034 | Navigating the Vortex of Trauma, Loss, and Grief with Nancy Perlson
Nancy Perlson is a trauma-informed licensed clinical social worker trained in somatically-based treatments and modalities. She is a long-time yoga practitioner and instructor certified through the Yoga Alliance as well as an active member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists. In 2010, Nancy created Connecting Through Yoga, a yoga bereavement support program. She has served on the Board of Directors for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and has volunteered for the Loving Outreach for Survivors of Suicide since 1999. For her advocacy and influence on the lives of individuals impacted by suicide and mental illness, Nancy received the Charles T. Ruby LOSS Award in 2017.
Nancy joins me today to share her experience with trauma and discuss the necessary steps for healing grief and loss. She describes the physiological nature of trauma and explains how the nervous system stores trauma and pain. She dissects how unresolved trauma manifests in behavior. Nancy also draws from the wisdom of Viktor Frankl and underscores the human power to adapt, change, and step into uncomfortable spaces.
“Healing only comes when we recognize our power to step into that uncomfortable vortex. We are capable of change until the day we die.”
- Nancy Perlson
This week on the Trauma Hiders Club Podcast:
● Nancy’s experience as a trauma hider and how she woke up to life
● How Nancy opened up to the healing process after losing her father to suicide
● How a support system of family and friends helped Nancy process loss and trauma
● Living in a dark place and how long it took for Nancy to come out of it
● The importance of allowing yourself to be honest, ugly, and messy
● The negative connotation of surrender in our culture
● What happens when trauma and grief are left unresolved
● The neurophysiology of trauma and how trauma is stored in the body
● How unnoticed and unresolved trauma and grief can manifest as behaviors
● Creating healthy boundaries around yourself
● The complexities of bereavement, grief, and trauma
● Our ability to change and adapt to our environment
● How Nancy incorporates yoga and somatic work into her practice
● The importance of recognizing the somatic responses of trauma
Resources Mentioned:
● Book: Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
Connect with Nancy Perlson:
● Behind the Ink Project on Instagram
● Behind the Ink Project on Facebook
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