Podcasts about emdr

Heal Trauma & Receive Blessings from Your Ancestors via Dreams. Imagine a dreamscape where you can connect with your ancestors, identify inherited patterns that cause you pain, and heal them while also gaining ancestral blessings. With this first-of-its-kind book, it's possible to do all that and more. Featuring dozens of exercises and personal stories that enhance your understanding, this book takes you on a healing journey from grief to peace and healthy connection with your departed loved ones. You can even pass healing energy to future generations.Linda Yael Schiller teaches you how to tap into the consciousness of your dreams―both in sleep and sleep-adjacent practices such as trance, meditation, and guided imagery. Whether you practice alone or with a group, this book helps you dream the world you hope for into being.Linda Yael Schiller, MSW, LICSW, (Watertown, MA) is a mind-body and spiritual psychotherapist, consultant, author, and international teacher. She is the author of Modern Dreamwork and PTSDreams. Linda facilitates group dream circles, provides individual, group and corporate consultation, and trains professionals on working with dreams. She has designed several innovative methods for dreamwork. Linda is trained in numerous mind-body methods such as EMDR, EFT, energy psychology, Enneagram, and integrated trauma treatments. In addition to her professional work with dreams, she has been involved with her own dream-sharing group for more than forty years.https://lindayaelschiller.com/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/earth-ancients--2790919/support.

Today I welcome David Politi, Bruce Hersey, and Joanne Twombly on the podcast to talk about their new book, IFS-Informed EMDR: Creative and Collaborative Appraoches. We talk about why this book is needed, what it took to bring together more than 20 contributors, and why integrating these models can create more options, more flexibility, and more hope for clients.  We talk about: Bringing together 21 contributors and creating a true community project Why integration can help when clients get stuck in one modality The idea that there is a natural, underlying healing process beyond any single model  Coping skills, resourcing, and the diverging views on when and how to use them  Joanne's "fire drill" and using IFS to work with therapist countertransference  Why strong foundational training in both IFS and EMDR matters before integrating them  The belief that there is no "perfect model," and that relationship and Self Energy matter most  There's a lot of heart here, a lot of theory, and a lot of love for clients, the field, and each other. I'm excited for you to listen, and be sure to catch my extended interview with them over on Substack. About the Guests Bruce Hersey, LCSW is widely recognized for his work integrating EMDR and IFS. Together with Michelle Richardson, he created the Syzygy Institute, which offers training and certification in IIE. Bruce is an Approved Consultant in EMDR and an IFS Approved Clinical Consultant, providing individual and group IFS and IIE consultation. He has led numerous IFS workshops and presented at the IFS International Conference, as well as EMDRIA and international EMDR conferences.  www.syzygyinstitute.com, www.brucehersey.com, and www.emdrifs.com. David Polidi, LICSW, M.Ed. is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and a Certified EMDR Consultant in Training, and has also been trained in IFS. He has worked with children and families since 2000 and has been in private practice for the past five years. David developed and facilitates the online couples workshop Deepen the Conversation, and hosts the podcast Empowered Through Compassion, where he speaks with innovators in psychology about integrating EMDR, IFS, and other trauma-healing approaches. www.empoweredthroughcompassion.com. Joanne H. Twombly, LICSW is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker with over thirty years of experience working with Complex PTSD and Dissociative Disorders. She is a Certified EMDR Consultant and an IFS Certified Therapist. Joanne is a Trauma and Recovery Humanitarian Assistance Program Facilitator and a Clinical Hypnosis Consultant. She is the past president of the New England Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation and has received a Distinguished Achievement Award from the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation, where she is also an ISSTD Fellow. Joanne recently published Trauma and Dissociation Informed Internal Family Systems: How to Successfully Treat Complex PTSD and Dissociative Disorders. www.joannetwombly.net. About The One Inside I started this podcast to help spread IFS out into the world and make the model more accessible to everyone. Seven years later, that's still at the heart of all we do.  Join The One Inside Substack community for bonus conversations, extended interviews, meditations, and more. Find Self-Led merch at The One Inside store. Listen to episodes and watch clips on YouTube. Follow me on Instagram @ifstammy or on Facebook at The One Inside with Tammy Sollenberger. I co-create The One Inside with Jeff Schrum, a Level 2 IFS practitioner and coach. Resources New to IFS? My book, The One Inside: Thirty Days to Your Authentic Self, is a great place to start. Want a free meditation? Sign up for my email list and get "Get to Know a Should Part" right away. Sponsorship Want to sponsor an episode of The One Inside? Email Tammy. 

Kelly Nenezian is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, EMDR Certified Therapist, and Bioenergetic Trainer who helps clients move beyond surface-level coping into deep, embodied healing. She is the founder and president of Gainesville Healing House, a thriving somatic psychotherapy practice where she also supervises and mentors emerging clinicians.Kelly integrates EMDR, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Bioenergetic Analysis in her work with adolescents, adults, and seniors. She also serves as a trainer and director with the Florida Society of Bioenergetic Analysis. The author of Raised to be a Soldier, Kelly explores how childhood trauma can armor us for survival—and how we can learn to live, feel, and connect again.In This EpisodeKelly's websiteKelly in IGRaised to be a SoldierBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.You can learn more about what I do here:The Trauma Therapist Newsletter: celebrates the people and voices in the mental health profession. And it's free! Check it out here: https://bit.ly/4jGBeSa———If you'd like to support The Trauma Therapist Podcast and the work I do you can do that here with a monthly donation of $5, $7, or $10: Donate to The Trauma Therapist Podcast.Click here to join my email list and receive podcast updates and other news.Thank you to our Sponsors:Jane App - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.appArizona Trauma Institute at https://aztrauma.org/

We orient ourselves to the new year through recovery readings.Our website is HERE:  System Speak Podcast.You can submit an email to the podcast HERE.Content Note: Content on this website and in the podcasts is assumed to be trauma and/or dissociative related due to the nature of what is being shared here in general.  Content descriptors are generally given in each episode.  Specific trigger warnings are not given due to research reporting this makes triggers worse.  Please use appropriate self-care and your own safety plan while exploring this website and during your listening experience.  Natural pauses due to dissociation have not been edited out of the podcast, and have been left for authenticity.  While some professional material may be referenced for educational purposes, Emma and her system are not your therapist nor offering professional advice.  Any informational material shared or referenced is simply part of our own learning process, and not guaranteed to be the latest research or best method for you.  Please contact your therapist or nearest emergency room in case of any emergency.  This website does not provide any medical, mental health, or social support services. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Episode Notes This week on Live Like the World is Dying, we have another re-run episode. Margaret and Smokey talk about ways to go about mental first aid, how to alter responses to trauma for you self and as a community, different paths to resiliency, and why friendship and community are truly the best medicine. Host Info Margaret can be found on twitter @magpiekilljoy or instagram at @margaretkilljoy. Publisher Info This show is published by Strangers in A Tangled Wilderness. We can be found at www.tangledwilderness.org, or on Twitter @TangledWild and Instagram @Tangled_Wilderness. You can support the show on Patreon at www.patreon.com/strangersinatangledwilderness. Transcript LLWD:Smokey on Mental First Aid Margaret 00:15 Hello and welcome to Live Like the World is Dying, your podcast are what feels like the end times. I'm your host, Margaret killjoy. And, this week or month...or let's just go with 'episode'. This episode is going to be all about mental health and mental health first aid and ways to take care of your mental health and ways to help your community and your friends take care of their mental health, and I think you'll like it. But first, this podcast is a proud member of the Channel Zero network of anarchists podcasts. And here's a jingle from another show on the network. Margaret 01:52 Okay, with me today is Smokey. Smokey, could you introduce yourself with your your name, your pronouns, and I guess a little bit about your background about mental health stuff? Smokey 02:04 Sure, I'm Smokey. I live and work in New York City. My pronouns are 'he' and 'him.' For 23 years, I've been working with people managing serious mental illness in an intentional community, I have a degree in psychology, I have taught psychology at the University level, I have been doing social work for a long time, but I've been an anarchist longer. Margaret 02:43 So so the reason I want to have you on is I want to talk about mental health first aid, or I don't know if that's the way it normally gets expressed, but that's the way I see it in my head. Like how are...I guess it's a big question, but I'm interested in exploring ways that we can, as bad things happen that we experience, like some of the best practices we can do in order to not have that cause lasting mental harm to us. Which is a big question. But maybe that's my first question anyway. Smokey 03:12 I mean, the, the truth is bad things will happen to us. It's part of living in the world, and if you are a person that is heavily engaged in the world, meaning, you know, you're involved in politics, or activism, or even just curious about the world, you will probably be exposed on a more regular basis to things that are bad, that can traumatize us. But even if you're not involved in any of those things, you're going to go through life and have really difficult things happen to you. Now, the good news is, that's always been the case for people. We've always done this. And the good news is, we actually know a lot about what goes into resilience. So, how do you bounce back quickly and hopefully thrive after these experiences? I think that is an area that's only now being really examined in depth. But, we have lots of stories and some research to show that actually when bad things happen to us, there is an approach that actually can help catalyst really impressive strength and move...change our life in a really positive direction. We also know that for most people, they have enough reserve of resiliency that....and they can draw upon other resiliency that they're not chronically affected by it, however, and I would argue how our society is kind of structured, we're seeing more and more people that are suffering from very serious chronic effects of, what you said, bad things happening, or what is often traumatic things but it's not just traumatic things that cause chronic problems for us. But, that is the most kind of common understanding so, so while most people with most events will not have a chronic problem, and you can actually really use those problems, those I'm sorry, those events, let's call them traumatic events, those traumatic events they'll really actually improve your thriving, improve your life and your relationship to others in the world. The fact is, currently, it's an ever growing number of people that are having chronic problems. And that's because of the system. Margaret 06:19 Yeah, there's this like, there was an essay a while ago about it, I don't remember it very well, but it's called "We Are Also Very Anxious," and it it was claiming that anxiety is one of the general affects of society today, because of kind of what you're talking about, about systems that set us up to be anxious all the time and handle things in... Smokey 06:42 I think what most people don't understand is, it is consciously, in the sense that it's not that necessarily it's the desire to have the end goal of people being anxious, and people being traumatized, but it is conscious in that we know this will be the collateral outcome of how we set up the systems. That I think is fairly unique and and really kind of pernicious. Margaret 07:17 What are some of the systems that are setting us up to be anxious or traumatized? Smokey 07:23 Well, I'm gonna reverse it a little bit, Margaret. I'm going to talk about what are the things we need to bounce back or have what has been called 'resilience,' and then you and I can explore how our different systems actually make us being able to access that much more difficult. Margaret 07:47 Okay. Oh, that makes sense. Smokey 07:49 The hallmark of resiliency, ironically, is that it's not individual. Margaret 07:57 Okay. Smokey 07:57 In fact, if you look at the research, there are very few, there's going to be a couple, there's gonna be three of them, but very few qualities of an individual psychology or makeup that is a high predictor of resiliency. Margaret 08:20 Okay. Smokey 08:21 And these three are kind of, kind of vague in the sense they're not, they're not terribly dramatic, in a sense. One is, people that tend to score higher on appreciation of humor, tends to be a moderate predictor of resiliency. Margaret 08:46 I like that one. Smokey 08:47 You don't have to be funny yourself. But you can appreciate humor. Seems to be a....and this is tends to be a cross cultural thing. It's pretty low. There are plenty of people that that score very low on that, that also have resiliency. That's the other thing, I'll say that these three personality traits are actually low predictors of resiliency. Margaret 09:13 Compared to the immunity ones that you're gonna talk about? Smokey 09:16 So one is appreciation of humor seems to be one. So, these are intrinsic things that, you know, maybe we got from our family, but but we hold them in ourselves, right? The second one is usually kind of put down as 'education.' And there tends to be a reverse bell curve. If you've had very, very low education, you tend to be more resilient. If you've had extreme professionalization, you know, being a doctor, being a lawyer, well, not even being a lawyer, because that's the only...but many, many years of schooling, PhD things like that, it's not what you study. There's something about... Smokey 10:10 Yeah, or that you didn't. They're almost equal predictors of who gets traumatized. And then the the last one is kind of a 'sense of self' in that it's not an ego strength as we kind of understand it, but it is an understanding of yourself. The people that take the surveys, that they score fairly high....So I give you a survey and say, "What do you think about Smokey on these different attributes?" You give me a survey and say, "Smokey, how would you rate yourself on these different attributes?" Margaret 10:11 It's that you studied. Margaret 10:32 Okay. Smokey 10:59 So, it's suggesting that I have some self-reflexivity about what my strengths and weaknesses are. I can only know that because they're married by these also. Margaret 11:11 Okay. So it's, it's not about you rating yourself high that makes you resilient, it's you rating yourself accurately tohow other people see you. Smokey 11:18 And again, I want to stress that these are fairly low predictors. Now, you'll read a million books, kind of pop like, or the, these other ones. But when you actually look at the research, it's not, you know, it's not that great. So those..however, the ones that are big are things like 'robustness of the social network.' So how many relations and then even more, if you go into depth, 'what are those relationships' and quantity does actually create a certain level of quality, interestingly, especially around things called 'micro-social interactions,' which are these interactions that we don't even think of as relationships, maybe with storepersons, how many of these we have, and then certain in depth, having that combined with a ring of kind of meaningful relationships. And meaningful meaning not necessarily who is most important to me, but how I share and, and share my emotions and my thoughts and things like that. So, there's a lot on that. That is probably the strongest predictor of resilience. Another big predictor of resilience is access to diversity in our social networks. So, having diverse individuals tend to give us more resiliency, and having 'time,' processing time, also gives us more...are high predictors of resiliency, the largest is a 'sense of belonging.' Margaret 13:14 Okay. Smokey 13:15 So that trauma...events that affect our sense of belonging, and this is why children who have very limited opportunities to feel a sense of belonging, which are almost always completely limited, especially for very young children to the family, if that is cut off due to the trauma, or it's already dysfunctional and has nothing to do with the trauma, that sense of belonging, that lack of sense of belonging makes it very difficult to maintain resilience. So. So those are the things that, in a nutshell, we're going to be talking about later about 'How do we improve these?' and 'How do we maximize?' And 'How do we leverage these for Mental Health First Aid?' We can see how things like the internet, social media, capitalism, you know, kind of nation state building, especially as we understand it today, all these kinds of things errode a lot of those things that we would want to see in building resilient people. Margaret 14:28 Right. Smokey 14:28 And, you know, making it more difficult to access those things that we would need. Margaret 14:34 No, that's...this...Okay, yeah, that makes it obvious that the answer to my question of "What are the systems that deny us resiliency?" are just all of this. Yeah, because we're like....most people don't have...there's that really depressing statistic or the series of statistics about the number of friends that adults have in our society, and how it keeps going down every couple of decades. Like, adults just have fewer and fewer friends. And that... Smokey 15:00 The number, the number is the same for children, though too. Margaret 15:05 Is also going down, is what you're saying? Smokey 15:07 Yes. They have more than adults. But compared to earlier times, they have less. So, the trend is not as steep as a trendline. But, but it is still going down. And more importantly, there was a big change with children at one point, and I'm not sure when it historically happened. But, the number of people they interacted with, was much more diverse around age. Margaret 15:39 Oh, interesting. Smokey 15:40 So they had access to more diversity. Margaret 15:43 Yeah, yeah. When you talk about access to diversity, I assume that's diversity in like a lot of different axis, right? I assume that's diversity around like people's like cultural backgrounds, ethnic backgrounds, age. Like, but even like... Smokey 15:56 Modes of thought. Margaret 15:58 Yeah, well, that's is my guess, is that if you're around more people, you have more of an understanding that like, reality is complicated, and like different people see things in different ways. And so therefore, you have a maybe a less rigid idea of what should happen. So, then if something happens outside of that, you're more able to cope, or is this...does... like, because I look at each of these things and I can say why I assume they affect resiliency, but obviously, that's not what you're presenting, you're not presenting how they affect resiliency, merely that they seem to? Smokey 16:34 Yeah, and I don't know, if we know exactly how they affect, and we don't know how they...the effect of them together, you know, social sciences, still pretty primitive. So they, they need to look at single variables, often. But you know, we know with chemistry and biology and ecology, which I think are a little more sophisticated...and physics, which is more sophisticated. The real interesting stuff is in the combinations. Margaret 17:09 Yeah. Okay. Smokey 17:10 So what happens when you have, you know, diversity, but also this diverse and robust social network? Is that really an addition? Or is that a multiplication moment? For resiliency. Margaret 17:23 Right. And then how does that affect like, if that comes at the expense of...well, it probably wouldn't, but if it came at the expense of processing time or something. Smokey 17:33 Exactly. Margaret 17:35 Or, like, you know, okay, I could see how it would balance with education in that, like, I think for a lot of people the access to diversity that they encounter first is like going off to college, right, like meeting people from like, different parts of the world, or whatever. Smokey 17:49 I forgot to mention one other one, but it is, 'meaning.' Meaning is very important. People that score high, or report, meaning deep, kind of core meaning also tend to have higher resiliency. That being said, they...and don't, don't ever confuse resiliency with like, happiness or contentment. It just means that the dysfunction or how far you're knocked off track due to trauma, and we're, we're using trauma in the larger sense of the word, you know, how long it takes you to get back on track, or whether you can even get back on track to where you were prior to the event is what we're talking about. So it's not, this is not a guide to happiness or living a fulfilled life. It's just a guide to avoid the damage. Margaret 19:01 But if we made one that was a specifically a 'How to have a happy life,' I feel like we could sell it and then have a lot of money.Have you considered that? [lauging] Smokey 19:11 Well one could argue whether that's even desirable to have a happy life. That's a whole philosophical thing. That's well beyond my paygrade Margaret 19:22 Yeah, every now and then I have this moment, where I realized I'm in this very melancholy mood, and I'm getting kind of kind of happy about it. And I'm like, "Oh, I'm pretty comfortable with this. This is a nice spot for me." I mean, I also like happiness, too, but you know. Okay, so, this certainly implies that the, the way forward for anyone who's attempting to build resiliency, the sort of holistic solution is building community. Like in terms of as bad stuff happens. Is that... Smokey 19:58 Community that's...and community not being just groups. Okay, so you can, I think, you know, the Internet has become an expert at creating groups. There lots of groups. But community, or communitas or the sense of belonging is more than just a shared interest and a shared knowledge that there's other like-minded people. You'll hear the internet was great for like minded people to get together. But, the early internet was really about people that were sharing and creating meaning together. And I think that was very powerful. That, you know, that seems harder to access on today's Internet, and certainly the large social media platforms are consciously designed to achieve certain modes of experience, which do not lend themselves to that. Margaret 21:06 Right, because it's like the...I don't know the word for this. Smokey 21:10 It's Capitalism. Like, yeah, we're hiding the ball. The ball is Capitalism. Margaret 21:14 Yeah. Smokey 21:14 And how they decided to go with an advertising model as opposed to any other model, and that requires attention. Margaret 21:21 Yeah. Because it seems like when you talk about a robust social network, I mean, you know, theoretically, social network, like social networks, you know, Twitter calls itself a social network, right? And is there anything in the micro social interactions that one has online? Is there value in that? Or do you think that the overall...I mean, okay, because even like looking at... Smokey 21:46 I think there has to be value, I think, yeah, they did. I was reading just today, actually, about research, it was in England, with...this one hospital decided to send postcards to people who had been hospitalized for suicidal attempts. Margaret 22:09 Okay. Smokey 22:10 Most of them ended up in the mental health thing, some of them didn't, because they they left beyond, you know, against medical advice, or whatever. But, anyone that came in presenting with that a month, and then three months later, they sent another postcard just saying, "You know, we're all thinking about you, we're hoping you're all you're doing, alright. We have faith in you," that kind of thing like that, right. Nice postcard, purposely chosen to have a nice scene, sent it out. And they followed up, and they found a significant reduction in further attempts, rehospitalizations of these people, so that's a very, you know, there's no, it's a one way communication, it's not person-to-person, and it had some impact on I would guess one could argue the resiliency of those people from giving into suicidal ideation. Right. Margaret 23:13 Yeah. Smokey 23:14 So I think this is to say that, you know, we'd be...unplugging the internet, you know, that kind of Luddite approach doesn't make sense. There is a value to answer your question to the the internet's micro social interactions. It's just we...it's complicated, because you can't just have micro-social interactions unfortunately, but you need them. Margaret 23:44 Yeah. No, that that's really interesting to me, because yeah, so there's, there is a lot of value that is coming from these things, but then the overall effect is this like, like, for example, even like access to diversity, right? In a lot of ways, theoretically, the Internet gives you access to like everything. But then, instead, it's really designed to create echo chambers in the way that the algorithms and stuff feed people information. And echo chambers of thought is the opposite of diversity, even if the echo chamber of thought is like about diversity. Smokey 24:16 Yeah, I mean, it's set up again, almost as if it were to kind of naturally organically grow, we would probably have just as chaotic and and people would still just be as angry at the Internet, but it probably would develop more resilience in people. Because it wouldn't be stunted by this need to attract attention. The easiest way to do that is through outrage. Easiest way to do that is quickly and fast, so it takes care of your processing time. And relative anonymity is the coin of these kinds of things, you know, that's why bots and things like that, you know, they're not even humans, right? You know, they're just...so all these kinds of things stunt and deform, what could potentially be useful, not a silver bullet, and certainly not necessary to develop resiliency, strong resiliency. You don't need the internet to do that. And there are certain...using the internet, you know, there's going to be certain serious limitations because of the design, how it's designed. Margaret 25:42 Okay, well, so hear me out. If the internet really started coming in latter half of the 20th century, that kind of lines up to when cloaks went out of style.... Smokey 25:54 Absolutely, that's our big problem. And they haven't done any research on cloak and resiliency. Margaret 26:00 I feel that everyone who wears a cloak either has a sense of belonging, or a distinct lack of a sense of belonging. Probably start off with a lack of sense of belonging, but you end up with a sense of belonging So, okay, okay. Smokey 26:15 So I want to say that there's two things that people confuse and a very important. One, is how to prevent chronic effects from traumatic experiences. And then one is how to take care of, if you already have or you you develop a chronic effect of traumatic experiences. Nothing in the psychology literature, sociology literature, anthropology literature, obviously, keeps you from having traumatic experiences. Margaret 26:52 Right. Smokey 26:54 So one is how to prevent it from becoming chronic, and one is how to deal with chronic and they're not the same, they're quite, quite different. So you know, if you already have a chronic traumatic response of some sort, post traumatic stress syndrome, or any of the other related phenomena, you will approach that quite differently than building resilience, which doesn't protect you from having trauma, a traumatic experience. It just allows you to frame it, understand it, maybe if you're lucky, thrive and grow from it. But at worst, get you back on track in not having any chronic problems. Margaret 27:48 Okay, so it seems like there's three things, there's the holistic, building a stronger base of having a community, being more resilient in general. And then there's the like direct first aid to crisis and trauma, and then there's the long term care for the impacts of trauma. Okay, so if so, we've talked a bit about the holistic part of it, you want to talk about the the crisis, the thing to do in the immediate sense as it's happening or whatever? Smokey 28:15 For yourself or for somebody else? Margaret 28:18 Let's start with self. Smokey 28:20 So, self is go out and connect to your social network as much as you can, which is the opposite of what your mind and body is telling you. And that's why I think so much of the quote unquote, "self-care" movement is so wrong. You kind of retreat from your social network, things are too intense, I'm going to retreat from your social network. The research suggests that's the opposite of what you should be doing, you should connect. Now, if you find yourself in an unenviable situation where you don't have a social network, then you need to connect to professionals, because they, they can kind of fill in for that social Network. Therapists, social workers, peer groups, support groups, things like that they can kind of fill in for that. The problem is you don't have that sense of belonging. Well, with support groups, you might. You see this often in AA groups or other support groups. You don't really get that in therapy or or group therapy so much. But that is the first thing and so connect to your group. Obviously on the other side, if you're trying to help your community, your group, you need to actively engage that person who has been traumatized. Margaret 29:33 Yeah, okay. Smokey 29:35 And it's going to be hard. And you need to keep engaging them and engaging them in what? Not distractions: Let's go to a movie, get some ice cream, let's have a good time. And not going into the details of the traumatic experience so much as reconnecting them to the belonging, our friendship, if that. Our political movement, if that. Our religious movement, if that. Whatever that...whatever brought you two together. And that could be you being the community in this person, or could be you as Margaret in this person connecting on that, doubling down on that, and often I see people do things like, "Okay, let's do some self care, or let's, let's do the opposite of whatever the traumatic experience was," if it came from, say oppression, either vicarious or direct through political involvement let's, let's really connect on a non-political kind of way. Margaret 31:19 Ah I see! Smokey 31:21 And I'm saying, "No, you should double down on the politics," reminding them of right what you're doing. Not the trauma necessarily not like, "Oh, remember when you got beaten up, or your, your significant other got arrested or got killed by the police," but it's connecting to meaning, and bringing the community together. Showing the resiliency of the community will vicariously and contagiously affect the individual. And again, doesn't have to be political could be anything. Margaret 32:01 Yeah. Is that? How does that that feels a little bit like the sort of 'get right back on the horse kind of thing.' But then like, in terms of like, socially, rather than, because we 'get back on the horse,' might mean might imply, "Oh, you got beat up at a riot. So go out to the next riot." And that's what you're saying instead is so "Involve you in the fundraising drive for the people who are dealing with this including you," or like... Smokey 32:28 And allowing an expectation that the individual who's been traumatized, might be having a crisis of meaning. And allowing that conversation, to flow and helping that person reconnect to what they found meaningful to start with. So getting right back on the horse again, it's reminding them why they love horses. Margaret 33:02 Yeah. Okay, that makes sense. Okay, I have another question about the the crisis first aid thing, because there's something that, you know, something that you talked to me about a long time ago, when I was working on a lot of like reframing. I was working on coping with trauma. And so maybe this actually relates instead to long term care for trauma. And I, I thought of this as a crisis first aid kind of thing, is I'll use a like, low key example. When I was building my cabin, I'm slightly afraid of heights, not terribly, but slightly. And so I'm on a ladder in the middle of nowhere with no one around and I'm like climbing up the ladder, and I'm nailing in boards. And I found myself saying, "Oh, well, I only have three more boards. And then I'm done. I can get off the ladder. "And then I was like, "No, what I need to do is say, it's actually fine, I am fine. And I can do this," rather than like counting down until I can get off the ladder. And so this is like a way that I've been working on trying to build resiliency, you can apply this to lots of things like if I'm on an airplane, and I'm afraid of flying or something I can, instead of being like, "Five more hours and then we're there. Four more hours and then we're there," instead of being like, "It's actually totally chill that I'm on an airplane. This is fine." And basically like telling myself that to reframe that. Is this....Am I off base with this? Is this tie into this, there's just a different framework? Smokey 34:27 That is what the individual should be trying to do is connect the three different things, keeping it simple. One, is to the community which gives them nourishment. On a plane or on your roof, that's not going to happen. Margaret 34:44 Yeah. Smokey 34:45 Though, actually, to be honest. If you're nervous and you have...go back to your roof example, which I think is a pretty good one. Let's say that you had more than three boards. Let's say it was gonna take you a couple hours to do that. But it's something you're nervous about, connecting to somebody in your social network, whether you, you have your earphones on, and you're just talking to them before or during...after doesn't help. That does one way. Or the other is connecting to what you were doing, which is connecting to kind of reframing or your own internal resilience. I've done something similar like this before. This is not something that is going to need to throw me, it is what's called pocketing the anxiety. Margaret 35:45 Okay. Smokey 35:45 Where you're other-izing it, being like, it's coming from you too, right? being like, "Hey, you could fall. This plane could go down," right? That that's still you, you're generating that. You're not hearing that over to, and you're saying, "Okay, but I'm going to try, you know, give primacy to this other voice in my head. That is saying, "You've got this, it's all right, you've done things like this before."" So that's the second thing. And that's what you were doing. So you could connect to your community, you could connect to kind of a reserve of resiliency. And to do that is allow that one to be pocketed. But be like, "Hey, I want to hear from what this core thing has to say. I want to hear from what the positive person on the front row has to say." You're not arguing with that one. You're just listening. You're changing your, your, what you're attuned to. And then the third one is, if you can, you connect to the meaning. What is the meaning of building the house for you? Where are you going on your flight? And why is it important? Margaret 37:03 Yeah. Okay, Smokey 37:05 And that anxiety and the fact that you're doing it, you want to give again, the primacy to the importance, that "Yeah, I'm really nervous, I'm really freaked out about this, but this thing is so important, or so good for me, or so healthy for me to do this. This must mean it's going to be really important. And I'm connecting to why it's important and focusing on that. So those are the three things that the individual can do. The helping person or community is engagement. The second one is the same, reconnecting to the meaning. Why did you love horses in the first place? Okay, don't have to get back on the horse. But let's not forget horses are awesome. Margaret 37:58 Yeah. Smokey 37:58 And Horseback riding is awesome. Margaret 38:01 Yeah. Smokey 38:01 And you were really good at it before you got thrown. But you know, you don't have to do it now, but let's, let's just let's just share our love of horses for a moment and see how that makes you feel. And then the third one is that kind of drawing upon, instead of drawing upon the individual resilience, which you were doing, like, "Hey, I got this," or the plane, you know, you were, you're hearing from other people, you're drawing upon their individual resilience. "Smokey, tell me about the time you did this thing that was hard." And I tell ya, you're like, "Well, Smokey can fucking do that I can do it. You don't even think...it doesn't even work necessarily consciously. Margaret 38:50 Right. Smokey 38:51 So you could see that what you're doing individually, the helper or the community is doing complementary. Margaret 38:59 Yeah. Smokey 39:00 And now you can see why a lot of self care narrative, a lot of taking a break a lot of burnout narrative, all these things, at best aren't going to help you and at worst, in my opinion, are kind of counterproductive. Margaret 39:17 Well, and that's the, to go to the, you know, working on my roof thing I think about...because I've had some success with this. I've had some success where I....there's certain fears that I have, like, suppressed or something like I've stopped being as afraid of...the fear is no longer a deciding factor in my decision making, because of this kind of reframing this kind of like, yeah, pocketing like...And it's probably always useful to have the like, I don't want to reframe so completely that I just walk around on a roof all the time, without paying attention to what I'm doing, right?Because people do that and then they fall and the reason that there's a reason that roofing is one of the most dangerous jobs in America. So a, I don't know I yeah, I, I appreciate that, that you can do that. And then if it's a thing you're going to keep doing anyway, it becomes easier if you start handling it like, carefully, you know? Smokey 40:17 Well, you don't want to give it too much. So why do we? Why is it natural for us to take anxiety or fear and focus on it? It's somewhat evolutionary, right? It's a threat, right? It's supposed to draw your attention, right? It's supposed to draw your attention. And if you're not careful, it will draw your attention away from other things that are quieter that like that resiliency in the front row you need to call on, because they're not as flashy, right? So I don't think you have to worry about threat....You're right. You don't want to get to the point where you and that's why I say 'pocket it,' as opposed to 'deny it, suppress it, argue with it. demolish it.' I think it's good to have that little, "Beep, beep, beep there's a threat," and then being like, "Okay, but I want to continue to do this. Let's hear from resiliency in the front row. What? What do you have to tell me too?" You have to not...what happens is we go into the weeds of the threat. Oh, so what? "Oh, I fall off and I compound fracture, and I'm way out here in the woods, and no one's going to get me. My phone isn't charged." That's not what the original beep was. Original beep like, "You're high up on a ladder, seems unstable. This seems sketchy," right? Okay. Got that. And then resilience is, "Yeah, you've done lots of sketchy stuff. You've written in the back of a pickup truck. That's sketchy, so seatbelt there, nothing, you know, let me remind you that that you can overcome." And, but by going into the anxiety, going into the fear, you're forcing yourself to justify the thing. And then it becomes more and more elaborate, and it gets crazier and crazier very quickly. You know, all of sudden, you're bleeding out and you're cutting your leg off with a pen knife. It's like, "Wow, how did all this happen?" Margaret 42:38 Yeah, well, and that's actually something that comes up a lot in terms of people interacting with the show and about like preparedness in general. Because in my mind, the point of paying attention to how to deal with forest fire while I live in the woods, is not to then spend all of my time fantasizing and worrying about forest fire. But instead, to compare it to this ladder, if I get this "Beep, beep, the ladder is unstable." I climb down, I stabilize the ladder as best as I can. And then I climb back up and I do the thing. And then when I think about like, with fire, I'm like, "Okay, I have done the work to minimize the risk of fire. And so now I can stop thinking about it." Like, I can listen to the little beep, beep noise and do the thing. And now I can ignore the beep beep because just like literally, when you're backing up a truck and it goes beep, beep, you're like, yeah, no, I know, I'm backing up. Thanks. You know, like, Smokey 43:35 Yeah, it's good to know, it's good to know, you're not going forward. Margaret 43:39 Yeah, no. No, okay. That's interesting. And then the other thing that's really interesting about this, the thing that you're presenting, is it means that in some ways, work that we present as very individual in our society, even in radical society, is actually community based on this idea, like so conquering phobias is something that we help one another do, it seems like, Smokey 44:02 Absolutely. I mean, the best stuff on all this stuff is that people reverse engineering it to make people do dangerous, bad things. The military. Margaret 44:18 Yeah, they're probably pretty good at getting people to conquer phobias. Yep. Smokey 44:21 They have a great sense of belonging. They have a great sense of pulling in internal resilient, group resilient, connecting to meaning even when it's absolutely meaningless what you're doing. It's all the dark side of what we're talking about, but it's quite effective and it literally wins wars. Margaret 44:47 Yeah, that makes sense. Because you have this whole... Smokey 44:50 Literally it changes history. And so, the good news is, we can kind of reclaim that for what I think it was originally purposed to do, which is to protect us from the traumas that we had to go through in our evolutionary existence. So we couldn't afford to have a whole bunch of us chronically disabled. Meaning unable to function, you know, they've just taken it and, and bent it a little bit, and learned very deeply about it, how to how to use it for the things that really cause, you know, physical death and injury. And, and, you know, obviously, they're not perfect, you have a lot of trauma, but not, not as much as you would expect for what they do. And every year they get better and better. Margaret 45:51 Hooray. Smokey 45:53 We have to get on top of our game. Margaret 45:56 Yeah. Smokey 45:57 And get people not to do what they do. I'm not suggesting reading...well maybe reading military, but not...you can't use those tools to make people truly free and resilient. Margaret 46:17 Yeah. Smokey 46:18 In the healthy kind of way. Yeah. Margaret 46:22 Okay, so in our three things, there's the holistic, prepared resiliency thing, then there's the immediate, the bad thing is happening first aid. Should we talk about what to do when the thing has, when you have the like, the injury, the mental injury of the trauma? Smokey 46:42 Like with most injuries, it's rehab, right? Margaret 46:45 Yeah. No, no, you just keep doing the thing, and then hope it fixes itself. [laughs] Smokey 46:53 My approach to most medical oddities that happen as I get older, it's like, "It'll fix itself, this tooth will grow back, right? The pain will go away, right?" Yeah, just like physical rehab, it does require two important aspects for all physical, what we think of when someone says I have to go to rehab, physical rehab, not not alcohol rehab, or psych rehab, is that there's two things that are happening. One, is a understanding, a deep understanding of the injury, often not by the person, but by the physical therapist. Right? That if they know, okay, this is torn meniscus, or this is this and I, okay, so I understand the anatomy, I understand the surgery that happened. Okay. And then the second is, short term, not lifelong therapy, not lifelong this or that. Short term techniques to usually strengthen muscles and other joints and things around the injury. Okay. And that's what, what I would call good recovery after you already have the injury. It's not after you've had the traumatic experience, because traumatic experience doesn't necessarily cause a chronic injury, and we're trying to reduce the number of chronic injuries, but chronic injuries are going to happen. chronic injuries already exist today. A lot of the people we know are walking around with chronic injuries that are impacting their ability to do what they want to do and what in my opinion, we need them to do, because there's so much change that needs to happen. We need everybody as much as possible to be working at their ability. So wherever we can fix injury, we should. So so one is where do I get an understanding of how this injury impacts my life? And I think different cognitive psychology, I think CBT, DBT, these things are very, very good in general. Margaret 49:22 I know what those are, but can you explain. Smokey 49:22 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. These all come out of cognitive psychology from the 50s. Our techniques, but most therapists use versions of this anyway. So just going to therapy, what it is doing initially, is trying to, like the physical therapist, tell you, "This is the injury you have. This is why it's causing you to limp, or why you have weakness in your arm and wrist. And what we're going to do is we're going to give you some techniques to build up, usually the muscles, or whatever else needs to be built up around it so that you will be able to get more use out of your hand." And that is what we need to do with people that have this chronic injury. So, one, is you need to find out how the injury is impacting. So, I'm drinking more, I'm getting angry more, or I'm having trouble making relationships, or I'm having, and there's a series of, you know, 50 year old techniques to really kind of get down and see, okay, this injury is causing these things, that's how it's impacting me, and I don't want to drink more, or I want to be able to sleep better, or I want to be able to focus, or I want to be able to have meaningful relationship with my partner or my children or whatever, whatever that is, right? And then there are techniques, and they're developing new techniques, all the time, there's like EMDR, which is an eye thing that I don't fully understand. There DBT, dialectical behavioral therapy, has a lot of techniques that you kind of practice in groups. As you know, we have mutual aid cell therapy, MAST, which is also a group where you're sharing techniques to build up these different things and resilience. So, community, and meaning, and all those...reframing all those kinds of things. So, but they shouldn't, despite the length of the injury, how long you've been injured, how long you've been limping, and how much it's affected other parts of your psychic body in a way. These are things that still should be able to be remediated relatively quickly. Smokey 49:31 That's exciting. Yeah. Smokey 50:10 But this is not a lifelong thing. Now, that doesn't mean, if you're traumatized as a child for example, it's sort of like if you've completely shattered your wrist bone, and they've put in pins and things like that, that wrist, may never have the flexibility, it did, the actual wrist bone, you know, the bones in the wrist. But by building muscles, and other things around it, you could then theoretically have full flexibility that you had before, right? But it's not the actual wrist bone, but that that injury is still there. You've built up...Sometimes it's called strength-based approach or model where you're building up other strengths, you have to relieve the impact that that injury, so like, a common thing with with trauma is trust. My trust is very damaged. My ability to trust others, or trust certain environments, or maybe trust myself, right, is completely damaged. So if, if my...and that may never fully heal, that's like my shattered wrist bone. So then, by building up, let's say, I don't trust myself, I did something, really fucked up myself, you know, psychologically, traumatically, but by building up trust in others, and then in the environment, or other things, that can mediate that damage or vice versa. Margaret 53:53 You mean vice versa, like if you? Smokey 53:59 Like, if my problem is a trust of others, or trust with strangers, or trust with friends, you know, I've been betrayed in a really traumatic way by my mother, or my father or uncle or something like that then, you know, building up my friendships to a really strong degree will reduce and eventually eliminate, hopefully erase the impact of that injury on the rest of my life. I'm not doomed to have dysfunctional relationships, lack of sleep, alcoholism or whatever are the symptoms of that traumatic event, that chronic traumatic event. Margaret 54:54 Okay, so my next question is, and it's sort of a leading question, you mentioned MAST earlier and I kind of want to ask, like, do we need specialists for all of this? Do we have people who both generalize and specialize in this kind of thing? Are there ways that, you know, we as a community can, like, get better at most of this stuff while then some of it like, you know, obviously people specialize in and this remains useful? Like... Smokey 55:22 You need. I wouldn't say...You need, you do need specialists, not for their knowledge, per se so much as they're there for people that the injury has gone on so long that the resiliency, all those other things, they don't have a social network, they haven't had time, because the damage happened so early to build up those reserves, that that person in the front row, the front row, the seats are empty. That is, it's really great we live...Now, in other cultures, the specialists were probably shamans, religious people, mentors, things like that, that said, "Okay, my role is to," all therapy is self therapy. That was Carl Rogers, he was quite correct about that. The specialist you're talking about are the kind of stand in for people who don't have people to do that. I would argue all real therapy is probably community therapy. It's relational. So if you have friends, if you have community, if you have a place, or places you find belonging, then theoretically, no, I don't think you need....I think those groups, and I think most specialists would agree to actually, those groups, if they're doing this can actually do a much better job for that individual. They know that individual and there's a natural affinity. And there there are other non specifically therapeutic benefits for engaging in re engaging in these things that have nothing to do with the injury that are just healthy, and good to you. So sort of like taking Ensure, Ensure will keep you alive when you're you've had some surgery, you've had some really bad injury, or if you need saline solution, right? But we're not suggesting people walk around with saline bags. There are better ways to get that, more natural ways to get that. I'm not talking alternative, psychiatric or, you know, take herbs instead of psychiatric medication. But there are better ways to do that. And I think, but I'm glad we have saline. Margaret 58:08 Yeah, Smokey 58:08 I think it saves a lot of people's lives. But, we would never give up the other ways to get nutrients because of other benefits to it. You know, sharing a meal with people is also a really good thing. Margaret 58:21 And then even like from a, you know, the advantages of community, etc. I'm guessing it's not something that's like magically imbued in community. It's like can be something that communities need to actually learn these skills and develop like, I mean, there's a reason that well, you know, I guess I'm reasonably open about this. I used to have like fairly paralyzing panic attacks, and then it started generalizing. And then, you know, a very good cognitive behavioral therapist gave me the tools with which to start addressing that. And that wasn't something I was getting from....I didn't get it from my community in the end, but I got it from a specific person in the community, rather than like, everyone already knows this or something. Smokey 59:03 Well, I think what we're doing right here is, is....I mean, people don't know. So they read....People were trying to help you from your community. Undoubtedly, with the right. intentions, and the right motives, but without the information on what actually works. Margaret 59:27 Yep. Smokey 59:28 And that's all that was happening there. Margaret 59:30 Yeah, totally. Smokey 59:31 So, it's really, you know, as cliche as it sound. It's really about just giving people some basic tools that we already had at one time. Margaret 59:44 Yeah. Smokey 59:45 Forgot, became specialized. So you know, I'm throwing around CBT, DBT, EMDR. None of that people can keep in their head. They will....The audience listening today are not going to remember all those things. And nor do they have to. But they have to know that, you know, reconnecting to the horse, but not telling people to get back on the horse, that kind of tough love kind of thing isn't going to work, but neither is the self care, take a bubble bath... Margaret 1:00:19 Never see a horse again, run from a horse. Smokey 1:00:21 Never see a horse, again, we're not even going to talk about horses, let's go do something else, isn't going to work either. And I think once we...you know, it's not brain science...Though it is. [laughs] It is pretty, you know, these are, and you look at how religions do this, you know, you look at how the military does this, you look at how like, fascists do this, you know, all sorts of groups, communities can do this fairly effectively. And it doesn't cost money. It's not expensive. You don't have to be highly educated or read all the science to be able to do that. And people naturally try, but I think a lot of the self help kind of gets in the way. And some people think they know. "Okay, well, this is what needs to happen, because I saw on Oprah." That kind of thing. " Margaret 1:01:26 Yeah, Well, I mean, actually, that's one of the main takeaways that's coming from me is I've been, I've been thinking a lot about my own mental health first aid on a fairly individual basis, right? You know, even though it was community, that helped me find the means by which to pull myself out of a very bad mental space in that I was in for a lot of years. But I still, in the end was kind of viewing it as, like, "Ah, someone else gave me the tools. And now it's on me." It's like this individual responsibility to take care of myself. And, and so that's like, one of the things that I'm taking as a takeaway from this is learning to be inter-reliant. Smokey 1:02:06 There isn't enough research on it, again, because of our individualistic nature, and probably because of variables. But there's certainly tons of anecdotal evidence, and having done this for a long time talking to people and how the place I work is particularly set up, helping others is a really great way to help yourself. Margaret 1:02:30 Yeah. Smokey 1:02:31 it really works. It's very, I mean, obviously, in the Greeks, you know, you have the 'wounded healer,' kind of concept. Many indigenous traditions have said this much better than the Western. And I believe they have...and they needed to, but they had a much better kind of understanding of these things that we're we're talking about. You know, it. So, where people can...and I've heard this podcast, your podcast too, talking about this ability to be, you know, have self efficacy. But it's more than self efficacy. It's really helping others. Margaret 1:03:22 Yeah. Smokey 1:03:23 And that, that is really powerful. And there's not enough research on that. And I think that's why support groups, I think that's why, you know, AA, despite all its problems, has spread all over the world and has been around for, you know, 75 years, and is not going to go away anytime soon. Despite some obvious problems, is there's that there's that... they hit upon that they they re discovered something that we always kind of knew. Margaret 1:03:59 Yeah. Okay, well, we're coming out of time. We're running out of time. Are there any last thoughts, things that I should have asked you? I mean, there's a ton we can talk about this, and I'll probably try and have you on to talk about more specifics in the near future. But, is there anything anything I'm missing? Smokey 1:04:15 No, I think I think just re emphasizing the end piece that you know, for people that have resources, communities, meaning, social network, you know, that is worth investing your time and your energy into because that's going to build your...if you want to get psychologically strong, that is the easiest and the best investment, Put down the self help book. Call your friend. You know, don't search Google for the symptoms of this, that, or the other thing. Connect to what's important to you. And then lastly, try to help others or help the world in some way. And those are going to be profound and effective ways to build long lasting resilience as an individual. As a community, we should design our communities around that. Margaret 1:05:35 Yeah. All right. Well, that seems like a good thing to end on. Do you have anything that you want to plug like, I don't know books about mutual aid self therapy or anything like that? Smokey 1:05:46 I want to plug community. That's all I want to plug. Margaret 1:05:50 Cool. All right. Well, it's nice talking to you, and I'll talk to you soon. Smokey 1:05:54 Yep. Margaret 1:06:00 Thank you so much for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast, please tell people about it. Actually, I mean, honestly, if you enjoyed this episode, in particular, like think about it, and think about reaching out to people, and who needs to be reached out to and who you need to reach out to, and how to build stronger communities. But if you want to support this podcast, you can tell people about it. And you can tell the internet about it. And you can tell the algorithms about it. But, you can also tell people about it in person. And you can also support it by supporting the, by supporting Strangers In A Tangled Wilderness, which is the people who produce this podcast. It's an anarchist publishing collective that I'm part of, and you can support it on Patreon at patreon.com/strangersinatangledwilderness. And if you support at pretty much any level, you get access to some stuff, and if you support a $10 you'll get a zine in the mail. And if you support at $20, you'll get your name read at the end of episodes. Like for example, Hoss the dog, and Micahiah, and Chris, and Sam, and Kirk, Eleanor, Jennifer, Staro, Cat J, Chelsea, Dana, David, Nicole, Mikki, Paige, SJ, Shawn, Hunter, Theo, Boise Mutual Aid, Milica, and paparouna. And that's all, and we will talk to you soon, and I don't know, I hope you all are doing as well as you can. This podcast is powered by Pinecast. Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-69f62d for 40% off for 4 months, and support Live Like the World is Dying.

I recently sat down with my dear friend and author, John Loxley to discuss the fundamentals of sobriety. John is 15 years sober and works in mental health services in the UK. We weren't talking about shiny breakthroughs or dramatic transformations. We were talking about the basics — the things that quietly keep sobriety intact, year after year. Because here's the truth: most people don't relapse because they don't know enough. They relapse because they slowly stop doing the things that keep them emotionally regulated, supported, and self-aware. This episode was a reminder of what really matters.     Lesson #1: Early Sobriety Is a Learning Phase — Listening Matters One of the first things we talked about was listening. When people are new to sobriety, there's often a strong urge to explain themselves, justify their story, or be understood. I remember feeling that way myself — desperate to make sure someone got me. But recovery starts to shift when listening becomes the priority. Listening to people who've been there. Listening to patterns. Listening instead of reacting. There's a time to talk — especially with sponsors, therapists, or trusted friends — but meetings and early recovery spaces are often best used as classrooms, not stages. Takeaway: You don't need to have the answers. You just need to be willing to learn.     Lesson #2: You Can't Do Sobriety Alone (No Matter How Independent You Are) A lot of people want to get sober "on their own." Not because they're lazy — but because they're private, capable, or burned by past systems. But isolation is where addiction thrives. Whether it's 12-step programs, SMART Recovery, therapy, coaching, or peer support — connection isn't optional. You don't need everyone. You need someone. And just as important: those people aren't there to fix you. They're there to walk with you.     Lesson #3: Sobriety Has to Stay the Top Priority This might be the most important lesson from the episode. Anytime sobriety stops being the priority — even years in — things start to unravel. Not always dramatically. Often quietly. You stop meditating. You stop checking in. You stop telling the truth. You stop doing the practices. And slowly… your nervous system takes over. John shared a powerful story about going on vacation, feeling great, and unintentionally leaving his recovery behind — only to realize how quickly emotional chaos can return when the practices stop. Sobriety isn't something you "graduate" from. It's something you maintain.     Lesson #4: Identity Drives Behavior One thing I'm passionate about is identity. You're not trying to get sober. If you didn't drink today, you are sober. Every sober action is a vote for the kind of person you're becoming. Instead of obsessing over what's wrong with you, it can be incredibly powerful to ask: Who do I admire? What traits do they embody? What small actions would reinforce those traits? Sobriety is the foundation — not the finish line.     Lesson #5: Triggers Are Teachers (Even Though We Hate That) We talked a lot about triggers — emotional reactions that feel bigger than the situation in front of us. If a response feels disproportionate, it's almost always about the past. Triggers aren't signs that you're failing. They're invitations to heal. When something activates fear, shame, or rage, there's usually something unresolved underneath. And once you work through it — whether through therapy, journaling, EMDR, or self-inquiry — that trigger loses its grip. There's often real growth hiding underneath discomfort.     Lesson #6: You Don't Need to Win — You Need to Understand One of the most relatable moments in the conversation was about conflict. Many of us learned early on that arguments are about winning. But there are no winners in emotional battles — only distance. A simple shift like: "Help me understand how you feel" "This is what I'm hearing — is that right?" can completely change the outcome of a conversation. Feeling understood often dissolves the fight entirely.     Action Steps You Can Take This Week If you want to apply what we talked about, start here: Choose one daily recovery practice Meditation, journaling, meetings, movement — consistency matters more than intensity. Check your priority list Ask honestly: Is sobriety still at the top — or has it slipped? Identify one trigger When you feel emotionally hijacked, ask: What does this remind me of? Clarify your identity Write down 5 character traits you want to embody — then choose one small daily action that supports them. Strengthen accountability Make sure there's at least one person you can be fully honest with — without editing yourself.     Resources Mentioned in This Episode 12-Step Recovery Programs – For connection, structure, and accountability SMART Recovery – A non-12-step alternative focused on tools and self-management Atomic Habits by James Clear – Identity-based behavior change Unwinding Anxiety by Dr. Judson Brewer – Understanding habit loops and emotional patterns Meditation & Journaling – Daily practices for emotional regulation EMDR Therapy – Trauma-focused healing for emotional triggers Guest Contact Info: 

I recently sat down with my dear friend and author, John Loxley to discuss the fundamentals of sobriety. John is 15 years sober and works in mental health services in the UK. We weren't talking about shiny breakthroughs or dramatic transformations. We were talking about the basics — the things that quietly keep sobriety intact, year after year. Because here's the truth: most people don't relapse because they don't know enough. They relapse because they slowly stop doing the things that keep them emotionally regulated, supported, and self-aware. This episode was a reminder of what really matters.     Lesson #1: Early Sobriety Is a Learning Phase — Listening Matters One of the first things we talked about was listening. When people are new to sobriety, there's often a strong urge to explain themselves, justify their story, or be understood. I remember feeling that way myself — desperate to make sure someone got me. But recovery starts to shift when listening becomes the priority. Listening to people who've been there. Listening to patterns. Listening instead of reacting. There's a time to talk — especially with sponsors, therapists, or trusted friends — but meetings and early recovery spaces are often best used as classrooms, not stages. Takeaway: You don't need to have the answers. You just need to be willing to learn.     Lesson #2: You Can't Do Sobriety Alone (No Matter How Independent You Are) A lot of people want to get sober "on their own." Not because they're lazy — but because they're private, capable, or burned by past systems. But isolation is where addiction thrives. Whether it's 12-step programs, SMART Recovery, therapy, coaching, or peer support — connection isn't optional. You don't need everyone. You need someone. And just as important: those people aren't there to fix you. They're there to walk with you.     Lesson #3: Sobriety Has to Stay the Top Priority This might be the most important lesson from the episode. Anytime sobriety stops being the priority — even years in — things start to unravel. Not always dramatically. Often quietly. You stop meditating. You stop checking in. You stop telling the truth. You stop doing the practices. And slowly… your nervous system takes over. John shared a powerful story about going on vacation, feeling great, and unintentionally leaving his recovery behind — only to realize how quickly emotional chaos can return when the practices stop. Sobriety isn't something you "graduate" from. It's something you maintain.     Lesson #4: Identity Drives Behavior One thing I'm passionate about is identity. You're not trying to get sober. If you didn't drink today, you are sober. Every sober action is a vote for the kind of person you're becoming. Instead of obsessing over what's wrong with you, it can be incredibly powerful to ask: Who do I admire? What traits do they embody? What small actions would reinforce those traits? Sobriety is the foundation — not the finish line.     Lesson #5: Triggers Are Teachers (Even Though We Hate That) We talked a lot about triggers — emotional reactions that feel bigger than the situation in front of us. If a response feels disproportionate, it's almost always about the past. Triggers aren't signs that you're failing. They're invitations to heal. When something activates fear, shame, or rage, there's usually something unresolved underneath. And once you work through it — whether through therapy, journaling, EMDR, or self-inquiry — that trigger loses its grip. There's often real growth hiding underneath discomfort.     Lesson #6: You Don't Need to Win — You Need to Understand One of the most relatable moments in the conversation was about conflict. Many of us learned early on that arguments are about winning. But there are no winners in emotional battles — only distance. A simple shift like: "Help me understand how you feel" "This is what I'm hearing — is that right?" can completely change the outcome of a conversation. Feeling understood often dissolves the fight entirely.     Action Steps You Can Take This Week If you want to apply what we talked about, start here: Choose one daily recovery practice Meditation, journaling, meetings, movement — consistency matters more than intensity. Check your priority list Ask honestly: Is sobriety still at the top — or has it slipped? Identify one trigger When you feel emotionally hijacked, ask: What does this remind me of? Clarify your identity Write down 5 character traits you want to embody — then choose one small daily action that supports them. Strengthen accountability Make sure there's at least one person you can be fully honest with — without editing yourself.     Resources Mentioned in This Episode 12-Step Recovery Programs – For connection, structure, and accountability SMART Recovery – A non-12-step alternative focused on tools and self-management Atomic Habits by James Clear – Identity-based behavior change Unwinding Anxiety by Dr. Judson Brewer – Understanding habit loops and emotional patterns Meditation & Journaling – Daily practices for emotional regulation EMDR Therapy – Trauma-focused healing for emotional triggers Guest Contact Info: 

In today's episode, I'm joined by Marie Lasron Bursch, a Christian practitioner who specializes in brainspotting—a powerful, body-based therapeutic approach that helps access and heal trauma stored deep in the nervous system.If you've ever felt like you know the truth in your head but your body and emotions won't catch up, this conversation is for you.Together, we explore:What brainspotting actually is and how you can use it to unlock traumaHow brainspotting differs from EMDR, talk therapy, and traditional counseling, and why it can be so effective when words fall shortThe connection between trauma, the body, and the brain, and how brainspotting helps release emotional patterns that have been “stuck” for yearsIntegrating faith and neuroscience—how prayer, the Holy Spirit, and biblical truth work beautifully alongside brainspotting for deeper emotional and spiritual healingThis episode is especially powerful for believers who desire freedom not just intellectually, but somatically—in their bodies, emotions, and spirit. Healing is not only possible… it's available.Connect with Marie: Marie (Larson) BurschLife Consultant/BrainspotterMarie@vibrantlifeconsulting.comwww.vibrantlifeconsulting.com651-324-4799

Have you ever struggled with thoughts you don't want, don't believe in, and wish would go away and leave you alone but the more you try to stop thinking them the worse the looping thought gets?  Today, Michelle shares her tip for how to deal with intrusive thoughts with God's help.  Listen in!   FREE RESOURCE: If this episode resonated, you might be interested in my free resource.   I created a free, faith-honoring guide that gently explains how healing happens in the body and why you're not failing.  Free Trauma Healing Resource Guide   WORK WITH MICHELLE CROYLE, LPC: If you are a Christian woman who feels ready for deeper, focused trauma healing than typical weekly talk therapy can offer, you may want to consider an EMDR-based Therapeutic Intensive with me.  I clear my schedule to work with you over the course of one to three days for three to six hours per day on a focus target of your choosing.  Intensives are designed to support meaningful change in the way the nervous system feels safest, not rushed into an hour here and there.  Ready for deeper healing?  If you live in Pennsylvania or are willing to travel to Pennsylvania for a therapy intensive, you can learn more or schedule a reserve a free consultation by clicking here: Learn More or Reserve a Free Consultation

If you've been holding yourself together because it feels like the only way to stay functional, this guided reset is for you.Divorce anxiety and overwhelm don't come from weakness or lack of coping skills....they come from carrying too much responsibility for too long (often without enough support).This Thursday, Premium Healing Tool offers a gentle, body-based reset designed to help you release internal pressure without forcing calm, bypassing fear, or risking emotional collapse.You won't be asked to relax.You won't be asked to stop worrying.And nothing needs to be “fixed.”Instead, you'll be guided through a slow, contained experience that helps your body learn something new:What it feels like to let go a little without falling apart.In this episode, you'll be supported to:Stay with anxiety without fighting it or trying to push it awayWork with overwhelm in a paced, grounded way that respects your nervous systemUse a simple butterfly tap to reduce bracing and internal tensionExplore—without pressure—what your system believes would happen if you stopped holding everything togetherExperience relief while staying intact, present, and in control of your own paceThis is not about calming down or making anxiety disappear. It's about helping your body recognize that you are SAFE TO HEAL.Even a few minutes of this kind of contact can soften the grip of overwhelm and change how much your system believes it has to carry.You can return to this reset anytime anxiety spikes, responsibility feels heavy, or rest feels unsafe.Nothing needs to resolve.Nothing needs to be perfect.Staying with yourself is the work.We're with you.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyCoachDawnInstagram: (@dawnwiggins)Instagram: (@coachtiffini)On the Web: https://www.mycoachdawn.comA podcast exploring the journey of life after divorce, delving into topics like divorce grief, loneliness, anxiety, manifesting, the impact of different attachment styles and codependency, setting healthy boundaries, energy healing with homeopathy, managing the nervous system during divorce depression, understanding the stages of divorce grief, and using the Law of Attraction and EMDR therapy in the process of building your confidence, forgiveness and letting go.Support the show✨Join the Cocoon Community - your people are waiting! ✨ Stress-Less Flower Essence

We are joined today by a beautiful soul, Eliza Czander, a Somatic Practitioner and Yoga Therapist.  She is a guide who works at the intersection of trauma, anxiety and the nervous system helping clients rediscover their intuitiveness, cultivate deeper self-trust, and move more freely through life's challenges.  At the core of her work is the philosophy, you can't heal what you can't feel.  Her work invites us to slow down, and listen to our bodies and what's beneath the surface.  This conversation, to kick off 2026, is about building the inner conditions that allow true forward motion and honoring what we have stored inside.Eliza Czander is a Somatic Practitioner and Yoga Therapist specializing in trauma, anxiety, and tension release. With certifications in EMDR, Parts Work Therapy, and Breathwork, she brings a multifaceted somatic approach to healing and nervous system regulation. Eliza believes deeply that we all have the innate ability to come home to our bodies and rebuild connection—not just with ourselves, but with the wisdom our bodies hold. Through this connection and embodiment, she helps clients feel regulated, rediscover their intuitiveness, cultivate deeper self-trust, and move more freely through life's challenges. In her work, Eliza creates a safe, compassionate space for clients to release what no longer serves them and rediscover a sense of groundedness, presence, and wholeness.(2:58) What led Eliza to choose a career in trauma and healing?(6:05) How can we define trauma?  Eliza helps us to understand the experience.(11:15) What are some of the patterns of trauma and how it manifests?(14:26) Eliza shares some of her methods to help people heal from trauma through breath work, meditations and more.(17:01) What does it mean to regulate our nervous system and how can we achieve this?  Eliza also takes us through a quick method to help ground ourselves and relieve tension.(22:01) Eliza's shares her philosophy, sharing that our body knows how to heal, and shows us what this means.(25:18) Why are people afraid of silence, and allowing ourselves to sit with the discomfort we feel?(26:50) Eliza shares with us how we can communicate with others when we feel heightened emotions and “need space”.(30:00) What does is look and feel like when we find balance and are in a regulated embodied state.(33:42) Eliza shares experiences from her journey that were instrumental in her work and why she chose it.(35:18) We learn about Eliza's practice and what helps her to continue to explore this work.Connect with Eliza Czanderhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/eliza-czander-91071a55/ https://movethroughtrauma.com/Subscribe: Warriors At Work Podcasts Website: https://jeaniecoomber.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/986666321719033/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeanie_coomber/Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeanie_coomber LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanie-coomber-90973b4/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbMZ2HyNNyPoeCSqKClBC_w

"What counts as a trigger for CPTSD? And why do I get triggered by everyday stuff that shouldn't feel threatening?"If you've ever found yourself completely activated by something that seems small to everyone else (a text message, a tone of voice, someone's silence), this episode is for you.I'm breaking down what triggers actually are in complex trauma, why your body responds to threat cues that your conscious mind doesn't recognize, and what to do when you feel like you're walking around with an invisible tripwire system.What we cover:Why triggers are often reminders of a state rather than a specific eventThe neuroscience behind why your body can hold trauma even when you don't have clear memoriesHow to tell the difference between being triggered and being overloadedSeven practical steps to work with your triggers without turning life into a self-monitoring projectWhy the whole "I shouldn't be triggered because I don't remember anything" mindset is keeping you stuck.Download my FREE Dysregulation Toolkit Here! Thanks for listening to The Complex Trauma Podcast! Be sure to follow, share and give us a review on your favorite podcast platform. Follow on Instagram: @sarahherstichlcsw Follow on TikTok: @sarahherstichlcsw Learn more about EMDR & trauma therapy in Pennsylvania with Reclaim Therapy This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or nutritional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Remember, I'm a therapist, but I'm not your therapist. Nothing in this podcast is meant to replace actual therapy or treatment. If you're in crisis or things feel really unsafe right now, please reach out to someone. You can call 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, text them, or head to your nearest ER. The views expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organizations or institutions. Reliance on any information provided by this podcast is solely at your own risk.

Have you ever felt a persistent pull toward work that feels more aligned with who you are, even when it means leaving something secure behind? Regan had the same feeling, and made the decision to lead a Canadian private practice with fellow colleagues that was built on their shared values.  In this episode, Regan and I talk about her non-linear journey into therapy. We explore how she and her practice are finding creative ways to serve rural and Northern First Nations communities, and how she is thinking about safety and accessibility for virtual clients. We also dive into marketing with authenticity, building trust through your website and social media, and why community-building has been at the heart of her growth. Join in for the conversation!  MEET REGAN At 26, Regan Swerhun left a stable community counselling job to follow her passion for trauma-focused work and build a private practice in Thunder Bay, Ontario. She now focuses on EMDR and trauma-informed therapy, offering both in-person and online sessions. Regan also provides counselling to youth in Northern First Nations communities and uses social media to make mental health conversations more real and accessible. Learn more about Regan on her private practice website, LinkedIn, and Psychology Today profiles.  In this episode:  Why Regan pursued a career in therapy   Leaping into private practice Creative ways of offering safe spaces for therapy  Marketing the private practice Why Regan pursued a career in therapy   'Honestly, therapy was not my first choice. It was kind of a roundabout life journey to get to where I am now.' - Regan Swerhun  Though Regan began a degree in business, she decided to switch and focus on social work. While completing her Master's degree in Social Work, Regan began working in a hospital in Toronto. There, she quickly discovered that she enjoyed doing patient intake and hearing people's stories and their unique life experiences. This signaled to her that something lay beyond. Once moving back to Thunder Bay, she focused on clinical work at a not-for-profit.  'I got a good position at one of our not-for-profit organizations in town. So, I was with that company for three years, so really, as of recently - this Fall - made the transition, but in the time that I was with the community programs, I learned a lot.' - Regan Swerhun  The same itch that Regan had while working in the hospital came back again when she worked at the organization and she craved to run her own private practice. Leaping into private practice Regan was asked by a colleague who had already been in private practice for a long time if she would be interested in working with him.   However, due to some differences in provincial laws and regulations, she cannot co-own it. So, they split it up as leaders.  'It has made it feel like I'm immensely leading this group practice, but I have the support [from him] … because there is so much start-up.' - Regan Swerhun   Creative ways of offering safe spaces for therapy Regan and her team's long-term goal is to serve rural communities that don't have easy access to therapy and its services.  While Regan drives twice a month up to a northern, more rural community to see clients, she also is planning to offer more virtual services.   'Our ongoing plan is to connect with other community buildings in the areas and create a partnership … where someone can open up the door for them, someone can help to have the laptop ready … and then leave that space.' - Regan Swerhun Marketing the private practice Regan and her team have worked a lot on the practice website.  One of their main goals was to really make an effort to show what their office space looks like, and feels like, to interested clients.   'The whole basis of our marketing strategy right now is just to build community. We're new, we're here, this is what we're about, and this is all of the inside that we can let you see through before you step into our world!' - Regan Swerhun Regan combines website and social media efforts to showcase the Canadian private practice and notes that it has now grown enough to also attract clients through word-of-mouth. If you need extra support for your marketing efforts, you can try applying to this grant! Connect with me: Instagram Website  Resources mentioned and useful links: Dana Etherington: SEO Tips for a Thriving Canadian Private Practice | EP 184 Learn more about the tools and deals that I love and use for my Canadian private practice Sign up for my free e-course on How to Start an Online Canadian Private Practice Jane App (use code FEARLESS2MO for two months free) Create your website with WordPress!  Learn more about Regan on her private practice website, LinkedIn, and Psychology Today profiles Rate, review, and subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon, and TuneIn

Dr. James Greenblatt, MD, is more than a dual board-certified psychiatrist; he is a pioneer of hope and a tireless advocate for the integration of soul and science. For over 30 years, Dr. Greenblatt has looked beyond the traditional "checklist" of symptoms to uncover the vibrant, biochemical story beneath. As the leading global expert on the clinical application of low-dose lithium and a pioneer in functional psychiatry, he has dedicated his career to a singular, transformative mission: healing the root cause so the spirit can flourish. From his academic roots at Johns Hopkins and George Washington University to his current faculty roles at Tufts and Dartmouth, Dr. Greenblatt bridges the gap between clinical excellence and compassionate, precision-based care. Through his educational platform, Psychiatry Redefined, he is shifting the global landscape of mental health—empowering a new generation of clinicians to treat the whole person rather than just the diagnosis. A prolific voice in the holistic movement, Dr. Greenblatt has authored nine life-changing books, including the bestsellers Finally Focused and Nutritional Lithium. His work invites us to reimagine what is possible for our mental well-being, moving away from temporary fixes toward a state of true, sustainable inner balance. Whether through his writing or his upcoming 2026 release, Finally Hopeful, Dr. Greenblatt continues to light the path for those seeking to reclaim their health, their clarity, and their lives.

Hypervigilance doesn't come from wanting control.It comes from realizing—often too early—that no one else was going to handle it.After divorce, many women find themselves overanalyzing everything: conversations, tone shifts, finances, social dynamics, parenting decisions, other people's moods. Not because they're anxious by nature—but because their bodies learned that vigilance was the price of stability.In this episode of Dear Divorce Diary, we name the real cost of being the only adult in the room.You'll hear why:Hypervigilance is a role your body took on when things became unstableOveranalyzing doesn't calm anxiety—it quietly feeds it until it erupts laterControl is often a substitute for safety, not a sign of strengthLetting go isn't about trust-falling into uncertainty—it requires somewhere safe to landExhaustion, resentment, and panic are downstream effects of never being able to stand downWe also talk honestly about why healing can't happen in isolation—and why many women have to outgrow environments, relationships, and identities that once felt necessary but now feel depleting.To close the episode, we share Small Wins, Big Shifts—real listener moments where control loosened just enough for relief, clarity, and trust to return. Not because everything worked out—but because they stopped carrying it alone.If you've been living in constant readiness…and rest feels unavailable…if your mind never fully turns off…This episode will help you understand why—and what it actually takes to change it.If you're craving a room where you don't have to explain yourself, you're invited to join Cocoon, our free community on the Heartbeat app. The link is in the show notes.You don't need more control.You need support.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyCoachDawnInstagram: (@dawnwiggins)Instagram: (@coachtiffini)On the Web: https://www.mycoachdawn.comA podcast exploring the journey of life after divorce, delving into topics like divorce grief, loneliness, anxiety, manifesting, the impact of different attachment styles and codependency, setting healthy boundaries, energy healing with homeopathy, managing the nervous system during divorce depression, understanding the stages of divorce grief, and using the Law of Attraction and EMDR therapy in the process of building your confidence, forgiveness and letting go.Support the show✨Join the Cocoon Community - your people are waiting! ✨ Stress-Less Flower Essence

To watch the video of this episode, please go to: https://youtu.be/IkHy0R5ryig   Have you ever felt that traditional talk therapy wasn't reaching the deep roots of your trauma? What if the key to healing eating disorders and anxiety lies in the body's energy centers? How can a modality like Advanced Integrative Therapy (AIT) help us clear the "emotional fractals" that keep us stuck in the past?   In this episode of Kaleidoscope of Possibilities: Alternative Perspectives on Mental Health, Dr. Adriana Popescu is joined by Catherine Varino, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 20 years of experience specializing in trauma and eating disorders. Catherine shares her journey from traditional psychodynamic psychotherapy to discovering the transformative power of Energy Psychology. Together, they explore Advanced Integrative Therapy (AIT), a gentle yet profound modality that treats the origins of trauma by clearing the energetic disturbances lodged in the body's chakras.   In this episode: From Talk to Energy: Catherine's transition from traditional social work to Energy Psychology and how it changed her practice. What is AIT? An introduction to Advanced Integrative Therapy, developed by Asha Clinton, and how it differs from other methods like EMDR. Treating the Origin: The importance of treating the "originating trauma" rather than just the symptoms. Eating Disorders & Trauma: Insight into the deep connection between trauma, control, and eating disorders.   Resources mentioned in this episode: AIT Institute (Advanced Integrative Therapy): https://ait.institute/ ACEP (Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology): https://www.energypsych.org/   About Catherine: Catherine Varino is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, practicing in New Orleans, Louisiana. She has been in full time private practice for over 20 years. She primarily works with individuals and couples ranging in age from young adult to geriatric. She specializes in treating trauma, including its origins and effects. Ms. Varino received her MSW from Tulane University in 1992 and subsequently worked as a social worker in inpatient, partial hospitalization, and outpatient psychiatric settings. She has extensive experience conducting individual, family, and group psychotherapy. In addition, she has worked in the field of eating disorders, serving as the Program Director of the Eating Disorders Program at River Oaks Hospital in New Orleans. Ms Varino has lectured in the field of eating disorders on a national basis and served as a supervisor and mentor to therapists working in the field. Ms. Varino has a particular interest in energy psychology modalities and is a member of the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology. She received training in Advanced Integrative Therapy (AIT) eighteen years ago and has worked in the field ever since. She is certified as an AIT practitioner, teacher, and supervisor, and is on the Board of the Advanced Integrative Therapy Institute.   “With AIT, we aren't just coping with symptoms; we are going back to the originating event and removing the traumatic charge so it doesn't have power over you anymore.” – Catherine   Would you like to continue this conversation and connect with other people who are interested in exploring these topics? Please join us on our Facebook group! (https://www.facebook.com/groups/kaleidoscopeofpossibilitiespodcast/)   About your host: Dr. Adriana Popescu is a clinical psychologist, addiction and trauma specialist, author, speaker and empowerment coach who is based in San Francisco, California and practices worldwide. She is the author of the book, What If You're Not As F***ed Up As You Think You Are? For more information on Dr. Adriana, her sessions and classes, please visit: https://adrianapopescu.org/ To find the book please visit: https://whatifyourenot.com/ To learn about her trauma treatment center Firebird Healing, please visit the website: https://www.firebird-healing.com/   You can also follow her on social media:  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrAdrianaPopescu/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dradrianapopescu/?hl=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriana-popescu-ph-d-03793 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCflL0zScRAZI3mEnzb6viVA TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dradrianapopescu? Medium: https://medium.com/@dradrianapopescu   Disclaimer: This podcast represents the opinions of Dr. Adriana Popescu and her guests. The content expressed therein should not be taken as psychological or medical advice. The content here is for informational or entertainment purposes only. Please consult your healthcare professional for any medical or treatment questions. This website or podcast is not to be used in any legal capacity whatsoever, including but not limited to establishing “standard of care” in any legal sense or as a basis for legal proceedings or expert witness testimony. Listening, reading, emailing, or interacting on social media with our content in no way establishes a client-therapist relationship.

Send me a text! I'd LOVE to hear your feedback on this episode!Many women experience rising anxiety in midlife as menopause and hormonal brain changes reshape fear circuits, confidence, sleep, motivation, and emotional resilience. In this episode, I explore why women often feel more fear in midlife - how biology, culture, and lived experience quietly rewire the nervous system - and how to expand again instead of shrinking.This science-meets-soul episode unpacks the menopause brain, nervous system conditioning, and the emotional load women carry, including the effects of estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, dopamine, blood sugar, vision changes, and sleep disruption on anxiety, cognition, and confidence.I also explore how trauma, grief, chronic responsibility, and cultural scripts shape risk sensitivity over time, often creating the feeling that you're “pulling back” from life even when your true capacity is still there.This episode includes a grounded, practical roadmap to rebuild emotional safety and confidence, including:• Menopause brain changes and midlife anxiety• Dopamine shifts, cognition, and eyesight changes affecting confidence• Cultural load and narrowing tolerance• Trauma, grief, and nervous system conditioning• Hormones and fear circuits: estrogen, progesterone, testosterone• Sleep, blood sugar, and hormone-support foundations• Micro-exposures to safely expand capacity• Specific breathwork, EMDR, and BEAM Therapy• Strength training, novelty, identity reinvention, and community• A daily, weekly, and quarterly protocol for personal expansionIf you're in midlife and wondering why fear feels louder, and how to turn this chapter into power instead of contraction, this episode brings both the biology and the path forward.Please share this episode with a woman who needs it.Follow Sandy K Nutrition on all platforms, and if this resonated, leave a rating or review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts as it truly helps the show reach more.Support the showPlease rate & review my podcast with a few kind words on Apple or Spotify. Subscribe wherever you listen, share this episode with a friend, and follow me below. This truly gives back & helps me keep bringing amazing guests & topics every week.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandyknutrition/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/sandyknutritionTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sandyknutritionYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIh48ov-SgbSUXsVeLL2qAgRumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-5461001Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandyknutrition/Substack: https://sandykruse.substack.com/Podcast Website: https://sandykruse.ca

Caffeinators, Vet Tech Cafe is Australian for podcast. If you're vintage like us, you may remember that Foster's beer commercial and when you hear this episode, it'll make more sense. We're headed back down under to check in again with Cat Walker! You may know her as Radio Vet Nurse, but she's launched a veterinary mediation business as she has a law background, and as you know, we always want to talk to those that are blazing their own path! This was a fascinating discussion about mediation and what that looks like and how it applies to our field, and we also covered a lot of other ground as well. You don't want to miss this one-if nothing else, for her accent!   Show Links: "Generations" by Jean Twenge: https://www.jeantwenge.com/generations-book-by-dr-jean-twenge/   "The Anxious Generation" by Jonathan Haidt https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/book   EMDR therapy for PTSD https://www.amazon.com.au/EMDR-Breakthrough-Therapy-Overcoming-Anxiety/dp/0465096743   Our Links: Check out our sponsor https://betterhelp.com/vettechcafe for 10% off your first month of therapy Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vettechcafe Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vettechcafepodcast Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vet-tech-cafe Like and Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMDTKdfOaqSW0Mv3Uoi33qg Our website: https://www.vettechcafe.com/ Vet Tech Cafe Merch: https://www.vettechcafe.com/merch If you would like to help us cover our podcast expenses, we'd appreciate any support you give through Patreon. We do this podcast and our YouTube channel content to support the veterinary technicians out there and do not expect anything in return! We thank you for all you do.

Welcome to another episode of the Sustainable Clinical Medicine Podcast! In this episode, the host welcomes Dr. Claire Plumbly, a clinical psychologist from the UK, to discuss her work and insights into managing burnout and trauma. Dr. Plumbly shares her background and journey into clinical psychology, highlighting her work in private practice and her recent book, 'The Trauma of Burnout'. The conversation delves into signs and symptoms of burnout, practical advice for managing it, and the importance of understanding one's nervous system. Dr. Plumbly also emphasizes the need for compassionate self-care, regular check-ins throughout the day, and has suggestions for winding down to improve sleep. She further discusses ways to prevent burnout and introduces the concept of intensive therapy sessions for those who find weekly sessions challenging. The episode provides valuable insights and strategies for recognizing and dealing with burnout effectively. Here are 3 key takeaways from this episode: Understand Your Nervous System States Burnout involves getting stuck in two problematic nervous system states: "Amber" (sympathetic overdrive - constant rushing, can't slow down) and "Red" (dorsal shutdown - autopilot, disconnected, people-pleasing). You need different strategies for each: discharge excess energy when in Amber through movement, and gently thaw out when in Red through soothing touch and connection. Recognize the Four Warning Signs Watch for burnout signals across four areas: Physical (aches, tension, frequent illness), Cognitive (rigid thinking, decision fatigue, making mistakes), Emotional (limited emotional range - stuck in overwhelmed/anxious/flat), and Behavioral (numbing behaviors like extra drinking, doom scrolling, or impulse purchases). Use Transition Points as Check-In Opportunities Don't wait until end of day to address burnout. Use every transition between tasks as a mini pause to check: "What does my body need right now? What gear am I in?" This prevents accumulation of stress and makes winding down at night actually possible - you can't crash from sixth gear into sleep. Meet Dr. Claire Plumbly: Dr Claire Plumbly is a clinical psychologist, EMDR consultant & founder of Plum Psychology - a team of trauma-specialists who offer intensive therapy packages for burnout and trauma in the UK. She is the author of The Trauma of Burnout - which shows us how to navigate out of overwhelm tapping into the power of your nervous system Connect with Dr. Claire Plemby:

Chronic stress and anxiety are not just emotional experiences; they can quietly accelerate biological aging and undermine brain health. In this episode of Growing Older Living Younger, Dr. Gillian Lockitch speaks with integrative mental health expert Dr. Nicole Cain about how anxiety, panic, trauma, and unresolved stress shape the nervous system across the lifespan. Dr. Cain explains the critical differences between fear, anxiety, and panic, and how symptoms often serve as meaningful signals rather than disorders to suppress. This rich conversation offers science-backed, compassionate strategies to restore calm, improve resilience, and support healthy aging from the inside out. Dr. Nicole Cain is a licensed naturopathic physician based in Arizona with a master's degree in clinical psychology. She is a pioneer in trauma-informed, integrative mental health care, blending medical science, psychotherapy, EMDR, nutrition, and nervous system regulation to address anxiety and mood disorders at their roots. Dr. Cain is the author of Panic Proof: How to Rewire Your Brain for Calm in a Chaotic World and host of the Holistic Inner Balance podcast.  Episode Timeline  00:00 – Welcome and episode framing -Dr. Gillian Lockitch introduces the theme of retraining the brain for calm, focus, and joy as we age.  03:33 – Dr. Cain's personal journey into anxiety healing -A childhood shaped by hyper-attunement, family stress, and early medicalization of anxiety.  05:14 – Medication, burnout, and the limits of symptom suppression =How conventional approaches failed to resolve root causes and led to a pivotal turning point.  07:29 – Seasonal illness, stress, and nervous system patterns -Exploring how environment, family dynamics, and stress imprint the immune system.  08:27 – Anxiety versus panic - Clarifying distinctions between fear, anxiety, and panic through lived experience and physiology.  11:19 – Fear of change and uncertainty - How major life transitions can activate panic responses even in resilient individuals.  16:39 – Agency as the antidote to anxiety - Why reclaiming personal authority calms the nervous system more than explanations alone.  19:57 – Stress, inflammation, and accelerated aging - How chronic cortisol exposure affects the gut, brain, and immune system over time.  20:27 – The gut-brain axis and anxiety - A clinical example showing how gut inflammation drives cognitive and emotional decline.  24:53 – Trauma-informed care and adaptive events - Reframing trauma as adaptation and understanding when survival strategies become maladaptive.  28:52 – Personalized nutrition and body awareness - Why no single diet fits everyone and how curiosity leads to sustainable healing.  33:36 – Interoception and mindful self-observation - Learning to listen to the body without panic, avoidance, or over-fixing.  37:09 – Mindset, neuroplasticity, and imagination - How intention and mental rehearsal reshape brain wiring and biological outcomes.  40:43 – A simple breath practice for immediate calm - Using breath and vagal tone to restore balance and resilience.   Resources & Links Mentioned  Dr. Nicole Cain Panic Proof: How to Rewire Your Brain for Calm in a Chaotic World by Dr. Nicole Cain  The Holistic Inner Balance Podcast  https://www.DrNicoleCain.com/  https://www.PanicProof.com/  https://www.instagram.com/drnicolecain/  https://www.facebook/drnicolecain/   https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/737883/panic-proof-by-dr-nicole-cain/  https://campsite.bio/drnicolecain   Call to Action  Join the Growing OlderLiving Younger Community Invite Your Friends to Subscribe to Growing Older Living Younger on their favorite podcast platform. Leave a review to help others discover the Growing Older Living Younger show.  Explore your personal roadmap to longer healthspan and emotional resilience by connecting with Dr. Gillian Lockitch at askdrgill@gmail.com  

Trigger Warning: Trauma, Sex Addiction & Necrophilia. Viewer Discretion Advised In this raw and intense episode of The Recovery Vow Podcast, Eric sits down with Evelyn to share her harrowing story of discovery, betrayal, trauma, and the fight to save a marriage that was built on lies. After twenty years of what she thought was a happy union, a transatlantic cruise became the setting for a nightmare when her husband began confessing to a decade-long double life.... Evelyn courageously opens up about the devastating reality of "trickle truth"—from learning about massage parlors to discovering a history of prostitution and disturbing addictions that spanned their entire marriage.... She details the immense emotional and financial toll of sex addiction, the grueling process of full disclosure, and how therapies like EMDR and brain mapping helped her navigate the shock.... This heart-wrenching conversation is a testament to the complexity of the vow "for better or for worse." Evelyn's journey reminds us that while betrayal shatters trust, finding one's voice through truth and recovery can lead to a new kind of survival. On This Episode: • The "cruise ship confession" that changed everything • Understanding the pain and damage of "trickle truth"  • The reality of sex addiction, process addiction, and betrayal trauma • How EMDR and brain scans aided in processing the shock • Counting the cost: The financial and emotional price of addiction • Why Evelyn chose to stay and how she found an outlet in writing Connect with Evelyn:  Book: Shattered Vows Music: Evelyn Reed on iTunes/Spotify Connect with us:  Socials: @RecoveryVow Website: recoveryvow.com  Email: recoveryvow@gmail.com New episodes each Monday! Top ways to support this podcast: 

In this episode we sit down with Dr. Kendhal Hart, clinician, educator, author and trauma expert who has spent years refining how Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) can be brought together in a structured, relational, and highly usable way. Dr. Hart's work helps therapists move beyond seeing these models as separate tools and toward an integration that honors both clinical structure and the lived experience of clients. A central theme of our conversation is how couples therapy can be relational, safety-focused, and bring in elements of trauma and parts. We also reflect on making therapy more accessible for people with diverse nervous systems and learning styles — specifically how clinicians can be taught more specific about strategies in IFS to help them understand concepts of direct access and Self. Dr. Hart is the author of Treating Trauma with EMDR and IFS: A Clinician's Guide to Integrating Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy with Internal Family Systems, the first full-length book dedicated to this integration. This guide offers clear, practical steps for integrating IFS across all eight phases of EMDR, and it has become one of our favorite resources, together with my book, for clinicians seeking depth, coherence, and compassion in trauma work. If you are a clinician interested in thoughtful, grounded, and relational trauma therapy, this conversation is for you! Check out Dr. Hart's website here: kendhalhart.com Check out her book here: https://www.amazon.com/Treating-Trauma-EMDR-IFS-Desensitization/dp/1648487076/ref=sr_1_1?crid=19GPVFUYOZ2X2&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.dJHFPN7PsVEdJS-txTB1OIkvKCpE3Iuhazeep5zeOOU.w0xvDgDGUIJTPgbsiBETYStLgdw2mwHSESa00afmi8o&dib_tag=se&keywords=kendall+hart&qid=1768189580&sprefix=kendhal+hart%2Caps%2C161&sr=8-1

Dr. Shahrzad Jalali is a licensed clinical psychologist, executive coach, and trauma specialist whose work bridges neuroscience, somatic psychology, and mindfulness. She is the author of The Fire That Makes Us (Greenleaf Book Group, Sept 2025), which reframes emotional pain as fuel for transformation, and the creator of Regulate to Rise™, an eight-module program for emotional regulation and resilience. As founder of Align Remedy and Dr. Jalali & Associates, she and her team help clients move beyond coping toward meaningful change using EMDR, somatic experiencing, brainspotting, and Jungian dream work. With a multicultural lens and a rare gift for making mental health deeply human, Dr. Jalali guides high-achievers, women in transition, and trauma survivors from survival to expansion.In This EpisodeShahrzad's websiteShahrzad's book: The Fire That Makes Us LinkedinInstagramTikTokBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-trauma-therapist--5739761/support.You can learn more about what I do here:The Trauma Therapist Newsletter: celebrates the people and voices in the mental health profession. And it's free! Check it out here: https://bit.ly/4jGBeSa———If you'd like to support The Trauma Therapist Podcast and the work I do you can do that here with a monthly donation of $5, $7, or $10: Donate to The Trauma Therapist Podcast.Click here to join my email list and receive podcast updates and other news.Thank you to our Sponsors:Jane App - use code GUY1MO at https://jane.appArizona Trauma Institute at https://aztrauma.org/

What if the symptoms you've been battling are your body's way of asking for a different story? We sit down with Shannon—a wife, mom of three, nurse turned functional medicine coach—to trace a path from postpartum autoimmunity and burnout to gut healing, sobriety, and a faith-fueled life that actually works. Her journey starts with a doctor who asked better questions and a decision to believe the process could work. From there, everything shifted: inflammation dropped, brain fog cleared, weight released, and joy came back online.We unpack why gut health is the master key—how removing inflammatory triggers, treating infections like H. pylori, and restoring minerals can resolve skin flares (including hidradenitis), balance hormones, and steady mood. Shannon shares how quitting alcohol was less about deprivation and more about reclaiming her nervous system, her marriage, and her spiritual clarity. Alcohol is a toxin and a microbiome disruptor; letting it go created space for genuine healing and a clear mind. AA, community, and surrender to God anchored the change and gave her a roadmap that holds during vacations, busy seasons, and life's mess.Trauma weaves through this conversation with honesty and care. We explore how the body keeps the score, why fear blocks healing, and how tools like EMDR and somatic work help release stuck patterns. Most of all, we keep it simple: belief plus action beats perfection. Start with hydration, protein, fiber, sleep, and one courageous step—remove the thing you know is hurting you. Our coaching sisterhood brings structure, testing, IV nutrient therapy, and weekly support so you're never alone. If you're tired of trying to out-supplement exhaustion, this story will show you a kinder, proven way back to energy, confidence, and faith.If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review to help more women find a path to real healing.If you're ready to move beyond trying harder and start living more aligned, you're invited to join Empowered by Faith — LIVE, a guided 5-day reset led by Dr. Tabatha that helps women reset body, mind, and spirit through simple, faith-centered rhythms.

Send us a textFor today's episode, we talk about trauma, in particular Post Traumatic Stress disorder with guest Ciji Wagner. Ciji works with a program called Louder than Silence which provides community support and free EMDR therapy for survivors of sexual violence. If you don't know what EMDR is, stick around until the end of the episode where we learn how EMDR is an exciting, evidence based, treatment for trauma.Ciji covers the core realities of people suffering from PTSD like hypervigilance and dissociation. We learn about the difference between flashbacks and re-traumatization as well as the physical components and symptoms of PTSD. Ciji is a walking encyclopedia when it comes to trauma, and for a topic that can be so heavy and difficult, she breaks it down in extremely accessible and easy-to-digest nuggets of information. I loved recording this episode with Ciji, I could have talked with her all day–and I hope you enjoy it as well. Resources: Louder than Silencehttps://www.louderthansilence.org/Jo Lloyd Johnson's CTBB episode: Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9kbNL9lVlc&t=168sListen: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1921768/episodes/14748315My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending our Hearts and Bodies by Resmaa Menakemhttps://www.blackgarnetbooks.com/item/z3YkwCEgoISya2tD5iQyFQCiji was a contributing author of the book Support the showFollow us for more ✨bad✨ content: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calledtobebad_podcast/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/calledtobebad Website: https://calledtobebad.buzzsprout.com/ Want to become part of the ✨baddie✨ community? Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/calledtobebad or Buy me a Coffee: https://coff.ee/calledtobebadpodcast Have a ✨bad✨ topic you want to talk about on the show? Get in touch with host, Mariah Martin at: calledtobebad@gmail.com #ctbb #podcast #podcastersoffacebook ...

In this episode of The Observatory Podcast, hosts Scott and LaRae Wright sit down with Bobby Ahlander for an expansive and deeply human conversation about suffering, healing, and what it means to truly come home to yourself. Bobby shares his journey growing up in a rigid religious environment marked by instability and fear, living much of his adult life on “autopilot,” and eventually reaching a breaking point that included leaving the Church, divorce, job loss, and a prolonged season of depression with suicidal ideation.Through therapy, psychiatry, EMDR, Buddhist study, and eventually plant medicine, Bobby describes the slow and nonlinear rebuilding of his inner world. He introduces a personal “numbers” framework that helped him track emotional states — from survival, to “fine,” to happiness, joy, bliss, and ultimately a state he later names cosmic union. At the heart of this conversation is the embodied realization that arrived not through force or fixing, but through surrender: peace feels good.Timestamps [01:10] Introducing Bobby Ahlander and the theme “peace feels good”[04:05] Childhood in a conservative religious home marked by instability[08:45] Learning invisibility, safety, and survival as a child[14:55] Living adulthood on “autopilot” and inherited identity scripts[20:15] Becoming a bishop and the weight of enforcing institutional rules[25:35] LGBTQ+ policy conflict and values colliding with authority[31:50] Leaving the Church, divorce, and relocation all at once[36:40] Wiping the slate clean and questioning every belief[41:05] First acts of autonomy and reclaiming personal choice[46:00] Discovering Buddhism and non-dual thinking[51:40] First psilocybin experience and expanded awareness[58:45] COVID, job loss, unhealthy relationship, and emotional collapse[01:05:40] Suicidal ideation and surviving for his children[01:12:30] Therapy, medication, and the “numbers” emotional scale[01:20:10] Ayahuasca: opening a door that never closes[01:27:30] Integration, healing, and learning to live at “fine”[01:33:40] Oregon coast turning point and happiness returning[01:38:10] Discovering joy, bliss, and something beyond the scale[01:41:00] Embodied peace, “peace feels good,” and what comes next[01:41:58] Closing message and listener invitationNotable Quotes“You have just opened a door that can never close again.” — Scott Webb (quoted by Bobby Ahlander) [00:36:08]“I don't want to die, but I don't want to be alive.” — Bobby Ahlander [00:31:58]“The whole choice to awake puts you on a path.” — Scott Wright [01:13:33]“So we honor you for being there and being able to express that.” — LaRae Wright [01:29:42]“The cost of the new is the old.” — Scott Wright [01:32:36]“Turbulence is just a reminder you're flying.” — Bobby Ahlander [01:34:42]“You will continue to suffer until you've learned the lesson that the suffering is trying to teach you.” — Bobby Ahlander [01:38:18]“This is peace.” — Bobby Ahlander [01:23:57]“Peace feels good.” — Bobby Ahlander [01:25:01]Relevant LinksBobby's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bobbyahlander/Subscribe to the podcast: Apple Podcasts

How many Christian women think trauma healing happens and how it actually does happen are often not the same thing.  Today, Michelle shares how to look at healing so that you can be encouraged rather than feel defeated.  Listen in!   FREE RESOURCE: If this episode resonated, you might be interested in my free resource.   I created a free, faith-honoring guide that gently explains how healing happens in the body and why you're not failing.  Free Trauma Healing Resource Guide   WORK WITH MICHELLE CROYLE, LPC: If you are a Christian woman who feels ready for deeper, focused trauma healing than typical weekly talk therapy can offer, you may want to consider an EMDR-based Therapeutic Intensive with me.  I clear my schedule to work with you over the course of one to three days for three to six hours per day on a focus target of your choosing.  Intensives are designed to support meaningful change in the way the nervous system feels safest, not rushed into an hour here and there.  Ready for deeper healing?  If you live in Pennsylvania or are willing to travel to Pennsylvania for a therapy intensive, you can learn more or schedule a reserve a free consultation by clicking here: Learn More or Reserve a Free Consultation

If someone has ever told you to calm down after divorce—and it made everything inside you feel louder, sharper, or more volatile—you're not broken.You're responding to a loss of connection.In this Thursday Panel Rant, Dawn and the crew get cheeky, honest, and deeply real about why “calm down” is one of the fastest ways to shut a woman down—and why it so often backfires in relationships after divorce.This episode explores:Why being told to calm down often feels like being told your feelings are inconvenientHow emotional suppression turns into explosive anger laterThe link between anxiety, anger, and broken trust after divorceHow gaslighting and dismissal train women to doubt their own realityThe difference between nervous system discomfort from growth vs. true emotional unsafetyWhy anger isn't the problem—it's informationThe panel also weaves in the concept of Martin Buber's I–Thou relationship dynamic—reminding us that real connection requires honoring both people's lived experience, not just managing the loudest discomfort in the room.Because here's the truth:Women don't need to calm down.They need to feel seen, understood, and safe enough to tell the truth.Instead of asking yourself to be quieter, smaller, or easier to handle, this episode invites a different question:What feels unsafe right now—for me, or for them?That question—asked with honesty instead of judgment—is often where regulation actually begins.This is not a polished episode.It's a lived one.A little ranty.A little funny.And deeply validating for any woman who was taught to silence herself to survive.Welcome to Panel Rant Thursday.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MyCoachDawnInstagram: (@dawnwiggins)Instagram: (@coachtiffini)On the Web: https://www.mycoachdawn.comA podcast exploring the journey of life after divorce, delving into topics like divorce grief, loneliness, anxiety, manifesting, the impact of different attachment styles and codependency, setting healthy boundaries, energy healing with homeopathy, managing the nervous system during divorce depression, understanding the stages of divorce grief, and using the Law of Attraction and EMDR therapy in the process of building your confidence, forgiveness and letting go.Support the show✨Join the Cocoon Community - your people are waiting! ✨ Stress-Less Flower Essence

Welcome to Real 7 the best of 2025 part 2. there is much more information and inspiration left in the second part of of the season. From tackling grief to addressing the seriousness of the eating disorder known as binging. Each episode moves you closer to the tools you need to achieve mental health for real. So, Relax and injoy the last best of till next year.Big Boys Don't Cry - Handling GriefA deeply honest exploration of grief, fear, and the universal reality of losing the people we love. This conversation with Becky McCoy doesn't shy away from the hard edges; instead, it opens space for tenderness, courage, and the slow work of healing. Becky brings her lived experience as a young widow, her training in spiritual formation, and her trauma informed approach to guide listeners through what it means to suffer, to question, and to keep going. …let's listen in.Producing Dopamine - A Healthy Alternative— a powerful and eye‑opening conversation with Andy Y. West, who takes us inside her journey from the depths of long COVID and cognitive decline to a full, vibrant recovery by learning to work with the brain's dopamine system instead of against it. Drawing from her books Planet Dopamine, Dopamine Mountain, and Anhedonia Wastelands, Andy breaks down how dopamine shapes our behavior, why harmful coping mechanisms can feel so compelling, and how intentional, science‑backed habits can retrain the brain toward healthier, sustainable sources of motivation and joy. Together, we explore the neurobiology behind drive, the biochemical loop of self‑harm, and practical tools for rewiring mindset, rebuilding momentum, and lifting ourselves out of depression and anxiety. It's an energizing, hopeful, and surprisingly fun deep dive into reclaiming our mental health in a world overloaded with negativity — and a reminder that unity, love, and intentional change can reshape everything …let's listen in.Hi, I'm God - Recovery and Thriving with SchizophreniaWe revisit a conversation with Dale Walsh, a man who has not only lived through schizophrenia but transformed that experience into a source of clarity, purpose, and service. Drawing from his rare “inside‑out” perspective, Dale guides families navigating the realities of serious mental illness, helping them bridge emotional distance and rediscover connection. His LIVELOVE method offers caregivers a way to communicate with compassion while reclaiming their own identity in the process. This segment honors the resilience, honesty, and humanity at the heart of mental health stories — and the power of lived experience to illuminate a path forward.Warrior Mom Rising- Story of Recovery from PTSD using EMDR is Next.We revisit a conversation with Jenn Robb—author, coach, and a mother forged in the fire of her daughter's anxiety, depression, and trauma. With two decades in acute care medicine and training in functional and integrative approaches, Jenn brings both clinical grounding and lived compassion to the families she serves. Her book Warrior Mom Rising chronicles the moments when she felt lost, overwhelmed, and unsure how to help, yet still kept fighting for connection, clarity, and hope.Just a Person - Living Authentically through ADHD, PTSD, using CMIWe revisit a...

Is trauma-informed counseling biblical—or is it undermining the sufficiency of Scripture?In this episode of Remnant Radio, we take a careful, biblical look at trauma-informed care, responding to recent critiques from pastors, biblical counselors, and theologians who argue that trauma-informed counseling is harming the church. Some claim that if Christians would simply repent, trust Jesus, and obey Scripture, trauma-informed approaches would be unnecessary—or even dangerous.So how should Christians think about trauma, trauma-informed counseling, and trauma-informed therapy?In Part One of this two-part discussion, we begin by defining trauma and trauma-informed care, ensuring we are speaking clearly and accurately. We then distinguish between trauma-informed pastoral counseling and trauma-informed therapy, including approaches such as EMDR, somatic experiencing, internal family systems, and polyvagal-informed therapy.We examine whether trauma-informed counseling is supported by Scripture by turning to the Book of Job, one of the Bible's most extensive treatments of suffering, trauma, and pastoral response. Job's condemnation of his friends as “miserable comforters” provides a sobering warning against theologically misinformed counsel that intensifies suffering rather than alleviating it.This episode also addresses key theological concerns, including:-The sufficiency of Scripture for salvation and sanctification-The doctrine of common grace and its relationship to medicine, psychology, and therapy-Whether trauma-informed care excuses sin or undermines repentance-How physiological trauma responses differ from sinful anxiety-Whether modern psychology should ever be subordinate to biblical authorityPart Two will move into practical application, offering a biblical framework for trauma-informed care that upholds Scripture, guards against theological compromise, and equips pastors, counselors, and Christians to care well for those who have suffered trauma. To be released next week!0:00 – Introduction0:10 – Public Critiques of Trauma-Informed Care1:53 – Defining Trauma3:16 – Defining Trauma-Informed Care4:29 – Is Trauma-Informed Counsel Biblical?7:39 – Three Ways Trauma-Informed Care Goes Wrong10:26 – Is Trauma-Informed Therapy Biblical?12:01 – The Sufficiency of Scripture15:20 – God Gives Common Grace19:41 – Common Grace and Obedience21:48 – ConclusionSubscribe to The Remnant Radio newsletter and receive our FREE introduction to spiritual gifts eBook. Plus, get access to: discounts, news about upcoming shows, courses and conferences - and more. Subscribe now at TheRemnantRadio.com.Support the showABOUT THE REMNANT RADIO:

Seven years ago Jay Stevens was in a helicopter that plummeted from the sky at Uluru. He fell out of the sky from about 120 metres, shattered his body, ended up with a spinal cord injury, and spent months in hospital and rehab. And instead of making peace with 'that’s it,' he went full mad scientist on his own recovery, obsessively training, visualising, rebuilding pathways, and stacking tiny process wins until he took his first steps FOUR years later. We talk chosen suffering, the hard we pick vs the hard that picks us, and why comfort is the sneaky little thief of progress. We get into the emotional side too, the grief he buried, the PTSD, EMDR, and how he learned to talk himself through the worst memories. This is one of those chats that makes you sit up and go, 'Yeah righto… I’ve been negotiating with myself a bit too much.' SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au JAY STEVENS Website: jaystevenskeynote.org/ TIFFANEE COOK Linktree: linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches/ Website: tiffcook.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tiffaneecook/ Facebook: facebook.com/rollwiththepunchespodcast/ Instagram: instagram.com/rollwiththepunches_podcast/ Instagram: instagram.com/tiffaneeandcoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if your anxiety, depression, or chronic overwhelm aren't personal failures, but the echoes of unprocessed trauma?In this week's episode, Sarah sits down with EMDR therapist, consultant, and author Thomas Zimmerman, whose work has shaped how thousands of clinicians around the world approach complex trauma. Together, they unpack what recovery from complex trauma actually looks like and why it's not about willpower, positive thinking, or pushing through.You'll hear Thomas' refreshingly honest take on:Why trauma is “learning that's not meant to be changed easily”How EMDR helps the nervous system update old survival learningWhy so many survivors struggle to “slow down and notice” (and what to do instead)The importance of preparation and resourcing before trauma processingHow to widen your window of tolerance without getting floodedAnd why, even though recovery takes time, it's one of the most beautiful acts of self-liberation there isThis conversation is both validating and practical for anyone walking the long, brave path of reclaiming themselves after complex trauma.Connect with Thomas Zimmerman:Book: EMDR with Complex TraumaYouTube: Thomas Zimmerman EMDRHis website: Thomas Zimmerman EMDRConnect with Sarah & Reclaim Therapy:https://www.yourcomplextrauma.comFollow on Instagram: @sarahherstichlcsw Follow on TikTok: @sarahherstichlcswLearn more about EMDR & trauma therapy in Pennsylvania with Reclaim TherapyThanks for listening to The Complex Trauma Podcast! Be sure to follow, share and give us a review on your favorite podcast platform. Follow on Instagram: @sarahherstichlcsw Follow on TikTok: @sarahherstichlcsw Learn more about EMDR & trauma therapy in Pennsylvania with Reclaim Therapy This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or nutritional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Remember, I'm a therapist, but I'm not your therapist. Nothing in this podcast is meant to replace actual therapy or treatment. If you're in crisis or things feel really unsafe right now, please reach out to someone. You can call 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, text them, or head to your nearest ER. The views expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organizations or institutions. Reliance on any information provided by this podcast is solely at your own risk.

Send us a textWhat if the decision you feared most was the one that finally set you free? We sit with Gaylyn Henderson—writer, model, and founder of Gutless and Glamorous—to trace her path from a swift, severe Crohn's diagnosis at fourteen to an ostomy that gave her health, energy, and a voice loud enough to change minds.Gaylynn opens up about the early years when prednisone and 6MP were the only options and hospital stays collided with high school milestones. She explains how stigma around surgery—echoed by culture and sometimes even clinicians—kept her in pain despite worsening Crohn's with fistulas. The turning point came with a loop ileostomy and near-instant relief: weight returned, pain lifted, and daily life felt possible again. That contrast fuels her mission to push back on misinformation, normalize ostomies, and help others avoid years of needless suffering.We explore how a personal blog became a movement. Gaylyn shares the moment she hit “send,” the flood of messages from people who finally felt seen, and how modeling with Aerie made ostomy visibility mainstream. Her nonprofit, Gutless and Glamorous, builds community through modern, welcoming spaces that don't feel like traditional support groups, connecting patients who can check in when symptoms surge and silence sets in.Mental health takes center stage as Gaylyn unpacks the myth of “I should be able to handle this,” and we discuss why therapy and tools like EMDR can help after the crisis has passed. Chronic illness can be isolating; community is part of care. Expect candid talk about advocacy, ostomy life, body image, and the courage to redefine normal on your own terms.If this conversation resonates, tap follow, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review—your voice helps more people find the support they deserve.Links: Gutless and Glamorous websiteGaylyn on InstagramMore of Gaylyn's story in Elle magazineGaylyn in The MightyLet's get social!!Follow us on Instagram!Follow us on Facebook!Follow us on Twitter!

Send us a textDr. Paul Miller joins Dr. Michael Koren to discuss ongoing research in the field of psychology. Dr. Miller expounds on the complex interplay between genetic predisposition, trauma, and the way the brain misprocesses memory, and the potential negative psychological outcomes. Dr. Miller then discusses treatments and the changing treatment landscape, including techniques that mimic rapid eye movement (REM) sleep to help process memories in a less traumatic way, and newer medications under investigation that may help people who have traditionally had trouble with current therapies.Be a part of advancing science by participating in clinical research.Have a question for Dr. Koren? Email him at askDrKoren@MedEvidence.comListen on SpotifyListen on Apple PodcastsWatch on YouTubeShare with a friend. Rate, Review, and Subscribe to the MedEvidence! podcast to be notified when new episodes are released.Follow us on Social Media:FacebookInstagramX (Formerly Twitter)LinkedInWant to learn more? Checkout our entire library of podcasts, videos, articles and presentations at www.MedEvidence.comMusic: Storyblocks - Corporate InspiredThank you for listening!

In this clinically grounded episode of The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast, Kayleigh is joined by Kina Wolfenstein, LCSW, therapist, educator, and certified trainer in Coherence Therapy, for a deep dive into a lesser-known but incredibly powerful trauma modality.Together, they explore what coherence therapy is, how it differs from more familiar approaches like EMDR, CBT, and IFS, and why it can be especially effective for birth trauma, medical trauma, and complex attachment wounds.Kina explains how coherence therapy views symptoms not as pathology, but as coherent responses rooted in emotional learnings and how true healing happens through memory reconsolidation, an innate brain process that allows those learnings to be updated at the root.This episode speaks directly to survivors who say, “I understand why I feel this way, but nothing changes,” and to clinicians looking for more precise, bottom-up tools for trauma healing.In this episode, we discuss:✨ What coherence therapy is and why so few people have heard of it

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What if this life after divorce never gets better?What if this is just how it is now?What he ruined everything? What if I can't be healed?If those thoughts have been looping in your mind after divorce, this episode is for you.In the Season 5 premiere of Dear Divorce Diary, we're opening a powerful six-week series devoted to naming the thing under the thing—the deeper, often invisible forces that keep women stuck in anxiety, overthinking, and emotional exhaustion after divorce.And today, we begin with one of the scariest experiences of all:the fear that the way you feel right now is permanent.Here's what most of us have never realized:Those thoughts aren't coming from weakness or fear.They're coming from a nervous system trying its best to keep you afloat while you're completely collapsed.In this episode, we're not fixing anxiety—we're explaining it.Because understanding what your body is doing is often the first moment it finally exhales.In this episode, we explore:Why divorce anxiety often intensifies after the divorce is finalThe difference between panic… and the deeper fear of permanenceHow anxiety gets mistaken for identity—and why that mattersWhat happens when trust has been wounded by loss, betrayal, or overwhelmWhy solutions often arrive from places you never could have predictedHow protective, pessimistic parts can reject help—and how to soften that patternYou'll also hear personal stories from Dawn, Joy, and Tiffini about moments when they couldn't see a way forward—until something unexpected showed up and changed everything.And at the end of the episode, we debut a new community segment: ✨ Small Wins, Big Shifts ✨ where we share listener-submitted moments that prove healing after divorce doesn't have to be dramatic to be real.If you've been afraid that this feeling will never end… If you've wondered whether you'll ever trust yourself—or life—again… Let this episode remind you:Nothing you're feeling means you're broken. It means your system learned how to survive.And survival is not the end of the story.

Owen's salty sailor mouth is beginning to be a problem and I'm wondering if I should give EMDR another go. Daniel is anxious but he doesn't want to get into it. We take your calls and I recount the recent Peter saga. Plus our annual Elf Dinner! Plus we did a round of JMOE, HGFY and Podcast Pals Product Picks. Get yourself some new ARIYNBF merch here: https://alison-rosen-shop.fourthwall.com/ Subscribe to my Substack: http://alisonrosen.substack.com Podcast Palz Product Picks: https://www.amazon.com/shop/alisonrosen/list/2CS1QRYTRP6ER?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsflist_aipsfalisonrosen_0K0AJFYP84PF1Z61QW2H Products I Use/Recommend/Love: http://amazon.com/shop/alisonrosen Check us out on Patreon: http://patreon.com/alisonrosen   Buy Alison's Fifth Anniversary Edition Book (with new material): Tropical Attire Encouraged (and Other Phrases That Scare Me) https://amzn.to/2JuOqcd You probably need to buy the HGFY ringtone! https://www.alisonrosen.com/store/ Try Amazon Prime Free 30 Day Trial

Welcome back to Restoring the Soul! In this episode, Michael John Cusick and Julianne Cusick dive deep into the world of intensive counseling, unpacking what makes Restoring the Soul's approach unique and transformative. You'll hear about the practical structure of their intensives—meeting with individuals and couples in three-hour blocks over one or two weeks—and what sets this method apart from traditional weekly counseling. They explore the importance of stepping away from daily life to create space for profound healing, the individualized attention each client receives, and the holistic integration of soul care, psychological expertise, and contemplative spiritual practices.Throughout their candid conversation, Michael shares stories of how Restoring the Soul began, while Julianne offers reflections on the power of holding sacred space for clients' stories. If you've ever wondered what intensive counseling really means, or how a focused, custom-tailored process can spark breakthroughs in just two weeks, this episode will give you clarity and inspiration.Support the showENGAGE THE RESTORING THE SOUL PODCAST:- Follow us on YouTube - Tweet us at @michaeljcusick and @PodcastRTS- Like us on Facebook- Follow us on Instagram & Twitter- Follow Michael on Twitter- Email us at info@restoringthesoul.com Thanks for listening!

In this episode, Dr. Debi shares why unhealed betrayal is the hidden barrier preventing your clients from achieving breakthrough results—and how the PBT® (Post Betrayal Transformation®) Certification equips coaches, healers, and practitioners to create deeper, more predictable transformations.  What You'll Learn:  Why time doesn't heal betrayal (and what actually does)  The shocking statistics: How unhealed betrayal impacts health, work, and relationships  Why your best coaching strategies fall short when betrayal is at the root  The research-backed framework that moves clients through the 5 predictable stages from betrayal to breakthrough  How PBT® certification complements (not replaces) your existing coaching tools  Simple diagnostic questions to identify unhealed betrayal in your clients  Key Statistics Revealed:  84% of those who've experienced betrayal struggle to trust (impacting team collaboration and leadership)  81% feel a loss of personal power (leading to self-sabotage)  68% can't focus or concentrate (reducing workplace productivity)  47% experience weight and digestive issues (that no diet can fix)  80% are hypervigilant (preventing intimate connections)  Who This Certification Is For:  Life, health, business, and leadership coaches  Relationship and mindset coaches  Healers, therapists, counselors, psychologists  HR leaders working with impacted employees  Practitioners using modalities like yoga, reiki, EMDR, or EFT  Benefits of PBT® Certification:  Specialize in a massive, underserved niche  Increase income (specialist vs. generalist positioning)  Gain 4 ICF CEUs  Join our certified coaches directory for client referrals  Access retreat opportunities, podcast features, and ongoing mentorship  Bring research-backed credibility to your practice  Current Enrollment Bonuses:  $500 discount with code GIFT500  Listing in the PBT® Certified Coaches Directory  First 10 enrollees: Guest feature on the top 1.5% ranked "From Betrayal to Breakthrough" podcast  PBT Pro Program Add-On Includes:  Featured spotlight in the directory  Podcast guest feature  Discounted retreat pass ($1,800 value)  PBT® Assessment Toolkit with 5 ready-to-use client assessments  Learn More: Visit thepbtinstitute.com/get-certified     Dr. Debi Silber is the Founder and CEO of The PBT Institute, a PhD researcher who discovered Post Betrayal Syndrome®, and creator of the 5 Stages from Betrayal to Breakthrough™ framework. With 34+ years of experience, she's helped thousands transform their most painful experiences into unprecedented growth. 

Today's special guest features Mrs. Sandra Stanford Is a trauma specialist from Florida. As an LMFT, she obtained her masters in psychological counseling, and Sandra is certified in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). She is also an EMDR certified trainer or EMDRIA Basic Trainer and Consultant. She hosts trainings in both Florida, New York, and online. You can learn more here:https://centralfloridaemdrtraining.com/ To reach out to Sandra directly, you can contact her through her counseling website:https://sandrabstanfordcounseling.com/ Sandra interweaves biology and psychology to help us understand our nervous systems and how we can heal them FOR good! If you are interested in weekly videos on spiritual health, mental wellness, home workouts, and holistic nutrition- check out our memberships at:https://www.theselahspace.org/ To reach out to me directly, you can contact me at:https://www.movedbygracecounseling.com/ Have a happy new year my friends! See you next week on The Regulated Woman Series ♥️

What if the reason you feel overwhelmed, anxious, or emotionally drained isn't because life is “too much” … but because no one ever taught you the mental wellness skills that make life manageable—and peaceful?In this inspirational & motivational episode, Reginald D sits down with MJ Murray Vachon, a licensed clinical social worker, certified EMDR therapist, mental wellness educator, & host of Creating Midlife Calm Podcast. MJ has over 36 years of experience & 50,000+ clinical hours helping people heal.This powerful conversation blends faith and motivation, emotional resilience, practical mental wellness tools that can transform the way you think, feel & respond to life. MJ breaks down what mental wellness really means, why it matters more than ever in today's high-stress world & how your emotional state impacts not only you—but everyone around you.People are carrying silent stress, emotional overload, anxiety, trauma & unresolved pain—especially after the pandemic & the nonstop noise of social media. You may feel like you're trying to hold it together while life keeps throwing curveballs. This episode is for you if you want to feel more stable, more grounded, and more spiritually aligned without pretending everything is fine.Press play now to get the inspirational, motivational mental wellness tools that can help you find calm, strengthen your faith & start feeling emotionally stronger starting today. MJ's  info:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vachonmjmurrayFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/mj.murrayvachonWebsite: https://mjmurrayvachon.com Mental Wellness• Ep. 130: 1 Simple Coping Skill To Stop Stress & Anxiety From Spiraling Out Of Control & Derailing Midlife Calm -   https://pod.fo/e/2ae1c9• Ep. 131: 5 Simple Words That Will Transform Stress, Anxiety & Chaos Into Calm, To Make Better Midlife Decisions -  https://pod.fo/e/2af7fa• Ep. 1: What Is Mental Wellness -  https://pod.fo/e/35013e• One-Pager: What Is Mental Wellness -  https://tinyurl.com/mvrth7tvmotivational speech, faith and motivation, mental wellness, emotional health, emotional regulation, inspirational stories, motivational speeches, anxiety help, trauma healing, EMDR therapy, resilience, self improvement, healing journey, creating calm, coping skills, menSend us a textSupport the showFor daily motivation and inspiration, subscribe and follow Real Talk With Reginald D on social media:Instagram: realtalkwithreginaldd TikTok: @realtalkregd Youtube: @realtalkwithreginald Facebook: realtalkwithreginaldd Twitter Real Talk With Reginald D (@realtalkRegD) / TwitterWebsite: Real Talk With Reginald D https://www.realtalkwithreginaldd.com Real Talk With Reginald D - Merchandise

We read emails from listeners, including one about us being doxed again.Link to BOOKS — System SpeakNOTE:  We also talked in the community about how the year of the horse does not start until later in the winter due to following the lunar calendar.  For me/us, that coincides with my "new year" (birthday, actual, not when celebrated) as well as our "new year" from when we moved last time (which brought the celebration back to actual). That led to a greater discussion about other cultures that also follow the lunar calendar, including both indigenous and Jewish calendars (with a new year in the fall instead of winter).  We talked about how sometimes “jumping calendars” can be helpful when dealing with hard days or anniversaries.Article about Hebrew calendar: Hebrew calendar - WikipediaArticle about Indigenous calendar: Samish 13 MoonsOur website is HERE:  System Speak Podcast.You can submit an email to the podcast HERE.Content Note: Content on this website and in the podcasts is assumed to be trauma and/or dissociative related due to the nature of what is being shared here in general.  Content descriptors are generally given in each episode.  Specific trigger warnings are not given due to research reporting this makes triggers worse.  Please use appropriate self-care and your own safety plan while exploring this website and during your listening experience.  Natural pauses due to dissociation have not been edited out of the podcast, and have been left for authenticity.  While some professional material may be referenced for educational purposes, Emma and her system are not your therapist nor offering professional advice.  Any informational material shared or referenced is simply part of our own learning process, and not guaranteed to be the latest research or best method for you.  Please contact your therapist or nearest emergency room in case of any emergency.  This website does not provide any medical, mental health, or social support services. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

In Part 2 of our conversation with Elicia Ybarra, she unpacks her path to healing through EMDR trauma therapy. She realized how buried triggers from years of grooming and abuse sabotaged her marriage and self-defense curriculum development, leading to a near-separation and inability to be touched even by her son. She broke down her "Pretty Hands, Hard Punches" empowerment model. We also discussed why stats show 975/1000 sexual assault perpetrators walk free, the red flags of abuse, multi-layered boundaries (emotional, time, social), and the "think, yell, run, fight, tell" progression with simple, realistic strikes like palm heels to the nose (tested by board-breaking!).Elicia shared red flags for parents: how to check for safe martial arts schools (check one-star reviews, watch instructor interactions, run background checks via Academy Safe, avoid MMA locker-room culture), how unquestioning obedience grooms kids to ignore gut instincts, and practical family rules like no adult secrets with children and always respecting "no" to hugs.Be sure to follow Elicia on her website, prettyhandshardpunches.com, or on Facebook or Instagram @prettyhandshardpunches.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of sexual assault statistics and low conviction rates, trauma triggers/panic attacks, strangulation, and stalking/harassment.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody's mad at you, just don't be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin' fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you are tired of beating yourself up inside for trying harder and harder to make traction toward your emotional and mental freedom but feel like you are simply going in circles and feeling defeated, you may be asking yourself, "What is Wrong with Me?"  However, the problem isn't you!  The problem is that you are asking yourself the wrong question, and assuming that the problem is somehow you.  This leads to shame, frustration, and hamster wheel running that keeps you from making traction toward your healing.  To heal, you need to ask a different question, and I'll tell you what that is in this episode.  Listen in!   FREE RESOURCE: If this episode resonated, you might be interested in my free resource.   I created a free, faith-honoring guide that gently explains how healing happens in the body and why you're not failing.  Free Trauma Healing Resource Guide   WORK WITH MICHELLE CROYLE, LPC: If you are a Christian woman who feels ready for deeper, focused trauma healing than typical weekly talk therapy can offer, you may want to consider an EMDR-based Therapeutic Intensive with me.  I clear my schedule to work with you over the course of one to three days for three to six hours per day on a focus target of your choosing.  Intensives are designed to support meaningful change in the way the nervous system feels safest, not rushed into an hour here and there.  Ready for deeper healing?  If you live in Pennsylvania or are willing to travel to Pennsylvania for a therapy intensive, you can learn more or schedule a reserve a free consultation by clicking here: Learn More or Reserve a Free Consultation

Join Jay Gunkelman, QEEGD (the man who has analyzed over 500,000 brain scans), Dr. Mari Swingle, Joshua Moore, John Mekrut, Anthony Ramos, and host Pete Jansons for a packed discussion on cutting-edge trauma approaches, avoiding neurofeedback pitfalls, and how to pick qualified practitioners.✅ Deep Brain Reorienting Explained: A new somatic approach pioneered by Dr. Frank Corrigan targets brainstem-level early childhood attachment trauma via visual orientation and superior colliculus, going deeper than EMDR or exposure therapy—exciting experts like Sebern Fisher for developmental trauma recovery.✅ Neuroinflammation Deep Dive: Inflammation causes brain ischemia and hypoxia; overtraining inflamed brains risks headaches, nausea, tics, or even cell death—clinicians stress gentle starts, short sessions, monitoring symptoms, and addressing diet/nutrition first.✅ Choosing Pros Insights: Beware cheap equipment and unqualified practitioners; seek BCIA-certified or licensed pros with medical-grade gear—experience, mentorship, and clear "what & why" explanations matter more than pretty images.✅ Additional Topics:

Send us a textThe most downloaded conversation of the year returns for a reason: it's the raw, practical guide first responders and their families keep asking for. We sit with Sgt. Michael Sugrue—Air Force security forces veteran, Walnut Creek Police sergeant, and author of Relentless Courage—to talk about the weight of hundreds of traumatic calls, how a 2012 shooting upended his life, and the exact steps that pulled him back from the edge.Michael breaks down why suicide remains the top threat for police, fire, EMS, and dispatch: a culture that prizes invincibility, training that skips mental readiness, and an identity so fused to the job that retirement can feel like free fall. He explains how “silent” suicides hide in line‑of‑duty risks, why official counts underreport the crisis, and what leadership must do to turn the tide. We go deep on solutions: culturally competent therapy, confidential peer lines, retreats like West Coast Post‑Trauma Retreat and Save A Warrior, and daily practices—meditation, gratitude, strength work, honest conversations—that sustain real resilience.We also challenge common myths. Therapy doesn't take your gun; it gives you your life back. EMDR helps many but not all; the real power is a personalized toolkit. Early intervention keeps stress acute and treatable; waiting turns injuries into entrenched patterns that cost careers and families. Michael's book, co‑authored with Dr. Shauna Springer, bridges the gap between gut‑level storytelling and clear psychology, giving responders and loved ones a shared language to start hard conversations and map a path forward.If you serve—or love someone who does—this is a roadmap to stay in the fight without losing yourself. Hit play, share it with a partner or teammate, and let's normalize help as a standard of care. If the episode resonates, subscribe, leave a quick review, and pass it to one person who needs to hear it today.You can reach Michael on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sgtmichaelsugrue?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_appSupport the showYouTube Channel For The Podcast

Ever catch yourself thinking, “Why does this feel so weird without a drink?” You're not alone. In this episode, Coach Cole walks with Sally through the swirl of social pressure at kids' sporting events and helps her spot the doors that open when the “alcohol door” closes. Coach Soraya sits with Ava, who's noticing a growing gap between her knowledge and her actions. Together they explore sensitivity, fear, and the habits that keep us looping. We also name the common pain point—why quitting alcohol makes you feel alone—and show you how to replace isolation with honest connection. These Alcohol Freedom Coaching conversations are a sneak peek at life inside The Path. In Sally's Session: Feeling "stuck and lost" when navigating an alcohol-free life Challenged by feeling "different and stuck, separated from people" in social situations The pervasiveness of alcohol in healthy activities. Reframing being lost as an opportunity for self-discovery How curiosity acts as an antidote to shame about past drinking Using core personal values as guideposts when the path is unknown And more In Ava's Session: When insight doesn't equal action—what's actually missing Sensitivity as a superpower (not a liability) Habit loops vs. cravings: noticing “action → reaction” patterns Creating safety so change feels possible Trying tiny experiments that respect your nervous system Gentle supports: IFS, EMDR, and compassionate self-talk And more… Cole Harvey is a certified Naked Mind Senior Coach. For years, he felt lost and used alcohol as a way to cope, until he decided to go alcohol-free and focus on finding his purpose. Through curiosity, self-compassion, and adventure, he transformed his life. As a habit change and mindset coach, Cole helps young men understand themselves, build better habits, and find meaning. Learn more about Coach Cole: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/cole-harvey/ Soraya Odishoo is a compassionate Certified This Naked Mind Coach who blends somatic healing with therapeutic models to support recovery. She serves people who feel disconnected from their true selves and want freedom from substances or behaviors that no longer serve them. She takes a trauma-informed, heart-centered approach with a strong focus on accessibility for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities. Learn more about Coach Soraya: https://thisnakedmind.com/coach/soraya-arjan-odishoo-alpc/ Episode links: nakedmindpath.com Related Episodes: Why do I feel detached when I'm not drinking?-Reader Question- E122- https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-122-reader-question-feel-detached-im-not-drinking/ Finding Yourself Without Alcohol-Nisha's Naked Life-E836- https://thisnakedmind.com/how-do-you-socialize-without-alcohol-nishas-naked-life-e836/ Who Am I Without Wine?-Alcohol Freedom Coaching-E801- https://thisnakedmind.com/creating-a-new-identity-after-quitting-drinking-alcohol-freedom-freedom-coaching-e801/ Ready to take the next step on your journey? Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources for free resources, programs, & more. Until next week, stay curious!

Does your teen wake up in the middle of the night overwhelmed with worries they can't shut off? Have you noticed that everything feels so much bigger for teens at 2:00 AM than it does in the light of day? There's been a surge in what experts are calling the “2 AM Spiral”—a late-night loop of overthinking fueled by screen time, academic pressure, social stress, and the natural sleep-cycle shift that happens during adolescence. In this episode, Colleen talks with therapist Kevin Logie about what's really happening in teens' brains during these late-night spirals, why sleep deprivation intensifies anxiety, depression, and irritability, and how parents can respond with more curiosity and less control. You'll learn why this isn't “teen drama,” how phones and lack of downtime play a major role, and practical, compassionate strategies to help teens regulate, reset, and sleep better—without turning bedtime into a nightly battle. Kevin Logie is an associate therapist who brings creativity, warmth, and flexibility to his work with children, tweens, teens, and families. With a background in the arts and improv, Kevin blends narrative and person-centered therapy with evidence-based tools such as CBT, EMDR, ABA, and mindfulness practices. He specializes in helping clients rewrite unhealthy narratives, build emotional awareness, and develop resilience. Kevin is also a dad to a 12-year-old son, bringing both professional insight and lived experience into his work.