Stuck Not Broken
by Justin Sunseri
Latest episode
What Is a Trigger, and Can You Get Unstuck If You're Still Being…
What Is a Trigger, and Can You Get Unstuck If You're Still Being…
About this podcast
Stuck Not Broken is the first podcast built on clearly teaching the Polyvagal Theory and applying it to your trauma recovery process. Justin Sunseri is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist that makes the science of connection easily understood and accessible to anyone. He created the Polyvagal Trauma Relief System and is the author of Trauma & The Polyvagal Paradigm.
(Justin Sunseri, LMFT99147)
Episodes
The newest 50 of 372 episodes
- What Is a Trigger, and Can You Get Unstuck If You're Still Being Triggered? · 19 min · Season 1 Episode 289Being triggered means your body loses access to safety and shifts into defense because it picked up something as danger, sometimes something nobody else around you would even…
- How Long Does Dorsal Vagal Shutdown Last, and Can It Hurt You? · 17 min · Season 1 Episode 288Shutdown comes in two very different forms. The full collapse, like fainting, evolved to be brief, and the common kind of fainting doesn't add long-term risk to your heart. The…
- Are You Ready to Work on Your Trauma? The Book One Finale · 12 min · Season 2 Episode 23This is the last episode of Book One, and before you move on, it’s worth checking where you actually stand. You’ll get the questions you should be able to answer by now, and…
- How to Change the Story You Tell Yourself: An 8-Step Exercise · 19 min · Season 2 Episode 22Eight sentences. That’s all your new narrative needs. This episode walks you through the exercise one step at a time, from naming your dominant defensive state to adding hope…
- Why You Don’t Believe You Can Change · 12 min · Season 2 Episode 21Most people believe change is possible. The harder question is whether you believe it’s possible for you. This episode makes the case that the belief you can’t change isn’t a…
- Stuck Not Broken: What It Means & Why it's Good to be Stuck · 17 min · Season 2 Episode 20Stuck and broken are two very different problems, and which one you believe you are changes everything about what comes next. This is the title chapter. You’ll hear why every one…
- Why You Stay Stuck in Trauma, Part 2: Cognitive Adaptations · 28 min · Season 2 Episode 19You already know what Bill does. This episode is about what's underneath it: the stories he tells himself, the things he keeps quiet, and the beliefs he never chose. You'll learn…
- Why You Stay Stuck in Trauma, Part 1: Behavioral Adaptations · 16 min · Season 2 Episode 18Wild animals live with danger every day and don't get traumatized. So why do you stay stuck? In this episode, you'll meet Bill, a father, husband, and business owner who can't…
- Co-Regulation, Explained: Polyvagal Theory · 10 min · Season 2 Episode 17Your nervous system doesn't just calm down on its own — more often than you realize, it borrows the calm from somebody else. This episode covers co-regulation: the specific cues…
- Self-Regulation, Explained: Polyvagal Theory · 13 min · Season 2 Episode 16Sometimes the most useful information in the therapy room isn't in what someone says; it's in their hands. This episode breaks down self-regulation on a nervous system level: the…
- The Vagal Brake, Explained: Polyvagal Theory · 9 min · Season 2 Episode 15You can't just decide to calm down, but you can strengthen the thing that makes calming down possible. The vagal brake isn't a body part, it's the influence of your safety state…
- What is Trauma? The Two Paths: Polyvagal Theory · 20 min · Season 2 Episode 14Trauma isn't the event. It's what happens afterward, when your nervous system gets stuck defending against something that's already over. This episode breaks down the two…
- Why Being "Too Nice" Can Be a Survival Strategy · 9 min · Season 2 Episode 13Not every survival strategy looks like fighting back or running away. Sometimes it looks like befriending the person who's hurting you. This episode covers the last two mixed…
- Why Can't You Just Sit Still and Relax? · 11 min · Season 2 Episode 12Sitting still should be the easiest thing in the world, right? But for a lot of people, it's maybe the hardest. This episode moves into the third mixed state: stillness and…
- The Play State: Polyvagal Theory · 23 min · Season 2 Episode 11Wrestling with your kids. Trash-talking during a pickup game. Screaming through a game of tag. On paper, those look like danger cues, so why do they feel so good? Play is what…
- The Freeze Response, Explained: Polyvagal Theory · 18 min · Season 2 Episode 10Freeze is not the same as shutdown, even though people use the words like they mean the same thing. Shutdown is a limp collapse. Freeze is tense: all the energy to run or fight…
- The Shutdown State: Dorsal Vagal Collapse · 12 min · Season 2 Episode 9Sometimes the body's answer to too much isn't panic, it's the opposite: going quiet, going numb, wanting to disappear. That's shutdown, the bottom of the Polyvagal ladder, and…
- The Fight or Flight State: Polyvagal Theory · 20 min · Season 2 Episode 8Anxiety and anger can feel like opposites, but they are two sides of the same state. Fight or flight is your sympathetic nervous system mobilizing to protect you: flight shows up…
- The Safety State: The Top of the Polyvagal Ladder · 14 min · Season 2 Episode 7Safety is the state where life feels workable. Not perfect, just manageable. It's the top of the ladder and the place we're all reaching for, so this episode is about what it…
- Functional Freeze: Why You're On Edge but Also Distant · 13 min · Season 1 Episode 287You're getting things done. Answering texts, making dinner, showing up. But underneath it you feel wired and flat at the same time, like you're watching your own life through a…
- Story Follows State: Why Your Thoughts Aren't Random · 9 min · Season 2 Episode 6Ever notice your thoughts get meaner when you feel bad, and softer when you feel good? That's not a coincidence, and it's not a flaw in you. "Story follows state" means the story…
- Neuroception for Beginners: Polyvagal Theory · 25 min · Season 2 Episode 5Ever notice your thoughts get meaner when you feel bad, and softer when you feel good? That's not a coincidence, and it's not a flaw in you. "Story follows state" means the story…
- Deb Dana's Polyvagal Ladder · 17 min · Season 2 Episode 4You can't just decide to calm down, sorry to say. The Polyvagal Ladder is a simple metaphor for how your nervous system moves: safety at the top, fight-or-flight in the middle…
- The Autonomic Nervous System, and the Polyvagal Theory (Explained Simply) · 8 min · Season 2 Episode 3You don't decide to beat your heart, take your next breath, or digest your lunch. Something else runs all of that, every second, without checking in with you. That's your…
- What's My Story? Where Your Unstucking Begins · 14 min · Season 2 Episode 1What if the stories you tell yourself about your worth, your past, and how you got here aren't the whole truth, and you're still the one holding the pen? This is Episode 1 of the…
- Challenging Your Paradigm: The Shift in Thinking Before the Science · 23 min · Season 2 Episode 2"That's bulls***." That was my honest first reaction, back in 2018, to the work I now build my entire career around. In this episode of the Stuck Not Broken audiobook, I invite…
- Season 2: Full Audiobook - Trauma & the Polyvagal Paradigm · 2 min · Season 2After seven years and nearly 300 episodes, I'm trying something I don't think anyone else is doing: giving you all of my Polyvagal Theory knowledge, directly. And free. Season 2…
- What Is a "Gentle Rebel"? A Conversation on Creativity and Sensitivity with Andy Mort · 1 h 6 min · Season 1 Episode 286What does it mean to be a "gentle rebel" — and how does creativity fit in? In this episode, I talk with Andy Mort of The Haven community about rebellion as openness rather than…
- You're Meditating Wrong (Here's How) · 14 min · Season 1 Episode 285If you've ever sat down to meditate and felt like you were failing at it, this episode is for you. In this special episode, I read a section from my new book, Stuck Not Broken…
- Stoicism & Your Nervous System: How to Practice Amor Fati (Loving Your Fate) with Erick Cloward · 50 min · Season 1 Episode 284In this episode, Justin Sunseri sits down with Erick Cloward, host of the Stoic Coffee Break podcast, for a deep dive into the Stoic practice of Amor Fati, or "loving your fate."…
- The Polyvagal Bandwagon Is Dying (And I Love It) · 39 min · Season 1 Episode 283The Polyvagal Theory has transformed how we understand the nervous system—but somewhere along the way, it became a wellness industry bandwagon. In this episode, I'm breaking down…
- You Can't Love Someone Out of Shutdown: the Partner's Guide to Love & Self-Regulation · 25 min · Season 1 Episode 282When your partner is in shutdown, you're not just watching it happen—you're in it too. This episode is for the partners who feel like they're losing their person, who don't…
- Does EMDR Actually Work? (What the Research Says) · 28 min · Season 1 Episode 281EMDR is everywhere — but do you know what's actually helpful? Or if it is at all? EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) has become one of the most talked-about…
- No, the Polyvagal Theory is NOT Dead: Here's What Critics (and Influencers) Aren't Understanding. · 25 min · Season 1 Episode 280A paper co-authored by 39 scientists called the Polyvagal Theory "untenable" — and now psychology influencers are announcing the Theory is "dead." But is it? I'm Justin Sunseri…
- Five Common Self-Help Habits That Accidentally Keep Your Nervous System Sensitized and Stuck · 21 min · Season 1 Episode 279Is your self-help routine actually making things worse? The self-help industry has one answer for everything: do more. More habits, more discipline, more effort. But for a…
- Building Emotional Capacity Before Processing Past Traumas · 18 min · Season 1 Episode 278Stop forcing yourself to relive the most painful moments of your life before your body is ready to handle them. Traditional therapy often skips the most critical step — building…
- Why Meditation May Not Work Well for People in Freeze · 19 min · Season 1 Episode 277Justin Sunseri dives deep into the paradox of meditation and anxiety. If you've ever felt that meditation or breathing exercises make you more anxious, you're not alone—and…
- Is Your Diagnosis Part of the Problem? Healing the Nervous System vs. Managing a Disorder · 25 min · Season 1 Episode 276Does a mental health diagnosis explain why you are suffering, or does it just give your suffering a name? In this episode, I challenge the traditional way we look at mental…
- Steadying the Waters: How Your Nervous System Affects Your Stoic Practice · 24 min · Season 1 Episode 275What if I told you that your ability to practice Stoicism isn't just about willpower or mindset—but about the actual physiological state of your nervous system? In this episode…
- Sockless Mindfulness: A Parenting Lesson from My 10-Year-Old · 5 min · Season 1 Episode 274There's more to me than Polyvagal Theory—I'm also a dad. And sometimes the best lessons come from the most unexpected places... like watching my son walk barefoot in sandals…
- "I Don't Think About It Anymore" — Why That Doesn't Mean You're Over It · 8 min · Season 1 Episode 273"That was a long time ago. I don't think it affects me anymore." Have you ever said this about something from your past? In this deeply personal episode, Justin shares his own…
- Hit It Back: A Lesson in Playfulness & Seizing the Moment · 5 min · Season 1 Episode 272A balloon floated down from the hotel ceiling. My son said, "Hit it back." I was sitting on a bench, quietly processing—reflecting on a loud, joyful Italian family reunion the…
- What to do When Your Partner Cycles Between Shutdown and Fight · 28 min · Season 1 Episode 271When your spouse is dysregulated, shut down, or lashing out in anger—what's really happening? And more importantly, what can YOU do about it? In this episode, I break down: ✓ The…
- AI Therapists Are Coming in 2026 And I'm Not Sure That's Good · 29 min · Season 1 Episode 270Two years ago, I said AI couldn't replace therapists. I was wrong—about the technology, anyway. In late 2025, AI can now see you, hear your voice, and remember everything you…
- Announcing the Self-Regulation Coach AI App · 9 min · Season 1 Episode 269Have you ever wished for a daily guide on your nervous system regulation journey? One that offers structure without being overwhelming, and personalized support without the need…
- Pendulation: Why Some Regulate Naturally & Some Don't · 15 min · Season 1 Episode 268Is nervous system regulation a natural skill or a conscious effort? In this episode, we delve into the skill of pendulation—the mindful shift between safety and defense—and…
- Why You Feel Drained After Therapy (and How to Fix it) · 13 min · Season 1 Episode 267Have you ever left a therapy session feeling completely wiped out, as if you've run a marathon you didn't train for? It's a common experience, but it isn't the goal of effective…
- The Way You Understand & Manage Emotions is WRONG (Here's What To Do Instead) · 15 min · Season 1 Episode 266Justin Sunseri challenges the widely accepted (and often ineffective) ways we understand and manage our emotions. He makes a bold claim: the common wisdom you've been taught…
- Polyvagal Approach to Shame and Anger & How to Not Use Pendulation · 21 min · Season 1 Episode 265Unlock a deeper understanding of shame, anger, and the polyvagal theory in this episode! Justin Sunseri answers a listener’s question about navigating difficult emotions…
- Safety First: Why Prescribed "Trauma Exercises" Can Backfire · 18 min · Season 1 Episode 264A viewer asked about TRE exercises that seemed to help with anxiety but left them feeling numb and disconnected. In this episode, I break down what might have gone wrong and why…
