Episode Summary

Have you ever walked into a room and instantly felt calmer? Or caught a scent that made you feel safe for the first time in weeks? In this episode, Dr. Stacey Denise sits down with Amy Anthony—one of New York City's top certified clinical aromatherapists and founder of NYC Aromatica—to explore how scent can be medicine for women whose nervous systems have forgotten how to rest.

For late-diagnosed autistic women navigating perimenopause and menopause, aromatherapy offers something talk therapy alone cannot: a pathway back to your body that doesn't require language. Learn how inhalation of essential oils activates your parasympathetic nervous system, reduces cortisol, increases vagal tone, and directly modulates emotional states—especially for women struggling with alexithymia, brain fog, hot flashes, and the exhaustion of decades of masking.

Amy blends scientific literacy with poetic connection, teaching evidence-based protocols for nervous system repair, emotional regulation, and sensory attunement through private practice, corporate wellness, and public workshops at the New York Botanical Gardens.

Key Topics & Timestamps

• Cold Open: When Scent Becomes Medicine
• Introduction: Meet Amy Anthony, Clinical Aromatherapist
• The Science: How Aromatherapy Activates Your Nervous System
• Aromatherapy for Menopause Symptoms (Hot Flashes, Brain Fog, Night Sweats)
• Scent for Alexithymia: Healing Below the Level of Language
• Essential Oils for Sensory Overwhelm and Burnout
• Creating Boundaries with Aromatherapy
• Morning and Evening Aromatic Rituals
• Which Essential Oils Work for YOUR Nervous System
• Gentle Invitations: Two-Minute Scent Check-In
• Resources, Connect with Amy, and Closing

Resources & References

Connect with Amy Anthony:

• Website: https://nycaromatica.com/
• Instagram: @NYC_Aromatica
• Email: info@nycaromatica.com
• Services: Private aromatherapy consultations, corporate wellness programs, public workshops at NYC Botanical Gardens

Connect & Community

• Listen on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / YouTube
• Subscribe to the show for updates and new episodes
• Join our newsletter for science and stories at drstaceydenise.com
• Follow us: @drstaceydenise on Instagram
• Share your story: Tag @drstaceydenise and @NYC_Aromatica
• Take Dr. Stacey's free quiz: What Kind of Menopause Burnout Are You?

Podcast: The Nervous System Eats First
Host: Dr. Stacey Denise | The Neuroaesthetic MD
Guest: Amy Anthony | Aromatherapist
Episode: 15

Episode Summary

In this powerful episode, Dr. Stacey sits down with Celeste Barbier—professional vocalist, certified sound healer, ordained officiant, and sacred spaceholder—to explore the liminal space where sound becomes sanctuary. Discover how grief, trauma, and identity shifts can be held and softened through vibrational healing, especially for autistic and neurodivergent women navigating sensory overwhelm, emotional disconnection, and the unspoken grief of midlife transitions.

Celeste shares her journey from childhood trauma to using her voice as medicine, her profound work with end-of-life transitions, and practical tools for using sound to regulate your nervous system when words fail. Whether you're struggling with alexithymia, burnout, or simply feeling disconnected from your body, this episode offers gentle, accessible pathways back to embodiment through vocal healing.

Key Topics & Timestamps

• Opening: Sound as sanctuary for grief and trauma
• Celeste's origin story: Childhood trauma and discovering her healing voice
• When performance becomes medicine: The shift to intentional sound healing
• The difference between singing songs and sound healing vocal toning
• Holding space at end of life: Music as a bridge between worlds
• Pairing with mediums and creating sacred transitions
• The science behind sound healing: Vagus nerve, nervous system regulation
• Working with grief, alexithymia, and emotional numbness
• Creating death rituals to close old identity chapters
• Sound healing for sensory overload and autistic burnout
• How to use your voice at home: Humming, toning, and sacred practice
• Color, scent, and vibration: Layering sensory healing
• Nourish or Numb Segment: Rapid-fire sound healing wisdom
• Reclaiming your voice: Literal and metaphorical pathways

Resources & References

• Celeste's Website: celestebarbier.com (Resté Sound Healing portal)
• Instagram: @restesound & @celestebarbierevents
• LinkedIn: Celeste Barbier
• Email: celestebarbierevents@gmail.com
• Upcoming Thailand Women's Wellness Retreat (2026) with wife René Cosby, HHP
• Forthcoming book: The Caterpillar Code

Connect & Community

• Listen: Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major platforms
• Subscribe: Never miss an episode—get weekly nervous system medicine
• Join the Newsletter: Science-backed tools and stories for autistic women in midlife at drstaceydenise.com
• Follow Dr. Stacey: Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn
• Download the Free Guide: 3 Questions That Change Your Menopause Conversation

Podcast: The Nervous System Eats First
Host: Dr. Stacey Denise | The Neuroaesthetic MD
Guest: Celeste Barbier | Sound Healer, Vocalist, Sacred Spaceholder
Episode: 14

Episode 14: Hot Flashes at Night? Breath As Medicine

Guest: Angelia Abouhassan — founder of The Breath Lady Project, trauma-informed breathwork facilitator, stroke survivor, and Hatha yoga teacher
Release Date: November 4, 2025
Length: ~40 minutes

Episode Summary

You’ve been told to “just breathe”—but what if that makes things worse? In this powerful conversation, Dr. Stacey sits down with Angelia Abouhassan, a trauma-informed breathwork guide who rebuilt her body and emotional safety after a stroke.

Together, they unpack breathwork that won’t trigger your nervous system, including the double-exhale pattern that can support hot flash recovery and sensory regulation. This episode is especially for women navigating perimenopause, masking fatigue, and neurodivergence, who need somatic healing that’s safe, slow, and mapped to your lived experience.

What You’ll Learn

• Why “just breathe” often backfires—and how trauma-informed cues really work
• The double-exhale breath to interrupt hot flash cascades (short inhale, longer exhale)
• The power of low-dose, consistent breathwork over high-intensity interventions
• How to recognize high-activation methods (like Wim Hof) that may overwhelm the system
• Safer options for alexithymia, masking, and sensory burnout (mirror work, Yoga Nidra, guided breath scans)

Chapter Markers

00:00 – From Stroke Survivor to Breath Work Practitioner
06:54 – The Role of Breath in Healing and Safety
08:42 – Reframing Trauma and Healing
10:41 – Understanding Interoception and Proprioception
12:36 – Neuroplasticity and Breath Work
16:29 – Breath Work for Women in Perimenopause
18:46 – Trauma-Informed Breath Work Explained
20:53 – Designing Practices for Overloaded Clients
22:23 – Breath Work for Hot Flashes
24:49 – Breath Work for Neurodivergent Women
26:02 – Nourishing vs. Numbing the Nervous System
27:58 – Adapting Breath Work for Different Needs
30:52 – Choosing a Breath Work Practitioner
33:27 – Nourish or Numb: Everyday Patterns
40:04 – Practical Techniques for Managing Hot Flashes

Resources Mentioned

• The Breath Lady Project – Angelia Abouhassan
  • Website

  • Instagram

  • Facebook Community

  • LinkedIn

• Free Quiz – What kind of menopause burnout are you?
  → drstaceydenise.com/menopause-burnout-quiz

💌 Connect with Dr. Stacey Denise

• Instagram @DrStaceyDenise

• Blog + Newsletter

• Waitlist for Upcoming Masterclass

• Programs + tools → drstaceydenise.com