Nervous System Care & Healing

If you’ve ever criticized yourself for being “lazy,” “unproductive,” or “not trying hard enough”, you may be struggling to conform to capitalistic standards of productivity. But that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with YOU - it means you’re navigating a system that wasn’t built to account for your full humanity (like your body’s need for rest). Under capitalism, we’re taught to base our worth...

If you experience the world through a highly sensitive nervous system - and often feel stuck in overstimulation, or more deeply impacted by stress compared to others - this episode is here to support you. Join me & April in a soothing conversation on: What is the HSP (Highly Sensitive Person) nervous system & how does it differ from non-HSP nervous systems? | 05:52 How to care for your hig...

The nervous system communicates in different “languages,” and one of those languages is sensation - like muscle tension, heart rate, breathing patterns, and other internal bodily experiences.  The nervous system can also communicate through other languages - like emotions that you feel, thoughts that you think, images that you see in your mind’s eye, or an inner voice that you hear. In this episod...

How are our lives shaped by the experiences of our parents, grandparents, and ancestors? How can we honor our family's stories - of migration, survival, assimilation - without having those stories define/limit our future? Why do some people feel disconnected from their cultures/lineages… and how can reconnecting with our roots help us heal & feel a sense of belonging?  Join me & Denise in...

If your nervous system can’t tell the difference between being chased by a bear and checking the news (or checking your email, or receiving a text that says “we need to talk”)… you’re not alone. You’re among the many people who feel overwhelmed by the pace & intensity of modern life, and you may be experiencing sensory burnout & overload. In this episode, I explain what “sensory rest” is,...

The term PTSD, short for “Post-traumatic Stress Disorder,” implies that trauma happened in the past (and is over now). But for so many people, trauma is not a thing of the past - it’s an ongoing, collective, and systemic experience. In this educational conversation, Dr. Diana Ali & I unpack this question: How do we heal, when trauma is still happening in the present? How do we regulate our ner...

Community is essential for our nervous system health - especially in times of systemic turmoil, injustice, and grief. In this episode, I discuss why it can be difficult to find community in our individualistic Western society; and why community is a two-way street, where we learn to give AND receive. Through the concept of “love languages,” we’ll explore how to build community in ways that align w...

Nervous system regulation is the capacity to shift states - from dysregulated, overwhelmed, and disconnected, to regulated, grounded, and connected. It’s a skill that we can develop & strengthen across time, and that allows us to build healthy relationships - with self, others, & the world. This episode shares options for nervous system regulation - self- & co-regulation - so you can a...

How do you know if you have trauma… or if you’re neurodivergent… or both? Why does it seem like more & more people are receiving autism & ADHD diagnoses these days? And what does capitalism have to do with all this? Join me & Lila as we explore the link between capitalistic systems and the struggles experienced by neurodivergent people. In this episode, we discuss: the neurodiversity-a...

In a world that can feel disconnecting, dysregulating, and filled with suffering, just as it is important to grieve, it is important to stay connected to hope.  In this episode, I share reflections on: why we need hope as a resource, when navigating systemic grief & oppression why hope is different from spiritual bypassing (hope moves us toward action & fuels us to build the world we want...

If you’re a parent of a neurodivergent child (autistic, ADHD, PDA, & more; high, medium, or low support needs), you may have noticed that mainstream parenting advice doesn’t always make sense for you, your child, or your family’s needs.  In this episode, Dr. Carolyn Solo & I explore the differences between neurodiversity-affirming parenting (which values connection, autonomy, & nervous...

If you’ve ever noticed that talking about your problems doesn't necessarily help you FEEL better about them… you might have experienced the limitations of talk therapy.  In this episode, I explain how Brainspotting - a healing modality that works directly with the deep brain & nervous system - can fill in the gaps. We’ll cover: 00:26 What is Brainspotting & how does it work? 05:23 What’s t...

However you’re feeling about sex is normal - whether you feel curious, apprehensive, frustrated, confused, sad, overwhelmed, excited, neutral, or something else.  This episode is here to support you in building a healthy & expansive relationship to sex & intimacy… while acknowledging both your nervous system and the systems around us.  Join me & Dominique, a certified sex therapist, as...

Death is a natural part of life… yet our death-phobic, grief-phobic society rarely acknowledges this fact.  We’ll eagerly plan for marriages, births, graduations, and other life milestones… but avoid discussing end of life. This is understandable, as confronting our mortality can feel scary & overwhelming. Yet conversations about end of life can also be meaningful & life-affirming, ensurin...

In this episode, we’re diving into the Asian American experience - going beyond stereotypes, and exploring deeper truths about belonging, identity, and authenticity. For Asian Americans: this episode is here to affirm you & help you make sense of your experiences. For non-Asian folks: this episode is here to educate & inform you, and invite curiosity & connection across communities. Jo...

What if we saw creativity as not just a nice-to-have extra thing, but as an essential part of the human experience & the healing process? We are all creative beings (yes, even if you think you’re “bad at art” or “not creative”).  In this episode, I’ll explore the link between creativity and healing. 01:48 Creativity can look so many different ways - from picking an outfit for the day to knitti...

Mainstream approaches to mental health tend to focus on the individual: “you need to fix yourself.” Meanwhile, a liberation-focused approach acknowledges the systems of oppression that shape each individual’s life. In liberation counseling, we see mental health as a social, political, & economic issue, not just an individual issue. After all, we can’t talk about healing & nervous system re...

If you discovered your neurodivergence (like autism or ADHD) later in life, it may feel like you’re getting to know yourself for the first time. The process can be exciting & expansive - and also overwhelming & disorienting. This episode is here to affirm you, support you, and awaken a sense of curiosity & self-compassion… wherever you are in your journey of unmasking & embracing y...

If the common “ADHD tips & tricks” don’t work for your ADHD brain, it might be time to slow down & tend to your nervous system in a different way.  The truth is, ADHDers need more than planners, apps, & executive functioning “hacks” in order to move sustainably through this world. Though all these tools can absolutely be helpful, they address only one layer of the experience.  It’s als...

If you struggle to regulate your nervous system, often experiencing burnout, meltdowns, & sensory overload… this episode is for you. I’ll share practical info on how to care for your nervous system, focusing on the 5 senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, & taste) and beyond (proprioception & intuition). We’ll reflect on these questions: What brings you joy? What makes you happy to be ali...

Let’s talk about the perinatal nervous system – what it is, how it differs from a non-perinatal nervous system, and how caring for mothers creates a ripple effect of healing across generations. In this conversation, Paige DiChiara & I explore the perinatal nervous system from a scientific, spiritual, & systemic lens.  We discuss: how to honor the perinatal transition as a rite of passage –...

We’ve all heard the claim that psychedelic drugs will “fry your brain.” We’ve also heard the opposite story: that psychedelics (like psilocybin, MDMA, & ketamine) are a “magic pill” that’ll cure depression, anxiety, & PTSD — overnight! With such polarizing narratives, it can be hard to discern what’s myth & what’s truth.  Whether you’re curious about psychedelic therapy, or skeptical a...

Though psychedelic medicines are often presented as a “quick fix” or “magic pill” in mainstream Western culture, the truth is far more complex than that.  In this episode, Mariya Javed-Payne & I explore a decolonial approach to psychedelic medicines — an approach that divests from capitalism, honors Indigenous wisdom, and centers relationship & reciprocity. We explore why psychedelic medic...

When the world feels like it’s on fire, it’s natural to become overwhelmed, dysregulated, and overstimulated. (In fact, that’s a sign that our nervous systems are working as designed, alerting us to threats to safety).  But no one wants to feel STUCK in overwhelm.  In this short & sweet episode, I share 3 reminders to help you tend to your nervous system and navigate the state of the world wit...

If you hold marginalized identities (like being queer, BIPOC, or neurodivergent), you’re used to navigating spaces that weren’t built for you — including the medical system.  Unfortunately, the mental health field has a history of pathologizing folks... leading many to believe, “there’s something wrong with ME.” It’s time that we change this narrative. Join me in a poignant conversation with thera...