Attachment, Addiction and the Body: Healing what the Body Remembers

In this moving episode of Embodied Dialogues, Jan Winhall is joined by renowned trauma and addiction pioneer Tian Dayton for a deeply relational conversation on the embodied roots of addiction, attachment wounds, and healing through community. They speak about how relational trauma—whether from addiction, emotional neglect, or untreated complex PTSD—impacts the nervous system in similar ways. Together, they explore how early experiences are held in the nervous system, why addiction and trauma are deeply intertwined, and how recovery requires more than insight alone. They share their personal reflections from growing up in families impacted by addiction, how they healed, and how their stories created who they are today. They talk about healing practices from their books can help and Tian explains the power behind her group-based “floor checks” that invite people through movement, emotion, and connection. This episode is a rich exploration of co-regulation, limbic resonance, and the ways safe relationships and supportive communities become essential medicine for trauma recovery and resilience. A powerful thread throughout the episode is Tian’s personal experience as an adult child of an alcoholic father. She describes the “ghost-like” confusion and chaos of loving someone who was both charismatic and deeply lost in addiction, and how that relational trauma shaped her lifelong work. Her upcoming book "Growing Up with Addiction" is presented as both a professional offering and a deeply personal “song” she is bringing into the world. Together, they explore how early attachment wounds shape the nervous system, why recovery must include the body, and how group connection becomes a vital source of co-regulation and resilience. A rich dialogue on trauma, repair, and the deep human capacity to heal in relationship. Join our Embodied Dialogues live audience at www.fspminstitute.com