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 his 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