If you've spent any time on social media recently, you’ve likely been bombarded with highly marketable, infinitely shareable heuristics promising immediate relief from stress and anxiety. From half-baked 3-step methods to trendy coping tips, the modern wellness space is cluttered with what we might call "neuro-fluff." Recently, a popular emotion regulation framework known as the A.S.S. Method (Awareness, Soothe, Step Back) caught our attention. On the surface, it is a catchy

This article explores the HPA axis, the body’s central stress management system, and how chronic modern stress leads to burnout and dysregulation. It outlines practical, holistic strategies for recovery, including stabilizing blood sugar, prioritizing restorative sleep, and utilizing gentle movement. By focusing on nervous system regulation and targeted nutrition, you can signal safety to your body and restore your natural energy and resilience.

“Your nervous system isn’t broken. It just needs a safer relationship with what it feels.” — Twisted Minds VB References (APA Style) Barrett, L. F., & Simmons, W. K. (2015). Interoceptive predictions in the brain. Nature Reviews Neuroscience , 16(7), 419–429. Craig, A. D. (2002). How do you feel? Interoception: the sense of the physiological condition of the body. Nature Reviews Neuroscience , 3(8), 655–666. Garland, E. L., & Hanley, A. W. (2024). Mindful Interoceptive Mappin

Turn down the noise. Turn up your values.  Make decisions you won’t have to apologize to your future self for. - Image generated by ChatGPT. When life gets loud—burnout at work, relationship uncertainty, family conflict—it’s easy to make decisions based on the loudest  emotion in the room: fear, guilt, anger, urgency, or shame. Value-based decision making is a way to turn the volume down on all that noise and turn the volume up on something steadier: what you want your life t

By Twisted Minds Counseling, Jasen Eberz, LCSW Exploring the Mind: A Guide to Understanding and Managing Intrusive Thoughts, Featuring a Creative Skull Design Symbolizing Mental Intrusions. AI Generated Image Intrusive thoughts are incredibly common. However, when they get stuck, they can create spirals of anxiety, fear, shame, or obsessive rumination. Research across CBT, ACT, somatic psychology, trauma therapy, and neurobiology points to one essential truth: ⚡ You Must Calm

The science says about rebuilding trust and offers concrete, therapist-informed steps you and your partner can take, whether you’re healing from a single rupture or a long pattern of disconnection.

This article blends: the thought-regulation strategies from your earlier Twisted Minds article the sleep protocols and neuroscience tools from the Huberman Lab and peer-reviewed research on rumination, insomnia, and intrusive thoughts to help you break the cycle.

At Twisted Minds Counseling, we pair bottom-up tools that soothe the body, with top-down tools that reshape the story.

Your accelerator responds to erotic and emotional “green lights,” while your brake system downshifts when there’s stress, conflict, shame, etc. This article helps to explore your partner's patterns with curiosity - rather than pressure to improve intimacy.

When people say “just set boundaries,” it can sound like one more thing you’re failing at. Here’s the reframe: boundaries aren’t walls; they’re commitments to live your values in real time.   In Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), values are chosen directions (not goals) that guide behavior under stress; acting from values—especially when it’s uncomfortable—predicts better psychological flexibility and well-being. MDPI+4PMC+4IJPSY+4 DBT adds the “how”: skills for asking,

Addiction doesn’t come out of nowhere—it has roots. Learn the science behind why people develop addictions and how to prevent swapping...

Art Generated by Chat GPT Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in adulthood can present challenges with attention, time...

Breathwork is one of the quickest ways to shift your state—because breathing is a direct “handle” on your autonomic nervous system....

https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1321664111 We often talk about emotions as if they live only in our minds— “I feel anxious,” “I...

6 Neuroscience-Backed Reasons to Stop Complaining (And One Powerful Way to Break the Habit)

The following information was initially obtained from the video below and expanded upon with linked peer reviewed journal articles....

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by your to-do list, you’re not alone. With countless tasks pulling for attention, it can be hard to know...

Understanding the patterns—and learning how to change them. You’re not alone if you’ve found yourself in more than one unhealthy or...