma," a comprehensive resource that maps out inherited trauma patterns specifically for white Ashkenazi lineages. Jo also offers For Sacred Consideration, which are spiritual teachings Jo receives through channeling.  Jo bridges the gap between ritual support and social change, helping individuals navigate intergenerational healing to foster a deeper sense of communal and personal belonging.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• How your brain creates survival strategies based on ancestral fears.
• Why personal ancestral healing is a prerequisite for collective liberation. By addressing our own inherited trauma, we stop projecting survival patterns onto our community spaces and social justice work.
• The cost of "whiteness" and assimilation for those with immigrant lineages.
• How to map out the specific traumas of your lineage—such as displacement or systemic violence—to understand how they manifest in your nervous system today as hyper-vigilance or a sense of not enoughness.

Connect with Jo Kent Katz

     https://www.jokentkatz.com/

     https://www.transcendingjewishtrauma.com/

     https://www.patreon.com/SacredConsideration

Resources

Blintz information: https://chompies.com/the-history-of-the-blintz/

Melanie Kaye/Kantrowitz: https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/kaye-kantrowitz-melanie

Connect with the Show

We would love to hear your family stories.

• Website: justlikenana.com

Connect with Just Like Nana's Website.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

Theme music by Carter Penny.

Together, they explore the reality that breaking trauma cycles isn't a clean, linear process—it's messy, imperfect, and requires an incredible amount of somatic awareness and radical self-honesty to move forward.

About Savannah

An Army veteran and police officer, Savannah is also a student obtaining a Master’s in Social Work. She is the author of In the Wake of Wounds: A Soul's Revival, a raw and unfiltered look at her personal journey through grief and the complexities of family dynamics. 

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Recognize that breaking generational cycles isn't a "one and done" event. It involves navigating a confusing, non-linear path of grief, anger, and acceptance where the goal isn't perfection, but consistent effort and self-grace.
• Learn to listen to your body’s signals. Identifying physical sensations—like a racing heart or a gut feeling—is a critical first step in regulating your nervous system and stopping a trauma response before it takes over.
• Discover how the act of conscious parenting can actually accelerate your own healing. By choosing to react with patience instead of the autopilot of your past, you aren't just protecting your children; you are re-parenting yourself.
• Shift your perspective on relationships by prioritizing reciprocity and safety. Healing involves the difficult but necessary work of setting boundaries with people who do not support your peace or growth.
• Adopt a mindset of ancestral sovereignty. Even when you are breaking their cycles, you can carry the strength and resilience of those who came before you, entering every space with the confidence that you belong there.

Resources Mentioned

• TacMobility
• The Workout Witch

I connected with Savannah on #PodMatch. 

Connect with Savannah

In The Wake of Wounds: A Soul’s Revival

Instagram

Connect with the Show

Do you have a family story you want to share? We want to hear from you!

Connect with Just Like Nana's Website.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

Theme music by Carter Penny.

This episode explores how understanding these interactive pathways can actually lead to greater resilience and personal agency, regardless of the past. 

About Dr. Champagne

After completing a B.A. in Psychology at Queen’s University (Canada), Dr. Frances Champange delved into the genetic and environmental risk factors in psychopathology at McGill University in the M.Sc. program in Psychiatry. She then started a Ph.D. in Neuroscience at McGill University examining the role of mother-infant interactions in shaping the brain. In 2004, Dr. Champagne received a fellowship from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to conduct postdoctoral research at Cambridge University (UK), examining the role of imprinted genes in development and social behavior. From 2006-2017, She was a faculty in the Department of Psychology at Columbia University and established a research group examining the epigenetic influence of early life experiences. Her interests focus on the interplay between genes and environment that shape neural and behavioral outcomes and the implications of this dynamic interplay for inheritance of traits. 

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Research shows that the quality of maternal care doesn't just affect the immediate offspring; it shapes the brain systems of generations to come.
• Beyond pure biology, trauma can be transmitted through family stories and learned behaviors, which eventually become "embodied" in our stress systems and nervous system reactivity.
• Despite the potential for transmitting stress, the most common biological response to adversity is resilience. Because the epigenetic system is designed to be malleable, there is always room for change and intervention.

Resources Mentioned

• Agouti mice: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2822875/
• Överkalix study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24552514/
• Odor study: https://news.emory.edu/stories/2013/12/smell_epigenetics_ressler/index.html

Connect with Dr. Champagne

• University of Texas at Austin Department of Psychology Bio: https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/psychology/faculty/fac752 

Connect with the Show

We would love to feature your family's story.  Please visit the website!

Connect with Just Like Nana's Website.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

Theme music by Carter Penny.

Together they explore the benefits of finding a deep connection to your ancestors, the connection between the brain and nervous system as it responds to trauma, and the importance of listening to your soul’s truth.

About Amy

Amy Pons is the Founder and CEO of Unlock the Magic; Host of Women Making Moves; and Head of Marketing for End Workplace Abuse. Amy is a conqueror, a healer, a truth teller, and an activist. She's reached the highest of ladders in the corporate world realizing that the call toward creating for others was now hers to blaze. Amy is at the forefront of re-introducing the divine feminine to create the balance we've never seen in this lifetime. Through Amy's magic, you unlock your own and she guides you to walk in your highest path. 

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Healing is often a process of remembering rather than awakening. It is the act of tapping into the ancient wisdom stored in your bones and DNA that has been passed down through your lineage.
• You may have been born into a line of generational trauma, but you can choose to be the one who heals it on behalf of your ancestors. Recognizing that ancestors often did the best they could allows for healing without blame.
• Your brain is designed to keep you safe, not necessarily happy, and it often tells stories based on fear. True intuition often bypasses those stories, manifesting as a felt sense or a deep knowing in the gut or chest.
• We arrive with a "soul blueprint"—a purpose for being here at this specific time. Embracing personal sovereignty means trusting your own truth over the copy-paste expectations of society.

Connect with Amy

• Website: https://www.unlockthemagic.org/
• @unlockthemagic_ on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unlockthemagic_
• Women Making Moves Podcast: https://www.unlockthemagic.org/podcast
• @chicagosfavewitchycoach on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chicagosfavewitchycoach

Connect with the Show

Are you curious about the "Elizabeths" in your own family tree? We want to hear from you!

• Website: justlikenana.com
• Share Your Story: If you have a family story or trauma you’re exploring, reach out via our website for a chance to be interviewed.

Connect with Just Like Nana's Website.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

Theme music by Carter Penny.

Together, they explore how ancestral trauma is unintentionally passed down through generations, share stories of personal family estrangements, and dive deep into what it truly means to be a cycle breaker. 

About Harriet

Harriet Shearsmith is an accredited empowerment and life coach, trainee therapist, best-selling author, and content creator of over 10 years. She specialises in working with clients who have experienced childhood trauma and are navigating estrangement or toxic family relationships. Harriet is an award-winning blogger and writer of Unfollowing Mum (2024) and Mummin’ It (2021), and has written for and been featured in publications like Happiful Mag, Guardian, Telegraph, BBC, Daily Express, Metro, Internet Matters and more. Harriet is also an award-winning blogger, content creator behind @unfollowing_mum and @harrietshearsmith, and podcaster with over 250,000 social media followers and 100,000 downloads. 

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Generational trauma often moves through sneaky messages that evolve with each generation but maintain the same underlying thread of "you aren't good enough".
• Estrangement is rarely a whim; it is often the result of one party repeatedly asking for changed behavior and being met with gaslighting or a lack of accountability.
• Becoming a parent often gives you what you need to recognize unhealthy patterns, as we realize we would never want our own children to experience what we endured.
• Being a cycle breaker doesn't mean never making mistakes; it means having the courage to apologize to your children, own your "stuff," and engage in the repair process that builds secure relationships.

Resources

• Dr. Emma Svanberg: https://dremmasvanberg.com/  

Connect with Harriet

• Website: https://harrietshearsmith.com/ 
• @harrietshearsmith on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harrietshearsmith/?hl=en 
• Unfollowing Mum Podcast: https://harrietshearsmith.com/podcast/ 
• @unfollowing_mum on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unfollowing_mum/ 
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@itsharrietshearsmith 
• Harriet’s Books: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Harriet-Shearsmith/author/B08N6LV3ND?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1738847828&sr=1-1&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true 

Connect with the Show

Do you have a story about your family? We want to hear from you!

• Website: justlikenana.com
• Share Your Story: If you have a family story or trauma you’re exploring, reach out via our website for a chance to be interviewed.

Connect with Just Like Nana's Website.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

Theme music by Carter Penny.

They explore how trauma isn’t just a personal experience but a legacy burden that can be handed down through DNA, attachment patterns, and energetic imprints. The flip side is that we can also be the recipients of ancestral gifts.

About Dr. Daphne Fatter

Dr. Daphne Fatter is a licensed psychologist, clinical trainer, and international speaker specializing in integrative, trauma-informed therapies. As a certified practitioner in IFS, EMDR, and Ancestral Lineage Healing, she is a leading expert in resolving complex intergenerational and historical trauma. Dr. Fatter has authored significant works on these topics, including a book chapter on integrating IFS with ancestral healing and her own guide, Integrating Internal Family Systems into EMDR Therapy. Her work bridges the gap between evidence-based psychotherapy and the profound, often non-verbal realm of ancestral connection. 

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Trauma is multi-dimensional, including personal events as well as collective and ancestral traumas passed down through epigenetics. 
• Ancestral trauma often shows up non-verbally as a sense of heaviness, unexplained dreams, or emotional reactions that feel "too big" for the situation at hand.
• You don't need a perfect family history to heal. By connecting with "well" ancestors, you can access a powerful support system.
• Integrating IFS with ancestral work encourages cultural humility, allowing us to recognize our place within a massive, nested system and treat ourselves and others with deeper curiosity and grace.

Resources Mentioned

• IFS Integration by Jenna Riemersma: https://a.co/d/08wsDuTj 
• Dr. Daniel Foor: https://ancestralmedicine.org/bio/ 

Connect with Dr. Daphne Fatter

• Website: https://www.daphnefatterphd.com/ 
• Integrating IFS (Internal Family Systems) into EMDR Therapy: https://a.co/d/0dKkitKs 

Connect with the Show

Are you curious about the "Elizabeths" in your own family tree? We want to hear from you!

• Website: justlikenana.com
• Share Your Story: If you have a family story or trauma you’re exploring, reach out via our website for a chance to be interviewed.

Connect with Just Like Nana's Website.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

Theme music by Carter Penny.

Together, they explore how empathy and intuition serve as spiritual superpowers to help you navigate trauma, dissolve gunky energy, and finally create a safe space your soul needs to rest and restore. 

About Erica Wallace Moore

Erica Wallace Moore is a Reiki Practitioner, Instructor, healer, and Akashic Records reader currently in practice at Wellness Paradigm, a wellness and healing collective in Minneapolis. Her Reiki journey began in 2014 after receiving the practice for the first time. As a mother of four, Erica found herself feeling frazzled, stressed, and disconnected from her body. Those initial sessions proved life-changing, helping her return to her center and grounding her in a way she hadn't experienced before. While it began as a personal tool for healing, Reiki quickly evolved into one of her essential daily spiritual practices. What started as curiosity has since transformed into higher vibrations of connection, compassion, love, and wisdom. Erica is particularly passionate about how Reiki and the Akashic Records expand energetic pathways for self-discovery, forgiveness, joy, and peace.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Reiki can be an incredible tool to dissolve "stuck" energy, allowing you to expel what no longer serves you and make room for new vitality.
• Recognizing that trauma is energetic information processed by our cells can help us understand why it often feels physically "trapped" in our central nervous system.
• We can carry the grief and hardships of our ancestors within our own energetic field, and healing involves raising our own vibration to move forward. 

Resources Mentioned

• Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert: https://a.co/d/028xQZJ1 

Connect with Erica Wallace Moore

• Website: https://ericawallacemoorereiki.com/ 

Connect with the Show

Are you curious about the "Elizabeths" in your own family tree? We want to hear from you!

• Website: justlikenana.com
• Share Your Story: If you have a family story or trauma you’re exploring, reach out via our website for a chance to be interviewed.

Connect with Just Like Nana's Website.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

Theme music by Carter Penny.

They discuss how professional genealogy can be a powerful tool for exploring ancestral trauma and finding a path toward healing, and how you can get started uncovering your own family tree.

About Jen Shaffer:

Born in Iowa and currently residing in Minnesota, Jen Shaffer has had a lifelong passion for history, which she has channeled into a career as a professional genealogist. Jen is an active member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, where she also serves as the Booth Coordinator for both in-person and virtual industry events. She possesses a remarkably broad knowledge base covering diverse time periods, geographic locations, and languages. A graduate of St. Olaf College with two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Russian Language and Russian Studies, Jen particularly enjoys working with Slavic and Scandinavian records. Her linguistic background includes the formal study of Russian, Spanish, German, Latin, and Norwegian. She has developed a specialized talent for "brick wall" research, expertly distinguishing between individuals with identical names to identify the correct ancestor with precision.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Modern DNA testing can help break through long-standing “brick walls” to identify unknown ancestors and connect distant relatives.
• Genealogy is more than names and dates; it’s about learning the historical circumstances that shaped your ancestors’ lives and decisions. 
• Genealogy is a team sport and collaborative tools can help you build a shared history with others. 

Resources Mentioned

• Metamora Historical Society: https://metamorahistoricalsociety.org/ 
• Ancestry.com 
• WikiTree: https://www.wikitree.com/ 
• Family Search Tree: https://www.familysearch.org/en/united-states/ 

Connect with Jen Shaffer

• The Formidable Genealogist: https://www.theformidablegenealogist.com/ 
• Discovering the Free Side of Ancestry.com [Free Research Guide]: https://www.theformidablegenealogist.com/product-page/discovering-the-free-side-of-ancestry-com-pdf-research-guide 

Connect with the Show

Do you have stories about the "Elizabeths" or Nanas in your own family tree? We want to hear from you!

• Website: justlikenana.com
• Share Your Story: If you have a family story or trauma you’re exploring, reach out via our website for a chance to be interviewed.

Connect with Just Like Nana's Website.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

Theme music by Carter Penny.

About Kenlee:

Kenlee Valleskey is a licensed professional counselor with extensive experience in Internal Family Systems (IFS). As a lover of questions and the intersections of our lives, she explores spaces that don't have neat, easy answers or a neat, easy arrival. From exploring the evolving terrain of grief and identity and deconstructing systemic narratives to learning what it means to love and trust ourselves in new ways, Kenlee has so much to teach us about accepting and working with all aspects of ourselves and our ancestors.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Every one of us has a core self, characterized by qualities like compassion, clarity, and courage, that remains inherently whole and safe, regardless of the trauma experienced.
• We also consist of “exiled” wounded parts that carry burdens and “protectors” that keep us from feeling pain.  
• Healing begins when a wound (whether our own or our ancestors’) is fully witnessed and acknowledged, rather than just managed. 

Resources Mentioned

• No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz: https://a.co/d/08nxdmbU 
• It Didn’t Start With You by Mark Wolynn: https://a.co/d/0gEpUOf7 
• IFS Institute: https://ifs-institute.com/ 
• Dr. Gabor Maté: https://drgabormate.com/
• Somebody’s Daughter by Ashley C. Ford: https://a.co/d/0cV34FW4 
• What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo: https://a.co/d/00MvSpSW 
• Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay Gibson: https://a.co/d/06J3NKyQ 
• Decolonizing Therapy by Jennifer Mullan: https://a.co/d/0cNaMrxT 
• Francis Weller: https://www.francisweller.net/
• Harriet Lerner: https://www.harrietlerner.com/
• Mark Nepo: https://www.marknepo.com/

Connect with Kenlee: 

• Website: https://www.kenleevalleskey.com/ 
• The Grief Room, St. Paul, MN: https://www.thegriefroom.com/ 
• The Fallows: https://www.stayatfallows.com/ 

Connect with the Show

Do you have a story about the "Elizabeths" in your own family tree? We want to hear from you!

• Website: justlikenana.com
• Share Your Story: If you have a family story or trauma you’re exploring, reach out via our website for a chance to be interviewed.

Connect with Just Like Nana's Website.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

Theme music by Carter Penny.

About Dr. Isabelle Mansuy

Dr. Isabelle Mansuy is a leading expert in the field of neuroepigenetics and a professor based in Switzerland. Her pioneering research focuses on the biological mechanisms of how traumatic life experiences, particularly those occurring in early childhood, modify mental and physical health across generations. Through her extensive work with mouse models, Dr. Mansuy has provided some of the most compelling evidence to date that traumatic signals can be carried in the germline (sperm cells), affecting the behavior and physiology of offspring up to five generations later. 

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• While your DNA sequence (the hardware) is fixed, your epigenome (the software) is dynamic and can be modulated by both your life experiences and the life experiences of your ancestors.
• Early-life trauma creates epigenetic signals in sperm (germ) cells, which transmit the consequences of that trauma to future generations. 

Connect with Dr. Isabelle Mansuy

Website: https://www.mansuylab.ch/team/isabellemansuy 

Connect with the Show

Are you curious about the "Elizabeths" in your own family tree? We want to hear from you!

• Website: justlikenana.com
• Share Your Story: If you have a family story or trauma you’re exploring, reach out via our website for a chance to be interviewed.

Connect with Just Like Nana's Website.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

Theme music by Carter Penny.

In this episode of Just Like Nana, host Amie (Elizabeth) Penny Sayler is joined by Dr. Peter Levine to discuss how trauma lives in the body and, more importantly, how the trauma cycle can be completed to restore a sense of inner peace. 

They unpack the signs– persistent physical symptoms, repetitive relationship patterns, feeling disconnected from your own life– that point to the roots of your struggles, which are not just in your mind but etched into your physiology as intergenerational trauma. If any of this sounds familiar to you, this conversation will give you the guidance to take the next step in seeking support and releasing that held trauma. 

About Dr. Peter Levine

Peter A Levine, Ph.D., is the developer of Somatic Experiencing® (SE™), a naturalistic and neurobiological approach to healing trauma, which he has developed over the past 50 years. He holds a doctorate in Biophysics from UC Berkeley and a doctorate in Psychology from International University. He is the Founder and President of the Ergos Institute of Somatic Education and the Founder and Advisor for Somatic Experiencing International, where his work has been taught to over 30,000 healers in over 42 countries. He recently finished his Autobiography, An Autobiography of Trauma, A Healing Journey, and is the author of several best-selling books on trauma, including Waking the Tiger, Healing Trauma; In an Unspoken Voice, How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness; and Trauma and Memory, Brain and Body in a Search for the Living Past.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• 80% of the information flowing through your vagus nerve is sensory, explaining why trauma is a visceral, bodily experience rather than just a “brain disease.”
• Trauma often manifests as chronic pain or tension and healing occurs by slowly and safely completing these defensive responses that were frozen in time.
• Trauma isn't just personal; it can be an "energetic pattern" passed down through generations. 
• Recognizing our ancestral webs can help us resolve issues that seem to have no clear origin in our lives. 
• Reconnecting with the body often requires the presence of a "connected, empathetic other" to help discharge stored energy safely.

Connect with Dr. Peter Levine

• Somatic Experiencing Website: https://www.somaticexperiencing.com/ or https://traumahealing.org/ 
• An Autobiography of Trauma: A Healing Journey is available at: Ergos Institute, Barnes & Noble, Inner Traditions, Books A Million, and Bookshop.org

Connect with the Show

Are you curious about the

Connect with Just Like Nana's Website.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

Theme music by Carter Penny.

Together, they explore how active breathwork serves as “vibrational medicine” to complete interrupted trauma cycles, helping you move from a state of fight, flight, or freeze, back into a regulated, peaceful state. 

About Amy

Amy Kuretsky is a licensed acupuncturist, board-certified health coach, and a seasoned breathwork facilitator with the Global Professional Breathwork Alliance. As the co-owner of Constellation Acupuncture and Healing Arts, Amy bridges the gap between ancient healing traditions and modern trauma-informed care. She specializes in helping clients navigate the complexities of nervous system regulation and mental health, with a clinical focus on digestive disorders, chronic headaches, migraines, anxiety, and depression. By integrating her deep knowledge of East Asian medicine with somatic breathwork practices, Amy empowers individuals to move beyond "pushing through" and into a state of sustainable, embodied healing.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• When stress is left trapped in the body, breathwork can act as a way to "shake out" this pent-up energy, allowing the nervous system to complete its natural cycle and release stress hormones.
• When you heal your nervous system, the benefits ripple both backward to your ancestors and forward to future generations.
• Expanding your "window of tolerance" through a regulated nervous system allows you to navigate life’s challenges with more resiliency and less reactivity.

Resources Mentioned

• Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma by Peter A. Levine: https://shorturl.at/qPX8T 
• The Body Keeps The Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk: https://shorturl.at/f9kYb 
• The Tao of Trauma by Alaine Duncan: https://shorturl.at/Olo04 
• Burnout by Emily and Amelia Nagoski: https://www.burnoutbook.net/ 
• Eliza Kingsford | The Shift Program: https://www.elizakingsford.com/work-with-me 
• HeartMath Institute: https://shorturl.at/MVj1n 

Connect with Amy

• Constellation Acupuncture and Healing Arts: https://www.constellationacu.com/ 
• 7 Days of Breathwork: https://constellationacu.myflodesk.com/ixrx159c67 

Connect with the Show

Do you have a story about your family that you would like to share? We want to hear from you!

• Website: justlikenana.com
• Share Your Story: If you have a family story or ancestral trauma you’re exploring, reach out via our website for a chance to be interviewed.

Connect with Just Like Nana's Website.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

Theme music by Carter Penny.

Together, they explore why many of us struggle with ancestral trauma and deep-seated personal shame without realizing these burdens aren’t entirely theirs to carry, how witnessing the “unspoken” stories of our ancestors can lead to profound personal growth, and so much more. 

About Mona Susan Power

Mona Susan Power is an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and an award-winning author whose work serves as "powerful good medicine." A graduate of Harvard Law School and the Iowa Writers' Workshop, she has received numerous prestigious honors, including the PEN/Hemingway Prize and the Minnesota Book Award. Her most recent novel, A Council of Dolls, was longlisted for the National Book Award. Mona’s writing is celebrated for its vulnerability and ability to explore the deep intersections of Indigenous history, resilience, and healing. 

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• True healing requires more than just moving on; it requires a "witnessing" or a sincere hearing of the story without gaslighting or self-protection.
• Understanding the "why" behind the difficult choices of our parents and grandparents can help us move from a place of resentment to one of deep compassion.
• Breaking free from inherited scripts and shame can be a physical experience, a "heaviness" falling away, allowing you to step into a more stable version of yourself.

Resources Mentioned

• Harvard Magazine: Trails of Tears, and Hope: https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2008/03/trails-of-tears-and-hope-html 
• The Basics of Complex Trauma | Tim Fletcher: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IxEwPMqB-c 

Connect with Mona Susan Power

• Website: https://www.monasusanpower.com/books 
• A Council of Dolls Book: https://bookshop.org/p/books/a-council-of-dolls-a-novel-mona-susan-power/4a8bb4a17e0fdf12?ean=9780063281103&next=t 
• Bloodthread (Short Story): https://www.thegeorgiareview.com/posts/bloodthread/ 
• NY Times: After a Long and Painful Absence, Writing Her Way Home Again: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/07/books/mona-susan-power-council-of-dolls-indigenous-book.html 

Connect with the Show

Do you have ancestors who want to be witnessed?  Share their stories on Just Like Nana.

• Website: justlikenana.com
• Share Your Story: If you have a family story or trauma you’re exploring, reach out via our website for a chance to be interviewed.

Connect with Just Like Nana's Website.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

Theme music by Carter Penny.

They explore the profound idea that “pain runs through families until someone is resourced enough to feel it,” and so much more. If you’ve ever felt like the “cycle breaker” in your family, this conversation will provide you with the somatic tools and emotional validation you need to rewrite the story in your lineage–for you, your ancestors, and future generations. 

About Sarah

Sarah Lindsey is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) who operates from a trauma-informed and relational perspective in her work. With a deep passion for the mind-body connection, Sarah integrates mindfulness and somatics into her work to bring about deep healing for the whole person. She is the co-founder of As You Are Therapy in the Twin Cities and is dedicated to creating "Grandma-energy" spaces where people can co-regulate and find psychological safety.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• The heart-opening journal prompt, “who loved you into being,” to identify the person who provided your “relational template” for safety. 
• Trauma isn’t just a “Big T” event; it’s often the result of a lack of a compassionate witness and can be passed down through DNA and epigenetics. 
• How to co-regulate with your ancestors, regardless of whether you knew them or not. 
• How to embrace the practice of asking the hard questions to uncover your own family history. 

Connect with Sarah Lindsey

As You Are Therapy: https://www.asyouaretherapymn.com/ 

Connect with the Show
Do you have a story of intergenerational trauma that you'd like to share on the podcast? We want to hear from you!

• Website: justlikenana.com
• Share Your Story: If you have a family story or trauma you’re exploring, reach out via our website for a chance to be interviewed.

Connect with Just Like Nana's Website.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

Theme music by Carter Penny.

The heart of this episode is a narrative reimagining of Amie’s fifth great-grandmother, Elisabetha Kaltwasser Simon. Set in Bavaria in 1823, we follow 12-year-old Betha as she navigates the rigid teachings of the church, the weight of family expectations, and a terrifying encounter with a wolf pack that reveals a forbidden power—one that carries the dangerous label of Hexe (witch).

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• The Power of a Name: Why Amie’s middle name, Elizabeth, became the key to unlocking eight generations of family history.
• Bridging the Gap: How to connect with ancestors even when family dynamics or religious barriers have cut off access to certain branches of your tree.
• Elisabetha’s Story: A journey to 19th-century Bavaria involving blue ribbons, Napoleonic Wars, and the struggle to stay "pure" in the eyes of the church.
• The "Hexe" Legacy: The moment Elisabetha used her intuition to save a friend and the heavy price her mother paid to keep that secret safe.
• Healing the Future: Why telling these stories is the first step toward resolving generational trauma for ourselves and our children.

Featured Ancestor

• Name: Elisabetha Kaltwasser Simon
• Lived: 1811–1887
• Origin: Bavaria to Illinois

Resources 

• Ancestry.com: The platform used to build Amie's family tree.
• JustLikeNana.com: Connect with Amie and share your own family stories.
• Woodford County Historical Society: Great research support.
• Larsen, Celeste, Heal the Witch Wound (2023)

Connect with the Show

Do you have stories about your "Elizabeths," Nanas, or ancestors? We want to hear from you!

• Website: justlikenana.com
• Share Your Story: If you have a family story or trauma you’re exploring, reach out via our website for a chance to be interviewed.

Connect with Just Like Nana's Website.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

Theme music by Carter Penny.

Discover what inspired Amie and what you can expect in future episodes, including:

• Fiction Stories: Research-based fictional stories about Amie’s Nanas and their experiences, such as her grandmother who moved from Bavaria to America with 10 children.
• Expert Interviews: Conversations with a variety of experts, including mental health practitioners and wellness facilitators, to explore healing modalities.

Hear clips from some of the incredible guests you'll meet, including:

• Dr. Peter Levine, author of Waking the Tiger, discussing the connection between the body and trauma.
• Mona Susan Power, author of A Council of Dolls, sharing a physical experience of releasing generational shame.
• Amy Kuretsky, of Constellation Acupuncture, on the power of cultivating a regulated nervous system.

The podcast is grounded in honoring ancestors and understanding your family dynamics without blame. Tune in every Friday to find your own path to healing!

Connect with Just Like Nana's Website.

A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.

Theme music by Carter Penny.