the tara bixby podcast

Today Deb Dana is hanging out with us to chat all things Polyvagal Theory.  Deb Dana is a clinician, consultant, author, and speaker who specializes in complex trauma. Her work is focused on using the lens of Polyvagal Theory to understand and resolve the impact of trauma and in creating ways of working that honor the role of the autonomic nervous system.  In today's episode, we talk about...  - What polyvagal theory is - How we move through the three autonomic states - How your nervous system takes in cues of safety and danger - How your nervous system is shaped - What it means to be dysregulated - What you can do to move out of a dorsal state of freeze - How the nervous system builds resilience through ruptures and repair - Why some people are better able to tolerate stress - What role the nervous system plays in social anxiety - How you can nourish your nervous system - Why people struggle to co-regulate - How our brain creates stories to match our nervous system state - Why the word “should” provokes survival energy in our nervous system - How you can support someone who is anxious, and so much more ...and so much more!  ✨ If you loved today’s conversation, and you know someone who’d benefit from hearing it, please share it with them (even better if you share on social).  ☕️ Click here to save 10% off your Kion coffee order when you use code COURAGE at checkout.  HANGOUT WITH ME ON INSTAGRAM TODAY'S SHOW NOTES

Today Scott Stossel is helping me create a conversation around anxiety and psych meds. You might recognize his name if you watched the Netflix documentary Take Your Pills: Xanax as he was featured in it.  Scott is the National Editor of The Atlantic, the author of My Age of Anxiety: Fear, Hope, Dread, and the Search for Peace of Mind and Sarge: The Life and Times of Sargent Shriver. We're talking about...  - Why he wanted to share his mental health experience inside a documentary - Where his mental health journey began - What his experience with psych meds looked like - What he believes is at the root of his anxiety - Why being a man has made his anxiety worse  - How benzodiazepine use can lead to addiction - How benzos impact GABA production - The role the nervous system plays in anxiety - What you can do to shift your nervous system back into a ventral state of calm - How benzodiazepines impact your amygdala ...and so much more!  ✨ If you loved today’s conversation, and you know someone who’d benefit from hearing it, please share it with them (even better if you share on social).  ☕️ Click here to save 10% off your Kion coffee order when you use code COURAGE at checkout.  HANGOUT WITH ME ON INSTAGRAM TODAY'S SHOW NOTES

Did you know that most Americans are deficient in several essential vitamins and minerals - vitamins and minerals that can help improve your mental health? Today the brilliant Chris Kresser is hanging out with us to discuss the role nutrient deficiencies play in mental health and what we can do about it.  Chris is the co-founder of the California Center for Functional Medicine, the founder of Kresser Institute, the host of the top-ranked health podcast Revolution Health Radio, and the New York Times best-selling author of The Paleo Cure and Unconventional Medicine. He is one of the most respected clinicians and educators in the fields of Functional Medicine and ancestral health and has trained over 2,000 clinicians and health coaches from more than 50 countries in his unique approach.  In today's episode, we talk about... - How years of struggling with chronic illness led to Chris to help others improve their health - Where conventional medicine is going wrong in regards to mental health treatment - The role nutrient deficiencies play in mental health - Why you can eat healthy and still be deficient in nutrients - Why nutrient levels in food is declining - Why it’s hard for you to gain insight into your nutrient levels  - What nutrients we could all benefit from having more of - The benefits of adding seafood to your diet - Why supplementation can be a problem - What foods you can eat to get the biggest bang for your nutrient buck - Why you need a good mix of plants and animal foods in your diet - How to prepare veggies to get the most nutrients out of them  ✨ If you loved today’s conversation, and you know someone who’d benefit from hearing it, please share it with them (even better if you share on social).  HANGOUT WITH ME ON INSTAGRAM TODAY'S SHOW NOTES

Today the wonderful Donald Altman is hanging out with us to discuss his newest book, Travelers - a story about overcoming grief while finding hope, healing, and renewal.  Donald Altman is a psychotherapist, Award-winning writer, international workshop trainer, former Buddhist monk, and past Vice-President of The Center for Mindful Eating. In today's episode, we talk about...  - Donald’s experience as a Buddhist monk - Why he wrote Travelers - What you can do when struggling with intrusive thoughts - Why we need to get beyond labeling people with diagnoses - What mindfulness looks like - Why people struggle to sit in stillness with their thoughts - The power of sitting in nature - How science doesn’t show us the whole picture - The controversy with diagnosing grief - Why I was resistant to going to therapy ...and so much more.  ✨ If you loved today’s conversation, and you know someone who’d benefit from hearing it, please share it with them.  HANGOUT WITH ME ON INSTAGRAM TODAY'S SHOW NOTES  

Class is officially in session! Dr. Paul Bloom is hanging out with us on the show to discuss his new book Psych, The Story of the Human Mind, which is a book he built around his Yale introduction to psychology course. In today's episode, we talk about...  - Why he wanted to turn his class into a book - Why he calls psychology a young science - What people get wrong in regard to memory - What you need to know about implicit bias - Why you can’t overcome biases on your own - What makes us unique - How appropriate amounts of anger can be useful - What makes people happy - Why we tend to go along with the crowd - Why people tend to join “evil” groups ...and so much more!  ✨ If you loved today’s conversation, and you know someone who’d benefit from hearing it, please share it with them.  HANGOUT WITH ME ON INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/courageously.u/   TODAY'S SHOW NOTES: https://courageouslyu.com/dr-paul-bloom/

Hit play to hear why I think so many people are struggling with their mental health today. I talk about when the Jetsons met the Flintstones, why your nervous system is freaking out, and what you can do to help it feel safe.  P.S. Love this minisode? Feel free to share it with a friend who would benefit from hearing it. 🤩

Are you ready to overcome negative thinking, discover deep healing, and find lasting peace? If you’re nodding your head yes, then this episode is for you.  Dr. Seth Gillihan is a practicing psychologist, author, former professor, and podcast host of the Think Act Be podcast. He is the author of multiple books on mindfulness and CBT, with his latest being Mindful Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindful Cognitive Behavioral Therapy offers a fresh, welcome approach for treating mental health issues that speaks to our times, blending mindfulness and spirituality with CBT. In today's episode, we talk about...  - How Dr. Gillihan’s struggles inspired him to write Mindful Cognitive Behavioral Therapy  - What traditional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks like  - How Dr. Gillihan adds mindfulness to CBT  - What you can do if you struggle with fear-based or intrusive thoughts  - Why pushing thoughts away isn't the goal - What makes harm-related OCD thoughts unusual  - What the think act be model looks like - How thoughts drive our emotions  - The importance of exploring beneath the surface level thought  - Why you should find gratitude in the “suck” - Dr. Gillihan shares his thoughts on toxic positivity  - What you can do if you’re struggling with catastrophic thinking ...and so much more! ✨ If you loved today’s conversation, and you know someone who’d benefit from hearing it, please share it with them.  HANGOUT WITH ME ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/courageously.u/   TODAY'S SHOW NOTES: https://courageouslyu.com/dr-seth-gillihan/

Do you feel lazy when you rest? Do you feel like you always have to be productive? If you can relate, this minisode is for you, my friend!  Hit play, and I'm going to tell you why it's time to change your definition of productivity.  P.S. Love this minisode? Feel free to share it with a friend who would benefit from hearing it. 🤩

Today the courageous Sadie Sutton is hanging out with us on the show to share how she navigated her mental health as a teen.  Sadie is a 19-year-old psychology student at the University of Pennsylvania. After receiving a year and a half of intensive treatment for severe depression and anxiety, and since fully recovering from severe depression and anxiety, she was inspired to share her story with fellow teens going through their own personal growth. Sadie started the She Persisted podcast in 2019. Inside her episodes, she conducts impactful and inspirational interviews with subject matter experts, fellow teenagers, and social media personalities to break down the stigma surrounding mental health and inspire teens to create a life worth living.  In today's episode, we talk about...  - What Sadie’s mental health struggles looked like - What her mental health treatment looked like - How she engaged in self-harm as a means of getting validation and attention - What mindset shifts she had to make to help improve her mental health - What she feels was not helpful in her healing journey - What Dialectical behavior therapy looks like - Why sleep is crucial to improving your mental health - Why she started the She Persisted Podcast - What she’d suggest to a parent whose teen is struggling with their mental health - What tool you can use to help with intense emotions - What she’d say to a teenager struggling ...and so much more!   ✨ If you love today’s conversation, and you know someone who’d benefit from hearing it, please share it.    HANGOUT WITH ME ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/courageously.u/   TODAY'S SHOW NOTES: https://courageouslyu.com/sadie-sutton/

Anxiety and agitation are signs that your nervous system has shifted into a sympathetic state of fight-or-flight, and stress hormones are now flowing in your body.  Sihing is a fantastic way to shift your nervous system out of a sympathetic state and back into a ventral state of calm.  If you're new to nervous system work, you want to be in a ventral state (anxiety and agitation don't live there).  👉🏼 If you loved this minisode, please screenshot it and share it with a friend. The more people who have this tool in their toolbox, the better.  Happy sighing, my friend! 🤩