It’s World Mental Health Day this week, and we're having lots of important conversations to increase awareness around emotional wellbeing. I called in Trauma Therapist Simone Saunders to learn more about somatic therapy, how our mental health impacts our physical health, and how trauma and distress shows up in our bodies.

Anxiety and mental illness can show up in so many ways physically — from getting sweaty and experiencing heart palpitations or nausea, to general posture and shoulder stiffness, gut issues, and sleep problems. More and more we're seeing physical diagnoses like chronic pain and IBS linked back to trauma and nervous system dysregulation. And it doesn't always have to be a big T trauma... we talk a lot in this interview about how repeated micro traumas can build up to have the same impact.

So if you want to take control of your mental health and expand your techniques and awareness, this episode is a must-listen.

Simone has a Master's in Clinical Social Work, with a specialization in trauma, emotional regulation, anxiety and depression. As a trauma therapist and educator she has over 800,000 followers across her Instagram and TikTok accounts, the cognitive corner, where she helps people understand the connection between the mind and body and patterns that your nervous system engages in.

Tune in to hear more about:

Signs we might struggle to regulate our emotions and nervous system, and the best tools for nervous system regulation
The typical survival responses we cycle through when triggered
Navigating familial relationships or partnerships that trigger the dysregulation loop
Unhelpful coping strategies that might make you feel worse
Cognitive bypassing: The difference between intellectualizing and feeling
How trauma manifests physically
What if you can't remember your trauma?
Somatic therapy techniques and processing stored trauma
Building a life that's healthy for your nervous system
Navigating the loneliness and isolation on our mental health journey

Follow Simone on Instagram and TikTok.

Our show is produced by:

Gillian Berner, Host, Producer & Editor
Olivia Nashmi, Audio Engineer
Carolyn Schissler, Designer & Web Producer
Sara Valentine, Content Producer

For advertising and sponsorship inquiries, please contact Frequency Podcast Network.

Sign up for our monthly adulting newsletter:

teachmehowtoadult.ca/newsletter

Follow us on the ‘gram:

@teachmehowtoadultmedia

@gillian.berner

Follow on TikTok: @teachmehowtoadult

Subscribe on YouTube

Episode 19: 40 Elephants, with special guest Sarah MacLean