In this transformative episode, Scott Lyons is joined by Nicole Sachs, LCSW, a renowned therapist, author, and expert in mind-body healing. Nicole is the creator of the JournalSpeak method, a groundbreaking practice that helps people uncover and release suppressed emotions that manifest as chronic pain. With over two decades of experience, Nicole has dedicated her career to helping people heal by teaching them to understand the mind-body connection and transform their relationship with pain.

Nicole shares her personal journey with chronic back pain, which began in college and led her down a path of medical consultations, surgeries, and prescriptions. However, it wasn’t until she discovered the work of Dr. John Sarno that she began to understand how emotional repression and nervous system dysregulation were contributing to her pain. Nicole’s own healing experience inspired her to create the JournalSpeak method, and she has since guided thousands of people worldwide in using this powerful tool to find lasting relief.

Throughout the conversation, Scott and Nicole explore how pain is often a signal from the body, protecting us from perceived emotional threats rather than just a physical condition. Nicole offers profound insights on how we can begin to change our relationship with pain by embracing curiosity instead of fear and turning toward the emotions we’ve been suppressing.

She introduces the concept of JournalSpeak as a way to safely release emotional energy, and emphasizes the importance of self-compassion and patience on the healing journey. By addressing the emotional roots of pain, Nicole has helped people reclaim their lives from conditions like fibromyalgia, migraines, back pain, and more.

Topics We Break Down:

• How the nervous system creates pain to protect us from perceived emotional threats
• The JournalSpeak method: A powerful tool for releasing suppressed emotions and healing pain
• The mind-body connection and how emotional stimuli can manifest as physical pain
• How pain is often a sign of emotional repression, trauma, or nervous system dysregulation
• The importance of validating pain and recognizing its emotional origins
• Building self-compassion and patience in the process of healing
• Inner child work and its role in uncovering deep emotional wounds
• How curiosity and wonder can help shift fear and open new possibilities for healing
• Real-life success stories from people who have healed chronic pain using JournalSpeak

In this deeply moving episode, Dr Scott is joined by Michelle Boulé, a celebrated dancer, choreographer, teacher, and life coach whose transformative journey has been shaped by the interplay of art, movement, and healing. Michelle’s expansive career has taken her from stages across the world to the realm of personal development, where she now helps others unlock their potential through somatic practices, energy work, and emotional movement. Together, Scott and Michelle reflect on their 22-year-long connection, starting when Scott first witnessed Michelle’s magnetic performance in New York City, sparking a journey of personal and creative evolution for them both.

Their conversation delves into Michelle’s personal story, highlighting how significant injuries during her dance career led her to explore somatic healing and energy work, helping her break free from physical and emotional limitations. She shares how these pivotal moments opened new pathways not only in her dance practice but in her coaching work, guiding others toward healing through the body. Michelle and Scott explore the themes of creativity, vulnerability, and resilience—how embracing challenges, whether through physical injury or personal trauma, can lead to profound transformation and greater self-awareness.

The dialogue flows through the broader topics of creativity and purpose, emphasizing the importance of remaining present and curious in the face of life’s uncertainties. They discuss the role of community and support systems in moments of vulnerability, and how letting go of control can open doors to deeper healing and connection. Michelle’s philosophy that “life is our greatest creation” resonates throughout the conversation, encouraging listeners to tap into their own potential for change, no matter the obstacles.

Topics We Break Down:

• The transformative power of creativity and how it fosters presence and awe
• How trauma and obstacles can serve as doorways to growth, fostering resilience and a renewed sense of purpose
• The importance of improvisation in dance and life, allowing for flexibility in navigating uncertainty
• The role of permission in allowing ourselves to fully express and embody our experiences
• Surrendering control and finding freedom through yielding, both in physical movement and emotional processes
• Building emotional capacity through mindful practices and how that leads to more harmony and flow in life
• The importance of community, support systems, and the vulnerability required to truly be held by others

In this compelling episode of The Gently Used Human, Dr. Scott Lyons sits down with Rainier Wylde, a gifted writer, teacher, and guide known for his candid and insightful approach to life’s toughest questions. Rainier has dedicated his life to helping others awaken to their truest selves through the power of honest reflection, creativity, and storytelling. He leads by example, drawing from his own experiences of profound personal loss and transformation to show us how we, too, can break free from the habits of sleepwalking through life.

Rainier’s approach blends wisdom from ancient traditions with a modern understanding of life’s impermanence, challenging us to confront our fears, embrace discomfort, and cultivate the strength to be fully present. Together, he and Dr. Scott unpack what it means to embrace life in all its fleeting beauty, exploring topics like the connection between joy and grief, the need for community, and how we can reclaim the central role in our own lives. This conversation is an invitation to dive deep into the journey of self-discovery, to live with intention, and to find the courage to show up for the life we truly want.

So, find a quiet space, tune in, and let this conversation inspire you to live more fully, bravely, and joyfully.

Topics We Break Down:

• Awakening from “sleepwalking” and learning to live fully
• The importance of facing mortality to enhance presence
• Savoring life’s impermanent moments as a path to joy
• Finding solace and strength through grief and personal loss
• Becoming the main character in our own lives
• Understanding joy versus fleeting happiness
• Using artistry and creativity as tools for healing and transformation

In this special "Best of October" episode, we revisit the most impactful moments from our inspiring conversations with Mastin Kipp, Sabrina Zohar, Rachel Kaplan, Ann Weiser Cornell, and Britt Frank. Each of these incredible guests brings unique insights into personal growth, emotional healing, self-compassion, and relational awareness. Whether you’re working through stuck patterns, seeking emotional freedom, or learning to embrace the full range of human experiences, this episode is packed with practical tools and wisdom to help you along the way.

What You’ll Learn:

• Mastin Kipp shares his experience with the deep-rooted patterns formed in early life, discussing how childhood programming can shape our adult lives and what it takes to rewire limiting beliefs.
• Sabrina Zohar reveals her journey through relational dynamics and how she’s learned to balance independence with vulnerability, embracing the complexities of dating and attachment.
• Rachel Kaplan explores emotional literacy, explaining the importance of ‘emotional potty training’ and how we can reconnect with our emotional bodies for a more fulfilling life.
• Ann Weiser Cornell delves into the transformative process of self-connection, discussing how awareness of bodily sensations can guide us to uncover deeper truths and navigate our inner experiences.
• Britt Frank offers tools for overcoming stuckness, highlighting the value of embracing discomfort and asking empowering questions to break free from repetitive patterns.

Key Takeaways:

• Practical techniques to understand and reframe early childhood beliefs that may be holding you back.
• Insights into balancing autonomy and intimacy in relationships and embracing vulnerability.
• How to recognize, feel, and express emotions as essential steps in healing and self-discovery.
• The role of body awareness in uncovering subconscious patterns and finding greater alignment.
• Empowering ways to address stuckness and make room for growth and change.

If you enjoyed this "Best of October" episode, please subscribe, share it with your fellow Gently Used Humans, and leave us a review! Your support helps us reach more listeners on their journey toward growth and healing.

In this episode of The Gently Used Human Podcast, Dr. Scott Lyons welcomes Britt Frank, licensed psychotherapist, trauma specialist, and author of The Science of Stuck. Britt has dedicated her career to helping people break through their mental and emotional inertia by exploring how trauma, brain science, and emotional wellness intersect. With her approachable and humorous style, Britt offers deep insights into why we get stuck and how we can reclaim agency in our lives.

In this conversation, Britt not only explores why we get stuck but also shares actionable skills to move away from procrastination and self-sabotage. She introduces powerful strategies like using "micro-yeses" to overcome inertia, practical tools for grounding yourself, and methods for cultivating self-compassion to stay present in moments of challenge. Whether you're feeling stuck in personal growth, relationships, or habits, this episode offers a wealth of wisdom and tools to help you move forward with clarity and confidence.

Tune in to learn how to shift from being "insightfully stuck" to living with more clarity, choice, and peace!

• Why we get stuck and the hidden benefits of staying in unhealthy patterns
• How to break free from the cycle of self-sabotage using "micro-yeses"
• The neuroscience of stuckness and why motivation alone isn’t enough
• Practical, actionable tools to overcome procrastination and create momentum
• How to cultivate self-compassion and stop self-abandoning in moments of pain
• The role of trauma in keeping us stuck and how to gently move through it
• Why we need to address both the positives and negatives in our lives for true emotional wellness
• Practical tools for creating an internal sense of "home" and stability within yourself

In this episode of The Gently Used Human Podcast, Dr. Scott Lyons sits down with Ann Weiser Cornell, a leading expert in the practice of focusing—a process for deep self-awareness and emotional healing developed by Eugene Gendlin. For over three decades, Ann has dedicated her work to helping people navigate their inner worlds, untangle stuck emotions, and create more compassionate relationships through her workshops, books, and courses. Ann is also the co-author of Untangling: How You Can Transform What’s Impossibly Stuck, a practical guide to breaking free from entrenched emotional patterns.

In this conversation, Ann shares her wisdom on how we can become better listeners—not only to those around us but to ourselves. With simple, yet profoundly impactful techniques, Ann helps us understand the importance of presence, clarity, and listening as tools for emotional healing and connection. Whether you’re seeking to improve your relationships or find a deeper sense of self-compassion, this episode provides tangible tools to take with you.

Tune in to this episode for a compassionate, insightful conversation that invites you to take a moment for yourself and explore the transformative power of listening!

Topics We Break Down:

• The transformative power of deep listening and how it can heal relationships and ourselves.
• How to cultivate a “clear pool” within, so we can listen to others from a place of calm and openness.
• Focusing: The practice of listening to ourselves and how it helps untangle stuck emotions.
• Practical steps for becoming a better listener—both externally and internally.
• The role of language in facilitating meaningful, open dialogue.
• How to create a compassionate relationship with yourself by welcoming all parts of your experience, even those that feel shameful or uncomfortable.

In this episode of The Gently Used Human podcast, Dr. Scott Lyons sits down with psychotherapist and author Rachel Kaplan to explore her unique and powerful approach to emotional healing. Rachel is a psychotherapist, emotional educator, and host of the Healing Feeling Sht Show* podcast. She’s also the author of the amazing book Feel, Heal, and Let That Sht Go*, which introduces the concept of “emotional potty training” — and yes, it’s exactly as clever and transformative as it sounds. Rachel's method encourages us to reconnect with our feelings, process them in real time, and ultimately release the emotional backlog that so many of us have built up over the years.

Rachel dives into the idea that just as we learned to manage our physical needs as children, we need to "train" ourselves to process emotions in a healthy way. With humor and a relatable perspective, she explains how most of us were taught to repress our emotions early on, leading to what she calls "emotional constipation." This buildup of unprocessed pain and feelings can manifest in our lives as stress, numbness, or even physical illness.

Dr. Lyons shares his own experiences of struggling to fully feel emotions, resonating deeply with Rachel’s insights on how avoiding feelings leads to greater suffering. Together, they discuss practical tools for releasing emotions, including how to "schedule" emotional release and why it’s essential to be with our emotions, rather than intellectualizing or bypassing them.

This conversation is filled with humor, wisdom, and practical guidance for anyone who feels emotionally stuck, numb, or overwhelmed. It’s about learning to move toward discomfort, release emotional baggage, and cultivate a deeper, more compassionate relationship with ourselves.

This episode is perfect for anyone seeking more emotional balance and resilience, and it will leave you inspired to reconnect with the parts of yourself you may have hidden away for too long.

Topics We Break Down

• How decades of unprocessed emotions affect our physical and mental health, and how to begin releasing them.
• The importance of reintegrating the parts of ourselves that we’ve hidden away and learning to let them express their pain.
• Dr. Lyons and Rachel explore why repressing emotions leads to greater suffering, and how facing them head-on can lead to lasting relief.
• How to schedule emotional release sessions, and techniques to allow emotions to move through the body naturally.
• Why healing isn’t just about trauma recovery, but about creating a sustainable relationship with your emotions so you can face life’s challenges with strength.

In this episode, Dr. Scott Lyons shares a conversation with Sabrina Zohar, a renowned relationship coach whose insights have transformed countless lives. Sabrina's personal journey, from navigating toxic dynamics to building healthy and authentic connections, is deeply inspiring. She candidly discusses how growing up in a dysfunctional environment led her to repeat the same cycles of toxic relationship patterns, but through relentless self-discovery, she has emerged as a voice of clarity in the dating world.

The episode explores some of the most pressing questions surrounding dating and relationships: How can we navigate the complexities of modern dating without losing ourselves? How do we stop seeking validation from others and instead cultivate security within? And most importantly, how can we truly show up authentically in our relationships?

Sabrina’s approach is both relatable and practical. Her vulnerability in sharing her personal hardships, including how hitting rock bottom became a catalyst for her growth, offers hope and actionable insights for anyone struggling with relationships. From setting healthy boundaries to understanding attachment dynamics, this episode is filled with tools that listeners can apply to their own lives.

On a more personal note, this conversation prompted Dr. Lyons to reflect on his own journey, particularly the question: How do I want to show up in a relationship? Sabrina’s ability to navigate the complexities of connection while staying true to herself inspired him to reconsider how he shows up as a partner, friend, and human. The hope is that this discussion will encourage listeners to explore these same questions in their own lives.

A quick note before we dive in: Sabrina speaks openly about her experiences with violence in her childhood. If this is a sensitive topic for you, please take care while listening or skip ahead as needed. Your well-being is always the priority.

• How childhood experiences influence adult relationship patterns.
• The difference between attachment and connection.
• Setting healthy boundaries in relationships.
• How to navigate modern dating with clarity and self-respect.
• The role of vulnerability and authenticity in creating healthy, lasting relationships.