The Psychology of Discomfort: Why It Shapes Every Relationship You Choose — with Educator & Psychologist Mary Shalene Pierce

Have you ever wondered why you keep choosing the same relationships… or why speaking up feels terrifying even when you know it’s the healthiest thing you could do? In this episode, Texas educator and psychologist Mary Shalene Pierce joins me to unpack the emotional patterns we form long before we have the language to name them.

Together, we explore how childhood roles, school environments, and early family dynamics quietly shape the way we communicate, set boundaries, love, lead, and relate as adults.

In this conversation, we dig into:

Why kids hide their needs to stay liked or avoid conflict

How criticism becomes a lifelong internal voice

Why familiar discomfort feels safer than new possibilities

How childhood roles influence romantic and adult relationships

What happens when you finally choose yourself

How the nervous system stores emotional pressure—even decades later

Shalane breaks down these patterns with so much clarity and compassion. Her insights remind us that the behaviors we judge in ourselves are often survival strategies we learned as children.

If you’ve ever thought:

“Why do I attract the same people?”

“Why does honesty feel uncomfortable?”

“Why do I lose my voice around certain people?”

…this episode will help you understand yourself with more softness, science, and self-compassion.

Your patterns are learned—not permanent.

And anything learned can be unlearned.

Press play and reconnect with the version of you who is ready for something healthier, safer, and more honest.

Mind Circuit ⁠is your pocket-sized support system for emotional balance and stress relief. With guided breathing, mood tracking, bilateral stimulation, and affirmations backed by neuroscience, it helps you calm your mind and reconnect with your body anytime you need it

⁠DownloadNow⁠ :Google Play → ⁠https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app.ageOfUncertainty&hl=en⁠

⁠Download Now⁠at App Store → ⁠https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mindcircuit/id6478664305⁠

Follow Us: Instagram →@mindcircuitapp

YouTube → @MindCircuitApp

Website → ⁠https://mindcircuit.org⁠

⁠Facebook⁠@Mindcircuit

In this episode of Notes to My Podcast, Emmy-winning journalist and author Michael Cogdill opens up about the hidden pain many men carry but never talk about.He shares how growing up with a violent alcoholic father shaped his understanding of love, shame, and codependency, and how years later he had to unlearn silence to finally start healing.

Michael and I dive deep into what it means to feel broken without knowing why, exploring:- How shame disconnects men from their emotions- Why codependency feels like love but drains you completely- The importance of therapy, vulnerability, and self-care- The lifelong impact of trauma from childhood chaos- How men can break the cycle of fixing others while ignoring themselves

This conversation is a reminder that healing is not weakness, and asking for help is one of the strongest things a man can do.

If you have ever felt responsible for everyone’s happiness but your own, this episode will hit home.

🎧 Listen now to understand why so many men feel broken and how to start putting the pieces back together.

https://www.instagram.com/michael.cogdill/?hl=en

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcogdill/

Mind Circuit⁠ is your pocket-sized support system for emotional balance and stress relief. With guided breathing, mood tracking, bilateral stimulation, and affirmations backed by neuroscience, it helps you calm your mind and reconnect with your body anytime you need it

⁠DownloadNow⁠ :Google Play → ⁠https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app.ageOfUncertainty&hl=en⁠

⁠Download Now⁠at App Store → ⁠https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mindcircuit/id6478664305⁠

Follow Us: Instagram →@mindcircuitapp

YouTube → @MindCircuitApp

Website → ⁠https://mindcircuit.org⁠

⁠Facebook⁠@Mindcircuit

Are you stuck in survival mode?

Join Erin and clinician Ginelle Krummey to learn how to move beyond the comfort of crisis and build lasting stability and felt safety in your brain.

Ginelle, a trauma survivor and expert, dives into why stability can feel "boring" and offers practical, science-based ways to create a felt sense of safety. You’ll discover:

• The difference between living on autopilot versus making a choice.

• How to use small coping skills to instantly regain a sense of control and reduce powerlessness.

• The significance of conversations about values and possibilities to shift out of survival mode.

• Ginelle’s personal journey of radical self-love and prioritizing self-care and boundaries.

• The power of values cards from motivational interviewing to help you prioritize what truly matters.

Tune in for actionable advice on healing, communication that calms your nervous system, and the importance of prioritizing your personal well-being.

Remember to hit Follow so you don't miss more science-based ways to calm your nervous system!

Ginelle Krummey, LCMHC is a therapist and founder of ⁠Collaborative Therapy at Growth Point Cottage.⁠

Find Ginelle at https://www.instagram.com/growthpointcollaborative

👉 Mind Circuitis your pocket-sized support system for emotional balance and stress relief.With guided breathing, mood tracking, bilateral stimulation, and affirmationsbacked by neuroscience, it helps you calm your mind and reconnect with yourbody anytime you need it

DownloadNow :Google Play → https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app.ageOfUncertainty&hl=en

Download Nowat App Store → https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mindcircuit/id6478664305

Follow Us: Instagram →@mindcircuitapp

YouTube → @MindCircuitApp

Website → https://mindcircuit.org

Facebook@Mindcircuit