In this episode, Alex talks with Charna Cassell, a Trauma-Trained Psychotherapist and Sexuality Coach from Oakland who combines somatic coaching, bodywork, and energy medicine in her practice. Charna explains why talk therapy often fails to create change in trauma recovery, and how physical practices can transform the nervous system in ways cognitive understanding cannot.
Charna shares her journey through "boundary bootcamp" at Good Vibrations and her training at the Strozzi Institute. "I really needed physical practice," she says about why ten years of talk therapy created awareness but didn't change her nervous system responses.
Throughout the conversation, Charna demonstrates somatic exercises that reveal embodied habits. She explains how our bodies show our patterns under minimal stress and introduces the concept that "until you have an embodied No, you can't have a genuine Yes." The episode covers how repetition creates new neural pathways—like a deer path that becomes visible after being walked repeatedly—and how practice transforms boundaries from rigid or absent to compassionate.
Key Highlights:
- 00:00 Introduction to Charna
- 04:06 Boundary bootcamp experience
- 10:15 Strozzi Institute training
- 14:47 Current practice overview
- 18:36 Contact exercise demonstration
- 24:02 Freeze response explained
- 27:45 Boundary progression stages
- 31:42 Healing relationship boundaries
- 33:16 Bodywork benefits described
- 37:54 Kundalini yoga journey
- 40:31 Managing collective fear
- 42:27 Breath of fire technique
- 44:04 Ways to work with Charna
Links & Resources
- Website: https://charnacassell.com/
- Website:https://passionatelife.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laidopenpodcast
- FacebookL: https://www.facebook.com/LaidOpenPodcast/
- Podcast: https://charnacassell.com/laidopen/
Find us Online:
Sign up for our newsletter to learn more about the power of embodiment:
https://www.redbeardsomatictherapy.com/
Follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RedBeardSomaticTherapy
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Ridiculous History
History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.