Episode 4: Overcoming the Freeze Response & Experiencing More Joy (Part 2) with Irene Lyon

You Don't Need to Remember to Heal

Here's what stops so many people: they think they need to find the original cause, excavate the memories, and identify the exact moment their nervous system froze.

They spend years searching and digging through childhood, trying to remember what happened.

You don't need to know the original cause to heal. That's the good news about working with your nervous system biology.

In this second conversation with Irene Lyon, somatic practitioner and nervous system expert, we explore how to move beyond freeze even when the source isn't clear and how joy becomes possible when your nervous system unfreezes.

The Trauma You Can't Remember Still Matters

Trauma isn't always a single big thing. Subtle inconsistencies in childhood shape your nervous system just as much as obvious trauma.

The lack of attunement, the small moments of disconnect, the times no one came when you cried, and the emotional absence even when someone was physically present all create patterns.

These patterns don't create clear memories, but they create clear nervous system responses.

Irene and I discuss how subtle childhood inconsistencies create freeze patterns, why developmental trauma often has no single "event," the difference between memory and nervous system imprint, why attachment disruptions are hard to remember but easy to feel, and how your body holds what your mind can't recall.

Your nervous system remembers even when you don't.

Working With What's Present Now

This is where people get stuck. They think healing requires excavating every memory, understanding every cause, and building a complete narrative.

But your body can heal without knowing exactly what happened.

Your nervous system holds the patterns, and you can work directly with those patterns. The biology responds even when the story is unclear.

The shift happens when you stop searching backward and start working with what's here now, including the sensations in your body today, the freeze patterns showing up currently, your nervous system's responses in the present, the capacity you can build right now, and the safety you can create in this moment.

Healing happens in present-time biology, not past-time narrative.

When Joy Becomes Possible Again

When your nervous system is stuck in freeze, joy is inaccessible. Not because you're broken but because freeze shuts down the circuits that allow positive emotions.

You can understand joy conceptually and remember times you felt it, but you can't access it in your body right now.

As the freeze thaws, something shifts. You can experience more, feel more, and connect more fully with life.

This isn't about toxic positivity or forcing happiness but about your nervous system regaining the capacity for the full range of human emotions.

Joy isn't something you create but rather something that emerges when freeze releases.

This Episode Is For:

✓ People frustrated by not remembering what caused their freeze 

✓ Anyone who's been told they need to process memories to heal 

✓ Those exhausted by years of trying to "figure it out" 

✓ Practitioners looking for body-based approaches that don't require excavating the past 

✓ Anyone ready to work with present-time biology instead of past-time narrative 

✓ People wanting to access joy and aliveness again

What You'll Learn

Listen to understand why healing your nervous system doesn't require knowing the original trauma. Discover how to work with the patterns present in your body now. Learn how joy becomes accessible as freeze releases.

Your body knows how to heal. You just need to learn its language.

Listen to Episode 4 with Irene Lyon →

Disclaimer

This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The information shared reflects my clinical expertise and research, but every person's biology and healing journey is unique. Always consult with qualified healthcare providers before making changes to your treatment plan or starting new interventions. If you're experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact emergency services or a crisis helpline immediately.

Join the Conversation

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode. What resonated with you? What questions came up?

Please keep comments respectful and supportive. This is a community of people committed to healing. We welcome diverse perspectives and honest questions, but we don't tolerate personal attacks, spam, or content that could harm others on their healing journey.