Trauma Isn't Just In Your Head (It's In Your Cells)

Trauma is not a single moment. It is an ongoing dialogue between your brain, body, and environment. In this conversation, Dr. Mbemba Jabbi explains how neuroplasticity and affective neuroscience help us understand protective patterns like hypervigilance, shutdown, and dissociation. We explore the roles of the insula, amygdala, and cingulate networks in sensing threat, shaping emotions, and connecting brain states with bodily signals such as heart, gut, and breath. Dr. Jabbi also discusses research that associates early childhood trauma, including sexual trauma, with higher inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein, while emphasizing that biology interacts with environment and change is possible. You will hear how sensory training, co-regulation, psychotherapy, and supportive practices may help repattern responses over time. This is a grounded, science-informed look at why survival strategies make sense in context and how compassionate, skills-based work can support nervous system health. If you or your clients live with complex developmental trauma, this episode offers language, frameworks, and first steps that respect lived experience and prioritize safety. Timestamps: 0:00 Protective patterning and repeating environments 1:00 Meet Dr. Jabbi and her research lens 7:10 Brain circuits in emotion and stress 13:20 Insula, interoception, and body-brain links 18:00 Survival values and environmental context 26:00 Adaptive suppression vs. underdevelopment 40:00 Inflammation and childhood trauma (C-reactive protein) 49:00 Treatment implications and tracking biomarkers 56:00 Fast and slow fear pathways, behavior outputs 59:50 Key takeaways for practitioners and individuals 1:02:00 Repatterning for joy and post-traumatic growth 1:03:30 Where to practice the tools in the community Key Takeaways: Emotions are functional survival signals that reflect whole-body states. The insula, amygdala, and cingulate form networks that integrate sensory input with bodily responses. Protective outputs like numbness or shutdown are learned adaptations that supported safety. Studies associate early childhood trauma with elevated inflammation markers, while outcomes are shaped by environment and support. Neuroplasticity means skills, relationships, and practice can help repattern responses over time. Resources Mentioned: BrainBased community: https://BrainBased.com Neurosomatic Intelligence Coaching Certification (NSI) Explore classes and community trial: https://rewiretrial.com Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin Call to Action: If this episode resonates, follow and review Trauma Rewired so more people can find trauma-informed education. Ready to practice the tools we discussed? Start your free trial at rewiretrial.com Disclaimer: Trauma Rewired podcast is intended to educate and inform but does not constitute medical, psychological or other professional advice or services. Always consult a qualified medical professional about your specific circumstances before making any decisions based on what you hear. We share our experiences, explore trauma, physical reactions, mental health and disease. If you become distressed by our content, please stop listening and seek professional support when needed. Do not continue to listen if the conversations are having a negative impact on your health and well-being. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, or in mental health crisis and you are in the United States you can 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. If someone’s life is in danger, immediately call 911. We do our best to stay current in research, but older episodes are always available. We don’t warrant or guarantee that this podcast contains complete, accurate or up-to-date information. It’s very important to talk to a medical professional about your individual needs, as we aren’t responsible for any actions you take based on the information you hear in this podcast. We invite guests onto the podcast. Please note that we don’t verify the accuracy of their statements. Our organization does not endorse third-party content and the views of our guests do not necessarily represent the views of our organization. We talk about general neuro-science and nervous system health, but you are unique. These are conversations for a wide audience. They are general recommendations and you are always advised to seek personal care for your unique outputs, trauma and needs. We are not doctors or licensed medical professionals. We are certified neuro-somatic practitioners and nervous system health/embodiment coaches. We are not your doctor or medical professional and do not know you and your unique nervous system. This podcast is not a replacement for working with a professional. The BrainBased.com site and Rewiretrail.com is a membership site for general nervous system health, somatic processing and stress processing. It is not a substitute for medical care or the appropriate...