About Embodied Dialogues for Healing Trauma and Addiction
A living conversation at the intersection of trauma healing, addiction recovery, and nervous system science. Hosted by Jan Winhall, creator of the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model™ and FSPM Institute, this podcast invites therapists, coaches, and embodied practitioners from around the world into deep dialogue about what it means to heal. Each episode explores somatic wisdom, polyvagal-informed practices, Focusing, and the felt sense as a doorway into resilience and connection. More than an interview, Embodied Dialogues is an experiential space—where nervous system science meets the art of being human.
To join the live audience, visit https://www.fspminstitute/free-resources#edp (https://www.fspminstitute.com/free-resources#edp)
Masking & the Nervous System: What We Lose to Fit In with Sean Inderbitzen
In this episode of the Embodied Dialogues podcast, Jan Winhall is joined by Sean Inderbitzen to explore masking through a Felt Sense Polyvagal lens. Sean is an autistic psychotherapist whose work sits at the intersection of autism and the autonomic nervous system. Together they look at how masking can protect us and also cost us, and how awareness and choice shape the way it lives in the body.
25 Jun 2026
Healing After Betrayal: A Conversation on the Body, Safety, and Trust
Host Jan Winhall and guest Carrie Holladay discuss how betrayal trauma impacts the nervous system, exploring embodied pathways to restore safety and rebuild trust.
8 May 2026
Dissociation, Attachment, and the Mind's Genius for Survival
Host Jan Winhall and guest Sally Maslansky explore dissociation, attachment trauma, and the mind's survival mechanisms, offering insights into healing.
15 Apr 2026
When Protective Parts Take Over in Relationships: Healing Through Parts Work and FSPM with Dr. Frank Anderson
Host Jan Winhall interviews trauma therapist Dr. Frank Anderson about how the Felt Sense Polyvagal Model and his PATH model help couples heal relational conflict by understanding nervous system dynamics and reconnecting with inner calm power.
15 Apr 2026
Voice as Resource: Healing, Presence, and Personal Truth with guest Mattie Shisko
Host Jan Winhall interviews voice coach Mathilde "Mattie" Shisko, exploring how vocal expression serves as a powerful resource for healing trauma, addiction, and nervous system regulation.
23 Feb 2026
Attachment, Addiction and the Body: Healing what the Body Remembers
Host Jan Winhall interviews trauma and addiction pioneer Tian Dayton about how early attachment wounds and relational trauma impact the nervous system, offering embodied healing through community and connection.
17 Dec 2025
Brain Partnership: Research-Backed Trauma Healing and Resilience Building with Dr. Kate Truitt
Host Jan Winhall interviews clinical psychologist Dr. Kate Truitt about research-backed brain science and embodied practices for healing trauma and building resilience.
4 Dec 2025
Mindfulness Meets Felt Sense & Focusing with guest Jeff Warren
Host Jan Winhall interviews Jeff Warren, exploring how mindfulness, felt sense, and Focusing practices facilitate healing from trauma and addiction by connecting with the body's wisdom.
7 Nov 2025
How to Build a Somatic Resource Kit for Your Nervous System — Tools to Heal Trauma & Attachment
Host Jan Winhall interviews somatic practitioner Holly Lowery-Davis about building a nervous system resource kit for healing trauma and attachment wounds.
27 Oct 2025
Balancing Children’s Gut Microbiome: Supporting the Nervous System and Healing Trauma
Neurodevelopmental Specialist BG Mancini and Jan Winhall discuss how to heal children's gut microbiomes to support their nervous systems and improve family well-being.
23 Oct 2025
Trauma to Poetry: How Embodied Healing Unlocks Creative Writing
Jan Winhall interviews Katy Dickson, Author and Occupational Therapist, about how embodied healing and trauma recovery unlock creative writing and lead to her award-winning poetry.
19 Oct 2025
Dr. Stephen Porges on Polyvagal Theory in Nonverbal Communications, Pets & Co-Regulation, Neurodivergence, and More
Welcome to a 1-hour exclusive Embodied Dialogue in 2025 with Dr. Stephen Porges, the esteemed creator of the Polyvagal Theory.
One of the many qualities I admire about Dr. Porges is his unwavering commitment to accessibility. As I become busier with a public lifestyle, I find myself challenged by the desire to reach out and the need to contain. Steve’s ability to stay connected, respond to emails, listen deeply, and maintain a safe presence amidst his growing popularity is truly inspiring.
Steve starts with opening up about his personal musings on cats and the unique ways they co-regulate with humans, offering insights that might just change the way you view your feline friends. We dive deep into the profound concepts of safety in the body and the transformative nature of feeling truly secure.
Among many other things we touch upon the significance of feedback loops in therapy and life, and how interoception—the awareness of our bodily states—plays a crucial role in healing trauma and addiction.
It's a dialogue brimming with warmth, insight, and a little humor, inviting you to pause, reflect, and embrace the wisdom shared. Through Steve’s stories and reflections, I hope your understanding of polyvagal theory and its practical applications expands.
Chapter Overview00:00 Nonverbal Communication in Music
03:30 Cat's Early Morning Routine
08:53 Understanding Embodiment Through Interoception
11:13 "Evaluating Reactions Mindfully"
13:32 Polyvagal Theory and Emotions
18:29 Reflecting on Bold Paradigm Shifts
23:22 "Balancing Accessibility and Self-Time"
26:47 Evolving Academic Models Post-Pandemic
29:14 Impact of ACEs on Individuals
31:28 "Integrating Neuroscience and Subconscious Therapy"
37:03 Academic Crisis: Research Structure Doomed
40:32 Innovative Music Experience for Neurodivergent
43:07 Developing Scalable Health Products
46:06 Trust and Motivation in Leadership
49:47 Neglected Behavioral Solutions in Autism
53:04 Critique of Autism Research Focus
56:13 Autism Diagnosis and Hope
This session is particularly special as we celebrate the release of three groundbreaking Polyvagal books this winter:* Twenty Embodied Practices for Healing Trauma and Addiction by Jan Winhall https://janwinhall.com/20-embodied-practices/* Somatic-Oriented Therapies https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324052722?promo=SOT20* Polyvagal Perspectives: Interventions, Practices, and Strategies https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324053408
19 Oct 2025
Nightmares: Treating with Polyvagal Theory & Felt Sense of the Body with Dr. Leslie Ellis
Nightmares are robustly linked with trauma and many other forms of psychological injury, including a 4x greater risk of suicide. Yet they are vastly under-treated — which is a shame because nightmare treatment is simple, effective and evidence based. Guest Dr. Leslie Ellis shares:
how polyvagal theory helps us to understand why we or our clients have nightmares
how the body holds nightmares in the nervous system
how to use nightmares to diagnose and track clinical progress
how to help those who suffer from disturbed dreaming
Dr. Ellis is a leading expert in the use of experiential and somatic approaches in psychotherapy, in particular for working with dreams, nightmares and the effects of trauma. She is the author of A Clinician’s Guide to Dream Therapy. As adjunct faculty at Adler University, she taught clinical skills and trauma treatment. She is a Certifying Coordinator and past president of The International Focusing Institute, and former vice president of the International Association for the Study of Dreams. Website: https://drleslieellis.com/Request her article she mentioned during the show here: https://drleslieellis.com/pre-pub-solving-the-nightmare-mystery/
18 Oct 2025
Polyvagal Meets 12 Steps
Jan Winhall with Patrick McA, Elizabeth Moitoza, Robert Ragucci, Ann Dowsett Johnston Join us in this special 2-hour edition of the Embodied Dialogue Series for an enlightening exploration of how Polyvagal Theory and Twelve-step Programs can intersect to enhance addiction treatment. Since the 1930s, Twelve-step Programs have been a cornerstone in helping millions overcome addictive behaviors through accessible, global support groups rooted in the concept of a ‘higher power.’ Founded by Bill Wilson and Bob Smith, these programs view addiction as a brain disease and emphasize community and spiritual connection.Polyvagal Theory, introduced by neuroscientist Stephen Porges in 1994, offers a fresh perspective by framing addictions as adaptive survival strategies linked to the autonomic nervous system’s regulation of emotional states. This approach highlights how trauma influences our nervous system responses, providing new insights into why individuals might engage in addictive behaviors. In this event, we will discuss how these differing views can inform one another. What can the Twelve Steps learn from Polyvagal Theory’s focus on physiological triggers and trauma? How can Polyvagal-informed approaches benefit from the long-standing community and spiritual support of Twelve-step Programs? Join us as we delve into these questions and work together to reshape the conversation around addiction treatment, emphasizing safety and emotional regulation in recovery.
https://janwinhall.com
2 Oct 2025
Dr. Stephen Porges Ask Me Anything
Polyvagal Theorist Dr. Stephen Porges joins Jan Winhall in February 2022 with a live audience to address questions about how the nervous system interprets safety and threat and how it's felt in the body.
2 Oct 2025
Spiritual Alchemy for Trauma: Embodied Healing & Pathways to Wholeness
Guest Julianne Del Cano Kennard and host Jan Winhall explore the spiritual alchemy of trauma, the process by which pain, when consciously met, becomes a catalyst for transformation. Julianne will share about her upcoming book and the Wholality® framework to explain how the patterns and blocks within our human experience are not problems to fix, but signals pointing toward what wants to be healed and harmonized.
2 Oct 2025
Autism in Polyvagal Terms: Neural Exercises to Cultivate Safety for the Neurodiverse
Jan Winhall hosts guest Sean Inderbitzen, author of Autism in Polyvagal Terms, for a rich dialogue on the intersection of polyvagal theory and neurodiversity, especially autism. They share a neural-exercise framework with practical tips to deepen connection, ease “stuckness,” and enhance quality of life by activating the ventral vagal system for greater safety, flexibility, and meaningful relationships.
Who has been a guest on Embodied Dialogues for Healing Trauma and Addiction
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Carrie Holladay
Sally Maslansky
Dr Frank Anderson
Mathilde (Mattie) Shisko
Mattie Shisko
Contact Embodied Dialogues for Healing Trauma and Addiction
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
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