When Thoughts Become Traps: Understanding Cognitive Distortions That Warp Your Reality

Learn how cognitive distortions distort our reality and fuel anxiety, depression, and self-criticism. Discover neuroscience-informed strategies to identify and change distorted thinking patterns with guidance from Embodied Wellness and Recovery.

The Human Mind is a Powerful Force

Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “I always fail,” “This will never work,” or “If they really knew me, they would leave”? Do you find your mind zeroing in on the worst-case scenario, magnifying the negative and rejecting the good? If so, you may be experiencing one of those subtle but powerful mind habits known as cognitive distortions.

The human mind is a powerful force. It shapes how we experience the world, interpret situations, and connect with, or disconnect from, ourselves and others. But sometimes that power works against us. Through distorted thinking, we bend reality until it looks much scarier, harsher, or more hopeless than it truly is.

In this article, we’ll explore:

     — What cognitive distortions are and how they impact mental health, nervous system regulation, relationships, and even sexuality.
    — Critical questions that speak to the pain of recurring negative thoughts.
    — Hope and solution: how you can begin shifting those habits and reclaiming clarity, connection, and resilience.
      — Why Embodied Wellness and Recovery is uniquely positioned to guide you from distortion toward embodied freedom in trauma, nervous system repair, intimacy, and relationships.

What Are Cognitive Distortions?

Cognitive distortions are habitual, inaccurate thought patterns, mental “filters” that skew perception, interpretation, and meaning Roberts, 2015). They were first described in the cognitive-behavioral therapy work of Aaron T. Beck, who found that patients with depression often had automatic negative thoughts about themselves, the world, and the future (Beck, 1997).

Neuroscience helps us understand how this happens:

     — The prefrontal cortex (our reasoning center) may under-engage, while the amygdala (our threat detector) over-reacts, resulting in a brain wired for danger rather than nuance (Roberts, 2015).

     — Repeated distorted thoughts create neural pathways that make those patterns stronger and more automatic (Roberts, 2015).

     — Distorted thinking is not just a “bad habit” but part of the way our nervous system learned to protect us, often in childhood or trauma.
So when your mind whispers “I’m worthless,” or “Nothing good ever lasts,” those thoughts are not random; they are wired in.

Why Does This Matter So Much?

If you live with frequent and persistent patterns of pessimistic or self-critical thoughts, you are not simply dealing with “thinking errors.” You are experiencing cognitive distortions that influence mood, behavior, relationships, and even your nervous system. Here’s how:

Emotional and Mental Health Impact

     — These distortions fuel anxiety, depression, self-doubt, and relational conflict because they shape meaning in destructive ways. In a study of cognitive distortions, higher levels correlated with increased depressive symptoms (McGrath & Repetti, 2002).    

     — For folks in therapy, distortions undermine progress; the thoughts you carry inside pull your nervous system into survival mode rather than healing.

Nervous System and Trauma Implications

     — When your brain continually interprets events through distortion, your nervous system stays in a state of alert, freeze, or avoidance instead of regulation and connection.
    — Especially for clients with trauma or attachment injury, distorted thinking often maps directly onto bodily responses,  heart racing, dissociation, muscle tension. The mind-body loop keeps you stuck.

Relational and Intimate Life Consequences

     — Distorted beliefs affect how you interpret your partner’s behavior (“They must not love me”) or your own sexual desires (“I should always feel this way”).
    — This becomes a barrier to intimacy, authenticity, and embodied connection, themes central to our work at Embodied Wellness and Recovery.

Questions Worth Asking Yourself

     — Do I find myself automatically thinking the worst about a situation or about myself, without evidence or perspective?
    — Are these thoughts so familiar that they feel normal? When I try to stop them, does my body feel tense, exhausted, or “on guard”?
    — Does the voice inside sound like a critic, a predictor of doom, or a judge?
    — How does this thinking pattern impact my relationships, my emotional life, or my capacity for pleasure, connection, and intimacy?
    — Would I like to feel freer in my thinking, calmer in my body, and more aligned in my mind-body self?

If your answer to any of these is yes, know that the path ahead is not one of fixing something wrong, but of deeply retraining what your nervous system and mind learned to protect you and learning new patterns that support safety, regulation, and connection.

Hope and Practical Solutions

At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we specialize in integrative work around trauma, nervous system repair, relationships, sexuality, and intimacy. Here’s how our team  addresses cognitive distortions with both depth and compassion:

1. Naming the Distortions (cognitive awareness)

We help you identify patterns such as all-or-nothing thinking, overgeneralization, mental filtering, catastrophizing, and personalization (Amjad, 2025). Bringing awareness is the first step toward choice, not being subject to your mind’s filters.

2. Somatic Regulation and Nervous System Support

Because distorted thoughts reside in the nervous system, we utilize tools such as grounding, breathwork, body scanning, and mindfulness to calm the activation and create space for new thinking.

Neuroscience shows that when the prefrontal cortex can engage (rather than being flooded by the amygdala), thought patterns become more flexible (Salzman & Fusi, 2010).

3. Cognitive Restructuring (thought work)

Using adapted CBT and trauma-responsive models, we help you challenge distorted thoughts, replace them with balanced, realistic thoughts, and test them in life (Brisset, 2025). 

 For example:

     — Thought: “If I try and fail, then I am worthless.”
    — Reframe: “Trying and learning make me human. My worth is inherent, not dependent on perfection.”

4. Relational and Intimacy Integration

We explore how distorted thinking impacts relationships and sexuality, how your internal voice influences your connection, desire, safety, and pleasure. Then we support you in creating new relational scripts anchored in safety, communication, and embodied presence.

5. Trauma- and Nervous System-Informed Continuity

We recognize that for many adults, cognitive distortions are not simply “bad thinking” but survival strategies from early trauma, neglect, or dysfunctional family systems. We help rebuild neural capacity for regulation, rewiring the mind-body loop over time.

Bringing It All Together

Your mind is powerful, but what’s even more powerful is your capacity to change how you relate to it. Cognitive distortions are not character flaws; they are wired responses that once served you. The journey we support at Embodied Wellness and Recovery is one of curiosity over judgment, presence over avoidance, and integration over fragmentation.

When your body is regulated, your mind becomes flexible. When your thoughts are observed instead of believed, you create space for connection, authenticity, and embodied intimacy.

You don’t have to live at the mercy of your thinking patterns. With compassionate awareness, neuroscience-informed interventions, and relational support, you can move toward a life where your mind works for you, rather than against you.

Reach out to schedule a free 20-minute consultation with our team of therapists, relationship experts, trauma specialists, and somatic practitioners, and gain freedom from distorted thoughts today.

📞 Call us at (310) 651-8458

📱 Text us at (310) 210-7934

📩 Email us at admin@embodiedwellnessandrecovery.com

🔗 Visit us at www.embodiedwellnessandrecovery.com

👉 Check us out on Instagram @embodied_wellness_and_recovery

🌍 Explore our offerings at Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/laurendummit

References

1) Amjad, M. (2025). Rewiring the Mind: A Cognitive Psychology Approach to Changing Negative Thinking.

2) Brisset, J. (2025). Trauma-Responsive Integrative Art and DBT (TRIAD) as an Art Therapy Treatment Model for Adolescents with Complex Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD): A Theoretical Intervention Research.

3) Gilbert, P. (1998). The Evolved Basis and Adaptive Functions of Cognitive Distortions. British Journal of Medical Psychology, 71(4), 447-463.

4) Hendrix, H., & Hunt, H. L., authors of Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples and Making Marriage Simple.

5) McGrath, E. P., & Repetti, R. L. (2002). A longitudinal study of children's depressive symptoms, self-perceptions, and cognitive distortions about the self. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 111(1), 77.

6) Roberts, M. B. (2015). Inventory of cognitive distortions: Validation of a measure of cognitive distortions using a community sample.

7) Salzman, C. D., & Fusi, S. (2010). Emotion, cognition, and mental state representation in the amygdala and prefrontal cortex. Annual review of neuroscience, 33(1), 173-202.

When Sleep Fails the Brain: How Sleep Problems Impact Depression Therapy Outcomes

Discover how sleep problems can undermine depression therapy outcomes, and how neuroscience-informed, trauma-sensitive approaches at Embodied Wellness and Recovery support nervous system repair, emotional resilience, and improved treatment response.

Do you struggle with persistent sadness, a heavy mood, or lack of motivation, and at the same time find you just cannot sleep? Does therapy feel like it helps sometimes, yet you still remain stuck in a cycle of low mood, minimal energy, and fragmented nights? You are navigating a common but often under-recognized problem: the connection between sleep disturbances and depression therapy outcomes.

In this article, we’ll explore the impact of insomnia, poor sleep continuity, and circadian disruption on the effectiveness of therapy for depression. We’ll look at what neuroscience tells us about how sleep underpins emotional regulation, healing, and nervous system repair. And we’ll offer hope along with a guided solution from the practitioners at Embodied Wellness and Recovery, trauma experts, nervous system repair, relationships, sexuality, and intimacy.

Why Sleep Really Matters for Depression Treatment

When you’re depressed, your sleep often suffers. You might lie awake at night, toss and turn, wake early, or drift into daytime sleepiness. Research shows that this is not just a side-effect of depression;  it’s a feeding loop that undermines therapy outcomes (Franzen & Buysse, 2008).

Studies have found that people with major depressive disorder who also have insomnia or fragmented sleep are less likely to respond fully to therapy or medication (Manber et al., 2008). For example, Jensen et al. (2022) found that “more sleep problems predicted higher depression by the end of treatment.” Manber and colleagues (2008) pointed out that insomnia impacts “the course of major depressive disorder … hinders response to treatment, and increases risk for depressive relapse.” And Yasugaki (2025) explores the bidirectional link: depression contributes to sleep disturbances, and those disturbances in turn worsen depression.

From a neuroscience perspective, our sleep architecture,  including deep sleep and REM phases, plays a critical role in emotional memory processing, brain plasticity, and regulation of the autonomic nervous system. Without good sleep, the prefrontal cortex shows reduced activation, and the amygdala hyper-reactivity increases. In other words, your brain is less able to regulate mood, control anxious or ruminative thinking, and integrate the relational work you’re doing in therapy.

What Happens When Therapy Gets Undermined by Poor Sleep?

1. Reduced Capacity for Emotional Regulation

Therapy often asks you to feel feelings, tolerate discomfort, explore patterns, and make new connections. But if sleep is insufficient, your nervous system remains in a state of heightened arousal or exhaustion. You may feel more reactive, more dissociated, or simply unable to engage with your material.

2. Impaired Learning and Neuroplasticity

Therapy isn’t just talking. It’s rewiring. When you sleep poorly, the learning circuits that support the formation of new neural pathways are diminished. Your brain cannot consolidate what you process in session into lasting change.

3. Increased Ruminative Thinking and Negative Bias

Sleep problems lead to cognitive rigidity, negative attention biases, and difficulty shifting out of unhelpful thought loops. That means what you explore in therapy may keep replaying in your mind without resolution.

4. Higher Relapse Risk

As the literature shows, untreated sleep disturbance increases relapse rates in depression. When your sleep remains compromised, therapy may help, but the gains are fragile (Franzen & Buysse, 2008).

Ask yourself:

     — Are you tired of falling asleep stressed, waking up anxious, and feeling stuck despite doing therapy?
     — Do you try to engage in therapy, but afterwards feel like you are still on the same emotional ground?
     — Is your mood swing, irritability, or low motivation tied to nights of restless sleep or too many wake-ups?
If you answered yes, your sleep is likely undermining your ability to benefit fully from therapy.

A Hopeful Path Forward: What You Can Do

At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, our approach weaves together nervous system repair, somatic awareness, relational safety, and trauma-informed modalities. Improving sleep is a foundational step for enhancing your depression therapy outcomes. Here are actionable strategies:

Reset your sleep first-aid

     — Sleep hygiene: Consistent bedtime, dark room, limited screens before bed, and avoiding stimulants late in the day.
     — Stimulus control: Only use your bed for sleep and intimacy. Leave the bed if you cannot fall asleep within 20 minutes.
    — Regularity: Go to bed and wake at the same time, even on weekends. This supports your circadian rhythm.

These practices lay the groundwork for your nervous system to regulate.

Integrate Somatic Regulation

Because depression + sleep problems often reflect a dysregulated nervous system, we include body-based work:

     — Gentle body scans, progressive muscle relaxation to ease pre-sleep tension.
— Breathwork to stimulate the ventral vagal pathway and support calm.
    — Evening movement-rituals (yoga, walking) rather than high-arousal activity.

These practices help shift your nervous system into the “rest and digest” state, where sleep is restorative and therapy becomes effective.

Bring Therapy and Sleep Together

     — Inform your therapist about your sleep difficulties so you can integrate sleep as part of your therapeutic roadmap.
    — Explore sleep-specific therapy: For many clients, we co-design a treatment that combines depression-focused therapy with CBT, which has been shown to improve depression outcomes when insomnia is addressed (Cunningham & Shapiro, 2018).

     — Track sleep + mood: Use a simple journal or app to record hours slept, wake-ups, mood next day, and therapy session reflections. Patterns emerge and guide change.

Use Neuroscience-Informed Interventions

     — Understand that sleep spindles, deep-sleep slow waves, and REM architecture all bear on mood regulation circuits (Clear & Juginović, n.d.).
    — When sleep improves, your prefrontal cortex re-engages, amygdala reactivity decreases, and treatment-driven neural plasticity becomes stronger.
    — Therapy that reconnects body, mind, and relational context becomes more integrative and transformative when the sleep foundation is solid.

Why Embodied Wellness and Recovery Is Your Partner

We specialize in complex and overlapping domains: trauma, addictive behavior, intimacy, nervous system repair, and relational health. If sleep problems are impeding your depression therapy outcomes, our team offers:

    — Integrative somatic-therapeutic assessments that include sleep, nervous system arousal patterns, relational context, and trauma history.
    — Tailored treatment plans combining depression-focused therapy, sleep interventions (CBT-informed), somatic practices, and relational work.
    — Compassionate expertise in working with clients whose depression and sleep issues intersect with trauma, sexuality, attachment, and system dysregulation.

When your sleep improves and your nervous system stabilizes, the gains you make in therapy become stronger, more sustainable, and open up new possibilities for connection, recovery, and intimacy.

Bringing It All Together

If you have been doing therapy for depression and yet mornings still feel heavy, sleep still fragmented, and the promise of change still out of reach, your nervous system and sleep might be the missing piece. The work you do in therapy, whether it’s cognitive, relational, somatic, or trauma-informed, needs a receptive brain and a regulated body. Sleep gives that receptivity.

By prioritizing your sleep, regulating your nervous system, and integrating somatic awareness into your therapy, you enhance your capacity to absorb therapeutic change, open to new relational possibilities, and deepen your emotional resilience. At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we are here to guide, support, and co-create this path with you.

Sleep is not optional; it is foundational. And when it becomes strong, your therapy becomes deeper, your mood steadier, your relationships richer, and your life more aligned with the intentions you set.

Reach out to schedule a free 20-minute consultation with our team of therapists, trauma specialists,  somatic practitioners, and relationship experts, and begin your healing journey today.

📞 Call us at (310) 651-8458

📱 Text us at (310) 210-7934

📩 Email us at admin@embodiedwellnessandrecovery.com

🔗 Visit us at www.embodiedwellnessandrecovery.com

👉 Check us out on Instagram @embodied_wellness_and_recovery

🌍 Explore our offerings at Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/laurendummit

References

1) Clear, A., & Juginović, A. Sleep Science Made Simple.

2) Cunningham, J. E., & Shapiro, C. M. (2018). Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) to treat depression: A systematic review. Journal of psychosomatic research, 106, 1-12.

3) Franzen, P. L. R., & Harvey, A. G. (2008). Sleep disturbances and depression: risk relationships for subsequent depression and therapeutic outcomes. Depression and Anxiety, 10(4), 4–10.
4) Jensen, E. S., et al. (2022). Effect of sleep disturbance symptoms on treatment outcome for depression in routine care. J Clin Psychol, 78(2), 215-225.

5) Manber, R., Edinger, J., Gress, J. L., San Pedro-Salcedo, M. G., Kuo, T. F., & Kalista, T. (2008). Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia enhances depression outcomes in patients with comorbid major depressive disorder and insomnia. Sleep, 31(4), 489-495.
6) Yasugaki, S. (2025). Bidirectional relationship between sleep and depression. Sleep Medicine, 100, 108635.

When the News Never Stops: How Streaming News Affects Mental Health and Therapy Needs

How does streaming news around the clock affect your nervous system, mental health, and therapy needs? Explore neuroscience insights and trauma-informed solutions to reclaim calm and clarity.

Do you ever find that scrolling through news feeds, updates, and headlines leaves your chest tight, your mind racing, and your body alert even though “nothing immediate” is happening? Do you lie awake replaying scenes or imagining future catastrophes? Many people today struggle with fearful rumination, chronic fight-or-flight energy, and emotional overwhelm, all triggered or amplified by nonstop news consumption.

In this article, we’ll explore how streaming news rewires your brain and stresses your nervous system, how that increases need for therapy, and how Embodied Wellness & Recovery’s trauma-informed, nervous system–centered work offers relief, repair, and reconnection.

Why Streaming News Can Be Toxic for Your Mind and Body

Your brain’s threat system is always listening.

Humans evolved to scan for danger: our amygdala, anterior insula, and midbrain circuits track threat cues. In the era of 24/7 news cycles, those systems are bombarded with danger signals, violent headlines, crisis footage, disasters, and conflict. This sensational content activates the sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight), even when we are physically safe. As the Mayo Clinic notes, doomscrolling and constant exposure to harmful content “rewire” stress responses. Repeated activation of this survival circuitry makes the nervous system more primed, hypervigilant, and reactive. Over time, your “rest mode” becomes harder to reach. You become stuck in a state of tension. 

Rumination: looping thoughts that trap you

Once your nervous system is primed, your brain tends to latch onto rumination: repetitive, negative, fear-driven thought loops about “what ifs,” judgments, catastrophes, and predictions. Research on rumination and worry shows that these cycles often peak at night; “in bed” is the most common time for replaying worries and regrets.

When you combine that with relentless news input, rumination becomes fuel: you dissect stories, weigh possible futures, imagine worst-case scenarios, and imagine yourself “handling” every angle, keeping your brain in overdrive.

Media consumption studies also show that negative content browsing increases symptoms of anxiety and depression, a kind of feedback loop. In one MIT study, people with mental health symptoms were more likely to seek harmful content online, and that content exacerbated those symptoms.

The mental health toll: stress, mood, sleep, and beyond

      — Chronic stress & cortisol dysregulation: Frequent threat activation raises cortisol and adrenaline, which dysregulate sleep, appetite, digestion, and immune function.
     — Elevated anxiety and depression risk: Studies link media overexposure and rumination with higher rates of internalizing symptoms. 

     — Sleep disruption: The cognitive and physiological arousal triggered by news makes it harder to fall asleep, stay asleep, or achieve restorative rest.
    — Emotional numbness and burnout: Repeated exposure to tragedy or cruelty can dull emotional responsiveness or foster despair (sometimes called “compassion fatigue” or “secondary trauma”).
    — Need for therapeutic support: Symptoms escalate when internal coping resources are overwhelmed, meaning more people benefit from therapy that addresses chronic stress and trauma load.

Questions That Reflect the Weight You Carry

     — Do you feel your body is always buzzing even when you try to relax?
    — Do your thoughts spiral at night through headlines, speculation, and fear of the next events?
     — Does your heart race after reading news, even stories that don’t directly affect you?
    — Do you struggle to “turn off” daily news but feel guilt or grip when trying to cut back?

— Does anxiety drive sleep trouble, relationship strain, or emotional exhaustion?

If so, these are not moral failures; they are signs that your nervous system is overloaded, and your inner resources need repair.

A Path Toward Recalibration: Hope and Healing

At Embodied Wellness & Recovery, we view streaming news not merely as information overload, but as a form of nervous system stress. Healing requires more than limiting news; it involves reweaving regulation, restoring safety, and addressing trauma load. Here is a map to guide you forward.

1. Awareness and boundary setting (first line of defense)

     — Scheduled news windows: Instead of constant checking, choose specific times (e.g., 10 minutes in the morning, 10 in the evening).
    — Curated sources: Select calm, balanced, reliable news rather than sensational clickbait.
    — “Stop signal”: When you feel physical tension or overwhelm, pause. Log off, breathe, ground.
    — Mindful consumption: Before opening an article or app, ask: “Is this necessary? Is this nourishing?”

These boundaries help your system avoid needless threat activation.

2. Nervous system repair practices

Because streaming news pushes your system into sympathetic overdrive, you need practices that reinforce parasympathetic function:

     — Resonant breathing (e.g., ~5-6 breaths per minute) to regulate heart rate variability
     — Body scan / somatic tracking to notice tension, breath, internal state
    — Movement or grounding rituals that bring you back into the body (yoga, walking, stretching)
    — Window of tolerance “check-ins”: noticing when you feel triggered, halfway activated, or shut down

— Embodiment practices that invite you home to your nervous system rather than overthinking

Over time, these practices help recalibrate your baseline, making you less reactive to external stressors.

3. Therapy rooted in trauma, nervous system, and relational integration

Because news overload often compounds unresolved internal trauma, therapy that only addresses “thoughts” may fall short. Embodied Wellness & Recovery offers integrative modalities that target the root of dysregulation:

     — EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) to safely process past wounds or traumatic shadows that fuel chronic threat responses
    — Somatic Experiencing or body-based therapies to release held activation and restore fluid energy flow
    — Attachment-informed relational work to build safety in relationships, repair relational wounding, and strengthen co-regulation capacity
    — Polyvagal and vagal toning interventions to deepen your window of tolerance and resilience
    — Integrative relational and intimacy therapy to help overwhelm show up in relationships, sexuality, and connection, rather than only in solitude

This approach supports your system in resetting, not just coping.

4. Grounding news/routine rituals

     — “Anchor ritual” before and after news — e.g., deep breaths, naming feelings, turning off notifications
    — Reflective journaling after consuming news: What triggers came up? What thoughts, feelings, and body sensations?
    — Regulation “tonics” (brief grounding, safety cues, touchstones) that help the system land
    — Daily gratitude or uplifted content balance — low-dose positive input helps buffer the negative skew

    — Community or relational debriefing (talking safely with supportive others rather than co-ruminating)

These practices build a scaffolding of resilience around your exposure.

Why This Approach Transforms Rather Than Just Manages

     — It addresses both symptom and source: your news-induced stress and the underlying trauma or dysregulation that makes it harder to recover.
    — It is informed by neuroscience: overexposed threat circuits can be rewired, and parasympathetic tone can be strengthened.
     — It is relational: your healing doesn’t happen in isolation; it unfolds in safety, co-regulation, and attuned connection.
    — It is sustainable: instead of reactive scrolling or suppression, you build internal resources and choice.

When to Reach Out for Support

You might benefit from therapeutic support if:

     — News anxiety, rumination, or emotional flooding interferes with your daily functioning
    — You notice relationship strain or intimacy disruption after exposure overwhelm
    — Your body is chronically on edge—sleeplessness, digestive issues, tension, fatigue
     — You sense unresolved trauma or emotional wounds fueling overreactions
    — You want a nervous system–based, trauma-informed guide to safety, regulation, and integration

Final Invitation

Streaming news overload is not merely an issue of information; it is a chronic stressor to your brain, body, and relational field. But it is not a ceiling on your inner life. Through boundary, regulation, and therapy that works with your nervous system and history, you can reclaim clarity, calm, and emotional sovereignty.

At Embodied Wellness & Recovery, we specialize in supporting clients through overwhelm, rumination, trauma, and relational strain. We journey into the heart of regulation, repair the circuits of safety, and open space for a steadier presence even while the news roars.

May your nervous system soften, your mind find pause, and your capacities to thrive return.

Reach out to schedule a free 20-minute consultation with our team of trauma specialists, somatic practitioners, and anxiety experts, and begin the process of reconnecting to a sense of internal safety today.

📞 Call us at (310) 651-8458

📱 Text us at (310) 210-7934

📩 Email us at admin@embodiedwellnessandrecovery.com

🔗 Visit us at www.embodiedwellnessandrecovery.com

👉 Check us out on Instagram @embodied_wellness_and_recovery

🌍 Explore our offerings at Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/laurendummit

References

Anderson, A. S. (2024). How the news rewires your brain. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/mental-health/how-the-news-rewires-your-brain/ Mayo Clinic MC Press

“Doomscrolling”: Protecting the brain against bad news. (2021). PMC. Retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8096381/ PMC

Study: Browsing harmful content online makes mental health struggles worse. (2024). MIT News. Retrieved from https://news.mit.edu/2024/study-browsing-negative-content-online-makes-mental-health-struggles-worse-1205

When Violence Shakes Our Core: Understanding Collective Trauma and Moral Injury in an Age of Political Extremism

Collective trauma and moral injury occur when public violence violates our sense of justice, fairness, and safety. Learn how ideological violence impacts the nervous system, relationships, and public trust, and discover neuroscience-informed ways to restore resilience and connection.

When the World No Longer Feels Safe

What happens to our minds and bodies when we witness political assassinations, mass shootings, or public acts of ideological violence? Even if we are not physically present, the constant exposure to disturbing images and stories through news and social media can leave us shaken. This phenomenon, often referred to as collective trauma, goes beyond individual suffering and affects communities, nations, and cultures.

Paired with collective trauma is the concept of moral injury, the distress we feel when witnessing acts that violate deeply held beliefs about fairness, justice, and humanity. When we see public leaders assassinated, institutions shaken, or communities torn apart by violence, the nervous system reacts not only with fear but also with profound grief, disillusionment, and confusion about what the future holds.

What Is Collective Trauma?

Collective trauma describes the psychological wounds experienced by large groups of people following catastrophic or violent events. Unlike individual trauma, collective trauma extends beyond personal experience and becomes embedded in the shared psyche of a community or society.

Events such as political assassinations, terrorist attacks, or racially motivated violence are not just personal tragedies; they reverberate across communities, sparking fear, division, and despair. People begin asking:

     — How could this happen in our country?
     — What does this say about who we are becoming?
    — Can we trust our institutions to keep us safe?

These questions reflect not just fear, but a deeper existential wound to our sense of belonging and collective identity.

Understanding Moral Injury

While collective trauma speaks to the shared wound, moral injury captures the internal conflict many individuals feel when they witness violence that contradicts their values.

Traditionally studied in combat veterans, moral injury is now being recognized as a widespread phenomenon. When ideological violence erupts, whether a politically motivated assassination or an extremist attack, observers often feel powerless, betrayed, and disoriented.

Moral injury can manifest as:

     — A loss of trust in leaders, institutions, or even neighbors.
    — A sense of disillusionment with society.
     — Anger, shame, or guilt for being unable to prevent harm.
    — Emotional numbness or withdrawal from public life.

The nervous system, designed to protect us, interprets these events as a threat not just to survival but to meaning itself. Neuroscience shows that when core beliefs are shattered, the brain’s stress circuits (including the amygdala and hippocampus) activate repeatedly, leaving us hypervigilant and exhausted.

The Neuroscience of Violence in the Media

Why does watching violent news coverage leave us feeling so distressed, even if we were not there? Research suggests that the brain does not fully distinguish between direct experience and vividly portrayed events. Repeated exposure to graphic videos or divisive rhetoric activates the sympathetic nervous system, triggering fight-or-flight responses.

This leads to:

      — Hyperarousal: difficulty sleeping, increased irritability, constant scanning for danger.
     — Emotional numbing: shutting down feelings to cope with overwhelming input.
    — Disrupted connection: withdrawing from relationships out of mistrust or despair.

Collectively, these reactions mirror what trauma survivors experience. On a societal level, this can fuel polarization, fear, and cynicism, deepening divisions rather than fostering resilience.

How Moral Injury Impacts Relationships and Intimacy

At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we frequently observe how public violence infiltrates private life. Clients who consume hours of political news or social media often report feeling emotionally distant from their partners, anxious in their parenting, or disconnected in intimacy.

When the nervous system is caught in cycles of threat response, it becomes difficult to:

     — Stay emotionally regulated in relationships.
     — Engage in physical closeness without fear or tension.
    — Maintain curiosity and empathy in the face of differences.

This is the hidden cost of collective trauma: not only are we shaken by events on the world stage, but our capacity for love, connection, and joy at home is quietly eroded.

National Conversations and Historical Parallels

The assassination of public figures triggers memories of earlier moments of political violence. From the 1960s assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy to more recent extremist attacks, these events have become cultural markers of disillusionment.

Today’s conversations often circle around questions such as:

     — Are we witnessing a new era of political extremism?
    — What does this mean for our democracy, our institutions, and our children’s future?
      — How can communities hold onto hope when violence dominates the headlines?

These national dialogues, while painful, are crucial. They represent a collective attempt to make meaning from tragedy and to resist the numbness that moral injury often creates.

Pathways to Healing Collective Trauma and Moral Injury

The question becomes: What can we do when violence shakes our collective trust? While we cannot prevent every act of extremism, we can strengthen our resilience and reclaim agency in how we respond.

1. Limit Media Exposure

Neuroscience shows that repeated viewing of violent content deepens traumatic imprinting. Choose intentional, limited news check-ins rather than constant scrolling.

2. Engage in Somatic Grounding

Practices like deep breathing, yoga, or mindfulness bring the nervous system back into balance. Somatic resourcing restores a sense of safety in the body, countering hyperarousal.

3. Create Safe Conversations

Talking with trusted people about feelings of betrayal, grief, or fear helps prevent isolation. Collective healing begins in dialogue.

4. Rebuild Trust in Small Circles

While national institutions may feel shaken, focus on strengthening bonds in your family, friendships, and community. Safety is rebuilt relationally.

5. Seek Professional Support

Therapies like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), Somatic Experiencing, and trauma-informed couples therapy can help resolve the nervous system’s stuck responses and repair intimacy ruptures.

How Embodied Wellness and Recovery Can Help

At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we specialize in supporting individuals, couples, and families navigating trauma in all its forms, personal, relational, and collective. Our work integrates neuroscience, somatic therapy, and relational healing to help clients:

     — Repair nervous system dysregulation caused by chronic exposure to violence and fear.
    — Address moral injury by creating new pathways of meaning and connection.
    — Restore intimacy and trust within relationships strained by collective trauma.
    — Build resilience practices that empower individuals to engage with the world without becoming overwhelmed.

When ideological violence shakes your sense of safety, there are ways to re-anchor in your body, your values, and your relationships. Collective trauma may be inevitable in a world of political volatility, but how we metabolize it, and whether we grow more fragmented or more connected, remains within our power.

Reclaiming Meaning After Violence

Collective trauma and moral injury remind us that public violence is not just a political or social issue; it is a profoundly human wound. By understanding how these events impact our nervous systems, relationships, and trust in institutions, we can begin to address them with compassion and intention.

Healing is not about ignoring the pain but about transforming it into renewed purpose, deeper connection, and embodied resilience. In this process, we reclaim not only our personal well-being but also our role in shaping the kind of society we long to belong to.

Contact us today to schedule a complimentary 20-minute consultation with our team of somatic practitioners, trauma specialists, and relationship experts, and start your journey toward embodied connection and a felt sense of safety. 

📞 Call us at (310) 651-8458

📱 Text us at (310) 210-7934

📩 Email us at admin@embodiedwellnessandrecovery.com

🔗 Visit us at www.embodiedwellnessandrecovery.com

👉 Check us out on Instagram @embodied_wellness_and_recovery

🌍 Explore our offerings at Linktr. ee: https://linktr.ee/laurendummit

References

Litz, B. T., Stein, N., Delaney, E., Lebowitz, L., Nash, W. P., Silva, C., & Maguen, S. (2009). Moral injury and moral repair in war veterans: A preliminary model and intervention strategy. Clinical Psychology Review, 29(8), 695–706. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2009.07.003

Porges, S. W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

Schlenger, W. E., Caddell, J. M., Ebert, L., Jordan, B. K., Rourke, K. M., Wilson, D., ... & Kulka, R. A. (2002). Psychological reactions to terrorist attacks: Findings from the National Study of Americans’ Reactions to September 11. JAMA, 288(5), 581–588. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.288.5.581

Trauma, Pattern, and Healing: Are You Operating from Strategy or Presence?

Trauma often creates survival patterns that keep us reacting from strategy rather than presence. Discover how unresolved trauma affects relationships, how the nervous system influences adaptive patterns, and why acknowledging these shifts is the first step toward embodiment, authenticity, and healing.

The Automatic Response 

Do you ever notice yourself reacting in ways that feel automatic, snapping at a loved one, withdrawing when you want to connect, or over-accommodating even when it leaves you resentful? Do you feel stuck repeating patterns that no longer serve you, yet find it difficult to stop? These are not signs of weakness or flaws in your character. They are adaptive survival strategies rooted in early trauma and nervous system conditioning.

At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we help clients recognize that these “patterns” are protective responses the body once needed to survive overwhelming experiences. The challenge is that when left unexamined, these patterns become default modes of relating that can block intimacy, authenticity, and vitality. Noticing when you are “going into a pattern” is the first step toward shifting into presence, where deeper healing and genuine connection become possible.

How Trauma Creates Adaptive Survival Strategies

Trauma is not only what happened to you; it is also what happens inside of you as a result. When overwhelming experiences occur, especially in childhood, the nervous system adapts by developing survival strategies. These may include fight, flight, freeze, fawn, or more complex patterns such as perfectionism, hyper-independence, emotional shutdown, or over-functioning in relationships.

From a neuroscience perspective, traumatic experiences activate the amygdala, the brain’s alarm system, and suppress the prefrontal cortex, which supports regulation and executive functioning (LeDoux, 2015). Over time, repeated activation wires these patterns into the nervous system. They become automatic, arising faster than conscious thought.

These patterns are adaptive in childhood, helping you survive difficult or unsafe environments. But as adults, they can prevent you from experiencing the safety, connection, and authenticity you long for.

The Cost of Living in Pattern

When survival strategies dominate your nervous system, the present becomes colored by the past. Instead of responding to what is actually happening, you may find yourself reacting to old wounds.

Common signs of “living in a pattern” include:

     — Reacting with disproportionate anger or withdrawal in relationships
    — Feeling emotionally numb or detached when intimacy arises
    — Overworking or over-giving as a way to avoid vulnerability
    — Repeating cycles of unhealthy or unfulfilling relationships
     — Struggling with burnout, anxiety, or chronic stress symptoms

These patterns are often invisible to the person living them. They feel like “just who I am.” Yet they are not your essence; they are strategies your nervous system developed to keep you safe.

Strategy vs. Presence: A Different Way of Being

So how do you know if you are operating from strategy or presence?

     — Strategy feels tight, rigid, urgent, or automatic. You may feel like you have no choice, as if something larger is pulling the strings. The body often contracts, the breath shortens, and thoughts race.
     — Presence feels open, flexible, and connected. You can pause, notice sensations, and respond rather than react. The body feels more spacious, the breath deepens, and emotions can flow without overwhelming you.

Presence is not about eliminating your patterns; it is about developing awareness of when you are in them. By noticing “I am going into a pattern,” you create a pause that invites choice. This is the first step toward embodiment and authenticity.

How Trauma Patterns Affect Relationships

Trauma rarely occurs in isolation; it often happens within relationships, and it is in these relationships where patterns are most vividly revealed. If you grew up in an environment where your needs were unmet, or where expressing anger or sadness was unsafe, you may now:

     — Struggle with trust or vulnerability
    — Feel triggered by conflict or criticism
     — Avoid intimacy or push partners away when closeness feels threatening
    — Lose yourself in caretaking or people-pleasing roles
    — Experience cycles of shame and disconnection after reacting automatically

The tragedy is that these patterns were designed to keep you safe, yet they now block the very closeness you long for.

Questions to Reflect On

     — Do I notice myself shutting down, withdrawing, or spacing out when I feel stressed or criticized?
     — Do I respond to conflict with quick defensiveness or outbursts, even when I don’t mean to?
    — Do I often sacrifice my needs to keep the peace in relationships?
    — Do I feel like I am “performing” rather than being fully myself in social or intimate settings?

These questions are not about judgment; they are doorways into self-awareness.

The Neuroscience of Change

The good news is that the nervous system is not fixed. Thanks to neuroplasticity, we know that new patterns can be created. By engaging in therapies that focus on both the body and the mind, such as EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, or polyvagal-informed therapy, we can help the brain and nervous system “rewire” toward regulation, resilience, and presence (Siegel, 2020).

The vagus nerve plays a central role in this process. When engaged through practices like mindful breathing, grounding, or compassionate connection, the nervous system shifts out of survival mode and into regulation. Over time, this restores the ability to respond from a place of presence rather than strategy.

Steps Toward Embodiment and Authenticity

1. Notice the Shift into Pattern
Awareness is the first step. Simply naming “I am going into pattern” creates space for choice.

2. Pause and Ground
Use your breath, orient to your environment, or place a hand on your body. These simple practices cue safety to the nervous system.

3. Invite Compassion
Remember that your patterns were once intelligent survival strategies. Offer gratitude for their role, even as you learn new ways of being.

4. Practice Relational Safety
Work with a trauma-informed therapist or in safe relationships where you can experiment with presence, boundaries, and vulnerability.

5. Integrate Mind-Body Healing
Approaches like EMDR, somatic therapy, and attachment-focused work help integrate past trauma and restore regulation.

Moving From Strategy to Presence

The journey from pattern to presence is not about erasing the past; it is about integrating it. When you learn to notice your survival strategies without judgment, you begin to reclaim choice. From this place, authenticity and embodiment become possible. You can connect more deeply with yourself and others, and build relationships grounded in safety, intimacy, and truth.

At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we specialize in helping individuals navigate the impact of trauma patterns on the nervous system and relationships. Through somatic therapy, EMDR, and relational healing, we guide clients toward nervous system repair, authentic intimacy, and a more embodied life.

Opening the Door to Presence

Trauma patterns are not flaws; they are survival strategies written into your nervous system. But they do not have to define you. By noticing when you are “going into a pattern,” you open the doorway to presence, resilience, and authentic connection.

Healing begins with awareness, grows with compassion, and deepens with support. You deserve a life guided not by old strategies, but by your embodied presence and authentic self.

Contact us today to schedule a free 20-minute consultation and begin your journey toward embodied connection, clarity, and self-awareness. 

📞 Call us at (310) 651-8458

📱 Text us at (310) 210-7934

📩 Email us at admin@embodiedwellnessandrecovery.com

🔗 Visit us at www.embodiedwellnessandrecovery.com

👉 Check us out on Instagram @embodied_wellness_and_recovery

🌍 Explore our offerings at Linktr. ee: https://linktr.ee/laurendummit

References

LeDoux, J. (2015). Anxious: Using the brain to understand and treat fear and anxiety. Viking.

Porges, S. W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. W.W. Norton.

Siegel, D. J. (2020). The developing mind: How relationships and the brain interact to shape who we are (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.

Stress: The Spice of Life? Understanding Eustress, Distress, and Neustress Through a Neuroscience Lens

Stress is often viewed as harmful, but not all stress is bad. Learn how eustress, distress, and neustress shape your brain, body, and relationships and discover practical tools for balance from experts in trauma, nervous system repair, and holistic therapy.

Rethinking Stress

When you hear the word stress, what comes to mind? Perhaps racing thoughts, tense shoulders,  or sleepless nights. It might surprise you to learn that the word itself originates from the Latin term stringere, meaning “to draw tight” or “distress.” Yet in modern neuroscience and psychology, stress is far more complex than a single negative state.

Without stress, life would not just be boring; it would be unlivable. Stress is the engine of human physiology, shaping how we wake up, learn, connect, and respond to danger. It drives motivation, fuels growth, and even protects us. At the same time, unmanaged or overwhelming stress can wreak havoc on our nervous system, relationships, and long-term health.

So how do we make sense of this paradox? The key lies in recognizing the three primary types of stress: eustress, distress, and neustress.

Why Does Stress Feel So Overwhelming?

If you’ve ever wondered:

     — Why does some pressure motivate me, while other stress leaves me paralyzed?

     — Why do I feel exhausted by constant small stressors that “shouldn’t matter”?
     — How does stress affect not just my body, but my emotions and relationships?

You are asking the right questions. The nervous system interprets stress through multiple pathways: cognitive, hormonal, and somatic. Whether stress becomes supportive or harmful depends on intensity, duration, and your ability to regulate your body’s response.

At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we help individuals explore these nuances through trauma-informed therapy, somatic work, and relational healing. Understanding these stress types is the first step toward regaining balance.

The Three Types of Stress

1. Eustress: The Helpful Stress That Fuels Growth

Eustress is often called “positive stress.” It’s the energy you feel before a big presentation, the nervous excitement before a first date, or the adrenaline that pushes you to complete a challenging project.

From a neuroscience perspective, eustress activates the sympathetic nervous system in a manageable way. Stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline increase alertness and sharpen focus, but they don’t overwhelm your system. Instead, they prime your brain for neuroplasticity, the process of learning and growth.

     — Examples of Eustress: Preparing for a job interview, training for a marathon, or learning a new skill.
    — Benefits: Enhances motivation, builds resilience, and fosters adaptability.

When harnessed well, eustress strengthens both the body and mind. The key is that it feels challenging but manageable, a balance between effort and reward.

2. Distress: When Stress Turns Toxic

Distress is the type of stress most of us are familiar with, the overwhelming, exhausting kind that erodes our well-being.

Distress occurs when the demands placed on you exceed your perceived resources to cope. Neuroscience shows that chronic distress keeps the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in overdrive, flooding the body with stress hormones. Over time, this leads to nervous system dysregulation, emotional reactivity, inflammation, and even long-term conditions such as anxiety, depression, and cardiovascular disease.

     — Examples of Distress: Financial strain, relationship conflict, workplace burnout, or unresolved trauma.
    — Consequences: Impaired memory and concentration, weakened immune function, and increased vulnerability to mental health disorders.

Distress doesn’t just affect the body; it impacts relationships, intimacy, and our ability to feel safe with others. At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we see how unresolved distress often shows up as trauma symptoms, intimacy struggles, and compulsive behaviors.

3. Neustress: The Neutral Stress We Don’t Notice

The third category, neustress, often flies under the radar. Neustress refers to stressors that have a neutral effect, neither clearly positive nor overtly harmful.

For example, hearing about an earthquake on the news may register as stress in your nervous system even if it doesn’t directly affect you. Engaging in activities like reading emails, scrolling social media, or encountering constant minor interruptions can all create low-level neustress.

While neustress might seem harmless, it adds up. Constant low-intensity stressors keep the nervous system on alert, leading to allostatic load, the wear and tear on the body from chronic stress exposure.

     — Examples of Neustress: Ambient noise, information overload, or updates about distant events.
    — Impact: Cumulative strain, reduced focus, subtle fatigue, and emotional irritability.

This explains why many people feel drained without a clear cause. Our modern environment bombards us with constant micro-stressors that never give the nervous system a chance to reset.

How Stress Shapes the Brain and Body

Neuroscientific research highlights that stress isn’t simply “in your head.” It reshapes the nervous system at every level:

     — Amygdala: Heightened reactivity during distress makes the brain more sensitive to perceived threats.
    — Prefrontal Cortex: Chronic stress weakens executive functioning, making it harder to plan, regulate emotions, and make thoughtful choices.
    — Hippocampus: Prolonged stress impairs memory and learning, reducing resilience to future stressors.
    — Autonomic Nervous System: Unresolved stress locks the body in fight-flight or freeze, limiting access to safety, rest, and intimacy.

Understanding these mechanisms can help you move from feeling powerless to recognizing stress as something you can regulate and reshape.

Practical Tools for Managing Stress

1. Somatic Practices for Regulation
Techniques like breathwork, grounding, yoga, or Somatic Experiencing help discharge stress energy from the body, restoring balance to the nervous system.

2. Mindful Awareness
Slowing down to notice whether stress is eustress, distress, or neustress gives you a choice. Ask: Is this pressure motivating me, overwhelming me, or subtly draining me?

3. Healthy Relationships and Boundaries
Connection with supportive people regulates the nervous system. Conversely, toxic or boundaryless relationships amplify distress.

4. Therapeutic Support
Working with trauma-informed therapists can help you unpack unresolved distress, build tools for emotional regulation, and transform your relationship to stress.

Stress, Relationships, and Intimacy

Stress doesn’t just live in the body; it impacts how we love and connect. Distress often leads to withdrawal, irritability, or conflict. Neustress can create disconnection through constant distraction. But eustress, like working together toward shared goals, can actually deepen intimacy.

At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we specialize in helping clients repair nervous system dysregulation that undermines connection. Through EMDR, somatic therapy, and relational counseling, couples and individuals learn to turn stress from a wedge into an opportunity for growth.

Hope for a Balanced Relationship with Stress

If you feel consumed by stress, ask yourself: Am I facing distress, eustress, or neustress? By naming the type of stress, you reclaim power. With the proper support, stress can become less of a threat and more of a signal, a guide toward what needs attention, release, or resilience.

Stress truly is the spice of life. But like any spice, the key lies in balance, integration, and mindful use.

Transforming Your Relationship to Stress

Stress will always be a part of life. But how it shapes your health, relationships, and sense of safety depends on how you relate to it. At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we guide clients through neuroscience-informed therapy to transform their stress responses, helping them live not only with less distress, but with more vitality, connection, and ease.

Reach out to schedule a free 20-minute consultation with our team of trauma specialists, somatic practitioners, and relationship experts, and learn to manage your stress today.

📞 Call us at (310) 651-8458

📱 Text us at (310) 210-7934

📩 Email us at admin@embodiedwellnessandrecovery.com

🔗 Visit us at www.embodiedwellnessandrecovery.com

👉 Check us out on Instagram @embodied_wellness_and_recovery

🌍 Explore our offerings at Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/laurendummit

References

American Psychological Association. (2023). Stress effects on the body. 

McEwen, B. S. (2007). Physiology and neurobiology of stress and adaptation: Central role of the brain. Physiological Reviews, 87(3), 873–904.

Sapolsky, R. M. (2004). Why zebras don’t get ulcers: The acclaimed guide to stress, stress-related diseases, and coping. Holt Paperbacks.

The Gut-Brain Connection and Emotional Balance: How Fiber, Postbiotics, and Nervous System Health Work Together to Support Mental Wellness

Struggling with emotional ups and downs or nervous system dysregulation? Discover how your gut health influences your brain, mood, and resilience. Learn how fiber-rich diets, postbiotics, and psychotherapy support emotional balance and long-term mental health.

Are You Regulating Your Mood or Just Reacting to It?

If you’ve ever felt like your emotions are running the show, one minute calm, the next overwhelmed, or that your anxiety or irritability comes out of nowhere, it might not just be stress or your schedule. It might be your gut.

Recent neuroscience and nutritional psychiatry research confirms what many have long suspected: your gut health and emotional regulation are deeply connected. In fact, the microbes in your digestive system are in constant conversation with your brain, influencing everything from mood and sleep to attention, memory, and even trauma recovery.

At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we specialize in integrative mental health, combining psychotherapy, somatic therapies, and science-backed lifestyle approaches to support long-term emotional well-being. Today, we're diving into the gut-brain axis and how fiber-rich diets, postbiotics, and nervous system regulation can work in synergy to support your mental health.

What Is the Gut-Brain Connection?

The gut-brain axis refers to the two-way communication system between your gastrointestinal tract and your central nervous system. This connection is regulated by a network of nerves, hormones, immune cells, and most notably, the gut microbiome, the trillions of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microbes that live in your digestive system.

The vagus nerve, which runs from your brainstem to your gut, plays a central role in this system. It sends messages in both directions, meaning your gut can influence your emotional state just as much as your brain can affect your digestion.

What Happens When the Gut Is Out of Balance?

When your gut microbiome is diverse and well-fed, it produces anti-inflammatory compounds, neurotransmitters like serotonin and GABA, and other metabolites that support emotional regulation and cognitive function.

But when your gut is inflamed, overrun by harmful bacteria, or lacking microbial diversity, your body enters a state of chronic low-grade inflammation. This has been linked to:

     — Heightened anxiety or irritability
    — Depression and low motivation
    — Increased reactivity or emotional flooding
    — Fatigue and brain fog
    — Sleep disturbances
    — Dysregulated appetite and cravings

In other words, gut dysbiosis contributes to nervous system dysregulation, making it harder for you to return to calm after stress, access joy, or feel emotionally resilient.

How Fiber and Postbiotics Support Emotional Balance

1. Fiber: Fuel for the Good Bacteria

One of the most effective, research-backed ways to support your gut microbiome is by eating a fiber-rich diet. Dietary fiber feeds beneficial gut bacteria, helping them produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate, propionate, and acetate.

These SCFAs:

      — Support the integrity of the gut lining (reducing inflammation and "leaky gut")
    — Modulate immune responses that impact mood
    — Support production of neurotransmitters that influence calm, focus, and positivity

Aim for at least 25–35 grams of fiber per day, from sources such as:

     — Lentils, beans, and legumes
     — Oats and whole grains
    — Berries, apples, pears
     — Chia seeds, flaxseeds
     — Leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables

2. Postbiotics: The Hidden MVP of Gut Health

While probiotics (live bacteria) and prebiotics (fiber that feeds them) are well known, postbiotics, the beneficial compounds produced when gut microbes ferment fiber, are emerging as key players in mental health and emotional resilience.

Postbiotics, such as SCFAs and microbial peptides, have been shown to:

     — Improve the gut barrier
    — Reduce brain inflammation
    — Regulate the HPA axis (your stress-response system)
    — Modulate the vagus nerve and parasympathetic activity

In clinical settings, these changes have been linked with improved outcomes in people with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and trauma-related dysregulation (Cryan et al., 2019).

Nervous System Regulation Starts in the Gut

Your gut influences your nervous system through three key mechanisms:

1. Inflammation Control
Gut imbalances can trigger systemic inflammation, which is closely tied to depression and anxiety. Anti-inflammatory postbiotics help tone down the immune response.

2.Neurotransmitter Balance
The gut produces and regulates neurotransmitters like:
* Serotonin (mood stability and motivation)
* GABA (calm and relaxation)
* Dopamine (reward and focus)

3. Vagal Tone and Polyvagal Function
The gut communicates with the vagus nerve, influencing how we respond to cues of safety or danger. A well-fed, well-functioning gut supports ventral vagal activation, a state of calm, connection, and emotional presence.

How This Integrates With Therapy

At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we often work with clients who intellectually understand their trauma and are actively doing the emotional work, but still struggle to regulate their mood or feel calm in their body. In many of these cases, gut health is the missing link.

Pairing nutrition and microbiome support with:

     — Somatic therapy
    — EMDR or IFS
    — Breathwork and vagal toning
    — Attachment repair

creates a biological foundation for healing so therapy doesn't just feel insightful but actually shifts how your body processes emotion.

Practical Tips to Support Gut-Brain Balance

 1. Eat the Rainbow (of Plants)

Aim for 30+ different plant foods each week. Diversity supports a broader microbiome.

 2. Include Fermented Foods

Try kimchi, kefir, sauerkraut, miso, or unsweetened yogurt for natural probiotic support.

 3. Avoid Ultra-Processed Foods

Excess sugar, seed oils, and artificial additives feed dysbiosis and increase inflammation.

 4. Eat in a Regulated State

Practice mindful eating: breathe before meals, chew slowly, and reduce distractions. This improves digestion and nutrient absorption by activating the parasympathetic nervous system.

 5. Consider Working with a Nutrition-Literate Therapist

Partner with a provider who understands both trauma and the gut-brain axis. You don’t have to treat your mind and body separately.

Nourishing the Root of Resilience

Emotional balance isn't just about mindset or willpower. It's about creating the physiological conditions for safety, stability, and connection. When you nourish your gut, you're nourishing your nervous system, and that shifts how you feel, relate, and heal.

Whether you’re navigating chronic stress, anxiety, or trauma recovery, attending to your microbiome is a powerful and often overlooked way to support deeper transformation.

At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we offer a whole-person approach that bridges trauma therapy, nervous system repair, nutrition, and relational healing. If you’ve been doing the work but still feel dysregulated, your gut may be asking for attention.

Learn more about how we help clients integrate gut health into their healing journey at:

👉 www.embodiedwellnessandrecovery.com

Reach out to schedule a free 20-minute consultation with a trauma-informed therapist or somatic practitioner and begin the process of reconnecting to your body and to joy today.

📞 Call us at (310) 651-8458

📱 Text us at (310) 210-7934

📩 Email us at admin@embodiedwellnessandrecovery.com

🔗 Visit us at www.embodiedwellnessandrecovery.com

👉 Check us out on Instagram @embodied_wellness_and_recovery

🌍 Explore our offerings at Linktr.ee: https://linktr.ee/laurendummit

References

1. Clapp, M., Aurora, N., Herrera, L., Bhatia, M., Wilen, E., & Wakefield, S. (2017). Gut microbiota’s effect on mental health: The gut-brain axis. Clinics and Practice, 7(4), 987. 

2. Cryan, J. F., O’Riordan, K. J., Cowan, C. S., Sandhu, K. V., Bastiaanssen, T. F., Boehme, M., ... & Dinan, T. G. (2019). The microbiota-gut-brain axis. Physiological Reviews, 99(4), 1877-2013. 

3. Mayer, E. A., Knight, R., Mazmanian, S. K., Cryan, J. F., & Tillisch, K. (2014). Gut microbes and the brain: paradigm shift in neuroscience. Journal of Neuroscience, 34(46), 15490-15496. 

The Inner Family in Everyday Life: Using IFS to Transform Parenting, Creativity, and Trauma Recovery

Discover how Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy offers practical tools for parenting, creative expression, and trauma recovery. Learn how understanding your parts can foster emotional regulation, self-compassion, and healing from the inside out.

What If the Key to a More Regulated, Creative, and Connected Life Was Already Inside You?

Have you ever snapped at your child and then immediately felt crushed by guilt?

Do you find yourself creatively blocked, torn between self-doubt and perfectionism?

Do certain moments in relationships or parenting leave you feeling hijacked, like someone else took over your body?

These moments may seem disconnected, but they often point to the same internal truth: different “parts” of us are trying to meet unmet needs, protect old wounds, or preserve safety in ways we no longer understand.

Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz, offers a groundbreaking framework for understanding and healing these internal dynamics. And it’s not just for therapy sessions; it’s a daily tool that can radically change the way you parent, create, and recover from trauma.

What Is Internal Family Systems (IFS)?

IFS is a psychotherapeutic model grounded in the idea that the mind is made up of multiple sub-personalities or “parts,” each with its own unique role, emotions, and perspective. These parts are organized around a core Self—our seat of compassion, curiosity, and calm leadership.

There are three primary categories of parts:

    — Managers: the perfectionists, critics, and planners who keep us functioning and safe
    — Firefighters: the reactive parts that distract us or numb pain (think: overeating, rage, addiction)
   —Exiles: the wounded parts that carry the burdens of past trauma, shame, or grief

When our internal system is unbalanced, these parts can clash, dominate, or remain disconnected, leading to disconnection from the Self and dysregulation in everyday life.

IFS in Parenting: From Reactivity to Regulation

Parenting activates nearly every part of us: the one who wants to do it “right,” the part terrified of messing up, the inner child still longing to be soothed.

When a child screams or melts down, our protective parts may step in sometimes with yelling, sometimes with withdrawal. These reactions often have less to do with the child and more to do with unhealed parts inside the parent.

IFS invites us to pause and ask:
“What part of me just got activated? What does it need?”

By building relationships with our parts, we can:

     — Recognize inherited parenting patterns without reenacting them
     — Soften the inner critic that drives perfectionism
    — Access the Self to respond rather than react
    — Model emotional regulation for our children

✨ Example: A mom who freezes when her toddler tantrums may discover a young exile who was punished for expressing anger. Befriending that part lets her soothe herself and show up calmly for her child.

IFS and Creativity: Reclaiming the Voice Within

Artists, writers, performers, and innovators often encounter internal conflict, one part eager to express, another terrified of judgment. This tug-of-war can lead to procrastination, burnout, or blocks that feel insurmountable.

IFS helps creatives:

 Identify parts afraid of failure or exposure
     — Understand the origins of creative shame
    — Befriend the protector who censors vulnerability
     — Let the Self lead with curiosity and courage

Neuroscience confirms what IFS suggests: when we feel emotionally safe, our brain’s prefrontal cortex (center of creativity and reasoning) is more accessible (van der Kolk, 2014). Safety inside leads to freedom outside.

✨ Example: A songwriter may realize a part of her shuts down every time she sits to write because in middle school, a teacher mocked her lyrics. Meeting that exiled part with compassion allows her to reclaim her voice.

IFS for Trauma Recovery: A Gentle, Non-Pathologizing Path

Trauma is often stored not just in memory, but in the nervous system. IFS offers a somatic bridge between trauma-informed therapy and internal healing. Instead of reliving trauma, IFS focuses on re-establishing trust within the internal system, especially with parts that carry pain, shame, or terror.

When trauma survivors are overwhelmed by flashbacks, dissociation, or anxiety, protector parts may take over with compulsive behaviors or hyper-independence. These responses are not signs of pathology; they are strategies for survival.

IFS provides:

     — A compassionate way to understand internal conflicts
    — A method to unburden parts carrying trauma
     — A map to restore self-leadership and integration

✨ Example: A client with PTSD may meet a protector part who uses food restriction to feel control. Over time, the part reveals it's guarding a young exile who once felt powerless. With gentle, respectful Self-energy, the client begins to heal that inner wound, without shame.

Daily Integration: How to Practice IFS Outside the Therapy Room

You don’t need to be in therapy to use IFS tools in daily life. Try these practices:

✔️ Parts Check-In
Take 5 minutes each morning. Ask, “Who’s here today?” Let parts speak freely. Greet them with curiosity, not judgment.

✔️ Mapping Your Inner System
Draw your parts. Give them names, colors,and symbols. Get to know what they fear, need, and protect.

✔️ Self-Led Parenting Pause
Before responding to your child, breathe and ask: “Can I speak from Self right now? Or is a part activated?”

✔️ Creative Dialogue
Before you write, paint, or build, check in with parts. Who’s excited? Who’s afraid? What do they need to feel safe?

✔️Self-Compassion Rituals Create a daily practice (tea ritual, journaling, walking) where your Self connects with exiles and protectors, building trust and integration.

Why Integration Matters

Without internal integration, we often live in contradiction with ourselves. One part says “Yes,” another screams “No.” We parent from fear. We create from pressure. We live from survival.

But with IFS, we move toward wholeness. We learn to live from Self—calm, connected, curious, confident.

At Embodied Wellness and Recovery, we integrate IFS with trauma-informed somatic therapy, EMDR, and neuroscience-backed strategies. Whether you're a parent longing for more patience, a creative individual seeking your voice, or a survivor seeking peace, we help you build a compassionate relationship with your internal world, enabling you to live with greater integrity, vitality, and emotional resilience.

Learning to Lead with Love

📱 Text us at (310) 210-7934

📩 Email us at admin@embodiedwellnessandrecovery.com

🔗 Visit us at www.embodiedwellnessandrecovery.com

👉 Check us out on Instagram @embodied_wellness_and_recovery

🌍 Explore our offerings at Linktr. ee: https://linktr.ee/laurendummit

References:

1. Schwartz, R. C. (2021). No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model. Sounds True.

2. iegel, D. J. (2010). The Mindful Therapist: A Clinician's Guide to Mindsight and Neural Integration. W. W. Norton & Company.

3. an der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking.