How to Heal Your Brain from Emotional Pain

Your brain is designed to protect you and help you survive, but often it has a hard time regulating – especially when there is an overload of stored negative emotions. This episode is such a powerful breakdown of how to correct that process and find healing!

Rachelle McCloud, LCSW is a Mental Health Therapist and Emotional Wellness coach. Through years of successfully helping clients move their anxiety, depression, and trauma disorders into remission, she has developed a program that empowers people to skillfully get rid of symptoms and heal. She is also the facilitator of the Facebook group Releasing the Baggage of Anxiety, Depression, and Traumatic Stress, where she delivers free training on leading interventions that work well for getting rid of symptoms, not just coping or managing them. Her mission is to empower people to do their own healing work effectively, safely, and skillfully.

Download an listen to this episode here, or find wherever you get podcasts.

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Creating Mind-Body Balance with Ayurvedic Medicine

What the brain struggles to process, the body will store. When we have negative emotions and trauma that we haven’t been able to work through, we often receive symptoms in the forms of physical ailments. This episode digs into this topic from the perspective of Ayurvedic medicine.

Dr. Ram Tamang is an Ayurvedic Physician, Master Herbalist, Educator and High Performance Coach, based in Southern California. Dr. Ram was trained as a doctor at the esteemed Ayurvedic University, MGR Medical University in Coimbatore, India, gained his Master Herbalist Certificate from GCNM in the USA and is one of 700 in the world to receive his certification as a High Performance Coach (CHPC).

As a child of nature, Dr. Ram grew up in the foothills of the Himalayas in Kathmandu, Nepal, learning about herbs and nature-based medicines from his grandmother. Dr. Ram works side-by-side Allopathic Doctors, providing his unique perspective of how Ayurvedic Medicine can be used along with Westernized and Modern Medicine for a truly holistic and holistic approach to healing.

Download and listen to this episode here, or find wherever you get podcasts.

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How Adverse Childhood Events Impact Your Health

The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain that controls impulses and helps to manage behavior. This area is rapidly developing all throughout childhood and adolescence. Many people don’t realize that chronic stress can shrink the prefrontal cortex and inhibit proper decision-making. So what happens when a child encounters trauma or chronic stress? This interview breaks down what adverse childhood events are, and how the brain and body responds to them.

Patrick Wanis, PhD, helps people rapidly change their behavior. As a Human Behavior & Relationship Expert, Wanis has developed SRTT therapy (Subconscious Rapid Transformation Technique) and is now teaching it to other practitioners. Wanis has also developed multiple online psychological and behavioral assessments on Emotional Intelligence, Empathy, Mindfulness, Relationship Breakups, Self-Defeating Behavior, Individual Core Values, and Authenticity. His clientele ranges from celebrities and CEOs to housewives and teenagers.

CNN, BBC, FOX News, MSNBC & major news outlets worldwide consult Wanis for expert insights and analysis on relationships, sexuality, human motivation, trauma, communication, body language, and persuasion. Over five million people have read Wanis’ books in English and Spanish.

Download and listen to this episode here or find wherever you get podcasts.

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Real Talk About Trauma

For most of my life, I didn’t view my trauma as Trauma. Yes, I was diagnosed with PTSD; yes, I dissociated; yes, I struggled with nervous system dysregulation… but I minimized my trauma.

It was just one thing that happened to me on one day when I was a child. It wasn’t ongoing. There are people who experience much worse than me.

When I minimized the trauma, I minimized the effects.

Everyone dissociates once in awhile, right? It’s not uncommon to view yourself outside of yourself when you look back on memories, right? Everyone has episodes of depression during April, right? We all are just waiting for the next big tragedy, right? None of that really MEANS anything.

That’s what I believed.

Add to that thought pattern all the ways we talk about trauma: we use phrases like big T, little t… say things like, “real trauma is only seen in war veterans…” or “trauma is just part of life.”

I minimized my trauma, and I minimized the effects, over and over again.

In high school I wrote an essay about the unique scents of each season and the memories attached (it actually became a finalist in a state writing competition, you know I have to throw that in there). In this essay, I described how the scents of spring felt sad to me because they reminded me of my grandpa’s traumatic death on my front lawn. Even when I wrote the words at the age of 17, I didn’t understand the effects of that trauma the way I do now.

Now I understand that because of that trauma, I dissociated often. I stared off into space randomly, sometimes in the middle of engaging conversations. In the early aftermath of the trauma, I was frequently sick with stomachaches and infections, namely tonsillitis and bronchitis. When an emergency situation arose, I froze, and watched everything that happened outside of my body until I felt safe to return to it.

None of this was intentional, and that is important to understand when we are talking about trauma. These responses were the ways that my brain protected me from a repeat injury. These were signals from my brain to my body, so that my body could go on alert and keep me safe in the way it was designed to.

We all, at some point in our lives, will experience trauma. It may not impact your brain and body the way it impacted me. But it will happen, and it will impact you, if it hasn’t already.

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To the Mothers Who Are Chain-breakers

My grandma was never told “I love you” growing up.

She eloped with her childhood sweetheart when she turned 18, then struggled with infertility for years before she had a procedure done that allowed her to give birth to my uncle, then my mom. She wasn’t a perfect mom, but she began to break the chain. I never once doubted how much she loved me. She told me and she showed me. I miss her.

My other grandma was a mother before she wanted to be. She was the caretaker for her siblings, devoted to them to the point that she put her own dreams on hold. She gave birth in a twilight sleep, and wasn’t “allowed” to comfort her sons when they cried (according to her, that wasn’t how things were done). She wasn’t perfect, but she did the best she could and offered the gift of laughter and joy, especially to her grandkids.

My mom married young and mothered 3 kids under 2. She was always present. She taught me that it’s okay to cry and feel. It’s okay to be anxious, it’s even okay to be depressed. It’s okay to feel big feelings and not know what to do about them. It’s okay to not perform and fit the mold you are expected to fit. It’s okay to be a little inappropriate at times, because that’s just keeping it real.

My other mom by marriage sacrificed the freedom of her youth to give birth to her son. She blazed a trail bravely, choosing single motherhood as a teenager, despite advice of others advocating for the alternative.

I never anticipated to be ushered into motherhood and adulthood at the same time. It wasn’t how I planned it. I’ve never lived alone. I don’t remember what it’s like to not be “on call.” Showering or going to the bathroom in peace is always a luxury. But my road was paved by strong women who overcame generational bondage and trauma. They did hard things, made choices (some good, some bad), but they laid out the bricks to walk a better journey than the ones who came before them.

As mothers, we break chains. We build upon what went before us… all the good, bad, and really bad. We change patterns. But mostly, we learn as we go. We make mistakes, and we ask for forgiveness. We strive to do better.

I am who I am because of the ones who came before me. I am grateful for my time with the mothers no longer here on this earth and for every spare second I can get with the ones who are. I hope to continue to break chains and build upon their foundation of strength, love, grace, and hope.

Mental Health Awareness Month: Special Podcast Episodes

This month, I’m taking a break from the regular podcast content to bring episodes focused on bringing awareness to all the tools that support our mental health. Contrary to what the media may tell you, you can change your brain. You can heal from mental illness. You can access resources beyond medication and more sleep, and many of those resources are free, like these episodes.

In Episode 135, I share my story of overcoming PTSD, depression, and bipolar disorder in a way I haven’t shared before.

Key Topics:

The growing epidemic of mental health issues in teens
The root causes to my own mental health issues and how I struggled to find treatment that supported my mental well-being
The medication weaning process and how I was able to get off medication I had been on for 18 years
The tools I used to support healing and how I continue to prioritize my mental health to prevent recurring issues

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Neurolinguistic Programming: The Stories We Created for Ourselves and How to Update Them

Rachel S. Heslin has been immersed in the study of psychology for over 40 years. Her father, a clinical psychologist, taught his children his craft such that Rachel was first introduced to Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) concepts when she was 9 years old.

Rachel is currently the author of two books: Navigating Life: 8 Different Strategies to Guide Your Way, and Rituals of Release: How to Make Room for Your New Life. Her work through her company, The Fullness of Your Power, helps people embrace all parts of their true selves so they can live happier, more successful, and more deeply fulfilling lives.

Download this episode here or find wherever you get podcasts!

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Five Things Triggering Anxiety over the Holidays

They say this is the most wonderful time of the year, but for those of us who struggle with seasonal mood fluctuations, it often isn’t. I always try to make an effort to enter this season on the offense, instead of playing defense.

Here are five things that could be triggering anxiety and mood instability over the holiday season. The beauty of these things is that each one of them impact the other, because so many of these important processes are connected.

Poor sleep – Sleep deprivation leads to heightened activity in the amygdala (your fear brain) and decreases the function of the prefrontal cortex. With lack of restful sleep we become reactionary and it makes it difficult to make good decisions. Listen to your circadian rhythm this season, and choose to go to bed an hour earlier. That can make all the difference in the world for your brain. Cut the electronics an hour before bed or at least wear blue light blocking glasses, because blue light blocks melatonin, which we need for restful sleep.

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Healing Trauma: When It’s Not Safe to Feel Safe, Even When You’re Safe

It is well-established science that “the body keeps the score.” Trauma therapy is no small task, and sometimes traditional talk therapy doesn’t take people to the depths of healing they need.

In this episode, licensed professional counselor and EMDRIA certified EMDR therapist Heather Hall unpacks the phases of healing from trauma, and why it is important to take a whole body approach.

Download and listen here or find wherever you get podcasts.

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Wired but Tired: Adrenal Burnout and What to Do to Restore Your Body

What many women consider normal for their health is nowhere near optimal. Feeling exhausted, worn down, moody, and imbalanced is a sign your body needs help.

In this episode, Kelsey Jack, a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, shares the serious affects of stressed adrenals and the interplay in female health.

Download here or find wherever you get podcasts.

Key Topics:

Kelsey’s story of hitting rock bottom and finding solutions to tackle the root
The book that changed the trajectory of her health
The role adrenals and cortisol play in health
Underlying factors that hurt adrenal health
How to take care of adrenals and the blood sugar balance (hint: you probably aren’t eating enough)
Best nutrition practices to know if we’re eating enough to restore adrenal health
How to listen to your intuition and advocate for your health

Learn more about Kelsey at whollywell.health and the Wholly Well podcast.

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