Episode Summary

Have you ever reached a point where your body simply refused to keep going? Where the usual tricks—green juice, journaling, sheer grit—just stopped working? In this powerful episode, Dr. Stacey Denise sits down with Cassandra Love Lambert—globally recognized somatic transformation coach, bestselling author, and founder of the Pain Into Power Process—to explore what it means to move from survival to sovereignty.

Cassandra shares her raw journey: how becoming a mother surfaced unhealed childhood trauma, why all the healing work she did in her 20s (talk therapy, Landmark, shamanic circles) didn't reach the roots, and the moment EFT tapping changed everything. Through evidence-based somatic practices including EFT tapping, brain spotting, parts work, and somatic attachment therapy, she now helps high-achieving women—especially those in perimenopause and menopause—finally feel safe to be fully seen.

This conversation explores how perimenopause strips away the mask, why rage shows up during midlife (and why that's healthy), the connection between boundaries and self-love, and why healing isn't about fixing yourself—it's about coming home to your body.

Key Topics & Timestamps

• 0:00 – Cold Open: When Your Body Says "No More"
• 5:30 – The Rupture: Becoming a Mother and Facing Unhealed Trauma
• 11:20 – What Cassandra Tried That Didn't Work
• 16:24 – The Moment Somatic Work Changed Everything
• 18:41 – When Your Body Becomes Your Teacher
• 20:58 – The Birth of the Pain Into Power Framework
• 24:17 – Parts Work and Inner Child Integration
• 27:30 – Perimenopause: When the Mask Cracks
• 28:23 – Why Rage Shows Up in Midlife (The Rage EFT Tapping Circle)
• 31:04 – Menopause as Rite of Passage and Rebirth
• 34:15 – The Five-Phase Method: Awareness, Balance, Regulation, Safety, Belief
• 38:00 – EFT Tapping, Brain Spotting, and Somatic Practices Explained

Resources & References

Connect with Cassandra Love Lambert:

• Website: cassandralovelambert.com
• Instagram: @c_love_lambert
• Pain Into Power Coaching
• Rage EFT Tapping Circle for Women
• Book: "Into the Light: Becoming My Own Hero" (Number One Bestseller, February 2025)

Practices Mentioned:

• EFT Tapping (Emotional Freedom Technique)
• Brain Spotting
• Parts Work (Internal Family Systems)
• Somatic Attachment Therapy

Connect & Community

• Listen on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / YouTube
• Subscribe to the show for updates and new episodes
• Join our newsletter for science and stories at drstaceydenise.com
• Follow us: @drstaceydenise on Instagram
• Share your story: Tag @drstaceydenise and @c_love_lambert
• Take Dr. Stacey's free quiz: FIND YOUR MENOPAUSE SLEEP PATTERN

Podcast: The Nervous System Eats First
Host: Dr. Stacey Denise | The Neuroaesthetic MD
Guest: Cassandra Love Lamber | Somatic Transformation Coach
Episode: 16

Episode Summary

Have you ever walked into a room and instantly felt calmer? Or caught a scent that made you feel safe for the first time in weeks? In this episode, Dr. Stacey Denise sits down with Amy Anthony—one of New York City's top certified clinical aromatherapists and founder of NYC Aromatica—to explore how scent can be medicine for women whose nervous systems have forgotten how to rest.

For late-diagnosed autistic women navigating perimenopause and menopause, aromatherapy offers something talk therapy alone cannot: a pathway back to your body that doesn't require language. Learn how inhalation of essential oils activates your parasympathetic nervous system, reduces cortisol, increases vagal tone, and directly modulates emotional states—especially for women struggling with alexithymia, brain fog, hot flashes, and the exhaustion of decades of masking.

Amy blends scientific literacy with poetic connection, teaching evidence-based protocols for nervous system repair, emotional regulation, and sensory attunement through private practice, corporate wellness, and public workshops at the New York Botanical Gardens.

Key Topics & Timestamps

• Cold Open: When Scent Becomes Medicine
• Introduction: Meet Amy Anthony, Clinical Aromatherapist
• The Science: How Aromatherapy Activates Your Nervous System
• Aromatherapy for Menopause Symptoms (Hot Flashes, Brain Fog, Night Sweats)
• Scent for Alexithymia: Healing Below the Level of Language
• Essential Oils for Sensory Overwhelm and Burnout
• Creating Boundaries with Aromatherapy
• Morning and Evening Aromatic Rituals
• Which Essential Oils Work for YOUR Nervous System
• Gentle Invitations: Two-Minute Scent Check-In
• Resources, Connect with Amy, and Closing

Resources & References

Connect with Amy Anthony:

• Website: https://nycaromatica.com/
• Instagram: @NYC_Aromatica
• Email: info@nycaromatica.com
• Services: Private aromatherapy consultations, corporate wellness programs, public workshops at NYC Botanical Gardens

Connect & Community

• Listen on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / YouTube
• Subscribe to the show for updates and new episodes
• Join our newsletter for science and stories at drstaceydenise.com
• Follow us: @drstaceydenise on Instagram
• Share your story: Tag @drstaceydenise and @NYC_Aromatica
• Take Dr. Stacey's free quiz: What Kind of Menopause Burnout Are You?

Podcast: The Nervous System Eats First
Host: Dr. Stacey Denise | The Neuroaesthetic MD
Guest: Amy Anthony | Aromatherapist
Episode: 15

Episode Summary

In this powerful episode, Dr. Stacey sits down with Celeste Barbier—professional vocalist, certified sound healer, ordained officiant, and sacred spaceholder—to explore the liminal space where sound becomes sanctuary. Discover how grief, trauma, and identity shifts can be held and softened through vibrational healing, especially for autistic and neurodivergent women navigating sensory overwhelm, emotional disconnection, and the unspoken grief of midlife transitions.

Celeste shares her journey from childhood trauma to using her voice as medicine, her profound work with end-of-life transitions, and practical tools for using sound to regulate your nervous system when words fail. Whether you're struggling with alexithymia, burnout, or simply feeling disconnected from your body, this episode offers gentle, accessible pathways back to embodiment through vocal healing.

Key Topics & Timestamps

• Opening: Sound as sanctuary for grief and trauma
• Celeste's origin story: Childhood trauma and discovering her healing voice
• When performance becomes medicine: The shift to intentional sound healing
• The difference between singing songs and sound healing vocal toning
• Holding space at end of life: Music as a bridge between worlds
• Pairing with mediums and creating sacred transitions
• The science behind sound healing: Vagus nerve, nervous system regulation
• Working with grief, alexithymia, and emotional numbness
• Creating death rituals to close old identity chapters
• Sound healing for sensory overload and autistic burnout
• How to use your voice at home: Humming, toning, and sacred practice
• Color, scent, and vibration: Layering sensory healing
• Nourish or Numb Segment: Rapid-fire sound healing wisdom
• Reclaiming your voice: Literal and metaphorical pathways

Resources & References

• Celeste's Website: celestebarbier.com (Resté Sound Healing portal)
• Instagram: @restesound & @celestebarbierevents
• LinkedIn: Celeste Barbier
• Email: celestebarbierevents@gmail.com
• Upcoming Thailand Women's Wellness Retreat (2026) with wife René Cosby, HHP
• Forthcoming book: The Caterpillar Code

Connect & Community

• Listen: Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms
• Subscribe: Never miss an episode—get weekly nervous system medicine
• Join the Newsletter: Science-backed tools and stories for autistic women in midlife at drstaceydenise.com
• Follow Dr. Stacey: Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn
• Download the Free Guide: 3 Questions That Change Your Menopause Conversation

Podcast: The Nervous System Eats First
Host: Dr. Stacey Denise | The Neuroaesthetic MD
Guest: Celeste Barbier | Sound Healer, Vocalist, Sacred Spaceholder
Episode: 14

Episode 14: Hot Flashes at Night? Breath As Medicine

Guest: Angelia Abouhassan — founder of The Breath Lady Project, trauma-informed breathwork facilitator, stroke survivor, and Hatha yoga teacher
Release Date: November 4, 2025
Length: ~40 minutes

Episode Summary

You’ve been told to “just breathe”—but what if that makes things worse? In this powerful conversation, Dr. Stacey sits down with Angelia Abouhassan, a trauma-informed breathwork guide who rebuilt her body and emotional safety after a stroke.

Together, they unpack breathwork that won’t trigger your nervous system, including the double-exhale pattern that can support hot flash recovery and sensory regulation. This episode is especially for women navigating perimenopause, masking fatigue, and neurodivergence, who need somatic healing that’s safe, slow, and mapped to your lived experience.

What You’ll Learn

• Why “just breathe” often backfires—and how trauma-informed cues really work
• The double-exhale breath to interrupt hot flash cascades (short inhale, longer exhale)
• The power of low-dose, consistent breathwork over high-intensity interventions
• How to recognize high-activation methods (like Wim Hof) that may overwhelm the system
• Safer options for alexithymia, masking, and sensory burnout (mirror work, Yoga Nidra, guided breath scans)

Chapter Markers

00:00 – From Stroke Survivor to Breath Work Practitioner
06:54 – The Role of Breath in Healing and Safety
08:42 – Reframing Trauma and Healing
10:41 – Understanding Interoception and Proprioception
12:36 – Neuroplasticity and Breath Work
16:29 – Breath Work for Women in Perimenopause
18:46 – Trauma-Informed Breath Work Explained
20:53 – Designing Practices for Overloaded Clients
22:23 – Breath Work for Hot Flashes
24:49 – Breath Work for Neurodivergent Women
26:02 – Nourishing vs. Numbing the Nervous System
27:58 – Adapting Breath Work for Different Needs
30:52 – Choosing a Breath Work Practitioner
33:27 – Nourish or Numb: Everyday Patterns
40:04 – Practical Techniques for Managing Hot Flashes

Resources Mentioned

• The Breath Lady Project – Angelia Abouhassan
  • Website

  • Instagram

  • Facebook Community

  • LinkedIn

• Free Quiz – What kind of menopause burnout are you?
  → drstaceydenise.com/menopause-burnout-quiz

💌 Connect with Dr. Stacey Denise

• Instagram @DrStaceyDenise

• Blog + Newsletter

• Waitlist for Upcoming Masterclass

• Programs + tools → drstaceydenise.com

Podcast: The Nervous System Eats First
Episode: Eating Feels Impossible? 3 Food-Environment Fixes for Perimenopausal Neurodivergent Women
Guest: Michael Lawrence — Master Chef (World Master Chef Society), Licensed Architect

Episode summary:
Have you noticed the same meal is comforting in one space but exhausting in another? Chef–Architect Michael Lawrence joins Dr. Stacey to reveal how light, sound, temperature, color, and texture shape your appetite, attention, and digestion before the first bite. You’ll learn three food-environment fixes and a 60-second sensory reset you can apply tonight—at home or out—so eating feels calmer and more nourishing, especially in perimenopause.

Key topics & timestamps:

• 00:00 — Why eating feels “impossible” (it’s not your fault)

• 01:24 — Who this is for: late-diagnosed, high-masking autistic women in midlife

• 02:28 — Michael’s dual lens: Master Chef + Architect (sensory-first design)

• 06:20 — The room speaks first: invisible sensory cues (light/sound/texture)

• 07:48 — Fix #1: Quiet the Room (soften light, reduce noise, steady temperature)

• 08:25 — Fix #2: On-Plate Design (color + texture → grounding & satiety)

• 20:11 — Fix #3: 60-Second Sensory Reset (pre-bite downshift ritual)

• 20:23 — Nourish or Numb lightning round: car eating, candlelight, “perfect bowl”

• 24:24 — One gentle ritual if you’ve been eating in survival mode

• 25:24 — Where to find Michael + free quiz & resources

Takeaways:

• Environment is medicine: Your eating space can up- or down-regulate your nervous system.

• Perfect Bite > willpower: Pair warm/soft with crisp/fresh to invite appetite gently.

• Rituals beat rules: A 60-second pre-bite reset changes how your body receives food.

Resources & links:

• Free “Menopause Burnout” Quiz → https://drstaceydenise.com/menopause-burnout-quiz/
  
  
• Watch the video podcast → https://drstaceydenise.com/video-podcast/
  
  
• Listen to the audio podcast → https://drstaceydenise.com/audio-podcast/
  
  
• Guest — Michael Lawrence: LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-lawrence-ml-design-studio/ • Site → https://ml-design-studio.webnode.page/
  
  

Credits & CTA:
Hosted by Dr. Stacey Denise, Lifestyle Medicine Physician & Neuroaesthetic MD. If this helped, share it with a friend who’s eating on survival mode.

Subscribe on YouTube and your favorite podcast app, and take the free quiz to get your personalized reset rituals.

Episode summary

Temple Grandin and Dr. Stacey Denise outline digital-hygiene rules for autistic adults: what the algorithm rabbit hole does to mental health, the one-hour screen rule, how to curate your feed, and simple swaps for real-world connection that lowers anxiety and improves sleep—vital during perimenopause/menopause.

EDUCATIONAL SUMMARY
1.Social media can lead to isolation for autistic individuals.
2.Real-life activities are essential for building connections.
3.Slow transitions are crucial for autistic individuals to adapt.
4.Shared interests can help form friendships among autistic individuals.
5.Real activities can help reduce anxiety and improve mental health.
6.Creating a safer digital environment is necessary for young people.

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 — Social Media Isolation and Its Impact
02:35 — The Importance of Real-Life Connections
05:18 — Practical tools: Checklists and Independence
06:51 — Temple Grandin’s Anxiety Journey
08:14 — How parents balance Independence with safety
10:02 — How to build Lasting Friendships
11:37 — Risks, Mentorships and Community Repair
14:20 — Digital Isolation impact on mental health
15:40- How to ensure young people Learn the skills they need
17:40 - Parents Safety & Real Activities
23:22- Creating a Safer Digital Environment
25:10- Communities & Retirees
27:52- Take Away
28:20 - Nourish or Numb

RESOURCES
Temple Grandin :
Website: https://www.templegrandin.com/
Facebook : https://web.facebook.com/drtemplegrandin/
X : https://x.com/DrTempleGrandin

WORK WITH ME / LINKS
▸ Start your Neuroaesthetic Reset Blueprint™ →https://drstaceydenise.com/menopause-burnout-quiz/
▸ Learn more about Autism & Menopause →https://drstaceydenise.com/audio-podcast/
▸ Join the Newsletter for tools + research →https://drstaceydenise.com/waitlist/
▸ Follow on Instagram & YouTube → drstaceydenise.com
DISCLAIMER Educational only; not medical advice.

#drstaceydenis #Autism #MentalHealth #SocialMedia

Credits

Host: Dr. Stacey Denise. Produced by TNSEF—The Nervous System Eats First.

Welcome to The Nervous System Eats First — a podcast where science, story, and sensory wisdom meet to help neurodivergent women in midlife and menopause reclaim energy, intimacy, and emotional clarity.

I’m Dr. Stacey Denise, a physician-artist and Neuroaesthetic MD. After years of bridging medicine, neuroscience, and color psychology, I created the Neuroaesthetic Reset™ to support women who feel “tired but wired,” emotionally flatlined, or disconnected in their most important relationships.

Here, we explore three essential journeys:

1. Resilience & Calm: Nervous System Adaptation for Neurodivergent Women Over 40: Exhausted, But Not Broken

→ Why you’re always tired even when labs are “normal,” and how nervous system rituals, hormone literacy, and color-based resets restore vitality.

2. Energy, Sleep & Hormone Rituals for Neurodivergent Women Over 40: Healing Emotional Numbness & Identity Loss

→ What alexithymia and sensory overwhelm look like in menopause, and how interoception, art, and ritual help you name and feel again.

3. Regulation & Pleasure Rituals: Sensory Self-Intimacy Tools for Menopausal, Autistic & BIPOC Women: No More Numb, No More Shame

→ How hormones, trauma, and touch aversion affect midlife desire — and what neuroaesthetic rituals can do to rebuild intimacy, without pressure or shame.

Expect candid solo episodes, healing memoir interviews, and expert guest conversations blending evidence with lived wisdom. Each episode closes with a Neuroaesthetic Reset Ritual you can try right away — because healing isn’t just knowledge, it’s sensory practice.

If you’re a high-functioning, neurodivergent, or BIPOC woman in menopause who is done with surface-level hacks and ready for embodied, beautiful solutions — this podcast is your sanctuary.

📌 Take the free quiz: What Kind of Menopause Burnout Are You?

You don’t need to perform your peace. You just need space to return to it.

Have you ever said, “I don’t even recognize myself anymore” — but your labs come back “normal”?

That gap between how you feel and what you can explain isn’t weakness. It has a name: interoception — the body’s hidden sense that helps you feel safe, centered, and alive. When menopause, neurodivergence, or trauma mutes that internal signal, your nervous system loses its compass. The result? Alexithymia, shutdown, and emotional disconnection.

In this conversation, Dr. Stacey Denise sits down with Dr. Kelly Mahler, award-winning occupational therapist and interoception researcher, to unpack the sensory and emotional truth behind why midlife can feel so flat — and what it takes to feel again.

Primary keywords: autistic women, interoception, alexithymia, menopause, neurodivergence, trauma-informed care, sensory regulation, burnout, emotional numbness.

What You’ll Learn:

• What interoception is — and why it disappears in midlife
• How alexithymia shows up in high-functioning women
• Why trauma, stress, and ND masking blunt your body’s signals
• The difference between nourishing and numbing rituals
• Gentle ways to rebuild body trust and emotional access (no perfection required)

This Is For You If:

• You feel emotionally numb, flat, or “not yourself”
• You shut down under stress or can’t explain how you feel
• You’ve been told “everything looks normal” — but it isn’t
• You’re navigating menopause and feeling disconnected from your body
• You’re ND, sensory-sensitive, or just deeply tired of powering through

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 — What is Interoception
01:40 — Grounding the Science
02:30 — Dr. Kelly Mahler
03:39 — Defining Interoception
05:43 — Trauma Complex Post- Traumatic stress disorder
10:46 — How to better discuss emotions
12:21 — How to intercept interoception with mainstream
16:22 — Double Empathy Problem
21:24 — Basic scoresheet for body disconnection
25:06- Translation into Healthy Living
29:40- Can Interoception help women in menopause
32:23- Nourishing or Numb
35:33- Take a free quiz

LINKS & TOOLS
Take the free quiz: What kind of menopause burnout are you? → https://drstaceydenise.com/take-the-quiz
Join the newsletter (monthly micro-practices + sensory tools) → https://drstaceydenise.com/blog/
Join the waitlist for the upcoming masterclass → https://drstaceydenise.com/waitlist/

RESOURCES
Website : https://www.kelly-mahler.com/
Linkedin : https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-mahler/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kelly_mahler/

👩🏾‍⚕️ Hosted by:

Dr. Stacey Denise, The Neuroaesthetic MD
Founder of The Neuroaesthetic Reset Method™ and SDM Medical PLLC
Website: www.drstaceydenise.com
Instagram: @drstaceydenise

👤 Featured Guest:

Dr. Kelly Mahler, OTD, OTR/L
🌍 www.kelly-mahler.com
📸 @kelly_mahler

📚 Resources:

💡 Take the free quiz: What’s Blocking Your Menopause Energy & Intimacy?
🎧 Listen to more episodes: The Neuroaesthetic MD™ Podcast
🧠 Join the email list: drstaceydenise.com/podcast