The Whole Human: Exploring the Five Elements, Trauma, and Functional Medicine
I had the pleasure of joining Häla from GAPS Kliniken and Alaine Duncan, co-author of The Tao of Trauma, for a beautiful conversation on Hälsa på djupet. Together, we explore how the Five Elements of Chinese medicine can enrich functional medicine and invite us to care for the whole human: our biochemistry, emotions, body, and soul. A conversation about looking beyond individual symptoms and listening more closely to the person experiencing them.
We also explore how the Tao of Trauma approach brings together the Five Elements, Somatic Experiencing®, and perspectives from polyvagal theory to understand the body’s responses to stress and trauma. The nervous system becomes an essential part of the conversation, particularly when working with complex, persistent symptoms. How can we support both the body’s physical needs and its capacity to experience safety, connection, and rest? This episode offers a thoughtful bridge between these approaches—and a more compassionate way of understanding ourselves.
