Skip to main content

Episode 148

My Juicy Insights from the Mind-Body Conference

October 27, 2026 · 22 min · Chronic Pain & Symptoms

Show notes

If you've ever wondered whether mind-body healing is real or just something people say when the tests come back clear, this one's for you. I just got back from the ATNS conference, and I'm sharing what I learned, what I felt, and what it was like to walk on stage for the first time.

Two years ago I sat in that same audience with neck and shoulder pain, feeling like a total fraud. A therapist who teaches this work and still hurts? I was sure everyone could tell. I also remember watching the speakers and thinking, "I want to be up there one day." This year, Callie Krajcir and I presented on food fear and food intolerances. When I asked the room who had clients with a list of foods they can't eat, almost every hand went up.

We get into why stress and pushed-down emotions create real physical symptoms, and why that idea is way older than modern medicine. I share what I took away from Vanessa Blackstone's talk on safety as a privilege, and from a session on people living with both structural and neuroplastic conditions like cancer, ALS, and Parkinson's.

Then I get a little direct about language. The words you use about food, your body, your shoes, your posture, and the people around you are teaching your brain what's dangerous. If you're constantly judging the world, you're judging yourself too. You'll hear the simple practice I use to start shifting it.

If you've been on the fence about how much of your symptoms are physical and how much are stress, this episode gives you a clearer answer. And if you're still having symptoms and feel like you're failing, I want you to hear my story. You're not.

Resources mentioned

How to work with Grace:

Connect with Grace