In this episode, I sit down with my friend Valerie Blohm to casually explore something many of us are feeling but rarely slow down enough to name: the quiet cheapening of meaning in a world built for speed, convenience, and endless consumption.

Valerie shares her perspective as an intuitive energy healer, while I bring mine as a medical provider trained in neuroscience, psychiatry, and mental wellness. Together, we reflect not only as professionals, but as parents and humans living inside an overstimulated system that delivers information through a fire hose without ever allowing us the time or resistance required to truly absorb it.

We talk about what happens when learning is outsourced, when practices are shortened, when depth is replaced with efficiency, and when algorithms feed us what we think we want instead of what our nervous systems actually need to process and absorb. From bite-sized education and instant expertise to the loss of embodied practice, struggle, and integration, we examine how this pattern runs directly counter to our neurophysiologic evolution.

The human brain was not designed to grow through passive consumption. Learning, regulation, creativity, and wisdom require time, repetition, emotional engagement, and effort. Without resistance, there is no meaningful neuroplasticity. Without process, there is no integration. Without struggle, there is no depth.

This conversation invites a bigger question: in our rush to optimize, automate, and accelerate everything, are we actually losing the very pathways that create meaning, mastery, and humanity itself?

This episode is for anyone who feels mentally full but spiritually undernourished, overstimulated but under-integrated, and hungry for a return to learning that honors time, effort, and the human nervous system.

#overstimulated #overwhelm #fastfoodculture #misinformation #neuroplasticity #mastery #theprocess

**in no way is this episode meant to shame or shun anyone on the influencer or consumer end - it’s purpose is to caution both crowds, especially consumers, of our biological need to slow down and actually learn (from an evidence based neuropsychiatric perspective) with intention - without sacrificing nuance, context, depth, or value.**

Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs) like skin picking, nail rubbing, hair pulling, eyelash pulling, or scalp picking are not random habits. They are patterned responses the nervous system turns to when it is overwhelmed, understimulated, anxious, or carrying emotions it has not yet learned to process.

Most people don’t start these behaviors because they “want to.” They start them because, in a moment of stress or tension, the behavior offered relief. A sense of control. A quieting of the noise inside. A familiar anchor when everything else felt chaotic.

That first moment of relief becomes a loop.

Not because the habit is good for you, but because it is predictable.

And the nervous system always prefers predictable over unfamiliar.

This is why BFRBs are so often wrapped in shame. You know you don’t want to keep doing it, yet the urge feels automatic. But shame is not a treatment plan. Shame keeps the cycle hidden and strengthens it.

Understanding the urge is what begins to interrupt it.

his is where Habit Reversal Training (HRT) becomes powerful. It helps you slow down the automatic moment, catch the urge before the behavior happens, understand your emotional and sensory triggers, and teach your body a new way to regulate. HRT does not judge the behavior. It retrains the nervous system.

After 15 years in dermatology and psychodermatology, I offer HRT because I have seen how deeply these behaviors affect emotional wellbeing, skin and hair health, confidence, and daily functioning. And I’ve seen how much transformation is possible when people finally feel understood instead of ashamed.

If this resonates, and you want support for yourself or your child, I invite you to tune into this episode and if things continue to resonate, schedule a discovery call with me here:

https://elementalhealthcoaching.as.me

We can explore what you are experiencing, what your goals are, and whether HRT is the right next step for your healing.

You deserve tools that actually work for your nervous system. And you do not have to navigate this alone.

You can also find links to apps and self help resources here (I’ll be adding to them as I vet more - feel free to reach out with recommendations):

Keen2 “Habit Aware” https://amzn.to/44IxbPV

Keen2 support App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/keen2-track-trichotillomania/id1462653287

Skin pick app:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/skinpick-dermatillomania-app/id1133008140

For Nail Biting:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/nail-guard/id6751829815

Worry has a way of keeping us stuck—looping on “what ifs” instead of moving toward what matters. In this episode, I share six practical, science-based strategies from my life coaching practice to help calm your nervous system, reframe your thoughts, and move from worry into values-aligned action.

These easy techniques are designed for anyone feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or indecisive who wants to find more clarity and peace of mind. Learn how to stop overthinking, regulate your nervous system, and take constructive action that supports your goals and wellbeing.

When we understand that worry is not a feeling but a behavior we can change, we take our power back. Listen to discover how to shift from fear-based thinking to intentional, grounded living.

This episode is dedicated to my sister-in-law, life coach, and superstar, Brandilyn Tebo, who held a mirror up for me when I needed it a few years back - reminding me that I was never stuck, no matter how much worry convinced me that that was the case.

Keywords: anxiety relief, mindfulness, mental health, life coaching, CBT tools, grounding techniques, emotional regulation, stress management, holistic health, personal growth, wellness podcast, mindset shift, self development

Have you ever wondered why your skin changes color during stress, inflammation, trauma, or hormonal shifts? In this episode, we decode the hidden language of melanocytes and how pigment is far more than cosmetic. It is a biological communication system linking the immune system, nervous system, and skin.

As a Dermatology PA and psychodermatology clinician, I see daily how conditions like hyperpigmentation, vitiligo, acne and acne scarring, neurofibromatosis, and post-inflammatory pigment changes (including from eczema, psoriasis, and stress) tell a deeper story about what the body is experiencing beneath the surface.

In this episode, you will learn:

Why pigment is a biofeedback system, not just a color

How melanocytes respond to the brain, immune system, and stress hormones

Why chronic inflammation and cortisol alter hyperpigmentation patterns

How neurocutaneous conditions like neurofibromatosis showcase skin-brain links

The connection between trauma, oxidative stress, and vitiligo progression

Evidence-based strategies dermatology uses to support pigment balance and healing

Integrative and Psychoderm-aligned approaches that support both skin and the nervous system

Who is this episode for:

If you are curious about how the skin speaks, if you work in dermatology or mental health, or if you have personally experienced pigment changes in the skin, this episode offers a new lens to understand what your skin may be trying to tell you.

Whether you are a clinician, a beauty or skin-care enthusiast, or someone on a healing journey with acne, vitiligo, melasma, eczema, or scarring, this episode will expand your understanding.

Links:

• ​Skin Barrier Spotlight Elemental Blog Post
• ​Over-the-counter Dermatologist Favorites for Barrier Support (Body)
• ​Over-the-counter Dermatologist Favorites for Barrier Support (Face)
• ​Over-the-counter Dermatologist picks for Hyperpigmentation & Melasma

Evidence-Based Sources Referenced

Slominski et al. Melanocytes as neuroendocrine cells of the skin. J Investig Dermatol Symp Proc

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14663414/

Arck and Paus. The neuroimmunology of stress and skin. Nat Rev Immunol

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15688031/

Ezzedine et al. Vitiligo. Lancet

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23850462/

Gawkrodger. Neurofibromatosis type 1 and skin findings. BMJ

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17202228/

Hernández-Buenrostro et al. Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation: Pathogenesis and management. Dermatol Ther

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32145194/

Mueller et al. Psychodermatology in clinical practice. Clin Dermatol

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31543251/

Keywords:

hyperpigmentation, vitiligo, neurofibromatosis, Psychoderm, acne, acne scarring, melanocytes, pigment changes in skin, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, mind skin connection, psychodermatology, neuroimmune skin axis, skin and stress, the secret language of skin, the hidden language of melanocytes

In this episode, we explore the controversial discussion around aacetaminophen (Tylenol) use during pregnancy and its possible links to autism, ADHD, and other neurodivergent expressions. We draw on evidence based medicine, and examine what the science actually shows… And what it doesn’t. We also unpack the public debate, fueled by figures like RFK Junior, separating data from opinion and clarifying the strength and limitations of existing research.

My goal is to help you discern between agenda-driven rhetoric, misguided misinformation and appropriate attribution of data. To help you understand the difference between correlation and causation. If you’re not familiar with the hierarchy of evidence based medicine, that’s terrific because the point of this episode is to help you understand the difference between different kinds of research and the different value that specific kind of studies hold. This episode breaks it down, because everyone deserves to have the tools to be able to discern and process information when someone they are expected to get their information from says “studies show”.

This episode is not medical advice but an educational look at how evidence is framed, debated, and applied in both mainstream medicine and public discourse.

If you’ve ever wondered whether headlines linking Tylenol, pregnancy, autism, and adhd reflect fact or fear, this episode will help you navigate the noise with clarity and compassion.

Axelsson O, Hållstam A, Lundholm C, et al. Acetaminophen use during pregnancy and risk of autism and intellectual disability: Nationwide cohort and sibling control study. JAMA. 2024;331(4):309-319. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.28239.

Bauer AZ, Swan SH, Kriebel D, Liew Z, Taylor HS, Bornehag CG, Jensen TK, Olesen C, Wolff MS, Engel SM, et al.

Paracetamol use during pregnancy — a call for precautionary action. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2021 Dec;17(12):757-766. doi:10.1038/s41574-021-00553-7.