Desire To Trade Podcast | Forex Trading & Interviews with Highly Successful Traders 541: The Mindset Shift That Finally Makes Traders Consistent (David Bonanno)
Jan 5, 2026
Dr. David Bonanno, a psychologist specialized in trauma and performance, reveals how traders can break free from emotional loops affecting their decision-making. He discusses the two-brain model, explaining adrenaline's role in overriding logic and fueling recurrent mistakes. David emphasizes the importance of emotional interventions, sharing techniques like EMDR to address subconscious triggers and overtrading urges. He also critiques the pitfalls of monetary goals and prop firm pressures, advocating for adaptive strategies to regain emotional balance and consistency in trading.
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Two Brains Explain Rule-Breaking
- Traders have two brains: a logical willpower brain and an emotional adrenaline-driven brain that can take over during stress.
- When adrenaline spikes, logical control weakens and rules-based strategies fail without addressing the emotional system.
Three-and-a-Half-Million Loss Example
- David recounts a client who lost three and a half million dollars and tried harder to stop losing, which made things worse.
- The client’s increasing effort failed because adrenaline-driven emotions had already hijacked decision-making.
Shame Fuels The Overtrading Loop
- Shame and guilt create a secrecy loop that maintains overtrading and impulsive behavior.
- Adding more emotion (self-anger/shame) to an emotional problem amplifies the cycle instead of fixing it.
