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

I visited hundreds of schools, talking to kids about kindness.At first, they said it’s wrong to make fun of someone in a wheelchair.Then I asked, what about making fun of someone for how they look, walk, or dress?That’s when it clicked.They realized bullying isn’t a joke. It’s pain disguised as laughter.That moment changed how they saw kindness and how I saw writing for children.👉 About Mind Circuit Mind Circuit is your pocket-friendly safe space for stress relief and emotional balance. It offers science-backed tools like guided breathing, mood tracking, bilateral stimulation, and personalized affirmations that help you slow down, reset, and feel calm anytime you need it.

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

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

⁠ 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

You think you’re teaching your kids discipline, but what if what they’re really learning is “I’m not good enough”?

In this episode of Notes To My Nervous System, child therapist TJ Amos explains everyday parenting phrases like “Why can’t you be like your sibling?” or “How many times do I have to tell you?” quietly shape a child’s nervous system, teaching them shame instead of safety.

You’ll learn:

• How unspoken messages shape your child’s self-worth

• What “correction over connection” does to a child’s nervous system

• Simple ways to help kids process big transitions like divorce, moving, or school changes

• Why play isn’t just fun, it’s how kids regulate and make sense of the world

• How to model calm so your child feels safe in their own body

If you’ve ever wondered why your child shuts down, acts out, or says “I’m bad,” this episode will help you see what’s really happening beneath the behavior.

Find TJ on ⁠Linkedin⁠ and on ⁠Facebook⁠

⁠👉 Mind Circuit⁠is 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 Nervous System, Kirsten shares her journey from being a school counselor in Chicago to leading schools across the globe. She talks about the patterns that put counselors most at risk, what keeps her grounded, and how the profession can create lasting change without sacrificing well-being. If you’ve ever wondered why so many counselors feel exhausted, this conversation will give you clarity and hope .In this episode of Notes to My Nervous System, Kirsten shares her journey from being a school counselor in Chicago to leading schools across the globe. She talks about the patterns that put counselors most at risk, what keeps her grounded, and how the profession can create lasting change without sacrificing well-being. If you’ve ever wondered why so many counselors feel exhausted, this conversation will give you clarity and hope.

⁠⁠👉 Mind Circuit⁠⁠is 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

If you’ve ever rushed through life without stopping to notice what you already have, this story might change how you see everything.What if gratitude isn’t something you practice, but something you remember?

In this episode of Notes To My Podcast, Erin talks with Emmy-winning journalist and author Michael Cogdill about the life-changing moment that made him stop taking the simple things for granted. He opens up about the experience became a turning point that inspired his first children’s book, Crack of the Crab Sideways Afternoon.

Michael shares how that moment shifted his understanding of gratitude, presence, and what it really means to live fully.

If you’ve ever caught yourself moving too fast to appreciate what’s right in front of you, this episode will help you slow down and see life differently.

👉 About Mind Circuit Mind Circuit is your pocket-friendly safe space for stress relief and emotional balance. It offers science-backed tools like guided breathing, mood tracking, bilateral stimulation, and personalized affirmations that help you slow down, reset, and feel calm anytime you need it.

Download now: https://links.mindcircuit.org/

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

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

⁠ 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

Why does burnout feel like a personal failure when it’s actually a collective one?

In this episode of Notes to My Nervous System, I sit down with Ginelle, a therapist and clinician who gets real about burnout, survival mode, and what it means to practice radical self-care in a system that keeps us exhausted. We explore how feminist analytic therapy helps people see where their beliefs about “doing enough” and “being enough” come from, and why so many of us are quietly living in survival mode. Ginelle shares how understanding power, identity, and self-worth can turn healing into an act of rebellion and how choosing yourself can be the most radical thing you do. Ginelle also opens up about her own transition from community mental health to private practice, and how setting boundaries and reclaiming space helped her rediscover safety, purpose, and joy in her work.

💡 What you will learn in this episode:

- Why burnout is systemic

- How survival mode keeps you stuck in constant stress

- What feminist analytic therapy looks like in real life

- The power of saying no to exploitative systems

- How self-care becomes radical when you choose yourself

If you have ever felt like you are doing everything right but still running on empty, this conversation will remind you that you are not broken, you are human.

Mind Circuit is your pocket-friendly safe space for stress relief and emotional balance. It offers simple, science-backed tools like guided breathing exercises, mood tracking, bilateral stimulation, and personalized affirmations that help you slow down, reset, and feel calm anytime you need it.

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 Now at App Store → https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mindcircuit/id6478664305

Follow Us: Instagram → @mindcircuitapp

YouTube → @MindCircuitApp

Website → https://mindcircuit.org

Facebook @Mindcircuit