In this episode of The Light inside, The discussion centered on Jeffrey Besecker's extensive experiences and insights related to trauma recovery, identity, and therapeutic practices. Besecker highlighted the importance of safety and coherence in the recovery process, noting that individuals often struggle with feelings of threat that can hinder their progress. He introduced the concept of double loop learning as a framework for adapting to experiences and emphasized the significance of pacing and sequencing in therapeutic interventions. The conversation aimed to explore how community support and individual experiences can enhance the healing journey.

Mike Cuevas shared his personal journey with dissociative identity disorder (DID), detailing the impact of misdiagnosis and the challenges he faced in understanding his identity. He recounted how silence became a coping mechanism during his formative years, leading to feelings of shame. The discussion underscored the need for a coherent approach to integrating insights about DID with the body's capacity to process those insights, emphasizing the importance of creating a safe therapeutic space for effective healing.

The conversation also delved into the role of the practitioner's state of mind and co-regulation in therapy. A conference room participant shared personal experiences and the development of mental exercises to manage emotional triggers, introducing the BAR technique as a tool for emotional regulation. Besecker and Mike explored the significance of recognizing bodily sensations in differentiating identity states, which can lead to greater clarity and peace. They discussed the transformative power of empathy in processing past traumas and the importance of adaptive containment in therapeutic relationships.

Mike reflected on how his personal development has influenced his parenting, particularly in managing stressful situations with his children. He shared an incident where he maintained calmness during a confrontation, demonstrating the value of mindfulness and emotional regulation. The discussion concluded with Besecker expressing gratitude for Mike's insights and the potential for future collaborations, highlighting the unique and revelatory nature of their conversation.

Time Stamps

00:00:00 - Introduction to Coherence and DID

00:01:13 - Sponsor Message: Mint Mobile

00:02:27 - Understanding Dissociative Identity Disorder

00:03:10 - Mike Cuevas Joins the Conversation

00:04:11 - Early Signs of Dissociation

00:05:26 - Insight vs. Capacity

00:06:38 - Adaptive Coping Patterns

00:07:43 - Shame and Guilt in Misdiagnosis.

00:09:09 - Therapeutic Journey Begins

00:10:24 - Boxing as a Therapeutic Outlet

00:12:03 - Stigmatization and Adaptive Survival

00:13:07 - Pacing and Sequencing in Therapy

00:14:38 - Visceral Trauma and Sensory Overload

00:16:47 - Connecting Boxing to Somatic Responses

00:18:46 - Learning to Feel Safe

00:20:19 - Somatic Attunement and Sensory Perception

00:22:05 - The B.A.R. Technique

00:24:45 - Double Loop Learning

00:26:11 - Identifying Distinct Identity Stateslf.

00:28:20 - Chaos as Opportunity

00:30:11 - Empathy vs. Sympathy

00:32:49 - Claiming Sovereignty

00:35:04 - Adaptive Containment

00:39:10 - Presence and Capacity

00:41:05 - Body Assigns Meaning

00:50:34 - The Role of Pause in Processing

Credits

• Host: Jeffrey Besecker
• Guest: Mike Cuevas
• Executive Program Director: Anna Getz
• Production Team: Aloft Media Group
• Music: Courtesy of Aloft Media Group

Connect with host Jeffrey Besecker on LinkedIn.

In this episode of The Light Inside, Jeffrey Besecker is joined by Tena Cacic for a grounded, nuanced conversation on how early childhood attachment experiences shape adult identity, performance roles, and dissociative coping patterns—especially within helping and therapeutic professions.

Together, they explore how achievement, productivity, and over-functioning can quietly become protective strategies rooted in early relational environments. Rather than framing these patterns as pathology, the conversation examines them as adaptive responses that can later harden into identity, limiting flexibility, relational attunement, and therapeutic presence.

Throughout the episode, Jeffrey and Tena differentiate somatic signals from narrative overlays, highlight the risks of epistemic and spiritual flattening, and unpack how unresolved practitioner patterns—such as rescuing, serial fixing, and over-responsibility—can subtly shape client dynamics.

This episode is particularly relevant for clinicians, coaches, and educators seeking to deepen their awareness of counter-transference, performance-based identity, dissociative bypassing, and capacity-building without collapsing complexity or bypassing discomfort.

Timestamps

00:00 — Episode framing
• Introducing the focus on early attachment, identity, and therapeutic relevance

04:30 — Lived experience and trauma awareness
• Tena shares personal experiences that shaped her understanding of helplessness, control, and internal role shifts

10:15 — Victim–rescuer–persecutor dynamics
• How early relational patterns evolve into adult performance and protection roles

15:45 — Childhood development and pre-verbal imprinting
• Why somatic cues precede cognition and narrative meaning-making

21:30 — Over-responsibility in therapeutic roles
• The subtle line between holding space and over-functioning for clients

27:00 — Somatic signals vs. belief systems
• Distinguishing embodied emotional intensity from post-hoc interpretation

33:30 — Cultural conditioning and vulnerability
• How inherited narratives shape children’s sense of threat, safety, and capacity

39:30 — Performance, flow, and bypassing
• When calm, productivity, or “peace” becomes another form of avoidance

45:30 — Identity rewards and letting go of the story
• How suffering, competence, and achievement can become sublimated anchors

52:30 — Nervous system regulation and productivity
• Reframing performance without dissociation or over-control

59:00 — Closing reflections
• Relational attunement, differentiation, and building adaptive capacity over identity rigidity

Credits

• Host: Jeffrey Besecker
• Guest: Tena Cacic
• Executive Program Director: Anna Getz
• Production Team: Aloft Media Group
• Music: Courtesy of Aloft Media Group

Connect with host Jeffrey Besecker on LinkedIn.

Host: Jeffrey Besecker
Guest: D’ Layne Benson, Registered Nurse and Therapeutic Breathwork Facilitator

In this episode of The Light Inside, we delve into the concept of "false calm" and its implications for emotional regulation and mental health. Our guest, D’ Layne Benson, shares her insights on how over-resourcing and cognitive control can mute adaptive feedback signals, leading to short-term quiet but long-term signal loss.

We explore how containment and pacing can build capacity, reduce rupture, and allow coherence to emerge without interpretive intrusion. D’ Layne explains that true regulation isn't about feeling better but about staying present with what's activated. We discuss how false calm can keep individuals disconnected and how to recognize it in real-time.

D’ Layne shares her experiences as a registered nurse and how they led her to explore the role of overfunctioning in high-stress careers like healthcare. She highlights the common trend among caregivers who often neglect their own emotional regulation while focusing on others.

We also touch on the concept of functional freeze, where individuals appear composed on the outside but are in a state of internal shutdown. D’ Layne provides practical advice on how to notice and address these states, both in oneself and in clients.

Throughout the episode, we discuss the importance of relational attunement, the impact of early childhood neural imprints on our perception of safety and threat, and the role of cognitive override in burnout. D' Layne emphasizes the need for scheduling rest and reflection, especially for high-performing individuals who use productivity as a defense against emotional discomfort.

Finally, we explore the nuances of breathwork as a tool for emotional regulation and how it can help individuals reconnect with their bodies in a safe and controlled manner. D’ Layne shares her personal journey and how breathwork played a crucial role in her own healing process.

Join us as we unpack these complex topics and provide actionable insights for better emotional regulation and mental well-being.

Timestamps

[00:03:48] False calm and emotional bypassing.

[00:04:36] False calm in caregiving.

[00:09:12] Observing emotional dysregulation patterns.

[00:11:25] Nervous system and safety perception.

[00:15:07] Autonomic nervous system dynamics.

[00:22:11] Busyness as emotional shield.

[00:26:00] Scheduling time for reflection.

[00:27:25] Building authentic self-worth.

[00:30:31] Safety and internal narratives.

[00:35:04] Doxaxic reasoning and bias.

[00:39:31] Curiosity about personal biases.

[00:42:43] Caregiving and self-neglect.

[00:45:51] Breath as a diagnostic tool.

[00:51:45] Self-healing and awareness.

[00:52:13] Rhythmic breathing's healing power.

[00:56:20] Sustainable change through repetition.

[01:00:20] Value and meaning in care.

Credits

• Host: Jeffrey Besecker
• Guest: D’ Layne Benson
• Executive Program Director: Anna Getz
• Production Team: Aloft Media Group
• Music: Courtesy of Aloft Media Group

Connect with host Jeffrey Besecker on LinkedIn.

In this episode of The Light Inside, we delve into the intricate dynamics of limerence and its connection to attachment trauma. Joined by licensed psychotherapist Leah Marrone, author of Serial Fixer: Breaking Free of the Habit of Solving Other People's Problems, we explore how unresolved attachment imprints shape our behaviors and relationships.

Limerence, often mistaken for intense longing, is revealed as a response to old wounds, manifesting as hypervigilance, overfunctioning, and a compulsive need to fix or rescue others. These patterns, while appearing as care, often mask deeper fears of abandonment and a struggle for self-worth.

Leah shares insights on how early attachment experiences condition us to regulate anxiety by overcommitting to others' needs, often at the expense of our own well-being. We discuss the importance of self-awareness, setting boundaries, and the power of validation in creating healthy, balanced relationships.

Throughout the conversation, we emphasize the need for practitioners and caregivers to recognize their own patterns of overfunctioning and to cultivate self-trust and resilience. By doing so, we can better support others without falling into the trap of serial fixing.

Tune in to learn how to navigate these complex dynamics and foster genuine connections that allow for mutual growth and healing.

"Serial Fixer: Breaking Free of The Habit of Solving Other People's Problems"

Timestamps:

00:00:00 - Introduction to Limerence and Attachment Trauma
00:01:15 - Mint Mobile Advertisement
00:02:19 - Limerence and Attachment Patterns
00:03:04 - Introduction of Guest: Leah Marrone
00:03:42 - Childhood Conditioning and Over-committing
00:06:02 - Hyper-responsibility and Nervous System Safety
00:08:10 - Emotional Suppression and Connection
00:10:39 - Threat and Safety in Emotional Responses
00:12:48 - Recognizing Somatic Cues
00:15:02 - Differentiating Roles in Relationships
00:18:09 - Supporting vs. Solving in Therapy
00:21:03 - Invisible Labor and Emotional Interactions
00:24:01 - Urgency and Shame in Fixing Behavior
00:27:04 - Effective Listening and Present Moment Awareness
00:30:19 - Building Resilience and Self-trust
00:33:04 - Vulnerability in Guiding Conversations
00:36:09 - Holding Space and Managing Tension
00:38:46 - Monitoring Unconscious Over-resourcing
00:41:15 - Social Stigma and Mental Health
00:43:57 - Self-martyrdom in Caregiving Roles
00:45:36 - Personal Reflection on Fixing Behavior

—Credits

Featured Guest: Leah Marone

• Host: Jeffrey Besecker
• Executive Program Director: Anna Getz
• Production Team: Aloft Media Group
• Music: Courtesy of Aloft Media Group

Connect with host Jeffrey Besecker on LinkedIn.

Music by Aloft Meade and Jeffrey Besecker

“Anxiety Effect” by Aloft Media

“Falling Down” written by Aloft Media

“Wanting and Waiting” by Aloft Media

Show Notes:

In this episode of The Light Inside, we delve into the intricate world of somatic integration and its profound impact on our emotional and cognitive well-being. Our guest, Christoffel Snaders, brings over 30 years of experience in coaching, psychotherapy, and leadership training to our discussion, offering deep insights into the dynamic interplay between our head, heart, and gut.

Christoffel Snaders highlights that human behavior is not fixed but is a dynamic process shaped by the interplay of neural, emotional, and bodily systems. When these systems align through somatic coherence, individuals can achieve a state of attunement where body, mind, and emotions communicate fluidly. This alignment fosters clarity, resilience, and adaptive connections, which are essential for effective emotional regulation.

Timestamps:

[00:03:06] Somatic coherence and emotional clarity.

[00:05:08] Somatic processes and decision-making.

[00:09:12] Somatic integration and trauma.

[00:11:06] Body’s response to trauma.

[00:14:37] The complexity of body cells.

[00:18:03] Questioning Quantum biology and energy fields.

[00:22:58] Placebo effect in therapy settings.

[00:26:15] Logic in the head.

[00:29:58] Heart and memory connection.

[00:31:48] Heart and gut dominance.

[00:37:08] Misinterpretation of bodily sensations.

[00:42:00] Importance of observation in therapy.

[00:45:29] Observation and somatic awareness.

[00:48:05] Psychological safety in therapy.

[00:50:55] Tailoring sessions to client needs.

[00:54:49] Tailoring sessions for clients.

[00:59:04] Three brains intelligence resources.

[01:00:31] Human connection and collaboration.

—Credits

Featured Guest: Christoffel Sneijders

• Host: Jeffrey Besecker
• Executive Program Director: Anna Getz
• Production Team: Aloft Media Group
• Music: Courtesy of Aloft Media Group

Connect with host Jeffrey Besecker on LinkedIn.

Music by Aloft Meade and Jeffrey Besecker

“Integration” by Aloft Media

“Miss Undrestanding” written by Jeffrey Besecker

“Meaningful Connections” by Aloft Media

In this episode of The Light Inside, host Jeffrey Biesecker delves into the concept of avoidance as an emotional coping strategy. He discusses how unresolved psychological issues can inhibit emotional regulation and self-awareness, leading to unprocessed trauma that affects our relationships with ourselves and others. The episode explores the subtle ways avoidance influences our reactions and highlights the challenges and transformative potential of facing what we have long avoided.

Listeners will gain insights into strategies for gently confronting avoidance patterns without feeling overwhelmed, paving the way for deeper connections and personal growth. Tune in to discover how confronting avoidance can illuminate your path to healing.

Timestamps

[00:02:54] Avoidant coping and emotional attunement.

[00:06:01] Avoidance as a survival strategy.

[00:08:07] Hypervigilance as a baseline.

[00:12:20] Evolution of avoidance strategies.

[00:16:47] Emotional capacity and discomfort.

[00:20:49] Co-regulation and emotional connection.

[00:26:00] Vagal breaking and safety.

[00:28:48] Over-intellectualizing vs. under-feeling.

[00:32:36] Somatic responses to anxiety.

[00:39:15] Guilt, shame, blame cycle.

[00:40:42] The nature of change.

[00:45:45] Exploring unconscious beliefs and triggers.

[00:49:23] Positive vs Negative Beliefs.

[00:54:01] Somatic signals and identity.

[00:57:21] Bridging somatics and cognition.

[01:00:56] Finding the grounding point.

[01:05:20] Avoidant behaviors and their roots.

Credits

• Host: Jeffrey Besecker
• Guest: Brianna Sanborn
• Executive Program Director: Anna Getz
• Production Team: Aloft Media Group
• Music: Courtesy of Aloft Media Group

Connect with host Jeffrey Besecker on LinkedIn.

Building Emotional and Somatic Language: Learning to Understand Your Body and Feelings

In this course, Brianna guides you in identifying the emotional and somatic language that bridges your inner experience with clearer self-understanding. You’ll discover how emotions first surface in the body, why they can feel confusing without words to name them, and how to communicate your feelings more effectively with yourself and others. With practical tools for recognition, regulation, and safe exploration, this course helps transform overwhelming sensations into empowering clarity. Note: Some exercises may stir strong emotions—practice at your own pace and lean on support if needed.

In this episode of The Light Inside, host Jeffrey Besecker is joined by holistic physician Dr. Brad Montagne to explore how unconscious beliefs, emotional suppression, and meta-cognitive dissonance can inhibit healing in chronic care.

Together, we examine how unresolved psychological data and implicit attitudes create empathy gaps and relational disconnection, shaping both treatment resistance and patient well-being. This conversation unpacks the pivotal role empathy plays as a clinical tool—bridging human connection and holistic health outcomes.

Key Talking Points

• How unresolved psychological data and suppressed beliefs influence chronic illness.
• The role of meta-cognitive dissonance in creating resistance to healing.
• Why empathy gaps in healthcare erode patient trust and connection.
• Somatic and psychological pathways that link disconnection to diminished healing outcomes.
• Trauma-informed perspectives on bridging relational divides in chronic care.

Key Takeaways

• Healing is not only physiological—it’s relational, requiring empathy as medicine.
• Unconscious biases and cultural scripts often drive treatment resistance.
• Disconnection creates nocebo-like effects that can worsen patient outcomes.
• Clinicians who bridge empathy gaps can foster resilience and restore trust.
• Holistic care thrives when emotional, somatic, and relational factors are addressed together.

Guest Bio – Dr. Brad Montagne

Dr. Brad Montagne is a holistic physician and chronic care provider dedicated to helping patients uncover the deeper connections between physical illness and unresolved emotional or psychological patterns. Through his work at HealthfullyU, Dr. Brad integrates medical insight with empathy-driven care, emphasizing the importance of whole-person healing and the restoration of human connection in clinical practice.

Credits

• Host: Jeffrey Besecker
• Guest: Dr. Brad Montagne
• Executive Program Director: Anna Getz
• Production Team: Aloft Media Group
• Music: Courtesy of Aloft Media Group

Connect with host Jeffrey Besecker on LinkedIn.

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:

Executive Producer: Jeffrey Besecker

Written by: Anna Getz

Guest Booking & Research: The Light Inside Podcast Team

Music & Audio Engineering: Light Inside Studios

Original Episode Concept and Research Framework: The Light Inside Think Tank

Related Resources & Links:

Len May & EndoDNA → www.endodna.com

Call to Action:

If you’re a trauma-informed therapist, coach, or mental health professional, this episode will expand your understanding of the unseen forces shaping your clients’ behaviors—and give you new tools to meet them where they truly are.

Leave us a review if this conversation sparked a new insight into your practice.