Encoded Behaviors: How Epigenetics, Trauma, and DNA Shape Our Mental Health Blueprint"

In this episode of The Light Inside, we explore the intersection of biology and behavior through the lens of epigenetics, genetic predisposition, and trauma-informed mental health care.

Our featured guest, Len May, founder of EndoDNA, guides us through groundbreaking research showing how genetic expression can shape everything from stress responses to treatment-resistant depression. We’ll learn how behaviors we label as “personal struggles” may, in fact, be inherited—and how understanding our biological code can lead to more ethical, personalized, and integrative models of therapy and healing.

Together, we examine how emotional imprinting, unresolved trauma, and somatic incoherence can be passed between generations—and more importantly, how these inherited patterns can be reinterpreted, reintegrated, and transformed.

This conversation invites therapists, healers, and practitioners to go beyond surface-level care and into a deeper, evidence-based understanding of how genetics, behavior, and healing intertwine.

Key Discussion Themes & Episode Chapters:

1. Cold Open – The Inheritance of Behavior

Trauma may not begin with us—but it’s often carried by us. We introduce the concept of biological inheritance and explore how behaviors may be encoded into our DNA.

2. Meet the Guest: Len May

A pioneer in DNA-guided health and CEO of EndoDNA, Len shares his journey from ADD diagnosis to creating a precision behavioral health platform grounded in genetics.

3. Understanding the Science: Genetic and Epigenetic Testing

Explore whole-genome sequencing, pharmacogenomics, and the endocannabinoid system as tools for decoding behavioral predispositions.

4. Primary, Secondary & Ancillary Behavior Patterns

Learn how inherited markers influence emotional dysregulation, coping strategies, identity confusion, and systemic trauma suppression.

5. Ethics & Application in Trauma-Informed Therapy

Discover how to ethically and effectively introduce DNA insights into the therapy room—balancing science with empathy and agency.

6. Integrative Takeaways: How Genetic Insight Enhances Healing

We wrap up with three applied strategies for integrating epigenetic knowledge into personalized, trauma-informed care.

Core Episode Insights:

• Your DNA is not your destiny. Most genes are probabilistic, not deterministic—and can be modulated by behavior, context, and therapeutic support.

• Inherited trauma is real. Epigenetic markers can transmit stress responses, dysregulation, and trauma susceptibility across generations.

• Precision therapy is the future. Integrating genetic and behavioral data allows for more ethical, informed, and individualized treatment—especially in cases of misdiagnosed or treatment-resistant conditions.

• Pop psychology isn’t enough. Healing requires moving beyond mindset fixes and into somatic and biological awareness.
• The story of healing is written in both memory and molecules.

Featured Guest:

Len May – Founder and CEO of EndoDNA

An expert in the field of precision behavioral health, Len holds multiple patents in using DNA to guide wellness and mental health interventions. His platform provides clinicians with evidence-based, whole-genome insights to support trauma-informed treatment and pharmacogenomic alignment.

Host: Jeffrey Besecker – Behavioral Coach and Host of The Light Inside

 Episode Credits:

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