How Trauma, Airway Issues, and the Nervous System Contribute to Picky Eating in Kids with Jen McNerney

*Guest:* Jen McNerney of Heart Rooted Healing in Woodland Park, Colorado

The Livin’Sky Podcast, Season 3 Episode 7

Nervous System Healing for Picky Eaters, Anxious Kids, and Stressed-Out Parents with Jen McNerney

If your child struggles with anxiety, sensory issues, or picky eating, you might feel like you’ve tried everything. From therapy to supplements to endless food exposures, nothing seems to stick. That’s where NeuroEmotional Technique for kids comes in.

In this episode of The Livin’Sky Podcast, I sat down with Jen McNerney, a trauma-informed somatic practitioner and former speech-language pathologist. Jen now helps families heal using NET, a gentle modality that helps the body release stored emotional stress without needing to talk through every detail.

SPOTIFY | A PPLE

Here’s what we explored and why it matters:

1. Picky Eating Through a Trauma-Informed Lens

Jen explains how trauma both big and small can dysregulate a child’s nervous system, making it harder for them to feel safe enough to try new foods. If your child shuts down at the table, resists mealtime routines, or seems stuck in food rigidity, it might not be behavioral. It might be biological.

2. Fascia, Tongue Ties, and Stored Tension

Many families are surprised to learn that structural issues like tethered oral tissues and fascial tension can impact not only speech and feeding, but also sleep, behavior, and emotional regulation. Jen breaks down how fascial restrictions can keep kids stuck in fight-or-flight and how gentle bodywork and somatic support can help.

3. Nervous System Regulation is the Foundation

Jen and I both believe that nervous system safety is the foundation for healing. We discuss the power of co-regulation, and how as parents, our own state deeply influences how our children eat, sleep, and process the world around them.

4. NET, Gut Health, and Whole-Body Healing

One of the most fascinating parts of our conversation was learning about NeuroEmotional Technique (NET), a gentle method Jen uses to help families identify and clear unresolved stress patterns stored in the body. Combined with gut healing, airway support, and fascia release, it creates a powerful ripple effect that can transform more than just mealtimes.

This episode is a must-listen if you’ve tried all the picky eating strategies and still feel stuck. You’ll walk away with a new understanding of your child’s cues, more compassion for what might be going on beneath the surface, and practical next steps you can take to support your whole child, body, brain, and breath.

What Is NeuroEmotional Technique for Kids?

NeuroEmotional Technique, or NET, is a body-based tool that works with the meridian system to identify and release stress that’s been stored in the body. These stress patterns often show up as behaviors like meltdowns, picky eating, or shutdown responses when a child feels overwhelmed.

Unlike talk therapy, NET helps children feel into their bodies without needing to explain what’s wrong. With gentle acupressure points and simple breathing, kids can move through emotions that may have been stuck for years. It’s safe, non-invasive, and surprisingly effective.

Why This Matters for Picky Eating and Sensory Struggles

Children who live in a state of fight or flight are often labeled as “difficult” or “rigid.” But what if that rigidity is actually the nervous system asking for help?

Many kids on the autism spectrum or with sensory processing differences follow a beige diet of chicken nuggets, fries, toast, or pirate’s booty. Their body may crave predictability because their internal world feels unpredictable.

Jen and I talked about how NET helps these kids process the stress underneath the picky eating. It’s not about forcing new foods, but about supporting safety and trust in the body. When a child feels more regulated, exploration naturally follows.

It’s Okay to Want More for Your Child

We also talked about the discouraging message so many parents hear: “There’s nothing you can do.” Whether it’s apraxia, autism, or another diagnosis, families are often told to manage rather than support healing.

We want to change that conversation.

It is possible to honor who your child is while also helping them feel better in their body. Wanting more peace, more ease, and more health for your child does not mean you’re rejecting them. It means you love them.

Final Thoughts

If your child struggles with regulation, food, or unexplained behaviors, there is hope. NeuroEmotional Technique for kids gives families another option that is gentle, grounded, and deeply supportive of healing.

You are not stuck. Your child is not broken. And you don’t have to do this alone.

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If your gut says your child’s picky eating is more than a phase, explore my BLOOM-aligned resources and support options, gentle, root-cause, and connection-first.