Retrain Your Brain | Nervous System Regulation, Chronic Illness Healing, Brain Retraining Support

"I've done the brain retraining programs. I learned the tools. But what do I actually do when I'm in the middle of a flare?" If you've ever felt confused about that, this episode is for you!  There IS something you can do in the middle of a flare-up that will help calm it. There's a roadmap for moving through it, faster and with less fear. And in this episode, I'm walking you through exactly what...

📣 The  Flare Fix Kit is now available! If you've ever found yourself in the middle of a symptom flare thinking, "I know I have tools for this... but I can't remember what they are," or, “I just can’t do it,” this episode is for you. One of the most frustrating parts of the healing journey is that the moments when you need support the most are often the moments when accessing that support feels im...

If the brain retraining process has felt like an emotional roller coaster, this episode will help you finally make sense of why. In today’s conversation, Katie walks you through the emotional stages of change that almost everyone experiences while retraining their brain. You’ll learn why that early hope often gives way to frustration, doubt, or despair… why those phases don’t mean you’re doing any...

📣 The  Flare Fix Kit is now available! If you’ve ever celebrated a huge win in your healing… only to have a flare knock the wind right out of you right after, this episode is going to feel like a deep exhale. Today I’m continuing the story from Episode 17 and sharing what happened when I left my breakthrough-filled Florida trip and flew straight into… a full-blown flare in my childhood home. In t...

If you’ve ever felt trapped by mold sensitivity - reacting to the tiniest exposure, rearranging your entire life to avoid it, and wondering if you’ll ever feel safe again - this episode is for you. In this continuation of last week’s story, I’m sharing how I used brain retraining to rewire my brain’s response to mold and stop those extreme reactions for good. You’ll hear exactly what that process...

What would you do if your body reacted to almost every building you walked into? In this episode, Katie shares the deeply personal story behind her years of living with mold toxicity - also known as CIRS (Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome). She opens up about her official diagnosis, the extensive testing, and the long, exhausting journey through the Shoemaker-style treatment protocols that pr...

Political polarization isn’t just about ideology - it’s deeply tied to our nervous systems. When your brain perceives threat, it slips into survival mode, shutting down critical thinking and pushing you into black-and-white categories: us vs. them, safe vs. unsafe, right vs. wrong. That instinct once kept our ancestors alive, but today it can fuel division by making it harder to see nuance, connec...

Does your brain retraining practice ever feel… way too complicated? Like you’re drowning in tools, second-guessing every choice, or paralyzed by decision fatigue? You’re not alone. In this episode, I’m sharing why simplicity is the secret ingredient to real progress - and how stripping things down can actually help you rewire faster. We’ll talk about how overcomplicating your practice (or your hea...

Busy retraining but feeling frustrated? These 8 “gamechangers” might be what you’re missing. Are you practicing brain retraining but feel stuck, overwhelmed, or confused about why you’re not seeing the progress you hoped for? You’re not alone - and this episode is exactly what you need! In today’s episode, I’m breaking down the 8 “needle movers” that can help you simplify your healing journey, get...

If your to-do list is never-ending, your emotions are living just under the surface, and your nervous system is hanging on by a thread…this one’s for you. In this episode, I’m sharing five simple, realistic tools that have brought me calm and stability through some very stressful seasons. You’ll hear the exact things I come back to when life feels like too much. 🧠 This episode is especially for t...

Whether your bedtime routine is a 10-step wellness routine or just falling into bed and scrolling TikTok, this episode will show you a simpler (and more effective) way to support real rest. I’m sharing an easy, science-backed nighttime routine you can do in under 10 minutes - even from bed. It’s designed to shift your brain and body into a healing state before you fall asleep, so you wake up with...

Ever wonder what recovery really looks like after mold sensitivity and chronic illness? Am I really fully recovered? In this episode, I’m sharing the truth - the messy, beautiful, incremental truth - about what life looks like now after retraining my brain around mold. From my nervous system’s progress to the chaos of 30-person family beach trips, you’ll hear both the practical steps that helped m...

If you’ve ever thought, “I’m doing everything right—so why am I not getting better?” this episode is for you. This week, we’re talking about the how behind your healing—not just what you’re doing, but the beliefs, thoughts, and emotions driving it. Because those things? They change your biology. I’m breaking down 3 surprisingly powerful mindset shifts that aren’t just inspiring—they’re biologicall...

📣 The  Flare Fix Kit is now available! Symptom flares can feel like a punch to the gut, especially when you’ve been doing everything “right.” They can make you question your progress, your body, and your entire healing journey. But what if a flare didn’t mean you were failing? What if it was actually a sign that your brain is learning something new? In this episode, I’m walking you through exactl...

What really causes chronic illness? What if the true root of chronic illness isn’t what you’ve been told?  In this episode of the Retrain Your Brain podcast, I’m breaking down one of the most misunderstood topics in the chronic illness world: what actually causes illness to begin—and why it keeps going long after the original trigger is gone. We’ll explore how the brain and body become primed for...

You want to be consistent with your brain retraining practice… but somehow, resistance keeps getting in the way. Sound familiar? In this episode, we’re diving into 3 deeper reasons you might be struggling to follow through—and what to do about it. You’ll learn how "protective parts" (from an IFS perspective), demand avoidance, and the nervous system freeze state can all contribute to lowering moti...

Struggling to stay consistent with your brain retraining practice? Feeling unmotivated and ALLLL the resistance? Honey, you are NOT alone!  If you’ve ever thought, "I know brain retraining works, so why the poop can’t I just make myself do it?!" — this episode is for you. In this episode, we’re talking all about resistance — why it shows up, what it really means, and how to move through it with co...

Ready to elevate your brain retraining skills so that you can see even better results? Maybe you’re feeling stuck, frustrated, or like you’re missing something… even though you’re doing “all the right things.” In this episode, I’m sharing 7 surprising tips that most brain retrainers aren’t aware of—insights that can change the way you approach your practice and help you start seeing the progress y...

Do you feel like retraining your brain is a monumental task? Are you struggling to fit your rewiring practices into your busy schedule? This episode is here to show you that significant progress can be made in just 15 minutes!  Whether you're overwhelmed by the idea of lengthy sessions or simply don’t know where to start, these 3 short, powerful practices are designed for you. I’m teaching you the...

You are already training your brain every single day—but are you choosing the program? In this episode I explain the surprising truth about how your daily habits are literally rewiring your brain for either stress or peace. Without even realizing it, many of us are unintentionally programming our minds to stay in fight-or-flight mode! I walk you through 5 common habits you might be doing right now...

Welcome to the first episode of the Retrain Your Brain Podcast. I'm your host, Katie Nickerson, a trauma-informed brain retraining coach! I’m kicking things off today by diving into my own story of navigating a decade of complex chronic illness and finding incredible healing through brain retraining. This isn't just about my recovery; it's about showing you the incredible power your brain holds an...

Welcome to the Retrain Your Brain podcast where you will find a neuroscience-based approach to help you heal from chronic illness and complex trauma (without the expensive and restrictive protocols!). My mission is to teach you real, effective strategies like brain retraining, somatic exercises, and trauma healing tools to help you heal at the deepest level - no more surface-level temporary fixes!...