I sat down with Dr. Brooke Weinstein, a globally recognized expert in neuroscience-based parenting, occupational therapist, and what she calls a “personal trainer for your brain.” But this episode goes far beyond strategies or frameworks. It’s about what happens when life forces you to look at yourself differently. After the loss of her husband to suicide, following a period where Brooke began choosing herself in ways she never had before, she was faced with the kind of truth most of us spend our lives avoiding: that so much of who we think we are is actually just our nervous system trying to keep us safe. We talk about: - What it really means to regulate your nervous system (and why it’s not a luxury, it’s a necessity) - When you realize you can't fix anyone and you aren't supposed to - People-pleasing, identity, and the unraveling that comes with choosing yourself - Talking to our children about hard things, and why our job is to parent the child in front of us… not the one we fear they might become Throughout the episode, we come back to this idea over and over again: everyone fucking matters. Including you. Brooke’s work blends neuroscience, sensory regulation, and real-time pattern awareness to help people not just understand their triggers, but actually change them. And in this conversation, you’ll hear what that looks like not just in theory, but in a life that’s been cracked open and rebuilt. I also share parts of my own journey this past year, and why one of Brooke’s posts hit me so hard: “People think healing is gentle. It’s not. Healing is gutting. Nothing destabilizes you more than realizing your entire personality was just your nervous system trying to keep you alive…” This episode is so honest, raw, emotional and hopefully will inspire you to never forget that you matter too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices