Just Like Nana

Dive into the journey of Just Like Nana, a podcast passionately exploring ancestral trauma, generational healing, and the profound ways our family's past shapes our present mental and holistic health. Amie Penny Sayler shares captivating, research-based fiction stories of her grandmothers' lives and features insightful interviews with leading mental health and wellness practitioners. Learn how to break cycles of trauma passed down through generations, understand family dynamics, and cultivate a regulated nervous system. Ground yourself in your history, honor your ancestors, and find your own path to trauma healing. New episodes every Friday. Learn more at https://justlikenana.com/

Just Like Nana is a health podcast hosted by Amie Penny Sayler, with 37 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Amie Penny Sayler hosts Just Like Nana, a health show with 37 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #37

  Wednesdae Reim Ifrach

  Oct 2, 202646 min

  Wednesdae Reim Ifrach is here to discuss the biological, psychological, and historical layers of inherited stress and reveals how somatic inquiry, creative expression, and intentional play serve as powerful tools for liberation. They also discuss how engaging your innate creativity can rewire your nervous system, restore true belonging, and transform generational wounds into ancestral joy. About Wednesdae Wednesdae Reim Ifrach is an expressive arts therapist, artist, and scholar whose work explores embodiment, queer identity, trauma healing, and creative practice. Through art, research, and somatic therapy, their work examines how creative expression becomes a pathway for reclaiming the body and transforming trauma. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: Understand the Three Layers of Ancestral Trauma: Intergenerational trauma manifests across three distinct dimensions: biological/epigenetic (where trauma shortens telomeres and impacts physical/reproductive health), psychological/relational (learned insecure attachments and family behavioral patterns), and historical (systemic oppression, marginalization, and collective trauma). Reframe the "Black Sheep" as the Well One: Seeking emotional intelligence, boundaries, and therapy within a dysfunctional family system often positions you as the family "black sheep," but breaking rigid family norms is actually a brave act of lineage healing. Use Creativity as a Somatic Bridge: Expressive arts—such as drawing, singing, dancing, and movement—operate as a somatic bridge between non-verbal right-brain memories and logical left-brain processing, helping the central nervous system safely discharge stored survival stress. Reclaim Belonging Beyond Biological Lines: For queer, trans, or marginalized individuals experiencing familial estrangement, healing involves acknowledging the grief of lost origin stories while actively stepping into the broader, joyful ancestral lineage of chosen family and cultural history. Cultivate Daily "Glimmers" and Joy: Counteract chronic fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses by intentionally inviting low-pressure, creative moments into your daily routine—like spinning in a desk chair, using colored pencils, or singing along to a favorite song—to resource your nervous system. Connect with Wednesdae Website: https://www.wednesdae.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/queer.art_therapist Substack: https://substack.com/@wednesdae Connect with the Show Website: justlikenana.com Share Your Story: If you have a family story or trauma you’re exploring, reach out via our website for a chance to be interviewed. Connect with Just Like Nana's Website . A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective . Theme music by Carter Penny.

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  Episode #36

  Sheila O'Connor

  Sep 25, 202643 min

  *Content Warning: Discussion of sexual abuse* Sheila O’Connor is here to discuss her book Evidence of V: A Novel in Fragments, Facts, and Fictions and the journey of uncovering the story of her grandmother who was incarcerated at age 15 for so-called "immorality". She also explores how breaking family secrets, embracing imaginative empathy, and uncovering historical truths can help us heal intergenerational trauma and honor the ancestral gifts carried within our bloodlines. About Sheila Sheila O’Connor is the author of six award-winning novels for adults and young people. She's won the Minnesota Book Award, the Michigan Prize for Literary Fiction, and the International Reading Award. Her books have also been included on several Best Books of the Year lists. She has been the recipient of several winning grants and fellowships. She is a professor emeritus at Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where she also served as the fiction editor for Waterstone Review. Her book, Evidence of V: A Novel in Fragments: Facts and Fictions is based on the research she did on her unknown maternal grandmother and the little-known practice of incarcerating girls, sometimes as young as eight years old for “immorality” in Minnesota and across the United States. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: Recognize the Physical Impact of Hidden Family Secrets: Even when family secrets are kept from you, your body and intuition pick up on missing narratives, often manifesting as unexplained emotional blocks, mental health struggles, or somatic responses. Understand the Historical Systemic Incarceration of Young Girls: Historically across America, thousands of young girls and children (as young as eight) were sentenced to long prison terms at reformatories under vague charges like "immorality" or "incorrigibility," particularly if they were victims of sexual abuse or became pregnant. Harness Imaginative Empathy for Healing: When official historical records fall short, imaginative empathy allows us to go beyond clinical facts to feel what our ancestors experienced, restoring dignity, vindication, and depth to their stolen stories. Break Intergenerational Repetition Loops: Unacknowledged trauma often repeats across generations. Bringing historical facts to light breaks the pattern of erasure and secret-keeping, allowing families to stop passing down inherited burdens. Reclaim Ancestral Gifts Alongside Trauma: Lineages do not just pass down survival wounds; they also carry artistic talents, musical abilities, and deep creative gifts that reconnect descendants to their ancestors' true essence. Resources The Sexual Abuse to Prison Pipeline Study: https://genderjusticeandopportunity.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-Sexual-Abuse-To-Prison-Pipeline-The-Girls%E2%80%99-Story.pdf MN History Center: https://www.mnhs.org/historycenter Connect with Sheila Website: https://www.sheilaoconnor.com/books Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100027677934166# Connect with the Show Website: justlikenana.com Share Your Story: If you have a family story or trauma you’re exploring, reach out via our website for a chance to be interviewed. Connect with Just Like Nana's Website . A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective . Theme music by Carter Penny.

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  Episode #35

  Juliet Patterson

  Sep 18, 202641 min

  *Content Warning: Discussion of suicide Juliet Patterson is the author of Sinkhole: A Legacy of Suicide , which explores how suicide shaped her family line. She also discusses how breaking generational silences, reconnecting with the land and local communities, and cultivating somatic awareness can help us heal inherited grief and reclaim our true sense of belonging. About Juliet Juliet Patterson is the author of Sinkhole: A Legacy of Suicide (Milkweed Editions, September 2022), finalist for the 2023 Minnesota Book Awards and named one of the best memoirs of 2022 by Library Journal . She has also published two full-length poetry collections, Threnody , (Nightboat Books 2016), a finalist for the 2017 Audre Lorde Poetry Award, and The Truant Lover, ( Nightboat Books, 2006 ), winner of the Nightboat Poetry Prize and a finalist for the 2006 Lambda Literary Award. A recipient of the Arts & Letters Susan Atefat Prize in non-fiction, and a Lynda Hull Memorial Poetry Prize, she has also been awarded fellowships from the Jerome Foundation, the Minnesota State Arts Board, and the Minneapolis-based Creative Community Leadership Institute (formerly the Institute for Community and Creative Development). She teaches creative writing at St. Olaf College and Augsburg University’s low-residency MFA program. She lives in Minneapolis with her family. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: Understand Inherited Grief and Generational Silences: Unaddressed family trauma and shame create inherited grief—an unspoken emotional weight that children absorb and carry somatically in their bodies long before they learn the facts. Reconnect with Land and Place as Somatic Anchors: Human beings are deeply mammalian; reconnecting with the physical land, environment, and regional geography helps ground us, allowing space to process complex grief that feels too heavy for everyday life. Break Free from Rigid Family Roles: Family systems often assign surface-level roles to avoid difficult feelings. Reclaiming emotional honesty and practicing vulnerability helps disrupt stilted patterns and allows each family member to express their full humanity. Examine the Pressures of Traditional Masculinity: Three generations of male suicide highlight how societal expectations of traditional, stoic masculinity force men to repress deep emotional sensitivity and isolate themselves instead of seeking community support. Cultivate Somatic Self-Awareness Daily: Simple somatic practices—such as checking in with how your body feels when you're upset or walking barefoot on the earth—help reconnect the mind and body, breaking the cycle of emotional detachment. Resources Mentioned Jonathan Foer: https://www.climateone.org/people/jonathan-safran-foer bell hooks All About Love : https://www.blackgarnetbooks.com/item/2QHtVTCGJR-y-vmDK_S93w Pema Chödrön: https://pemachodronfoundation.org/ Connect with Juliet Patterson Website: https://www.julietpatterson.com/ Books: https://milkweed.org/book/sinkhole Connect with the Show Website: justlikenana.com Share Your Story: If you have a family story or trauma you’re exploring, reach out via our website for a chance to be interviewed. Connect with Just Like Nana's Website . A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective . Theme music by Carter Penny.

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  Episode #34

  Jen Gallagher

  Sep 11, 202638 min

  Jen Gallagher is here to break the silence around women's rage. She explains why anger is a vital, neurobiological survival system and how accessing somatic wisdom helps us alchemize inherited emotional patterns. Learn how to dismantle the taboo around rage, heal ancestral silences, and discover the clarity, power, and freedom on the other side. About Jen Jen Gallagher is a therapist, writer and activist with over 20 years of clinical experience. She's passionate about breaking the silence around women's rage in midlife, and dedicated to helping women discover the clarity and power in their own rage. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: Recognize Rage as Accumulated Anger: Neurobiologically, rage is a primary subcortical brain system. Unlike fleeting anger, rage is the accumulation of decades of suppressed boundary violations, unmet needs, and unresolved systemic or personal traumas. Understand the Purpose of Anger: Anger acts as a critical alarm system that signals when a boundary is violated, when we need to pull back to protect ourselves, or when our nervous system is overtaxed and flooded. Bypass Cognitive Talk Therapy with Somatic Metaphor: Because rage lives deep in the subcortical brain beyond conscious words, untangling it requires visceral, somatic, and experiential approaches like non-dominant hand drawing, color mapping, and imagery. Trace Systemic and Ancestral Patterns: Unexpressed rage often stems from family systems where ancestors had to suppress their anger just to survive. Placing your personal feelings within a multi-generational genealogy helps remove individual shame and spreads the emotional weight across history. Balance Regulation and Activation for Real Change: The brain cannot rewire itself if it is completely calm or overwhelmingly flooded; real emotional transformation happens at the intersection of nervous system regulation and gentle emotional activation. Resources Juliane Taylor Shore: https://www.julianetaylorshore.com/ Learn more about genograms: https://genopro.com/genogram/ Connect with Jen Gallagher Website: https://www.jengallaghercounseling.com/ Connect with the Show Website: justlikenana.com Share Your Story: If you have a family story or trauma you’re exploring, reach out via our website for a chance to be interviewed. Connect with Just Like Nana's Website . A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective . Theme music by Carter Penny.

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  Episode #33

  Rebecca Ratcliff

  Sep 4, 202645 min

  Rebecca Ratcliff discusses how stored ancestral trauma and unintegrated soul fragments live within our electromagnetic fields, and how bridging Western medical science with indigenous shamanic practices, soul retrieval, and ancestral sacredness can help you break inherited trauma loops and reclaim your complete, integrated self. About Rebecca Rebecca Ratcliff is a retired Family Medicine physician and spiritual healer who combines Western medical expertise with Indigenous Peruvian Shamanic practices to address the root causes of illness. After earning her Medical Degree from Rush University and completing her residency at the University of New Mexico and fellowship at Maricopa County Health Systems, she trained extensively in Andean healing traditions with Alberto Villoldo and Jose Luis Herrera, practicing Shamanic healing alongside medicine starting in 2006. Now practicing full-time in coordination with Twin Cities physicians and therapists, Dr. Ratcliff uses her background to help clients transform developmental and ancestral trauma, offering complementary Shamanic care for chronic physical and psychological conditions by bridging traditional wisdom with holistic healing. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: Understand the Multidimensional Human Continuum: Western medicine excels at addressing the dense, 3D mechanical body (such as physical trauma or surgeries), but shamanic healing works with the surrounding electromagnetic and quantum fields that inform physical tissue and store emotional trauma. Integrate Lost Soul Fragments via Quantum Soul Retrieval: Traumatic childhood events or ancestral war experiences can cause fragments of the soul to stay trapped in another time and space; soul retrieval reintegrates those parts into the present body to restore wholeness and remove long-standing blocks. Shift from Historical Isolation to Sacred Connection: Western culture often leaves individuals feeling like "spiritual orphans" detached from nature. Reconnecting with the inherent sacredness of the land, mountain spirits, and ancestral lineages provides a deep, supportive container for lasting transformation. Differentiate Unhealed Ancestors from Healed Guides: When connecting with your lineage, practice discernment by intentionally calling upon your healed ancestors—those who have transitioned to a healed vibrational state and can act as loving co-workers in your healing journey. Reclaim Internal Authority Over Illness: Recognize the limitations of conventional medicine. If medical workups come back normal yet physical or emotional distress remains, look beyond the 3D model to address energetic imbalances and inherited family trauma. Connect with Rebecca Ratcliff Website: https://www.centerforcollaborativehealth.com/ Email: muni.healing@gmail.com Connect with the Show Website: justlikenana.com Share Your Story: If you have a family story or trauma you’re exploring, reach out via our website for a chance to be interviewed. Connect with Just Like Nana's Website . A proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective . Theme music by Carter Penny.

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