In this week’s playful and powerful episode, I’m joined by the incredible Wendy Schofer, MD—a pediatrician, certified coach, and founder of Family in Focus. We explore how improv games can be a surprisingly effective tool in coaching sessions, especially when it comes to releasing self-judgment, accessing the body, and staying present.Wendy brings her deep experience in medicine and family health to our conversation—but in this session, she brings her full-on goofball too. You’ll hear us laugh, mess up, play, and reflect on the unexpected wisdom that comes from saying "yes, and" to your own body and emotions.Whether you're a coach, a parent, or someone looking to break free from patterns of pressure and perfectionism, this episode invites you to try something delightfully different: improv as embodiment.Come for the giggles, stay for the grounded insight. You might just start using improv in your own life by the end of this episode.Learn more about and connect with Dr. Wendy Schofer: https://www.wendyschofermd.com/
In this week’s Somatic Series episode, I sit down with Life Transformation Coach Meagan Skidmore for a deep and honest conversation about shame, grief, and identity. While this episode is more of a dialogue than a somatic demonstration, it’s rich with insight and heart.
We explore story mapping—the powerful process of tracing a current emotion like shame back to one of its earliest memories. Meagan shares how understanding the origins of our emotional patterns can help us release old pain, rewrite our inner narratives, and live with greater compassion for ourselves and others.
Together, we reflect on the grief that comes with letting go of who we thought we were supposed to be or what we thought was supposed to be—and the beauty of accepting who we truly are and what is. This conversation is an invitation to see yourself more clearly, love yourself more fully, and step out of shame-based judgment into self-affirming truth.
Meagan is offering a code for anyone who wants to work with her and do their own story mapping: use code SarahBond50 for half off a 75 minute session:
https://meaganskidmorecoaching.com
In this episode, I’m joined by somatic practitioner and change worker Jess Erickson, and for the first time in this series… we processed joy.
This session was a beautiful reminder that somatic work isn’t just about healing pain—it’s about expanding our capacity for joy and compassion, too. Jess gently guided me to stay with the joy I was experiencing and then offered a powerful invitation: could I send that joy and compassion back to a past version of myself who needed it?
What unfolded felt profound, tender, and empowering. This episode is a celebration of what becomes possible when we allow joy to be just as welcome in our healing process as grief.
Go check Jess out on her website https://jesserickson.com/
In this installment of the Somatic Series, I’m joined by Charmaine Horn, a former psychiatric nurse turned Qigong teacher, and this conversation is deeply personal. Before our session, I was feeling stuck in a heavy place, caught in the depths of grief. But through Qigong, Charmaine guided me in a way that allowed me to move—not just physically, but emotionally—and something truly shifted.For the first time since Rob’s death, I experienced real LASTING joy. Not just a fleeting moment, but a lasting lightness that I’ve carried with me ever since. Of course, I’m still grieving, but the weight of it feels different now. This practice helped me release something I didn’t even know I was holding, and it’s a tool I wouldn’t hesitate to return to.If you’ve been feeling stuck in your emotions or if you’re curious about how movement can help shift grief, stress, and pain, this episode is one you won’t want to miss. To learn more about and book a Qigong session with Charmaine, visit her site here: https://www.oasisqigong.com/
In this episode of the Somatic Series, I sit down with Resilient Somatic Coach Michelle Banks for a powerful demonstration of what coaching is capable of. Michelle brings a deep presence, creating a space of genuine care, safety, and no pressure—just the experience of being fully seen. Her approach blends mindfulness and somatic work, allowing the body to guide from an intuitive state and helping clients connect with their inner knowing. If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to be truly met where you are, this episode is for you. From Michelle’s website, “The body’s intelligence knows things that neither we nor our clients know about the source of their unwanted attitudes and behavior. Hakomi practitioners learn to track and explore subtle somatic cues (i.e., facial expressions, breathing, tensions, postures, and movement patterns) that indicate the presence of unconscious thoughts, feelings, and patterns. Hakomi-based coaching is grounded in current neuroscience, combines somatic techniques, empathic attunement, limbic resonance, and the gentle inward-looking practice of Mindfulness.”To connect with Michelle, here is her website: https://theresilientsomaticcoach.com/
My next installment in the Somatic Series is about food. Somatic nutrition is embodied nutrition. It encompasses not only the food we consume but also how we eat, our relationship with food, and the connection between our mind and body.
Join me and Andrea Sapienza, RN, who is a weight loss and life coach specializing in the restoration of metabolic health. From Andrea, “I ditched the mainstream narratives & learned to ask WHY—about food, health, and human biology. Instead of chasing symptoms, I focus on optimal wellness.”
The goal of this episode is NOT to give advice on what you should be eating, but if food and nutrition and mindset around it interest you, then this episode will stimulate your brain to think outside the box and start asking questions and paying attention. Always consult your team when making big changes and get all the support you need!
To connect with Andrea for coaching on this topic visit her Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/vibrantlifern/
In this somatic session, Coach Marci Owen guides me through the power of journaling and doodling as a way to process emotions. We explore how creativity can be a healing tool, helping to access and release feelings in a new, intuitive way. Since our session, I’ve embraced this practice, and it has given me a meaningful creative outlet in my grief journey. Tune in to learn how simple pen and paper can unlock deeper emotional healing.
Marci Owen is an Advanced Certified Life Coach who helps women build self-confidence, love themselves, and create fulfilling lives. After struggling with self-doubt despite living her dream life, coaching transformed her,. Known for her loving yet direct approach, Marci combines mindset work with a spiritual perspective to guide clients toward joy and empowerment.
To connect with Marci visit her website: https://marciowen.com/
In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Susie Castellanos Hansley, a speaker, workshop facilitator, and expert in science-based stress solutions. Susie has a gift for meeting people exactly where they are, and in our session, she helped me lean into what my body was asking for—without judgment or resistance.
Together, we explored how to work with stress rather than against it, and the power of truly tuning in to our bodies. Susie didn’t just guide me—she did the practice alongside me, making me feel truly seen, heard, and witnessed.
If you’ve ever struggled with stress, burnout, or self-judgment, this episode is a reminder that your body has wisdom—and you can trust it.
To connect with Dr. Susie go to her website: https://www.lifecoachsusie.com/welcome
In this episode, I sit down with Life and Spiritual Mastery Coach Hyo North, who specializes in helping women of faith process separation and divorce through somatic work. Hyo guides me through a session where I begin to explore my relationship with anger—an emotion I’ve often avoided.
Through this work, I realize that I don’t have to unleash all of my anger at once; I can simply take a peek at it, acknowledge its wisdom, and allow myself to process it in my own time.
If you’ve ever felt hesitant to face difficult emotions, this conversation offers a compassionate and gradual approach to reconnecting with yourself.
Tune in for insights on somatic healing, trauma-informed coaching, and the power of giving yourself permission to feel—at your own pace.
To connect with Hyo please visit her website https://hyonorthcoaching.com/
In this week's episode, I had the privilege of experiencing a powerful session with Jen Cui, who combines life coaching, RTT hypnotherapy, and intuitive tarot in her practice. What unfolded was a beautiful exploration of finding our way back to our own inner wisdom.
I particularly love how this session showcases the transformative power of coaching. The questions Jen asked me weren't just questions - they were doorways to insights I might never have discovered on my own. That's the magic of coaching: someone holding space and asking us the questions we don't think to ask ourselves. It's like having someone shine a light into corners of our minds we didn't even know existed.
Whether you're questioning your direction or seeking deeper alignment with your purpose, this episode offers insights into trusting your own inner guidance system.
To connect with Jen Cui please visit her website: https://www.jencui.com/
This week's episode is a really vulnerable one for me. I LOVE movement, dance, etc. but to be witnessed while doing so feels really scary. I could not even watch the episode because I didn’t want to experience the vulnerability hangover, haha. In this powerful episode, Coach Astrid guides us through an intimate somatic movement session, demonstrating how our bodies can be gateways to emotional transformation. Experience firsthand as nervous energy and anxiety dissolve into calm and joy through intentional movement, offering a unique window into the profound connection between physical motion and emotional healing.I was so nervous going in and I really appreciated how Coach Astrid gently encouraged me to SLOW DOWN. That is the main takeaway from this session. I think we could all benefit from slowing down and being with ourselves to help process emotions. Please check out her website to learn more about and connect with Coach Astrid.www.Astrid.coach
For this week's somatic session, I had the honor of being coached by Crystal Haitsma. Crystal is a Parenting Coach but as you will learn in this episode, her journey as a human has led her to this beautiful somatic work where we accessed the wisdom of the Inner Child.
I thought the session was going to be more about adult me comforting the younger me so I was surprised and delighted to discover my inner child had a lot of wisdom to offer me now.
This was a gentle and touching session and I hope it gives you some tools to access your inner child and the wisdom yours has for you.
To learn more about Crystal, go to her website:
To listen to Crystal’s podcast:
https://www.coachcrystal.ca/blog
I thought leaning into this work would look like surrendering to HUGE waves of emotions that I had to go with, which is why I was so scared to start doing this work in the beginning. Rhonda reminds us that we can actually have agency over this experience. It’s helped me learn that it’s better for me to lean in a little at a time.
This session with Rhonda is a great example of the difference between thought work and somatic work. You will see how she uses my emotional experience to help me access the wisdom in my body, and in my emotions. Enjoy!
To learn more about Rhonda:
https://rhondafarr.com/podcast/
This week I was honored to be coached by Torie Hendereson. Torie is the Life Coach for Parents and stressed out Mamas, and the host of the Podcast entitled “Supermom is Getting Tired.” She is a Certified Martha Beck Life Coach as well as a Certified The Life Coach School Coach.
Have you ever wondered why you still feel bad even when you aren’t thinking negatively? In this session, Torie helps us understand this disconnect and gives us tools to access what is happening in our body, separate from our thinking.
Torie offers us a great definition of " intuition " and what it feels like you won’t want to miss!
https://www.lifecoachingforparents.com/coaching/
https://www.lifecoachingforparents.com/supermom-podcast/
Sarah's Website: www.thechristianforgivenesscoach.com
Everyone will relate to this episode because what Sara points out in this session is that ALL of us will lose something we love. All of us will experience grief in this life. She invites us to change the way we view grief and grief work.
Sara helped me understand more where my doubt comes from when it comes to feeling emotions or being connected to my body and emotions. Understanding always helps me not judge myself.
I loved how Sara so gently guided me towards something I wanted to avoid, giving me full permission to take a peak and come back out if I wanted to—no pressure. Sometimes, we avoid an emotion because we think we will get lost in it. It’s scary, and for me, I felt like I needed to go ALL IN vs., oh, I can just take a peak and show myself it’s safe.
Sara helps us understand that we can LEARN what we need to learn that our caregivers did not teach us. It’s never too late. She mentions some really important ideas around repair that everyone needs to hear.
To learn more about and work with Sara Fisk go here:
Sara’s Podcast The Ex Good Girl Podcast:
https://theexgoodgirlpodcast.buzzsprout.com/
Dr. Peter Livine's video on nervous system pendulation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiXOMLoDm68
As with all of these somatic episodes I highly recommend you watch the video. You can watch it on
Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/christianforgivenesscoach/episodes/Creating-Safety-in-Your-Emotions-with-Sara-Fisk-e2thht6
YouTube: https://youtu.be/Gyx0KAbwMSg
In addition to the session itself, I loved the conversation Denita and I had before and after. Her description of somatic work and integration resonated and helped me settle into this journey with more ease and a greater understanding of it and of myself.
Denita was one of those coaches with whom I felt like she just “got me.” She was very intuitive, which made me feel comfortable working with her, which is always so important with vulnerable work like this. She helped me put a name to what I was experiencing which was shock and that was really helpful.
I love how Denita guides my awareness of my body starting with my toes because I immediately go to my head and start thinking…
Since this session I have noticed that I don’t experience the gut-punching nausea and my appetite is back! I’m hungry and I want to eat again!
To learn more about Denita please visit her website at www.denitabremer.com
If you want to learn more about focalizing go here: https://www.theinstitute.org/what-is-focalizing
If you are ready to fall in love with yourself and want coaching visit Sarah’s website: www.thechristianforgivenesscoach.com
From the moment I laid eyes on Sarah Trapkus I felt seen. She is one of those people that just exudes love and compassion. I felt held and safe to just BE and allow our time together to be however it was in the moment… As I watch this back I just want to HUG ME… it’s heart-wrenching to watch myself experience painful emotion, it’s so interesting… but just having Sarah there to guide me with her voice, help me ground myself…, and encourage me to allow whatever is happening in the moment, there is no wrong.
I love images and imagery so her guiding me to notice and ask questions of that felt really powerful to me and how we were able to connect it to my experience and make meaning out of it. Since then I have not experienced the FIREY pain in my trap muscles, I remember waking up the next day pain-free. If I feel the tension rising in my traps now I’m able to go back to this experience this imagery and transform it which feels really good, it feels grounding.
In this episode I learned how to take something scary and painful and turn it into something meaningful. It takes a little time to do this practice yes, and it’s worth it yes! I’m worth it, my emotions are worth it, my body is worth it and so is yours. I hope you are able to take this episode, use the guidance and questions that Sarah offered during the session and apply them to your emotional experience.
Learn more about Sarah Trapkus here:
https://www.sarahtrapkus.com/
If you are listening on Apple podcasts, I encourage you to go to Spotify or YouTube to see the video recording of this episode.
YouTube: https://youtu.be/FbR2O6VJbYo
Spotify: https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/yCvuH5VBPPb
Hello Friends, Welcome to Chapter 3 of the podcast where I'm going to share my grief journey through somatic work. Please join me every week as I invite emotional processing and somatic work coaches to share their unique gifts to guide me through feeling work, hoping that it will help you wherever you are in your journey.
Special Announcement for my listeners! Done with love!
https://www.thechristianforgivenesscoach.com
https://www.instagram.com/sarahbondcoaching/
Join me in this episode where I talk about forgiving someone who broke your heart and how to get over heartbreak faster. Done with love!
https://www.thechristianforgivenesscoach.com
https://www.instagram.com/sarahbondcoaching/
