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Topic: Guest Conversations

When the Brain Predicts Pain with Vanessa Blackstone

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Grace is joined by Vanessa Blackstone, LMFT to talk about why our brains sometimes expect pain or symptoms before they even happen—a process called predictive coding. Together they explore how this shapes chronic pain and other body sensations, and how tools from Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) can help break the cycle.

Vanessa shares stories from her own journey and her clients, showing how to navigate flare-ups (known as extinction bursts) and build evidence of safety in your body. This episode offers a hopeful reminder: recovery is possible, even if discomfort shows up along the way.

How to Create Your Own Authentic Messages of Safety (past episode with Vanessa)

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Healing Beyond Codependency with Emmy Marie

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In this episode of Heal with Grace, Grace sits down with Emmy to explore what life and healing look like after leaving toxic or abusive relationships. Emmy shares her personal story of navigating patterns of codependency, how trauma shows up in everyday life, and the power of boundaries and self-compassion in recovery. Together, they unpack the difference between “toxic” and “abusive,” the role of emotional abuse, and what it means to create safe, healthy connections moving forward.

You’ll walk away with insights on:

  • Recognizing subtle patterns of emotional abuse and gaslighting
  • Why boundaries are an essential human need (not selfish)
  • How self-compassion becomes the antidote to shame and old conditioning

Connect with Emmy

Instagram

Website

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The Mind-Body Approach to Healing Pelvic Pain with Rachel Gofman

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In this episode, Rachel Gofman (physical therapist and pelvic pain coach) shares her journey to overcoming debilitating pelvic pain through mind-body and nervous system work. 

What You'll Learn:

  • Why "diagnoses" and structural findings don’t always explain symptoms
  • How shame, cultural beliefs and trauma inform pain 
  • The nervous system’s role in chronic symptoms and healing
  • Myths about pelvic pain that may be keeping you stuck

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Navigating a Higher Needs Nervous System with Christie Uipi

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Grace is joined by therapist Christie Uipi, LCSW, founder of the Better Mind Center, to explore what it means to have a higher needs or sensitive nervous system. Christie shares her personal healing journey, how chronic symptoms often stem from learned neural pathways, and why sensitivity isn’t something to fix—but to understand and support.

They discuss how to know the difference between a limit and a growth edge, the pitfalls of perfectionism in healing, and how building a life around your nervous system’s true needs can actually bring more joy, not less.

Takeaways:

  • Nervous system sensitivity is real—and workable
  • Not all limits are bad; some are containers for thriving
  • Self-care isn’t weakness, it’s strategy
  • You don’t have to be “exceptional” to be at peace
  • Healing often means doing less, not more

Connect with Christie

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Do You Have Neuroplastic Symptoms? Here’s How to Know – with Dr. Howard Schubiner

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Dr. Howard Schubiner, pioneer in the mind-body medicine field, joins Grace to explore how many chronic symptoms are actually neuroplastic — created by the brain, and reversible. They discuss what defines a neuroplastic symptom, the key criteria to identify them, and how emotional trauma, misdiagnosis, and disconnection from the self contribute to chronic pain. If you’ve ever felt dismissed, misunderstood, or stuck in your healing journey, this episode could be your click moment.

In this episode:

  • What neuroplastic symptoms are — and how to know if you have them
  • Why chronic pain, fatigue, and anxiety often aren’t caused by structural issues
  • The FIT criteria: Functional, Inconsistent, and Triggered symptoms
  • How early life experiences shape the brain’s danger alarm system
  • The powerful role of assessment in healing
  • Why many standard therapies fail without addressing neuroplasticity
  • “Click moments” that spark major recovery shifts
  • The three core categories of neuroplastic recovery therapy
  • Emotional pain vs. physical pain — and how they light up the same brain pathways
  • The importance of human connection in the healing process

Connect with Dr. Howard Schubiner 

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What is Somatic Intelligence? A Conversation with Sheridan Ruth

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In this episode, Grace is joined by somatic coach and author Sheridan Ruth for a powerful and grounded conversation about nervous system regulation, trauma healing, and the concept of somatic intelligence. Sheridan shares her personal journey—from living with chronic PTSD to discovering the depth of somatic work—and how tuning into the body became the foundation of her transformation.

In this episode, they discuss:

  • What somatic intelligence really means (and how it differs from emotional intelligence)
  • Why traditional therapy or yoga alone might not be enough for deep healing
  • How slowing down can feel unsafe—and what to do when it does
  • The role of perfectionism in burnout and dysregulation
  • Why tuning into your body isn’t just healing—it’s a radical act of self-trust

Sheridan also offers simple ways to begin tuning into your body—starting with the question: What am I aware of right now?

Connect with Sheridan 

Podcast

Website

Instagram 

Book

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What is Healthy Anger? A Conversation with Amanda Curry

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In this powerful episode, Grace sits down with somatic coach and physical therapist Amanda Curry to explore the layered and often misunderstood emotion of anger—especially as it arises for women in postpartum seasons.

Amanda shares her personal experience with postpartum rage and how it became the starting point for deeper healing and self-inquiry. Together, they explore what it means to feel anger safely and fully, how emotional repression manifests in the body, and how women can reclaim anger as a source of vitality rather than something to suppress.

You will learn:

  • Why anger and rage are often avoided—especially by women
  • How to differentiate between your sensations and your sense of self
  • The role of somatic work in transforming reactivity into empowerment
  • What it looks like to cultivate inner fire with containment
  • How the Five Personality Patterns shape individual expressions of anger
  • Why emotional awareness is key for healing chronic pain and tension

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From Burnout to Alignment: Healing the Body with Energy, Human Design & Deep Listening with Hope Pedraza

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In this episode, Grace talks with Hope Pedraza, a functional practitioner and energy worker, about how human design can unlock deeper healing.

Hope shares how understanding your energetic blueprint can reveal why burnout, gut issues, and hormonal imbalances show up—and how to shift them. They explore the connection between your design type, chronic symptoms, and the journey back to alignment.

Perfect for anyone curious about using human design as a tool for self-understanding, healing, and embodiment.

Learn about Human Design

Podcast episode with Charlotte Wright

Connect with Hope: 

Website

Facebook

Instagram

Linkedin

Youtube

Podcast

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How to Overcome Health Anxiety with Liana Mauro

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In this episode, Grace is joined again by somatic therapist and anxiety specialist Liana Mauro to explore the roots of health anxiety, how it shows up in the body, and what to do about it. They discuss how unresolved fear and trauma can drive physical symptoms, and offer grounded ways to reconnect with your body, break the fear cycle, and build a sense of safety. Whether you’re dealing with chronic illness, symptom flare-ups, or overwhelming worry, this conversation offers validation, tools, and hope.

Topics Covered:

  • What health anxiety really is and how it differs from hypochondria
  • How fear reinforces chronic symptoms—and how to interrupt the cycle
  • Why constant symptom scanning and Googling can make things worse
  • Creating true safety in the body (what that means & how to start)
  • The role of somatic tracking and nervous system regulation
  • Using joy and evidence journaling to retrain your brain
  • Why your body isn’t broken—and how it’s actually protecting you

Connect with Liana:

Website

Instagram 

Email: lianawellnesscoaching@gmail.com

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