Why I Work with the Body (And Not Just the Brain)

I’ve had some powerful “aha” moments in therapy - moments that gave me insight, language, and a deeper understanding of my patterns. But here’s what I’ve learned after more than 20 years of doing the inner work, both as a client and now as a coach:

Insight alone doesn’t create change. Especially when the part of you receiving that insight is an adolescent.

Let me explain.

A lot of the people I work with are smart, self-aware, capable professionals. They’ve read the books, done the therapy, listened to the podcasts. And yet... they're still stuck in the same patterns.

That’s not because they’re incapable of changing. It’s because the parts of them driving those patterns aren’t operating from the present, they’re stuck in the past.

When we’ve experienced trauma, or emotional wounding (and let’s be real, most of us have), certain parts of us freeze in time. These are the parts that learned to be invisible, to people-please, to overachieve, to shut down. And more often than not, those parts are still running the show, with the emotional capacity and understanding of a child.

You can’t “logic” your way past a part of you that still believes it’s not safe to speak up. You can’t bully your inner ten-year-old into setting boundaries. You can’t coach your way past survival responses that live in the body.

Trying to change your life using only insight is like asking a child to repair a leaky roof. They may understand what you’re asking. They may even want to help…But they literally can’t reach the damage, let alone repair it. That’s why I don’t just work with the brain; I work with the body and with the parts of you that never got what they needed.

In this work, we don’t ignore those parts. We don’t try to shame them into submission. We meet them. We listen. We connect. We find out what they need, what they’re afraid of, what they’ve been protecting you from all this time.

And then? We update them.

We let them know the truth: You’re not ten anymore. You have an adult self now—with power, tools, a voice, and choices.

This is how we stop reacting from old wounds and start responding from grounded wholeness.

It’s not about “fixing” yourself. It’s about reconnecting with yourself. It’s about building internal trust so that the most capable, conscious part of you gets to steer the ship.

And when that happens? You’re not just functioning better. You’re finally leading, living, and loving with clarity confidence and joy.

If this resonates, and you’d like to learn more about this work, I invite you to book a free consultation.