About START: Somatic Tools for Alignment, Regulation, and Transformation
Tired of feeling stuck in the patterns created by a painful childhood? The Holistic Trauma Coach, Jessa Hooley, unpacks common experiences of people with painful childhoods and how to thrive despite it.
When Compulsive Exercise Isn't About Fitness – A Nervous System Perspective | Ep 13
If skipping a workout feels impossible, this episode is for you.
We’re unpacking why compulsive or obsessive exercise isn’t always about discipline, vanity, or health… and how it can actually be an adaptive response from a nervous system trying to survive.
In this episode, we explore exercise through a nervous system lens; looking at how chronic stress, survival energy, and shutdown avoidance can turn movement into a non-negotiable. Not because you want to push your body, but because your body doesn’t feel safe slowing down.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why obsessive exercise can be a survival strategy, not a personal flaw
How sympathetic survival energy and shutdown avoidance drive “I can’t stop moving” patterns
What it might mean if rest days feel anxiety-provoking or unsafe
How to approach exercise habits with curiosity instead of shame
This isn’t about telling you to stop moving or forcing rest before your body is ready. It’s about understanding why your nervous system relies on movement — and how safety, recovery, and regulation might be missing underneath the pattern.
💛 Ready to start healing? Download my free trauma-informed somatic program at theholistictraumacoach.com/free
4 Aug 2025
Why is it so hard for me to feel...anything? | Ep 12
If you’ve been stuck in numbness — not sad, not angry, not even happy — just… nothing… this episode is going to hit home.
We’re unpacking why emotional disconnection is so common for trauma survivors, how your nervous system learned to shut down, and what to do when “just feel your feelings” advice makes you want to scream.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
The real, biological reason you feel flat or emotionally distant
Why feeling nothing isn’t a failure — it’s protection
3 practical, somatic steps to gently reconnect with your emotions
What safety actually feels like (and how to find it again)
This isn’t about forcing tears or pushing yourself to process everything at once. It’s about learning to listen to your body — quietly, safely, in the smallest moments.
💛 Ready to start healing? Download my free trauma-informed somatic program at theholistictraumacoach.com/free (https://theholistictraumacoach.com/free)
28 Jul 2025
Why do I get overwhelmed by normal stress? | Ep 11
Visit https://www.theholistictraumacoach.com/free to join the free online healing program 🥰
If you’ve ever found yourself crying over a lukewarm sandwich or spiraling after one minor inconvenience, this episode is for you.
Today, we’re unpacking why things that seem small can feel so massive — and why it has nothing to do with you being “too sensitive,” “lazy,” or “bad at handling stress.”
We’re talking nervous system states, survival mode, the myth of “normal” stress, and what actually needs to happen for your body to feel safe enough to respond with presence — not panic. Spoiler alert: it’s not about getting tougher. It’s about tending to your baseline.
I’ll walk you through:
what your nervous system is really doing when it “overreacts”
why overwhelm might be the most appropriate reaction to your current conditions
and how to stop gaslighting yourself for the very real signals your body is sending
This one’s tender. Honest. And very needed.
Let’s talk about it.
✨ Plus: I’ll share a free grounding practice mid-episode to help your system settle as you listen.
21 Jul 2025
Why does my stomach hurt all the time? | Ep 10
If you’ve tried every diet, supplement, and gut-health hack under the sun — and your digestion still feels off — this episode is for you.
In this conversation, Jessa unpacks why chronic stress and trauma could be at the root of your digestive struggles, even if no one has ever helped you make that connection before.
You’ll learn:
💛 Why your nervous system literally runs your digestion — and what happens when it’s stuck in survival mode
💛 How chronic tension patterns and restricted breathing physically impact your gut
💛 Why trauma disconnects you from hunger, fullness, and craving cues (and how that shows up in real life)
💛 Why this isn’t a failure of discipline or self-control — it’s a nervous system experience
Plus: Jessa invites you into a grounding pause to help you stay present with your body as you listen.
✨ Feeling seen for the first time? Explore Jessa’s Free Online Healing Program to start gently reconnecting with your body and nervous system at theholistictraumacoach.com/free.
14 Jul 2025
Why the hell is relaxation so damn hard for me? | Ep 9
Join my free online healing program at https://theholistictraumacoach.com/freehttps://theholistictraumacoach.com/free (https://theholistictraumacoach.com/free)
Why can’t you relax even when everything’s fine? Like — you should be enjoying that quiet weekend, but instead you’re restless, anxious, scrolling endlessly, or totally collapsed… and then Monday hits and you feel like you didn’t enjoy a second of it.
In this episode, we unpack why that happens. I’ll walk you through three common scenarios: maybe you grew up in a home where rest was basically punished, or you had a stressed-out parent who couldn’t tolerate stillness, or your nervous system just learned that being on high alert is “normal.”
And honestly — none of that means you’re broken.
We’ll talk about what your nervous system is actually doing, why this experience is way more common than people realize, and most importantly… what to do about it. I’ll share some simple, body-first practices you can try this weekend — starting with tuning into your felt sense and learning how to pendulate gently between activity and rest so your body can re-learn that stillness is safe.
So if you’ve ever wondered “why can’t I relax when I want to?” — this one’s for you.
Discussing things like: why can’t I relax, trauma and relaxation, nervous system healing, felt sense, pendulation, somatic practices
8 Jul 2025
Why do I panic when I even just *think* someone's mad at me?
This episode examines the nervous system's reaction to perceived social threats, explaining how panic manifests and why such reactions are protective rather than excessive.
13 May 2025
May'25 Ep.1 Befriending Your Dissociation
Join the free online healing program at https://www.theholistictraumacoach.com (https://www.theholistictraumacoach.com).
Summary
In this episode, Jessa Hooley explores the concept of dissociation, particularly in the context of trauma. She emphasizes the importance of understanding and befriending dissociation as a natural part of the nervous system rather than viewing it as a failure. The conversation covers various forms of dissociation, including depersonalization, derealization, emotional numbing, and time loss, and highlights the cultural stigmas surrounding these experiences. Jessa advocates for a compassionate approach to dissociation, encouraging listeners to recognize its protective role and to integrate it into their healing journey.
Keywords
dissociation, trauma, nervous system, emotional numbing, mental health, healing, self-care, trauma recovery, mindfulness, psychological safety
28 Feb 2025
Feb'25 Ep.4 ABody-Based Pleasure Practice
Enjoy this practical and powerful somatic (body-based) exercise for connecting with your healing pleasure! Based on an exercise found in Call of the Wild by Kimberly Ann Johnson.
JOIN THE FREE START PROGRAM HERE:
https://www.alwaysvibin.com/free-healing-program
23 Feb 2025
Feb'25 Ep.3 Is This Pleasure or Positive Stimulation?
A pleasure practice goes beyond a spark of stimulation. Learn the difference between deep, healing pleasure and activities that only live for the moment.
JOIN THE FREE PROGRAM HERE: https://www.alwaysvibin.com/free-healing-program
16 Feb 2025
Feb'25 Ep.2 Why Pleasure Is Difficult for You to Access
There is an important reason why pleasure is hard for you to access! See what's keeping you from experiencing pleasure and what to do about it.
JOIN THE START PROGRAM HERE:
https://www.alwaysvibin.com/free-healing-program
9 Feb 2025
Feb'25 Ep.1 Why Pleasure is Healing for Your Nervous System
Healing isn't just the "cherry on top". It is an essential part of interacting in a healthy way with our nervous system. See how pleasure can help ease your nervous system back to a place of presence and safety.
JOIN THE FREE START PROGRAM:
https://www.alwaysvibin.com/free-healing-program
8 Jan 2025
Are You Mad At Me? Working With Hypervigilance in Relationships.
In this episode we're talking about how we stay on edge in our relationships and why these unsettling patterns continue to show up. I also cover three different practices that you can start doing TODAY to help you find more calm and safety in your embodied experience of your relationships.
Access START: Somatic Tools for Alignment, Regulation, and Transformation by visiting: https://www.alwaysvibin.com/free-healing-program
22 Dec 2024
I Never Feel Settled, Hypervigilance Explained
Every wonder why you don't ever feel settled? Ever wonder if your childhood could have something to do with it? In this episode we discuss the experience of hypervigilance and how it shows up in the lives of people with painful childhoods.
Join the free START program here: https://www.alwaysvibin.com/free-healing-program (https://www.alwaysvibin.com/free-healing-program)
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
132,583
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 53 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
61
Social presence
0
YouTube
82
Engagement
32
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