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There's a myth that recovery means waking up one day and never having symptoms again—that once the nervous system is "healed," pain and discomfort just stop. But holding onto that belief can actually keep the body stuck in vigilance mode. In this episode, Grace explores what recovery really looks like after years of chronic symptoms. She shares her own recent experience with a painful neck flare-up and how she moved through it without spiraling or letting it derail her life. This is the honest, grounded version of healing that often goes unspoken. Grace discusses why the expectation of perfect healing creates more pressure in the body, how time-based goals can work against progress, and what it means when care becomes intuitive rather than rigid. She offers a powerful reframe: recovery isn't the absence of sensation—it's the absence of fear. The goal isn't protecting yourself from life, but building the capacity to fully live it. Resources from Grace: Mind-Body Healing Method Course - Regulate your nervous system now Work with me in therapy or coaching Subscribe to my Substack for the deeper how-to's Download the FreeMe app for chronic fatigue FREE Nervous System Tracking Workbook Connect with Grace Connect on Instagram Check out my website

Rebecca Tolin recovered from 13 years of ME/CFS after seeing 50 practitioners and trying everything from anti-viral IVs to 30 supplements a day. In this episode, she shares what finally worked—and why the nervous system holds the key to lasting relief. Grace and Rebecca explore how chronic fatigue develops in the brain and body, why chasing diagnoses like Epstein-Barr, mold, and Lyme often keeps people stuck, and what it actually takes to reclaim your life after years of debilitating symptoms. In this episode: ✨ How ME/CFS and post-viral syndromes become learned patterns in the brain ✨ Why fear and the medical journey itself can perpetuate symptoms ✨ The difference between pacing (which keeps you stuck) and graded exposure (which helps you heal) ✨ Rebecca's "safe zone strategy" for challenging yourself without overwhelming your system ✨ How to use the symptom timeline to uncover emotional roots ✨ What recovery actually looks like—and why symptoms can become wise messengers Rebecca Tolin is a mind-body coach who helps people with CFS, long COVID, and other neuroplastic conditions reclaim well-being, self-compassion, and inner wisdom. She's the creator of the Be Your Own Medicine course, blending neuroscience with somatic meditation, emotional awareness, brain training, and nervous system regulation.  Connect with Rebecca:  Website: www.rebeccatolin.com  Newsletter: www.rebeccatolin.com/newsletter  Try a free somatic meditation: www.rebeccatolin.com/blog  YouTube: Rebecca Tolin Youtube Email inquiries: [email protected] Resources from Grace: Mind-Body Healing Method Course - Regulate your nervous system now Work with me in therapy or coaching Subscribe to my Substack for the deeper how-to's Download the FreeMe app for chronic fatigue FREE Nervous System Tracking Workbook Connect with Grace Connect on Instagram Check out my website

In this episode, Grace gets honest about something she's been quietly navigating—how being online as a business owner and content creator has kept her nervous system in subtle but constant activation. Not major symptoms, just a low hum of hypervigilance she couldn't ignore anymore. She shares what she noticed in her own body, why the habit of reaching for your phone might be keeping your system from settling, and how to start pausing before the scroll. Grace also talks about the difference between consuming content and letting content consume you—and why she's started writing on Substack as a slower, deeper space for this work. This isn't about demonizing social media. It's about getting curious about the ways our modern world keeps us in low-grade activation, and what we can do about it. Resources from Grace: Mind-Body Healing Method Course - Regulate your nervous system now Work with me in therapy or coaching Subscribe to my Substack for the deeper how-to's Download the FreeMe app for chronic fatigue FREE Nervous System Tracking Workbook Connect with Grace Connect on Instagram Check out my website

If you're dealing with digestive issues—whether it's IBS, chronic gut problems, or discomfort that's followed you since childhood—or if brain fog has been stealing your clarity and focus, this episode is one you don't want to miss. Alex Eckford can't remember a time when her body felt "normal." From elementary school stomach aches to debilitating brain fog as an adult, she spent years chasing diagnosis after diagnosis—mold, parasites, histamine intolerance—and watched her list of "safe" foods shrink until eating became its own source of anxiety. Nothing brought lasting relief. Then she found mind-body work, and everything shifted. Through the Mind-Body Healing Method and private sessions, Alex experienced a true transformation—not just managing her symptoms, but actually healing them. In this episode, Alex shares her journey from constant symptom-scanning to food freedom, and how understanding her nervous system helped her brain fog finally lift. ✨ Why years of protocols and food elimination didn't bring lasting healing ✨ The moment she realized her symptoms were tied to her nervous system, not infections or toxins ✨ How understanding the "red, yellow, green" zones helped her brain fog disappear ✨ The shift from "what's wrong with me?" to "how can I support my body?" ✨ What true food freedom looks like after years of restriction ✨ Why healing doesn't have to be hard—and how simple, consistent practices created the biggest changes If you've been wondering whether your symptoms could be neuroplastic, or if this work might be right for you, Alex's words at the end might just be the nudge you need: "If you're wondering if it's for you, it probably is." 🌿 Ready to start your healing journey? The Mind-Body Healing Method now has NEW updates with more individual support to help you truly heal—not just manage—your symptoms. Resources from Grace: Mind-Body Healing Method Course - Regulate your nervous system now Work with me in therapy or coaching Subscribe to my Substack for the deeper how-to's Download the FreeMe app for chronic fatigue FREE Nervous System Tracking Workbook Connect with Grace Connect on Instagram Check out my website

What actually helped people heal in 2025—and how can you carry that momentum into the new year?  In this episode, Grace reflects on the biggest shifts she's witnessed in her clients and community: from learning to see symptoms as messengers rather than enemies, to understanding what recovery really looks like (hint: it's not perfection). Grace breaks down the three pillars that made the biggest difference—curiosity, safety, and releasing fear—and explores why self-compassion isn't optional if you want to heal. She also shares what 2026 can look like when you stop fixing your body and start listening to it. In this episode: ✨ Why shifting symptoms are actually a hopeful sign ✨ What recovery really looks like (and why it's not about being symptom-free forever) ✨ The role of self-compassion, boundaries, and radical honesty in nervous system healing ✨ How to make 2026 the year your body finally feels like home Grace also shares how you can go deeper with the Mind-Body Healing Method (self-paced) or one-to-one support. Resources from Grace: Mind-Body Healing Method Course - Regulate your nervous system now Work with me in therapy or coaching Subscribe to my Substack for the deeper how-to's Download the FreeMe app for chronic fatigue FREE Nervous System Tracking Workbook Connect with Grace Connect on Instagram Check out my website

It's no surprise this is the most played and most downloaded episode of 2025. In this Best of 2025 replay, Grace sits down with Christie Uipi, LCSW—psychotherapist and co-creator of Pain Reprocessing Therapy—to explore what it really means to have a sensitive or "higher needs" nervous system. Both Grace and Christie share personal and professional experiences navigating this terrain: the dozens of symptoms, the endless specialists, and the eventual relief of realizing it all stems from one place. They dig into the nuance of what to embrace about your sensitivity versus what might be worth gently challenging—and how to tell the difference between honoring a boundary and letting fear run the show. This conversation covers the snowball effect of avoidance, why comparing yourself to people who "just hop out of bed" isn't helpful, and why the goal isn't to eliminate sensitivity—it's to access more joy. If you've ever felt like your nervous system asks for more than everyone else's, this one's for you. In this episode: What it means to have a higher needs nervous systemContainer vs. limitation: knowing what to accept and what to challengeHow avoidance becomes contagious—and how to interrupt itLetting go of exceptionalism and embracing balanceWhy healing isn't about going back to who you wereConnect with Christie: Website: bettermindcenter.com Instagram: @better.with.christy Resources from Grace: Mind-Body Healing Method Course - Regulate your nervous system now Work with me in therapy or coaching Subscribe to my Substack for the deeper how-to's Download the FreeMe app for chronic fatigue FREE Nervous System Tracking Workbook Connect with Grace Connect on Instagram Check out my website

Welcome to our end-of-year tradition! This week, we're re-airing one of the top two episodes of 2025—and it's no surprise this one resonated so deeply. Catastrophizing is one of the most common mental habits keeping people stuck in chronic symptoms, fear, and anxiety. It's that moment when your brain jumps straight to the worst-case scenario: "I'm never going to heal." "This always happens." "What if it never goes away?" In this solo episode, Grace walks through exactly what's happening when you spiral, why your nervous system hits the panic button, and how to catch yourself in real time. She shares from her own journey with fatigue and chronic symptoms, and offers practical tools to help you turn toward yourself with presence and compassion instead of fear. Grace covers what catastrophizing actually is and why your brain does it, the 90-second rule for emotions, how to name it and ride the wave, calming reframes to use during a flare, and why even a one-second pause is powerful. Save this one and come back to it—it's an all-time favorite for a reason. Resources from Grace: Mind-Body Healing Method Course - Regulate your nervous system now Work with me in therapy or coaching Subscribe to my Substack for the deeper how-to's Download the FreeMe app for chronic fatigue FREE Nervous System Tracking Workbook Connect with Grace Connect on Instagram Check out my website

Chris Sykes-Popham went from Royal Marines commando and adventure seeker to completely housebound with ME/CFS. Within weeks of finding the mind-body approach, he saw significant improvement—and within months, he made a full recovery. Now he's the founder of the FreeMe app, designed specifically for people with ME/CFS and long COVID. In this episode, Grace and Chris explore what actually moves the needle in ME/CFS recovery—including why high-achievers are especially prone to these conditions, how fear and catastrophizing keep symptoms stuck, the power of somatic tracking for fatigue, the difference between helpful and harmful pacing, how food associations can become their own trap, and why joy and meaningful activity are essential tools for nervous system healing. Both Grace and Chris share their personal recovery journeys and the shifts that got them off the couch and back into life. Connect with Chris through the Freeme Website Download the FreeMe app here:  Resources from Grace: Mind-Body Healing Method Course - Regulate your nervous system now Work with me in therapy or coaching Subscribe to my Substack for the deeper how-to's Download the FreeMe app for chronic fatigue FREE Nervous System Tracking Workbook Connect with Grace Connect on Instagram Check out my website

The holidays can feel like the Olympics for your nervous system—and if your symptoms tend to spike around family, you're not alone. In this episode, Grace explores why your body might still brace for impact around family, even if you've done years of healing work and your relationships aren't "that bad." She explains how your nervous system reacts to old emotional patterns rather than your current reality, and why roles like the peacekeeper, the easy one, or the one who's "too sensitive" can get reactivated during this time. Grace breaks down the seven F's that fuel symptom flares—Fight, Frustration, Fear, Focus, Fix, Figure it out, and Forlorn—and shares two grounding questions to ask yourself when you're in a high-pain moment. She also offers a reminder: your symptoms aren't a sign you've gone backward. They're just an outdated security system that can be updated. Resources from Grace: Mind-Body Healing Method Course - Regulate your nervous system now Work with me in therapy or coaching Subscribe to my Substack for the deeper how-to's Download the FreeMe app for chronic fatigue FREE Nervous System Tracking Workbook Connect with Grace Connect on Instagram Check out my website

Grace sits down with somatic psychotherapist Claire Bailey to explore one of the most common—and least talked about—forms of neuroplastic symptoms: gut issues.  Claire shares her own decade-long journey with debilitating digestive pain, IBS, and chronic abdominal symptoms, and the countless approaches she tried before discovering what was actually missing.  They discuss why gut symptoms respond so strongly to stress, the difference between being told to "manage your stress" and truly understanding the brain-body connection, and how a single conversation with a physician who validated Claire's intuition became the turning point in her recovery.  Grace and Claire also unpack why restrictive diets and food fear often reinforce symptoms rather than resolve them, the role medication can play as a support (not a solution) in healing, and what Claire's master's research revealed about the critical importance of neuroplastic education in recovery.  You'll leave with a deeper understanding of why your gut isn't broken—it's responding to signals from a nervous system that can absolutely be retrained. Connect with Claire: Instagram: @bodyfulcounseling Website: bodyfulcounseling.com  Email: [email protected] Resources from Grace: Mind-Body Healing Method Course - Regulate your nervous system now Work with me in therapy or coaching Subscribe to my Substack for the deeper how-to's Download the FreeMe app for chronic fatigue FREE Nervous System Tracking Workbook Connect with Grace Connect on Instagram Check out my website

Grace celebrates 100 episodes by revisiting the most powerful healing lessons from the past two years—the ones listeners say changed everything. She unpacks why healing is never linear (and why your brain needs to hear that on repeat), how recovery stories actually rewire your nervous system toward safety, why food fear keeps symptoms stuck, and how to retrain your brain around eating, and what listener messages reveal about migraine relief, being able to eat again, and preventing caregiver burnout.  Grace also shares her own journey with the podcast—the mumbling, the doubts, and why repetition is the key to building new neural pathways. You'll leave with a clearer understanding of what this work is really about: reminding your body it's not broken, it's not failing, and that healing is absolutely possible when you have the right tools and support. Resources from Grace: Mind-Body Healing Method Course - Regulate your nervous system now Work with me in therapy or coaching Subscribe to my Substack for the deeper how-to's Download the FreeMe app for chronic fatigue FREE Nervous System Tracking Workbook Connect with Grace Connect on Instagram Check out my website

Grace is joined by Kelly Goode, who shares her journey from barely being able to walk up stairs and living with 30+ food sensitivities to reclaiming her life in just three months through nervous system work. Kelly opens up about spending tens of thousands on treatments—from specialty clinics to IV therapy to 20 different supplement bottles—yet still declining to the point where she was Googling her life expectancy. What shifted everything wasn't another protocol, but realizing her nervous system dysregulation was driving her immune system failure, chronic fatigue, EOE, and Lyme disease symptoms. Together they explore how Kelly went from 30 food allergies to just 3, stopped acid burning in her throat with guided meditations, and cleared her brain fog within the first month. Kelly also shares what it meant to finally stop pushing through pain, reclaim her power from practitioners, and learn that "talking nice to yourself" is actually survival medicine. This episode is a hopeful reminder that when you address the brain and nervous system—not just the body—healing can happen faster than you think. Even when you've been told your condition is chronic or incurable. Resources from Grace: Mind-Body Healing Method Course - Regulate your nervous system now Work with me in therapy or coaching Subscribe to my Substack for the deeper how-to's Download the FreeMe app for chronic fatigue FREE Nervous System Tracking Workbook Connect with Grace Connect on Instagram Check out my website

If you've tried everything for your chronic symptoms and nothing has worked—physical therapy, doctors, diets, supplements—this conversation might be exactly what you need to hear. Sean Hershey is a licensed psychotherapist who completely healed his severe, debilitating IBS through mind-body work. In this episode, he shares his journey from chronic suffering to symptom-free living, and gets honest about the ongoing work with his hip pain—including the doubt spirals that still show up even after major healing. You'll learn: ✨ How Sean went from severe chronic IBS to fully healed ✨ The moment the paradigm shift clicked for him (and why it took hearing it multiple ways) ✨ Why his hip pain became a "symptom imperative" and what that really means ✨ How to work through doubt—even when you've seen this work succeed ✨ Why emotional processing (not just awareness) is key to lasting relief ✨ What it looks like when healing isn't linear—and why that's completely normal Sean's story is proof that this work works. His IBS is gone. His life is transformed. And he's real about the fact that healing continues, even after breakthrough moments. Connect with Sean: 🎙️ Podcast: https://mind-body-medicine.captivate.fm/ 🌐 Website: https://www.mindbodymedicineforchronicpain.com/ 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/my_gay_therapist/ Resources from Grace: Mind-Body Healing Method Course - Regulate your nervous system now Work with me in therapy or coaching Subscribe to my Substack for the deeper how-to's Download the FreeMe app for chronic fatigue FREE Nervous System Tracking Workbook Connect with Grace Connect on Instagram Check out my website

In this episode, Grace explores why conditions like long COVID, POTS, chronic fatigue, Lyme disease, and mold illness often persist—not because of the virus or toxin itself, but because the nervous system remains stuck in survival mode. She unpacks the science behind the body's threat response and how symptoms become learned patterns when the brain keeps predicting danger. Grace shares emerging research on POTS reprocessing therapy and the power of emotional coherence, offering a compassionate reframe: your body isn't broken, it's brilliant. This episode invites you to see healing as teaching your nervous system it's safe again. Resources from Grace: Mind-Body Healing Method Course - Regulate your nervous system now Work with me in therapy or coaching Subscribe to my Substack for the deeper how-to's Download the FreeMe app for chronic fatigue FREE Nervous System Tracking Workbook Connect with Grace Connect on Instagram Check out my website

Grace is joined by Dr. Michael Dow, a clinical psychologist and lead therapist for Pain Reprocessing Therapy, to explore how our brains can learn to predict symptoms—and why that's actually good news for healing. Michael shares his personal journey from chronic weekly headaches to full recovery, what he learned from running a pain management program where nobody got out of pain, and how everything shifted when he discovered pain reprocessing therapy through the Boulder Back Pain Study. They discuss why symptoms show up at the same time every day, what recovery really looks like, why that last 5-20% of healing feels hardest, and how to address the emotions and life patterns keeping symptoms stuck with fierce compassion. Takeaways: - If your brain learned to predict your symptoms, it can unlearn them - Pain management vs. pain treatment: one keeps you comfortable, one gets you out of pain - Recovery doesn't mean perfection—it means living without fear of your symptoms - That last bit of healing often requires facing what you're most afraid of - Patience and self-compassion aren't optional—they're essential - If one approach doesn't work, keep trying; there's something that will click ABOUT DR. MICHAEL DOW: Dr. Michael Dow has been in practice in Boulder as a psychotherapist for over 20 years. After finishing his MA in Contemplative Psychotherapy at Naropa University, he worked in a variety of settings with different mental and physical health issues. He completed his doctorate in clinical psychology in 2009 at the University of the Rockies with a focus on the development of mindfulness-based psychotherapies. Most recently, he managed a large integrated medical clinic and served as lead therapist and trainer for Pain Reprocessing Therapy—an approach with excellent results for chronic low back pain in a recent randomized controlled trial (Ashar YK, Gordon A, Schubiner H, et al. JAMA Psychiatry). Dr. Dow specializes in mind-body issues, couples psychotherapy, and psychodynamic psychotherapy, with a focus on how close attention to body, mind, language, and connection leads to healing and aliveness. If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who needs to hear it.  CONNECT WITH DR. MICHAEL DOW: Website: drmichaeldow.com Email: [email protected] Health coaching is available nationwide and internationally Consultation groups for practitioners working with neuroplastic symptoms Resources from Grace: Mind-Body Healing Method Course - Regulate your nervous system now Work with me in therapy or coaching Subscribe to my Substack for the deeper how-to's Download the FreeMe app for chronic fatigue FREE Nervous System Tracking Workbook Connect with Grace Connect on Instagram Check out my website