For practitioners:early-bird pricing takes $500 off the Mind Body Integration training until Sept. 17.the founding cohort of the Mind Body Integration training starts Oct. 22. Applications close Oct. 2.
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.
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.
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CONNECT WITH DR. MICHAEL DOW: Website: drmichaeldow.com Email: michael@mdow.com Health coaching is available nationwide and internationally Consultation groups for practitioners working with neuroplastic symptoms
Ever wonder if you should rest when fatigue hits—or keep going? Grace tackles one of the most common (and confusing) questions in chronic fatigue recovery: how to know when your body needs rest versus when your nervous system just needs reassurance that you're safe.
What You'll Learn:
The Two Types of Fatigue
Normal fatigue (proportionate to life stress, activity, or lack of sleep)
Nervous system fatigue (disproportionate, often paired with brain fog, body aches, or other symptoms—and doesn't improve with more sleep)
Why "Pushing Through" Isn't the Answer
The difference between bulldozing your symptoms and moving through them with compassion
How judgment, fear, and self-criticism actually reinforce fatigue by signaling danger to your brain
Why your approach matters more than whether you rest or move
The Key Question to Ask Yourself Before deciding to rest or continue with your day, pause and check in:
Can I meet this symptom calmly, without fear or panic?
Can I reassure myself that this is my nervous system, not something dangerous or broken?
Am I responding with compassion—or criticism?
If the answer is yes, you can gently move forward. If the answer is no, it might be time to pause, regulate, and build safety first.
What True Rest Actually Looks Like Rest isn't helpful if you're spending it in shame, guilt, or panic. Grace shares how to rest with permission—fully, compassionately, and without the mental spiral.
Trial and Error Is Part of the Process It takes time to learn the difference between types of fatigue. Grace walks you through how to experiment kindly with yourself, adjust as you go, and notice what your body is actually telling you.
Your New Mantra: "Symptoms are evidence of my brain perceiving danger—not proof that I'm broken."
Find the links below to learn more or reach out with questions.
Ever feel like you're "doing all the right things" but still running on empty?
This conversation with Jessica Corbin lit me up. Jessica is a somatic educator and founder of SORCE, and she brings such a beautiful perspective on what it actually means to understand your energy—not just manage it, but renew it.
We dive deep into heart rate variability (HRV), but this isn't just a technical conversation. It's about reconnecting with your body's wisdom, understanding when you're extracting from yourself faster than you can repair, and learning the language your nervous system has been speaking all along.
If you've ever felt disconnected from yourself, if you've been told to "push through" when your body was asking you to slow down, or if you're curious about what energetic literacy really means—this episode is for you.
In this episode, you'll explore: ✨ What heart rate variability (HRV) actually measures and why it matters for your healing
✨ The five stages of energetic literacy: willingness, awareness, articulation, action, and reflection
✨ Why being disconnected from your body is a form of dysregulation (and how to reconnect)
✨ The four areas of separation creating the human energy crisis—and why reconnection is the solution
✨ How pain can be an intelligent guide rather than something to override
✨ Why left-brain-only living keeps you stuck in patterns of burnout
✨ What it means to build your life regeneratively instead of extracting from yourself
✨ The protective mechanism behind disconnection and how to gently invite your body back
Key Moments:
Jessica's Journey: From elite athlete who learned to "push through pain" to somatic educator helping others reconnect with their body's wisdom
Understanding HRV: It's not just about your heart—it's a window into your entire nervous system and your body's capacity to recover
The Gas Tank Metaphor: How checking in with your HRV is like looking at how much fuel you have before navigating your day
Five Stages of Energy Literacy: The practical framework for moving from disconnection to deep self-awareness
Separation = Dysregulation: How disconnection from self, nature, and our wholeness creates the conditions for burnout and chronic symptoms
Regeneration vs. Optimization: Why we need to shift from muscling through to creating conditions conducive to life
The Body as Intelligence: Your symptoms, sensations, and signals aren't the enemy—they're breadcrumbs leading you home
Resources Mentioned:
Jessica's seasonal cohort for growing your energetic literacy: www.sorce.io/practice
In this episode, Grace explores how the pursuit of “perfect” health can backfire—turning clean eating and non-toxic living into stress, rigidity, and even illness. She shares her personal journey with orthorexia and recovery, reminding us that true health is found in balance, nervous system safety, and freedom, not restriction.
Clinical psychologist and researcher Mark Lumley joins Grace to unpack why the brain—not just the body—is central to chronic pain. They dig into EAET (Emotional Awareness & Expression Therapy), how “doing the uncomfortable thing” can unlock change, why blocked anger and unspoken needs keep symptoms looping, and where journaling and unsent letters actually help. Mark shares vivid stories (including blood-draw fainting and the fight/flight “hack”), how relationships trigger or soothe pain, and when Pain Reprocessing Therapy is a useful starting point. You’ll leave with practical ways to find your voice—privately and in real life—and a clearer map for moving from stuck to relief.
If you’ve ever felt like your body is playing whack-a-mole with symptoms—pain, fatigue, gut issues, headaches—you’re not alone. In this episode, Grace explains why shifting symptoms, known as the “symptom imperative,” are actually a hopeful sign of neuroplastic pain. You’ll learn how to recognize this pattern, why it means your body isn’t broken, and how to respond so you can move toward healing.
Grace is joined by Vanessa Blackstone, LMFT to talk about why our brains sometimes expect pain or symptoms before they even happen—a process called predictive coding. Together they explore how this shapes chronic pain and other body sensations, and how tools from Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) can help break the cycle.
Vanessa shares stories from her own journey and her clients, showing how to navigate flare-ups (known as extinction bursts) and build evidence of safety in your body. This episode offers a hopeful reminder: recovery is possible, even if discomfort shows up along the way.
In this episode, Grace explores the hidden costs of perfectionism. She reflects on how the drive to achieve and stay productive can often be rooted in pain, and how these patterns affect both mind and body. Grace unpacks the cultural narratives around productivity, the toll they take on our well-being, and what it looks like to step into a more compassionate, sustainable way of living.
Calling All PractitionersCalling All Practitioners$500 off until Sept. 17 · Apply by Oct. 2 · starts Oct. 22Apply →
New episodes weekly.Real talk on nervous-system healing.Listen →
Calling All PractitionersFounding Cohort · Starts Oct. 22
Early Bird Pricing Ends TodayCalling All Practitioners
The Mind Body Integration training for practitioners is now open. Sign up today by Sept. 17 to save $500.The Mind Body Integration training for practitioners is now open. Apply by Oct. 2 to join the founding cohort.
