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There’s a book on my shelf that I’ve been reading for... what feels like forever. Every week or so, I’ll pick it up & read through another chapter. The content of the book is complex, so I can only process one chapter at a time. Then, my brain gets tired and needs a break. (The book, for the record, is called A Disability History of the United States, and it’s definitely not a “light read.”) My point is: the slow pace of reading a physical book - feeling the material in my hands, turning each page & hearing the rustling of the paper - is exactly what my nervous system needs in order to actually digest the information. Something about the physicality of a book helps information sink into my brain in a deep way. Your brain might be different or similar from mine, and that is what I want to highlight here: Each brain processes information in a unique way. Sometimes, it’s easier to process information when it’s delivered through a certain medium. For example: 🧠 Maybe you don’t like reading books in physical form, because your body doesn’t want to sit still, and your brain gets tired processing the words on the page. So you listen to podcasts instead - because your brain loves auditory processing, and you can move your body, do laundry, or cook dinner at the same time. 🧠 Your brain might struggle with verbal directions (turn left, take the 3rd right, drive half a mile), but if you can get your hands on a map (visual information), then you’re good to go. 🧠 Maybe you become dysregulated when you read the news on your phone, alone & doom-scrolling in your room - but you feel grounded when you discuss the news in a conversation with friends. It’s worth asking yourself: How does my brain like to process information? There is no right or wrong answer. But your answer might inform the way that you take care of yourself. To staying curious, P.S. Know someone who needs to hear this? Forward it along. New readers can subscribe here. P.P.S. If you’re interested in working together, I’d love to support you. 🌻 For folks who are overwhelmed & burnt out, but too busy for weekly therapy, I offer Nervous System Healing Intensives — three 90-minute sessions, using brain-body modalities (Brainspotting, IFS, EMDR) that go deeper than talk therapy & help you feel better, sooner.
Intensives are a type of short-term, accelerated therapy — for folks who prefer a hyper-focused approach to healing; who need longer than 50-min sessions to warm up & process deeply. 👉🏽 If you want to get an Intensive on the books, click here to book an intro call. I help highly sensitive, neurodivergent adults heal their nervous systems & connect with their authentic selves. 💗 Need a nervous system reset? —> Join me for a Calm Place meditation. |
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Last weekend, I attended a Brainspotting & Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy training in Portland, Oregon. I gathered with a group of lovely therapists to explore the integration of low-dose ketamine (a consciousness-shifting medicine) with Brainspotting (a brain-body therapy). The training - led by my dear friend Mari at Awaken Consulting & hosted at the beautiful sanctuary of Empathy Grove - covered important topics like: safety considerations (because ketamine-assisted psychotherapy - KAP -...
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