Am I Safe Enough to Be Myself? Natasha Ramlall on Identity, Safety & the Nervous System

What happens when the version of you that has always been capable, productive, responsible, and able to get things done suddenly can't keep going in the same way?My guest, Natasha Ramlall, calls this an identity rupture -that unsettling space between who you have been and who you are becoming.Natasha spent 25 years working with newcomers and refugees settling in Canada before eventually recognizing that the work she had once loved no longer felt the same. She followed the pull toward something new, but instead of immediately feeling energized by the change, she found herself exhausted, overwhelmed, and unable to function in some of the ways that had always defined her.That experience led her to look more closely at the relationship between identity, the nervous system, embodiment, safety, and the patterns we develop to move through the world.In our conversation, we explore:What an identity rupture can look and feel likeWhen being highly capable and productive becomes part of our sense of safetyHow to recognize pushing, functional freeze, and moments of surrender in the bodyWhy slowing down can actually feel uncomfortable or unsafeThe guilt and shame that can arise when we aren't being productiveThe difference between something being unsafe and simply being unfamiliarWhy our nervous system may resist an identity that feels more authenticThe tension between attachment and authenticityResourcing and developing a felt sense of safetyLearning to experience emotions we may have once needed to suppressWhy being witnessed and accepted as our authentic selves can create a different experience of connectionAt one point in our conversation, I found myself expanding on the question we often associate with the nervous system: Am I safe?What if there's another question underneath it?Am I safe enough to be fully myself?For those of us who have learned to find safety through being productive, helpful, responsible, agreeable, or the person everyone else can depend on, that can be a much bigger question than it initially appears.This conversation is an invitation to get curious about the identities we've built, what they may have done for us, and what can happen when we begin listening to the parts of ourselves that are asking for something different.Connect with Natasha RamlallVisit Natasha's website to learn more about her work and access the free resourcing practice mentioned in the episode. https://www.humanistcoaching.ca/If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe to The Spiritually Curious Therapist and share the episode with someone who might be navigating a transition of their own.Share what resonated for youThank you for listening to the Spiritually Curious Therapist Podcast.  If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, share, and leave a review - it helps us grow and reach more listeners!Until next time.  Stay Curious.You can find Jodi Silverman, LCSW atwww.therachihealing.comwww.journeywithkindredsouls.comFollow me on Socials:TikTok @spiritcurioustherapistInstagram @therachihealingFacebook @TheraChi HealingStay up to date on our offerings by joining our newsletter hereAre you interested in learning more about Reiki Assisted Psychotherapy?Join our facebook group atwww.facebook.com/groups/psychotherapeuticreikiforcliniciansAre you a mental health professional with a spiritual edge and have something to share?  Complete this form to apply to be on the podcast