Listen:
Watch:
Show Notes:
Why can old stress suddenly feel so much heavier during midlife?
Hormonal changes, physical symptoms, family responsibilities, work pressures, and years of putting everyone else first can leave women feeling as though their emotional “stress barrel” is overflowing. Sometimes the reactions we experience today are connected to stress patterns that were never fully resolved.
In this episode of Living Life Naturally, Lynne talks with traumatic stress recovery expert Dr. Robert Bray about the connection between emotional distress and physical well-being—and how Thought Field Therapy, or TFT, may help calm the body’s stress response.
Bob explains how TFT differs from Emotional Freedom Techniques, commonly known as EFT or tapping, and how specific tapping patterns may be used to address different forms of distress. He also discusses the role of muscle testing, why learning to listen to the body matters, and how unresolved trauma can affect self-love and our willingness to care for ourselves.
You’ll also hear Bob guide Lynne through a real-time crisis tapping exercise. Lynne begins with a distress level of approximately six out of ten. After completing the tapping sequence, she reports that the intensity has dropped to about two—and following a gentle eye-movement exercise, she describes feeling peaceful.
This isn’t about pretending a difficult event didn’t happen or changing the reality of the past. It’s about being able to remember what happened while remaining more grounded in the safety of the present.
In This Episode You’ll Discover:
✨Why unresolved stress can become more noticeable during midlife
✨How emotional distress may show up physically in the body
✨What Thought Field Therapy is and how it differs from EFT
✨Why Bob describes stress as accumulating inside a “stress barrel”
✨How previous trauma and hormonal changes may compound one another
✨The connection between self-love and following through with healthy habits
✨How tapping may help reduce the intensity of a stressful memory
✨A real-time demonstration of Bob’s crisis tapping pattern
✨How eye movements may be incorporated into the TFT process
✨When professional support may be appropriate
✨Why struggling doesn’t mean you’ve failed or that you’re out of options
One of the most hopeful messages from this conversation is that you don’t have to give up. If you’re struggling, there may be more that can be done—and you don’t have to navigate the process alone.
About Robert Bray, Ph.D., LCSW:
Today’s guest, Dr. Robert Bray—or Bob, as he prefers to be called—has worked in traumatic stress recovery for more than 40 years.
His career began as a volunteer on a crisis hotline, and he has since helped individuals, families, and communities recover from natural disasters, criminal acts, domestic violence, and other traumatic experiences.
Bob has been teaching, writing about, and developing Thought Field Therapy since 1996. He’s also the author of Heal Traumatic Stress Now: Complete Recovery with Thought Field Therapy—No Open Wounds, a consumer-friendly guide to understanding and addressing traumatic stress.
Today, we’re talking about why unresolved stress patterns may become more noticeable during midlife—and how tapping may help create more
Free Resources from Robert Bray, Ph.D., LCSW:
Trauma Recovery Personal Self-Assessment
Are you feeling stuck in your recovery from trauma? This free eight-item personal self-assessment can help you consider where you are in your journey and explore simple tools that may help you move forward with greater ease.
Take the assessment here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VLGSZZ2
To watch Bob demonstrate the tapping exercise used during this interview, search “Robert Bray Crisis Tapping” on YouTube.
Connect With Robert Bray, Ph.D., LCSW:
Website: https://rlbray.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThoughtFieldTherapyCenter
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rlbray/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DrRobertBray
Gentle Disclaimer:
The information shared in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and isn’t intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or replace individualized medical advice. Surgical menopause, hormone therapy, and nonhormonal treatments require personalized medical guidance. Always consult an appropriately qualified healthcare provider regarding your symptoms, medical history, medications, and treatment options.
✨ Join the Community
If you’re tired of living in “before” mode and want community while you heal your relationship with food, body, and hormones, join Lynne’s free Facebook community:
👉 Energized Healthy Women’s Club
A safe, encouraging space for women in midlife navigating hormones, energy, eating, and self-worth — together.
If you want connection, compassion, and REAL conversation with women walking the same midlife path… join us in the Energized Healthy Women’s Club on Facebook.
👉 Join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/energized.healthy.women
📩 Stay Connected With Lynne:
💛 Visit Lynne’s Website: https://holistic-healthandwellness.com
🎧 Watch or listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lynne-wadsworth
📩 Email: lynne@holistic-healthandwellness.com
🛜 Join Lynne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lynnewadsworth
🛜 Join Lynne on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lynnewadsworth
👉 Grab your free copy of 5 Essential Steps to Flourishing in Midlife and start thriving today. This is YOUR time to shine.
Did You Enjoy The Podcast?
If this episode encouraged you, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or iHeart. Your support helps more women in midlife find these conversations and feel less alone in what they’re experiencing.
You can also share this episode with a friend who needs the reminder that she’s not losing her mind — her body may simply be asking for a different kind of support in this season. 💜
Did you know that the Living Life Naturally Podcast is in the top 3% globally and we have recently been featured on Million Podcasts. Check it out here: https://www.millionpodcasts.com/menopause-podcasts/
We’re also featured in the 100 Best Midlife Women Podcasts, 90 Best Perimenopause Podcasts, 100 Best Women Over 50 Podcasts, 100 Best Women’s Health Podcasts, 100 Best Aging Podcasts, 100 Best Health Podcasts, 100 Best Holistic Podcasts, 100 Best Hormone Balancing Podcasts, 100 Best Natural Health Podcasts, 100 Best Wellbeing Podcasts, 100 Best Women In Their 40s Podcasts, 100 Best Anti-Aging Podcasts and 100 Best Health Coach Podcasts list.
