230: Why Stress Management Isn’t Enough: The Biology of Trauma with Dr. Aimie Apigian

October 29, 2025Dr. Stephanie GrayPodcastNo Comments

I am delighted to have Dr. Aimie Apigian with me today to explore why stress reduction techniques may not work for you if you have unresolved trauma.

Finding Your Sense of Safety

• Notice when your body and mind feel safe and calm

• Identify environments or situations that allow you to feel safe

• Start small: Focus on moments that feel manageable, not overwhelming

Bio: Dr. Aimie Apigian

Dr. Aimie Apigian is a double-board-certified physician in Preventive and Addiction Medicine, with Master’s degrees in Biochemistry, Public Health, and specialized training in Functional Medicine.

Dr. Aimie’s unique integration of multiple modalities from medicine to neuroscience to therapy modalities, has helped thousands of people and practitioners around the world to be in their best health and their best authentic selves.

Her recent book, The Biology of Trauma, is groundbreaking, exploring the science of how the body experiences trauma, why it holds on, and what it needs for healing. The book is endorsed by Dr. Gabor Maté, a renowned expert in trauma and addiction, who has written the foreword.

Listen to the Episode

Or listen and subscribe for free in your favorite podcast app!

In this episode:

How habits like “people-pleasing” or “fixing others” are used as survival strategies
The nervous system’s role in directing how the body reacts to stress
Why stress management alone is not enough to heal chronic trauma
How early life trauma impacts people’s health, relationships, and fertility
The five universal steps of the body’s trauma response
How to develop an internal sense of safety
How to build resilience
Ways to avoid retraumatization and support lasting healing