The Biology of Grief
& Gut Health
A 6 Week, 6 Step Journey
Release stored grief and restore your capacity to be fully present in your life.
Starts Monday, March 2nd
Register Now
What People Are Saying About The Biology of Trauma®
"I can't tell you how much present I am this year with the amount of death and grief, and it's just crazy that I'm able to not be bawling all the time and be able to be present enough for other parts to come out and like they feel okay."
"And in truth, to get to the freedom that I was longing for, it had to be through the grief, not denying it."
"Because of my high activation, I've also had not been able to support my child as much, ...and now I have more capacity for him, and now I'm able to do that for my son"
"I noticed myself being able to be much more present and open-hearted and feel comfortable in my own body"
"Returning to the ABCs, grounding, and orienting has helped me feel safe in ways I never used to, and that itself is huge. It's had a domino effect on many aspects of my life."
– Naomi
"This is exactly what I needed, and it makes me want to cry...(my grief) It just wanted me to be present, to offer love"
– Libby Noack
"I felt seen, felt, and relieved, with a warm feeling in my stomach that surprised me."
– Deepika
"Even when I'm unsure whether I'm doing this work 'well enough,' I show up, and there's magic happening under the surface."
– Deb
"They had such heavy grief, but I didn't feel dragged down by it"
– Emily Vogel
"This is the deliciousness, the magic, the deliciousness of what is actually possible."
– Jane
"Now I realize I can hold that as well as compassion and as well as just being myself at the same time."
– Juliana
"This was such an informative and meaningful experience, and I’m curious to see what unfolds from here."
– Tania
This is an integrative & holistic journey
A blending of several fields and modalities for an effective approach
The 6 Steps
My commitment: I will guide you through 6 essential steps to release stored grief.
You'll learn the somatic, parts, and biological tools that restore your heart, gut, and capacity to be fully present in your life.
Here Is The Step-By-Step Curriculum
Our program guides you from carrying stored grief to safely releasing it — through somatic practices, parts work, gut health support that calm inflammation and rebuild your capacity to feel present and engaged with life.
WEEK 1: Grief and Heart Shocks: Freeing The Body From Overwhelm
WEEK 4: Gently Coming Out Of Numbing The Grief
WEEK 2: Touching The Grief Stored in The Gut (and Chronic Digestive Issues)
WEEK 5: Repairing The Fear and Inflammation of Grief
WEEK 3: Restoring Vagal Intuition and Supporting Attachment Grief
WEEK 6: Empaths and Sensitive Systems: Resilience for Healthy Grieving
What's All Included in this Training
Below is the weekly schedule of live sessions. Please note that time are listed as Pacific Standard Time zone.
Guided Somatic & Parts Work Sessions
Mondays at 10:00 am PST
Approximately 60 minutes, you will be guided through somatic and parts work to safely release stored grief.
In these sessions, you'll learn to notice where grief lives in your body and practice gentle tools to let it move—helping your nervous system shift from holding grief to feeling present and alive.
Integration Sessions
Thursdays at 2:00 pm PST
These 60-minute sessions bring everything together for the week. Dr. Aimie and/or other Biology of Trauma® faculty review the key concepts, connect the somatic, parts, and biological work, and help you see how grief operates across all levels. It's a space to clarify, integrate, and apply what you're learning to your own healing.
A 28-minute session with somatic practitioner Anne Connor on grief and loss. She taught practical, body-based tools—grounding, titration, and pendulation—to help regulate the nervous system while processing grief. Anne explained how loss can layer in the body, shaping adult patterns (often rooted in childhood loss), and how building tolerance for discomfort helps us stay present with grief without shutting down—key for both personal healing and supporting others.
A deeply moving session with Melissa Dlugolecki on child loss. She shares her journey after the death of her daughter, Layton, and explores how grief and love can coexist—navigating the unique complexity of an “out of order” loss with self-compassion and support. The session highlights how grief reshapes identity, relationships, and purpose, offering grounded hope for both grievers and those supporting them.
A science-backed session with grief researcher Dr. Mary-Frances O’Connor on why grief can feel so overwhelming. She explains the neurobiology of loss—how attachment is encoded in the brain and why absence can disrupt memory, identity, and behavior—and frames grieving as a form of learning. The session offers a clearer “why” behind the pain and practical guidance for meeting the waves with more self-compassion over time.
A polyvagal-informed session with Deb Dana on partner loss and complicated grief. She explains how the nervous system processes loss—why grief can feel intense, unpredictable, and overwhelming—and how cues of safety and danger shape the experience. Deb shares practical tools to track your state, find moments of connection, and move through grief with more agency and self-compassion as you rebuild life after loss.
A session with Dr. Shanina Halbert (veterinary acupuncturist and end-of-life specialist) on the grief of losing a pet. She explains why pet loss can hit so hard—often tied to deep attachment and emotional regulation—and how attachment patterns shape the grieving process. She also shares practical IFS- and somatic-informed tools for moving through grief, including support for anticipatory grief and simple rituals to honor your pet.
Who Is This Journey NOT For?
This journey is not a good fit for those that:
- Cannot be respectful in a group environment
- Do not enjoy online learning
- Do not have 1 hour weekly to invest in personal growth
- Want only one-one support or are looking for therapy or a diagnosis
Aimie Apigian, MD, MS, MPH
Physician. Researcher. Patient. Guide.
Aimie Apigian is a double board-certified physician in Preventive Medicine and Addiction Medicine with master's degrees in biochemistry and public health. She is the founder of Trauma Healing Accelerated and author of the USA Today bestselling book, The Biology of Trauma—with a foreword by Dr. Gabor Maté.
Her framework didn't come from textbooks. It came from necessity.
As a surgical resident and functional medicine physician, she saw patients whose stress had made them sick. As a foster-adoptive mother to her son Miguel, she experienced firsthand how trauma creates deep patterns. As someone who lived her own health collapse—chronic fatigue, autoimmunity, anxiety, and unexplained symptoms—she discovered what was missing from every approach she tried.
That missing piece became the Biology of Trauma® framework and an integration of psychology, somatics, and biology in the sequence the body needs to heal.
She is a certified Somatic Experiencing practitioner trained under Dr. Peter Levine, with additional certifications in NeuroAffective Touch, Internal Family Systems, and the Instinctual Trauma Response Model. She has presented at Oxford University's Masters Series on Trauma, the Institute for Functional Medicine, and the Integrative Medicine for Mental Health Conference.
Her podcast features conversations with leading trauma experts including Dr. Gabor Maté, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, Dr. Peter Levine, and Dr. Stephen Porges.
She has guided hundreds of thousands through this work.
What is the Biology of Grief and Gut Health Module?
What is the schedule?
Are sessions prerecorded or live?
What if I miss or can't make a session? Will they be recorded?
What are the prerequisites?
I heard it is a part of the Biology of Trauma® Track. Can you explain this more?
What are the different tracks?
Can I change tracks?
Are the recordings available only to participants or are participants allowed to share the course material with outside people?
Can you tell me more about the two installment payments?
Do you provide references for your course materials?
How does this build on the 21-Day Journey?
Disclaimer: This is not a course that gives you a license as a provider nor is it a health or trauma recovery coach credentialing program.
Medical Disclosure: The information and programs presented on or through this website are made available to equip you with knowledge and tools. All the materials in this course are intended for educational purposes. This information or any programs that are offered are not (nor are they a substitute for) medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. For any physical or mental health issues, I recommend you work with a qualified health provider who will also support your desire to address the effects of trauma.
