The Write Brain

Welcome back to The Write Brain podcast. This week we're joined by musician, author, and creative visionary Mod Sun for one of our most inspiring conversations yet. From growing up on a farm in Minnesota to becoming a platinum-selling artist, Mod Sun shares the mindset that helped him overcome rejection, anxiety, trauma, and self-doubt while building a career completely on his own terms. Together...

In this episode, we’re talking about red light therapy, lasers, brain stimulation, autism research, and why it matters so much to understand how these tools are actually being used. Dr. Robert Melillo discusses research from his lab involving low-level laser therapy and autism, and explains why tools like red light, infrared light, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and other forms of brain-based...

This week we have our friend Cassidy Daniels on the pod, and we are so excited for you to hear this one. Cassidy is an incredible singer-songwriter who you may recognize from Dutton Ranch, where she performed her song “Heartshaped Necklace.” We talk about that experience, the power of music placement, and what it’s been like watching her career grow. In this episode, we get into: Cassidy’s childho...

After a little break, we’re back — and this week we’re talking about the connection between movement, mental health, brain development, and overall wellness . In this episode, Ellis and Dr. Robert Melillo discuss why physical activity is so important for the brain, especially in childhood, and how the rise of digital technology and sedentary lifestyles may be connected to changes in cognitive scor...

In this episode, we’re talking about pathological demand avoidance and task avoidance — what they look like, why they get confused, and what may actually be happening in the brain. A lot of people use these terms interchangeably, but they are not always the same thing. We get into: What pathological demand avoidance (PDA) means How it overlaps with autism How task avoidance can look similar but co...

In this episode, we’re talking about something so many people struggle with but don’t fully understand: Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD). If you’ve ever: Taken criticism really hard Felt like one comment ruined your entire week Constantly worried people are mad at you Needed reassurance in relationships Felt like rejection hits you way deeper than others …this episode is for you. We break dow...

This week we have our friend Sydnee Washington on the pod, and this episode is everything we hoped it would be: hilarious, honest, chaotic, vulnerable, and completely unforgettable. Sydnee is currently on tour with her show My Black Barbie Story, and while she was in Nashville, we got to sit down and talk about everything from childhood and comedy to anxiety, stage fright, people pleasing, and lea...

Welcome back to The Write Brain podcast. With Autism Awareness Month approaching in April — and World Autism Awareness Day on April 2nd — we wanted to create an episode that gives a clear, big-picture understanding of autism and neurodivergence. There is so much confusion around autism today. This episode is about simplifying it. Dr. Robert Melillo shares decades of clinical experience and neurosc...

In this episode, we sit down with country artist Sadie Bass to talk about her new single “F You, I’m ADHD” — and the deeper reality behind what ADHD actually feels like. This conversation goes way beyond the label. We get into: • The difference between ADD vs ADHD (and why it matters) • Right brain vs left brain — and how it affects learning & creativity • Why ADHD isn’t really an “attention d...

In this episode we talk about a growing concern researchers are starting to notice around the world: For the first time in recorded history, a generation may be declining on certain cognitive measures compared to their parents. Cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath has pointed to a surprising factor — the widespread introduction of digital technology in schools and childhood developmen...

In this episode of The Write Brain Podcast, we dive into one of the most controversial and misunderstood topics in autism: What if non-speaking autistic individuals understand everything? Dr. Robert Melillo shares 35 years of neuroscience research and clinical experience working with children and adults on the autism spectrum — including those who have never spoken a word. We discuss: • What is ac...

This episode starts with a birthday month conversation… and somehow ends with chromosome 7, universal consciousness, autism, astral projection, and mushroom chocolate. We’re diving into something that sounds “woo” — but may actually have scientific grounding. In this episode, we explore: • Published research on a potential “psychic gene”  • The role of chromosome 7 in intuitive abilities  • Whethe...

Abby Anderson joins The Write Brain podcast for a raw, honest conversation about creativity, anxiety, control, and what it really means to be gifted. In this episode, Abby opens up about: Growing up feeling “too sensitive” Why creative people struggle with anxiety and self-doubt The neuroscience behind right-brain dominance How control and perfectionism can turn into coping behaviors Her experienc...

Memory isn’t what most people think it is. In this episode of The Write Brain podcast, Ellis and her dad dive into how memory actually works — and why so many creative, right-brained people feel like they “don’t remember anything.” We talk about: The difference between right brain and left brain memory Why some people remember feelings but not details How trauma and stress affect memory Why forget...

In this episode of The Write Brain podcast , we sit down with Stephen Astephen , founder of The Familie , a sports and music management agency, to talk about right brain entrepreneurship , dyslexia, insecurity, and vision. Steve shares his story — struggling in school, growing up with instability, never graduating high school, and being labeled “bad at academics” — and how those same traits became...

In this first episode of the year, we’re talking about manifestation, identity, and the right brain way of creating a life. We dive into why so many creatives, entrepreneurs, and big-picture thinkers struggled in traditional school systems — and how those same traits often become their greatest strengths later on. From dyslexia and daydreaming to questioning authority and creating something out of...

This week on The Write Brain, we sit down with for a real, unfiltered conversation about creativity, childhood, and what it means to be honest in your work. We talk about growing up, school, family dynamics, and the early signs of feeling different — long before there was language for it. The conversation naturally moves into creativity as a place of refuge, songwriting as truth-telling, and the c...

In this episode of The Write Brain podcast, we sit down with Dallas Alexander — world-record-holding sniper, country music artist, and devoted father. Dallas opens up about his military career, losing his brother to cancer, and the unexpected healing he experienced through music and psilocybin. We explore PTSD, grief, right-brain healing, parenting in a digital age, and how creativity can help us...

This might be one of the most vulnerable episodes we’ve ever done. Today on The Write Brain podcast, we sit down with actor Johnathon Schaech to talk about dyslexia, shame, Hollywood, sexual abuse, addiction, and what real healing has looked like for him. Johnathon opens up about growing up as a creative, right-brained kid in Baltimore, excelling in art, dance, and sports while secretly struggling...

We finally did it — after 50 episodes, we’re revealing The Right Brain Box . This is the kit we’ve spent years talking about, experimenting with, and using in real life… and now we’re putting it into one place so anyone can start balancing their brain at home. In this episode, Ellis and Dr. Robert Melillo walk through everything inside the new Right Brain Box (and the upcoming Left Brain Box): vib...

What is consciousness, really — and how does your brain build your reality? In this episode of The Write Brain podcast, Ellis and Dr. Robert Melillo dive into the trippy but practical side of consciousness: how your brain stitches together sight, sound, memory, and emotion into a “movie” of your life… and what happens when that timing gets thrown off (anxiety, paranoia, psychosis, false memories,...

Can sound actually balance your brain? In this episode, Ellis and Dr. Robert Melillo break down the science of sound: high vs. low frequencies, why one ear can stimulate the opposite hemisphere, bone-conduction hacks, and how music choice (yes, even Mozart vs. jazz) can shift mood, focus, anxiety, and reading/rhythm issues. We also share quick at-home tests and everyday listening tweaks you can tr...

In this episode of The Write Brain podcast, Ellis and Dr. Melillo sit down with singer-songwriter and viral bird-watcher Bonner Black to talk about ADHD, maladaptive daydreaming, and the brutal emotional comedown after big performances and life wins. Bonner opens up about panic attacks, self-harm, and growing up as a homeschooled, right-brained kid on a Tennessee farm—plus how bird-watching unexpe...

Ellis and Dr. Melillo go deep on COLOR & LIGHT—how different wavelengths (red/orange/yellow vs. blue/indigo/violet) nudge left/right brain networks, impact reading, focus, anxiety, and even motion sensitivity. We cover practical tools (tinted & hemifield lenses, flashing-light glasses) and why some lights (hello, flickery fluorescents) can make you feel off. Plus: what 40 Hz “gamma” is and...

From Nashville writer rounds to the science of the brain–gut loop, Ellis and Dr. Melillo unpack why there’s no one-size-fits-all diet—and how to tell what YOUR body actually needs. We dig into food sensitivities (what blood tests really measure), “leaky gut” (and why it actually begins in infancy), chemicals/dyes (Red 40, etc.), and the TikTok trends around parasites, mold, and candida. Plus: how...