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
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
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.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.