Show notes
In Part 2 of this powerful two-part conversation, G-Rex and Dirty Skittles continue their deep dive with Greg Vorst and Michael Nolan of Embodied Recovery — and this one hits straight at the heart of parenting, anxiety, emotional regulation, and breaking generational trauma cycles.
Sh!t That Goes On In Our Heads — a 2024 People’s Choice Podcast Award Winner (Best Health) and 2024 Women in Podcasting Award Winner (Best Mental Health Podcast) with over 2 million downloads and counting — continues its mission to normalize unfiltered conversations about mental health, trauma, and emotional survival.
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“It’s okay to be who you are.” — Michael Nolan
Episode Description
if Episode 1 was about personal recovery, Episode 2 is about what happens when that recovery starts shaping the next generation.
Greg and Michael open up about parenting through the lens of emotional awareness, breaking generational trauma, and refusing to pass down unprocessed wounds. They talk honestly about anxiety, codependency, setting boundaries, and how to validate your child’s emotions without minimizing them — even when it feels uncomfortable.
The conversation moves into leadership, accountability, and the hard truth that good intentions don’t always land the way we hope. From inner child healing to conscious parenting and staying “unhooked” from others’ reactions, this episode is about doing the inner work so your kids don’t have to undo it later.
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “How do I parent differently than I was parented?” — this episode is your starting point.
Keywords: Greg Vorst, Michael Nolan, Embodied Recovery, parenting and mental health, generational trauma, anxiety management, codependency recovery, conscious parenting, emotional regulation, inner child healing, addiction recovery podcast, trauma-informed parenting, boundaries in families, mental health leadership
Meet Our Guests — Greg Vorst & Michael Nolan
Greg Vorst, LMFT is Co-Founder and CEO of Embodied Recovery in Los Gatos, California. Drawing from psychodynamic therapy, Internal Family Systems, humanistic psychology, and Korean Taoist breathwork (SunDo), Greg helps clients transform addiction and trauma into embodied living and spiritual growth. His personal healing journey began after a failed surgery left him in prolonged suffering, ultimately guiding him into therapy, inner child work, and decades of spiritual practice.
Website: https://www.embodiedrecovery.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/embodiedrecoverycenters/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/embodiedrecoverycenters
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@embodiedrecoverycenters
Michael Nolan, CADC-II, ICADC is Co-Founder and COO of Embodied Recovery. Sober since August 8, 2007, Michael’s recovery began in Alcoholics Anonymous and evolved into a life of service. Through years of addiction counseling and deep personal work, he now supports clients in integrating accountability, humility, and embodied peace into their recovery journey.
Key Takeaways
You cannot break generational trauma without doing your own inner work.
Emotional literacy must be modeled before it can be taught.
Boundaries are not rejection — they are protection.
Children need validation before correction.
Staying “unhooked” keeps you from projecting your past onto the present.
Recovery shapes families, not just individuals.
Actionable Items
When your child (or partner) expresses a big emotion, validate it before solving it.
Notice where your reactions may be tied to your childhood experiences.
Practice one clear boundary this week without apologizing for having it.
References Mentioned
Embodied Recovery — https://www.embodiedrecovery.com/
Melos Center (Nonprofit Partner) — https://meloscenter.org
Alcoholics Anonymous — https://www.aa.org/
NAMI — https://www.nami.org/
SAMHSA — https://www.samhsa.gov/
Important Chapters
00:01:00 – Daily anxiety tools and grounding practices
00:10:00 – Inner child work and expressive healing
00:20:00 – Parenting differently than you were parented
00:32:00 – Breaking generational trauma cycles
00:40:00 – Leadership, accountability, and staying unhooked
00:50:00 – Words matter: favorite and least favorite words
Closing CTA
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#MentalHealthPodcast #MentalHealthAwareness #Grex #DirtySkittles #Podmatch #ParentingAndMentalHealth #GenerationalTrauma #ConsciousParenting #InnerChildHealing #CodependencyRecovery #AnxietyManagement #EmotionalRegulation #AddictionRecovery #BoundariesMatter #TraumaHealing #HealingGenerations #RecoveryJourney #MentalHealthLeadership
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