Nervous System Care & Healing

Avsnitt

• 
  Beyond Talk Therapy: How Brainspotting Works to Heal the Nervous System 19.07.2026 18min

  If you’ve ever noticed that talking about your problems doesn't necessarily help you FEEL better about them… you might have experienced the limitations of talk therapy. In this episode, I explain how Brainspotting - a healing modality that works directly with the deep brain & nervous system - can fill in the gaps.We’ll cover:00:26 What is Brainspotting & how does it work?05:23 What’s the difference between talk therapy & Brainspotting? (& how they can complement each other)08:05 What does a Brainspotting session look & feel like?12:14 The power of nervous system connection & co-regulation - why Brainspotting isn’t just a series of steps, but rather a relational process14:47 The original Brainspotting: an ancient & intuitive practice?Whether you’re exploring Brainspotting therapy for yourself, or you’re a practitioner considering getting trained in this modality, this episode breaks it all down in simple language - acknowledging both the scientific & spiritual side of healing.🌿 About the HostLiz Zhou is a neurodivergent therapist of color, coach, & speaker based in Colorado (MA, LPC, she/her). She helps highly sensitive, neurodivergent adults & couples heal their nervous systems and connect with their authentic selves. Her specialties include: Brainspotting, EMDR, IFS, Psychedelic Integration, & Nervous System Intensives (deep-dive, accelerated therapy). Liz’s services are available online in CO & worldwide.🌿 RESOURCES>> Visit the official Brainspotting website>> Learn about Brainspotting therapy>> Blog: EMDR vs. Brainspotting: Which is Better for Neurodivergent Brains?🌿 Connect with Liz>> Join my email newsletter, where I share insights on how to understand your brain & take care of your nervous system: Liz’s Neurodivergent Letters>> Follow on IG: www.instagram.com/liz.holistic.therapist>> To work 1:1 with Liz: learn about Nervous System Healing Intensives here (focused sessions, using Brainspotting & Internal Family Systems, to help you heal deeply & connect with your authentic self) 🌻
• 
  From Dysregulation to Connection: An Intersectional Approach to Sex Therapy, w/ Dominique Oster 12.07.2026 38min

  However you’re feeling about sex is normal - whether you feel curious, apprehensive, frustrated, confused, sad, overwhelmed, excited, neutral, or something else. This episode is here to support you in building a healthy & expansive relationship to sex & intimacy… while acknowledging both your nervous system and the systems around us. Join me & Dominique, a certified sex therapist, as we discuss:how traumas and systems of oppression impact our nervous systems - which then impact our sexual experiences, as the stress response is connected to the desire & arousal systems in the bodythe realities of living within a society that normalizes sexual violencehow patriarchy shapes conceptions of what “successful sex” looks like; while capitalism says, “there’s something wrong with you” (if you can’t meet certain performative standards), and tries to sell you a solutionRecognizing that these are the waters we swim in, is the first step to unlearning harmful narratives and building a healthier relationship with ourselves. This episode will leave you with questions & ideas to explore, so that you can bring nervous system regulation into your life and expand your capacity for intimacy & connection, if desired. This is a non-pathologizing, educational conversation. If you’ve ever been curious about sex therapy, but felt too shy to ask… this is for you.CHAPTERS04:40 What is sex therapy, exactly?08:50 How our nervous systems impact our sexual experiences13:08 How systems of oppression dysregulate the nervous system19:32 How do we bring more regulation into our lives and experience more intimacy & connection?28:05 The impacts of capitalism, patriarchy, and white supremacy on relationship to sexuality33:11 A scaffolded approach: real-life sex doesn't always look like the movies🌿 RESOURCES>> All About Love (bell hooks) >> Come Together (Emily Nagoski)>> Burnout (Emily Nagoski)>> Mating in Captivity (Esther Perel)🌿 About the GuestDominique Oster (she/her) is a licensed marriage and family therapist and certified sex therapist who specializes in expansive sexuality & relationships. By helping clients understand their unique historical, cultural, and psychobiological influences, she helps individuals, couples, and polycules to move beyond the unspoken expectations of sex & relating into more aligned & personalized frameworks. Her work as an adjunct professor focuses on teaching clinicians how to talk about sex from an intersectional & systems perspective with their clients, preferably without blushing.🌿 Connect with Dominique>> Website: www.domostertherapy.com >> IG: www.instagram.com/ostertherapy🌿 About the HostLiz Zhou is a neurodivergent therapist of color, coach, & speaker (MA, LPC, she/her). She helps highly sensitive, neurodivergent adults & couples heal their nervous systems and connect with their authentic selves.🌿 Connect with Liz>> Join my newsletter: Liz’s Neurodivergent Letters>> IG: www.instagram.com/liz.holistic.therapist
• 
  What Death Doula Work Teaches Me About Life 05.07.2026 19min

  Death is a natural part of life… yet our death-phobic, grief-phobic society rarely acknowledges this fact. We’ll eagerly plan for marriages, births, graduations, and other life milestones… but avoid discussing end of life. This is understandable, as confronting our mortality can feel scary & overwhelming.Yet conversations about end of life can also be meaningful & life-affirming, ensuring that our wishes, needs, and values are honored till the end - and beyond. When we acknowledge the one certainty in life - that our days on earth are finite - we free ourselves to live more presently & authentically in the now.In this episode, I share about my explorations of death work & end-of-life care - from one (mortal) human to another.01:38 What is a death doula?04:51 Exploring end-of-life care & post-death options that align with your values (ex: conventional burial, fire cremation, water cremation, green burial, natural organic reduction)10:40 Why we need to have conversations about end of life (even if it's uncomfortable)13:56 You’re a living legacy: how do you want to be remembered?16:09 End-of-life care is community care; death work belongs to all of usMay this episode remind you to live fully & to have important conversations with your people - sooner rather than later.🌿 About the HostLiz Zhou is a neurodivergent therapist of color, coach, & speaker based in Colorado (MA, LPC, she/her). She helps highly sensitive, neurodivergent adults & couples heal their nervous systems and connect with their authentic selves. Her specialties include: Brainspotting, EMDR, IFS, Psychedelic Integration, & Nervous System Intensives (deep-dive, accelerated therapy). Liz’s services are available online in CO & worldwide.🌿 RESOURCE>> Blog: How to Cope with End-of-Life & Death Anxiety🌿 Connect with Liz>> Join my email newsletter, where I share insights on how to understand your brain & take care of your nervous system: Liz’s Neurodivergent Letters>> Follow on IG: www.instagram.com/liz.holistic.therapist>> To work 1:1 with Liz: learn about Nervous System Healing Intensives here (focused sessions to help you heal deeply & connect with your authentic self) 🌻
• 
  Asian American Experiences: Unpacking the Model Minority Myth, w/ Sang Lintakoon 28.06.2026 42min

  In this episode, we’re diving into the Asian American experience - going beyond stereotypes, and exploring deeper truths about belonging, identity, and authenticity.For Asian Americans: this episode is here to affirm you & help you make sense of your experiences.For non-Asian folks: this episode is here to educate & inform you, and invite curiosity & connection across communities.Join Asian-American therapists, Liz & Sang, in a mind- & heart-opening conversation on:why many Asian Americans feel both “not Asian enough” & “not American enough”the multifaceted nature of Asian American experiences (we are not a monolith - our communities include multiracial folks, transracial adoptees, & other intersections of identities)the history of the “model minority myth” - which pits minorities against each other & reinforces systems of white supremacythe dichotomy of being adjacent to whiteness (through the model minority myth), while also being treated as the “perpetual foreigner”why every Asian American has likely heard the question: “where are you REALLY from?” - and why this is an example of a microaggressionhow microaggressions & racism impact the nervous system what it means to reclaim identity & connect with self - even when oppressive systems ask us to diminish parts of ourselves in order to fit inthe importance of solidarity across communitiesQUOTE: “I think part of the healing work for Asian Americans is to reclaim some of those things that we might have erased for the sake of survival.”🌿 About the GuestSang Lintakoon (LPC, RPT, she/her) is the firstborn daughter of ethnically Chinese immigrants from Southeast Asia. She grew up in New Jersey and spent time living in Pennsylvania, Texas, & Zambia, Africa before moving to Colorado to pursue her MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She works with children, teens, & adults at her private practice in Westminster, CO called The Perch Counseling Services, where she specializes in issues related to transracial adoption & Asian American racial identity.🌿 Connect with Sang>> To explore therapy & support groups for Asian Americans, visit: www.theperchcounseling.com 🌿 RESOURCES >> To explore mental health resources for the Asian community, visit: www.asianmhc.org>> To view recommended readings from this episode, click HERE🌿 About the HostLiz Zhou is a neurodivergent therapist of color, coach, & speaker based in Colorado (MA, LPC, she/her). She helps highly sensitive, neurodivergent adults & couples heal their nervous systems and connect with their authentic selves. Her specialties include: Brainspotting, EMDR, IFS, Psychedelic Integration, & Nervous System Intensives (deep-dive, accelerated therapy). Liz’s services are available online in CO & worldwide.🌿 Connect with Liz>> Join my weekly newsletter: Liz’s Neurodivergent Letters>> Instagram: www.instagram.com/liz.holistic.therapist
• 
  The Link Between Creativity & Healing 21.06.2026 19min

  What if we saw creativity as not just a nice-to-have extra thing, but as an essential part of the human experience & the healing process?We are all creative beings (yes, even if you think you’re “bad at art” or “not creative”). In this episode, I’ll explore the link between creativity and healing.01:48 Creativity can look so many different ways - from picking an outfit for the day to knitting a sweater to singing a song04:33 Creativity is a part of healing - individual & collective06:12 Creativity is a way to connect to Self07:26 Creativity is a shared experience with community08:34 Creativity is a means of pattern disruption, allowing the brain to build neuroplasticity11:24 Creativity is an antidote to toxic perfectionism, challenging capitalistic standards of productivity13:14 Creativity is a means of hope & world-building15:48 How do you experience creativity?The intention of this episode is to encourage you, inform you, and inspire you to be your most creative self.Quote: “When we’re in touch with our creative power, we can say, yeah, there’s a problem in front of us. How do we strategize and organize together - using our creativity, putting our minds & hearts together - to imagine a way forward, envision a different future, and to build a new kind of world together. All of that takes creativity. Creativity is a stepping stone to world-building. It is the ability to look around us, to challenge the parts of the status quo that are not working, and to come up with something different and hopefully better.”🌿 About the HostLiz Zhou is a neurodivergent therapist of color, coach, & speaker based in Colorado (MA, LPC, she/her). She helps highly sensitive, neurodivergent adults & couples heal their nervous systems and connect with their authentic selves. Her specialties include: Brainspotting, EMDR, IFS, Psychedelic Integration, & Nervous System Intensives (deep-dive, accelerated therapy). Liz’s services are available online in CO & worldwide.🌿 RESOURCE>> Explore art as resistance: www.rebelyellcreative.com/library🌿 Connect with Liz>> Join my weekly newsletter, where I share insights on how to understand your brain & take care of your nervous system: Liz’s Neurodivergent Letters>> Follow on IG: www.instagram.com/liz.holistic.therapist>> To work 1:1 with Liz: learn about Nervous System Healing Intensives here (focused sessions to help you heal deeply & connect with your authentic self) 🌻
• 
  Being Yourself is an Act of Liberation, w/ Dr. Nicole Xenos 14.06.2026 40min

  Mainstream approaches to mental health tend to focus on the individual: “you need to fix yourself.” Meanwhile, a liberation-focused approach acknowledges the systems of oppression that shape each individual’s life.In liberation counseling, we see mental health as a social, political, & economic issue, not just an individual issue. After all, we can’t talk about healing & nervous system regulation, without also acknowledging the conditions that create so much dysregulation in the first place.Join me & Dr. Nicole Xenos in an insightful conversation on what liberation can look like - in the nervous system, in the counseling room, & beyond.We discuss:02:38 What is liberation counseling & how Nicole came into liberation work, through experiences like unpacking religious conditioning & participating in trauma-informed yoga teacher training through the Prison Yoga Project04:08 How to develop critical consciousness - the ability to see how oppressive systems impact us & to take action against them06:04 Liberation is a way of being that is available within us - even while we are waiting for systems of oppression to change (& while we work toward that change)08:02 What internalized oppression can look like (hint: sometimes it shows up as an inner critic that says, “I’m bad/wrong/unworthy”)13:39 Present-moment awareness is a liberation practice24:27 Liberation is a process of returning to Self & deconstructing layers of what we believe about ourselves30:08 Liberation is collective work31:41 It is painful & dysregulating to look at oppression. That’s why we need a base level of nervous system regulation in order to engage with this work, and why it’s important to take it slowRemember: tending to yourself & community is an act of liberation. Rest, joy, & care are acts of liberation. Returning to self is liberation, and freedom from conditioning is worthwhile.🌿 About the GuestNicole Xenos LPC, PhD (she/they) is a Gestalt trained Liberation therapist & supervisor working in Colorado. Nicole uses decolonial & anti-racist frameworks to provide education, counseling, & supervision in her communities. Nicole is a solo Mom to four teenagers and identifies as an intersectional being.🌿 Connect with Nicole>> To explore therapy & supervision, visit: www.paintedonehealing.com >> Instagram: www.instagram.com/painted_one_healing For resources on mutual aid & community liberation, visit: https://www.inclusivetherapists.com/🌿 About the HostLiz Zhou is a neurodivergent therapist of color, coach, & speaker based in Colorado (MA, LPC, she/her). She helps highly sensitive, neurodivergent adults & couples heal their nervous systems and connect with their authentic selves.🌿 Connect with Liz>> Join my weekly newsletter: Liz’s Neurodivergent Letters>> Instagram: www.instagram.com/liz.holistic.therapist
• 
  3 Questions to Ponder if You Discovered Your Neurodivergence Later in Life 07.06.2026 22min

  If you discovered your neurodivergence (like autism or ADHD) later in life, it may feel like you’re getting to know yourself for the first time. The process can be exciting & expansive - and also overwhelming & disorienting.This episode is here to affirm you, support you, and awaken a sense of curiosity & self-compassion… wherever you are in your journey of unmasking & embracing your authentic self.We’ll explore:why some people discover their neurodivergence later in life (and how lack of diversity in mental health research impacts the information available for folks)why self-identification & formal diagnosis are both valid options - there is no one “right” pathhow different seasons of life might unmask/unearth your neurodivergent traits, as your relationship w/ self changes across timeThen, I’ll present 3 questions for you to reflect on:08:16 Now that you know (or suspect) that you’re neurodivergent, what makes sense - about yourself & your life - that didn’t make sense before?12:13 What is 1 thing that you appreciate about the way your brain works?15:15 How might this change the way you take care of yourself?The intention of this episode is to empower you & guide you into a deeper relationship with yourself.Quote: “In the most pathologizing version of the mental health system, neurodivergent folks are discussed in terms of their symptoms rather than in terms of their traits. We get so used to this question, What's wrong with me? How do I fix myself? And we so rarely get to celebrate & acknowledge what we like about ourselves - the gifts & skills that can come with our unique brains & nervous systems.”🌿 About the HostLiz Zhou is a neurodivergent therapist of color, coach, & speaker based in Colorado (MA, LPC, she/her). She helps highly sensitive, neurodivergent adults & couples heal their nervous systems and connect with their authentic selves. Her specialties include: Brainspotting, EMDR, IFS, Psychedelic Integration, & Nervous System Intensives (deep-dive, accelerated therapy). Liz’s services are available online in CO & worldwide.RESOURCES>> Why Autism is Underdiagnosed in BIPOC Communities (and Why Self-Diagnosis is Valid)🌿 Connect with Liz>> Join my weekly newsletter, where I share insights on how to understand your brain & take care of your nervous system: Liz’s Neurodivergent Letters>> Follow on IG: www.instagram.com/liz.holistic.therapist>> To work 1:1 with Liz: learn about Nervous System Healing Intensives here (focused sessions to help you heal deeply & connect with your authentic self) 🌻
• 
  ADHD Nervous System Regulation: Beyond the Usual “Hacks,” w/ Deema Al-Omar 31.05.2026 37min

  If the common “ADHD tips & tricks” don’t work for your ADHD brain, it might be time to slow down & tend to your nervous system in a different way. The truth is, ADHDers need more than planners, apps, & executive functioning “hacks” in order to move sustainably through this world. Though all these tools can absolutely be helpful, they address only one layer of the experience. It’s also important to acknowledge the root causes of nervous system dysregulation: the pressures of living under sociocultural rules that don’t work for our brains, and the impacts of navigating systems of oppression.What if we don’t need another hack - what if we need space to unlearn the rules that others decided for us, & build a kinder relationship with ourselves?Join me & Deema Al-Omar in an enlightening conversation that might change the way you understand (& take care of) your ADHD nervous system.04:28 The neuroscience of the ADHD brain07:55 Navigating the late-diagnosed ADHD experience09:16 Why the struggles of ADHDers go deeper than executive functioning11:16 Why another planner, app, or "ADHD hack" might not be the answer - & what might help instead14:49 How the ADHD experience is shaped by systems of oppression, social rules, & cultural context19:55 Brainspotting therapy: a healing modality that goes deeper than talk therapy & can work well for ADHD brains26:27 Brainspotting can help the nervous system process through experiences of collective trauma & move toward homeostasis28:26 Brainspotting can unlock access to collective & generational traumas held in the nervous system, and bring them out to be healed & tended to 31:49 Slowing down to take care of your nervous system🌿 About the GuestDeema Al-Omar (she/her) is a certified Brainspotting practitioner & associate clinical social worker working with clients based in California. She is a Muslim, Palestinian, neurodivergent, midsize, middle child of immigrants and cisgender woman. She typically works with GenZ and millennial folks on issues related to identity and culture, ADHD, or trauma.🌿 Connect with Deema>> Resource: Executive Functioning Guide 🧠 >> Instagram: www.instagram.com/heyitsdeema🌿 About the HostLiz Zhou is a neurodivergent therapist of color, coach, & speaker based in Colorado (MA, LPC, she/her). She helps highly sensitive, neurodivergent adults & couples heal their nervous systems and connect with their authentic selves. Her specialties include: Brainspotting, EMDR, IFS, Psychedelic Integration, & Nervous System Intensives (deep-dive, accelerated therapy). Liz’s services are available online in CO & worldwide.🌿 Connect with Liz>> Join my weekly newsletter: Liz’s Neurodivergent Letters>> Instagram: www.instagram.com/liz.holistic.therapist>> To work 1:1 with Liz: learn about Nervous System Healing Intensives here 🌻
• 
  How to Build a Nervous System Care Plan: The 8 Senses 24.05.2026 34min

  If you struggle to regulate your nervous system, often experiencing burnout, meltdowns, & sensory overload… this episode is for you.I’ll share practical info on how to care for your nervous system, focusing on the 5 senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, & taste) and beyond (proprioception & intuition).We’ll reflect on these questions: What brings you joy? What makes you happy to be alive? And one day, when you’re no longer in this body, what experiences will you miss most about being human? By the end of this heartfelt, soothing, & educational episode, you’ll have a few more ideas to add to your nervous system care kit. 01:27 The science of the nervous system03:45 How our experiences of senses spans from pre-birth to death05:55 How to build a sensory care plan for the nervous system11:02 Interoception: a sense of internal bodily awareness (aka: how to tell when you’re overstimulated or understimulated)13:54 Resourcing through the 5 senses: sight, sound, smell, touch, & taste23:37 Beyond the 5 senses: proprioception & intuition29:45 There’s no one-size-fits-all care plan31:29 Let’s imagine a world that cares for sensory needs across all phases of life – and then build it, togetherQuote: “When we’re dysregulated in the nervous system, we don’t always have access to all parts of the brain. It’s certainly much harder to access the rational, logical, thinking parts when we’re in the middle of a shutdown or burnout or emotional meltdown. And that’s when we do need to speak to the nervous system in the first language that it understands, which is sensory input.”🌿 About the HostLiz Zhou is a neurodivergent therapist of color, coach, & speaker based in Colorado (MA, LPC, she/her). She helps highly sensitive, neurodivergent adults & couples heal their nervous systems and connect with their authentic selves. Her specialties include: Brainspotting, EMDR, IFS, Psychedelic Integration, & Nervous System Intensives (deep-dive, accelerated therapy). Liz’s services are available online in CO & worldwide.RESOURCES>> Enjoy a guided meditation for grounding (6 min)>> See all research citations for this episode🌿 Connect with Liz>> Join my weekly newsletter, where I share insights on how to understand your brain & take care of your nervous system: Liz’s Neurodivergent Letters>> Follow on IG: www.instagram.com/liz.holistic.therapist>> To work 1:1 with Liz: learn about Nervous System Healing Intensives here (focused sessions to help you heal deeply & connect with your authentic self) 🌻
• 
  Caring for the Perinatal Nervous System: A Transpersonal Lens, w/ Paige DiChiara 17.05.2026 38min

  Let’s talk about the perinatal nervous system – what it is, how it differs from a non-perinatal nervous system, and how caring for mothers creates a ripple effect of healing across generations.In this conversation, Paige DiChiara & I explore the perinatal nervous system from a scientific, spiritual, & systemic lens. We discuss:how to honor the perinatal transition as a rite of passage – instead of pathologizing the experience, as is often the case in Western medical modelswhy the health of mothers is directly linked to the health of society & the planet the somatic intelligence of the nervous system, and why the biological shifts that occur during the perinatal portal make sense from an evolutionary point of viewthe process of matrescence: a multi-layered metamorphosis into motherhood, impacting everything from identity to neurobiology to financeshow lack of systemic support for mothers creates more opportunity for rupture in the child-caregiver relationship, increasing the risk of adverse childhood experienceswhere systems fall short (like lack of paid maternity/paternity leave in the US), and what needs to change at the systemic level in order for humanity & the planet to have a chance to thrivethe benefits of matriarchy, and why matriarchy is not what most people think – it’s not about domination & control, like patriarchy; it’s about care & protection in community🌿 About the GuestPaige DiChiara is trained as a therapist, doula, and advanced yoga teacher with a specialization in perinatal mental health & transpersonal experiences. She guides pregnant women through a physical & emotional transformation that eases anxiety & discomfort while activating an unshakable trust within themselves. Paige believes that the health of mothers is directly related to the health of society & the health of the planet.🌿 Connect with Paige>> Join free 3-day journey for pregnancy peace: Calm Within Reach>> Instagram: www.instagram.com/seasonsofshakti_ >> Website: www.seasonsofshakti.co 🌿 About the HostLiz Zhou is a neurodivergent therapist of color, coach, & speaker based in Colorado (MA, LPC, she/her). She helps highly sensitive, neurodivergent adults & couples heal their nervous systems and connect with their authentic selves. Her specialties include: Brainspotting, EMDR, IFS, Psychedelic Integration, and Nervous System Intensives (deep-dive, accelerated therapy).🌿 Connect with Liz>> Subscribe to Liz’s Neurodivergent Letters>> Instagram: www.instagram.com/liz.holistic.therapist>> Website: www.seasonsofgrowthcounseling.com
• 
  The Brain on Psychedelic Medicines: Myths & Facts 10.05.2026 44min

  We’ve all heard the claim that psychedelic drugs will “fry your brain.” We’ve also heard the opposite story: that psychedelics (like psilocybin, MDMA, & ketamine) are a “magic pill” that’ll cure depression, anxiety, & PTSD — overnight!With such polarizing narratives, it can be hard to discern what’s myth & what’s truth. Whether you’re curious about psychedelic therapy, or skeptical about all the hype, this episode is here to inform you. As a therapist specializing in psychedelic integration, I’ll discuss:the definition of psychedelic medicine (& why I’m intentionally using this term, instead of “drug”)why psychedelics are not a passive experience that we just consume; they’re a relationship that we actively participate inthe balance between enjoying the neuroplastic effects of psychedelic medicines vs. expecting the medicine to do all the healing work for usthe importance of thoughtful preparation & integration, and why the real work happens after the journeystudies that compare the efficacy of psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy vs. psychotherapy with a placebowhy concerns about safety are valid, and why it’s important to consider medical contraindications, as well as the social, emotional, & sensory context in which the experience unfoldshow War on Drugs propaganda impacts our public understanding of psychedelic medicines, and misrepresents the relative danger of “drugs” like cannabis & psilocybin (which are shown to be physiologically less dangerous & less addictive than alcohol) why any conversation on psychedelics must also acknowledge the War on Drugs as a vehicle of structural racism & oppressionthe different contexts of psychedelic healing, from ketamine-assisted psychotherapy to plant medicine ceremonies to microdosingthe nuanced truth: psychedelics can be helpful for some & unhelpful for othersthe importance of centering the voices of Indigenous communities that have stewarded these medicines for generationsRESOURCES>> Download free guide: How to Prepare & Integrate Your Psychedelic Experience 🪷>> See all research citations🌿 About the HostLiz Zhou is a neurodivergent therapist of color, coach, & speaker based in Colorado (MA, LPC, she/her). She helps highly sensitive, neurodivergent adults & couples heal their nervous systems and connect with their authentic selves. Her specialties include: Brainspotting, EMDR, IFS, Psychedelic Integration, & Nervous System Intensives (deep-dive, accelerated therapy). Liz’s services are available online in CO & worldwide.🌿 Connect with Liz>> Join my weekly newsletter: Liz’s Neurodivergent Letters>> Follow on IG: www.instagram.com/liz.holistic.therapist>> To work 1:1 with Liz: learn about psychedelic integration support here.
• 
  3 Loving Reminders for When the World is Overwhelming 26.04.2026 10min

  When the world feels like it’s on fire, it’s natural to become overwhelmed, dysregulated, and overstimulated. (In fact, that’s a sign that our nervous systems are working as designed, alerting us to threats to safety). But no one wants to feel STUCK in overwhelm. In this short & sweet episode, I share 3 reminders to help you tend to your nervous system and navigate the state of the world with agency & awareness – without bypassing painful emotions or pretending that everything is okay (when it’s not). We’ll cover these topics:00:23 Acknowledging a world in polycrisis02:14 Be compassionate with yourself04:04 Allow space to feel & process07:46 Explore aligned action, in communityQuote:“Your nervous system reaction makes sense in the context of your whole life, in the context of the experiences that you’ve had, conscious and subconscious memories, as well as ancestral and intergenerational experiences that are held and remembered in the nervous system. Instead of blaming, shaming, criticizing, or judging ourselves for feeling flooded or frozen or for experiencing shutdowns or burnout or meltdowns, we can instead offer that grace, understanding, and kindness toward ourselves. And it can be as simple as saying: my experience makes sense.”If this episode resonates with you & you want to explore related topics, check out these episodes:>> Episode 1 | Nervous System Regulation: Why Self-Care & Collective Care Matter>> Episode 4 | Building Community: How We Disrupt Systems of Oppression>> Click here for episode transcripts & citations.🌿 About the HostLiz Zhou is a neurodivergent therapist of color, coach, & speaker based in Colorado (MA, LPC, she/her). She helps highly sensitive, neurodivergent adults & couples heal their nervous systems and connect with their authentic selves. Her specialties include: Brainspotting, EMDR, IFS, Psychedelic Integration, and Nervous System Intensives (deep-dive, accelerated therapy). Liz’s services are available online in Colorado & worldwide.🌿 Connect with Liz>> Subscribe to Liz’s Neurodivergent Letters.>> Follow on Instagram: www.instagram.com/liz.holistic.therapist>> Visit my website: www.seasonsofgrowthcounseling.com🌿 Options to Work Together>> To work 1:1 with Liz (adults & couples): book an intro call here.>> To hire Liz for speaking & workshops: submit an inquiry form here.
• 
  Decolonial & Ancestral Healing through Psychedelic Medicines, w/ Mariya Javed-Payne 03.05.2026 40min

  Though psychedelic medicines are often presented as a “quick fix” or “magic pill” in mainstream Western culture, the truth is far more complex than that. In this episode, Mariya Javed-Payne & I explore a decolonial approach to psychedelic medicines — an approach that divests from capitalism, honors Indigenous wisdom, and centers relationship & reciprocity.We explore why psychedelic medicines are not for everyone, but there ARE many different ways to heal, including through ancestral & spiritual practices that we can weave into the everyday.We talk about:03:40 Mari’s journey from addiction recovery to becoming a psychedelic-assisted therapist5:30 Honest thoughts on the psychedelic medicine field12:57 Decolonizing psychedelic medicines & centering Indigenous wisdom16:55 Why all trauma healing IS ancestral healing, & what ancestral & spiritual work can look like (even if you don’t know your ancestors)23:54 Navigating psychedelic experiences w/ discernment & intention: ketamine, cannabis, psilocybin, ayahuasca, & plant allies31:13 Envisioning our future as empire falls: community, care networks, & connection w/ land🌿 About the GuestMariya Javed-Payne (she/her) is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, Licensed Alcohol & Drug Counselor, and International Brainspotting Trainer & Consultant. She is a somatic psychotherapist & the owner of Awaken Consulting Services, a private practice & consultancy where she utilizes Brainspotting therapy and offers training & consultation on treating trauma, somatic psychotherapies, psychedelic assisted therapy, and ancestral healing. The foundation of her work is decolonial and liberation-based. She is also the co-founder of Awakened Roots, a sanctuary & healing space where she offers breathwork, shamanic healing, & earth-based wisdom offerings. 🌿 Connect with Mari>> Brainspotting trainings: www.awakenconsultingservices.com >> Breathwork workshops: www.awakened-roots.com>> Instagram: www.instagram.com/awakenconsultingservices 🌿 About the HostLiz Zhou is a neurodivergent therapist of color, coach, & speaker based in Colorado (MA, LPC, she/her). She helps highly sensitive, neurodivergent adults & couples heal their nervous systems and connect with their authentic selves. Her specialties include: Brainspotting, EMDR, IFS, Psychedelic Integration, and Nervous System Intensives (deep-dive, accelerated therapy). Liz’s services are available online in Colorado & worldwide.🌿 Connect with Liz>> Subscribe to Liz’s Neurodivergent Letters>> Instagram: www.instagram.com/liz.holistic.therapist>> Website: www.seasonsofgrowthcounseling.com
• 
  Decentering the Medical Model: There's Nothing Wrong with You, w/ Halle Thomas 19.04.2026 45min

  If you hold marginalized identities (like being queer, BIPOC, or neurodivergent), you’re used to navigating spaces that weren’t built for you — including the medical system. Unfortunately, the mental health field has a history of pathologizing folks... leading many to believe, “there’s something wrong with ME.” It’s time that we change this narrative.Join me in a poignant conversation with therapist Halle Thomas (she/they), where we talk about:what prompted her to divest from the medical model (which assumes that mental health = "absence of mental illness”), and why alternatives to the medical model are importanthow we can make therapy safer for everyone, by navigating conversations about diagnosis with care & consentwhy it’s important to talk about privilege, oppression, & identities (rather than pretend that these dynamics don’t exist)what it means to acknowledge ancestral responsibilities & engage in intergenerational healing — including when harm was perpetuated by your own ancestorshow Halle uses sensory breaks to take care of her nervous system🌿 About the GuestHalle Monique Thomas, LPC is an anxiety therapist who also works with trauma. Through Brainspotting, parts work, & spiritually-informed practices, she supports anxious adults whose anxiety stems from trying to follow rules that were written FOR them, instead of by them. Halle’s work centers the lived experiences of BIPOC, queer, chronically ill, and neurodivergent folks.  🌿 Connect with Halle>> Download free guide to reduce anxiety>> Instagram: www.instagram.com/chicorycounseling>> Website: www.chicorycounseling.com  🌿 About the HostLiz Zhou is a neurodivergent therapist of color, coach, & speaker based in Colorado (MA, LPC, she/her). She helps highly sensitive, neurodivergent adults & couples heal their nervous systems and connect with their authentic selves. Her specialties include: Brainspotting, EMDR, IFS, Psychedelic Integration, and Nervous System Intensives (deep-dive, accelerated therapy). Liz’s services are available online in Colorado & worldwide.🌿 Connect with Liz>> Subscribe to Liz’s Neurodivergent Letters>> Instagram: www.instagram.com/liz.holistic.therapist>> Website: www.seasonsofgrowthcounseling.com02:04 The journey from pre-med to counseling10:25 Navigating mental health in a multicultural household15:11 De-centering the medical model24:03 Conversations on privilege, power, & intersectionality in the therapy room28:19 The role of the therapist as a bridge30:54 Ancestral responsibility & healing across generations37:36 How do you take care of your nervous system?
• 
  Let's Talk Self-Care: Brain Dumps, Inner Child, & Nature 12.04.2026 22min

  We’ve all heard how important self-care is — but actually building a self-care plan that works for your brain, your unique needs, and your life… is a whole other story. If the typical advice, like “take a bubble bath!” or “have you tried meditating?”, simply doesn’t work for you… I created this episode with your needs in mind. When it comes to taking care of your nervous system, I want you to have options that feel accessible & authentic to you. I’ll share practical ideas of what self-care, self-regulation, & co-regulation can look like, covering topics like:01:36 Brain dumps: what's your processing style? (cognitive, verbal, kinetic, visual, auditory)07:51 What does your inner child need?12:50 Which element of nature do you feel drawn to? (fire, water, earth, air)My hope is that you’ll leave this episode with 1-2 self-care ideas that you feel excited to explore (or revisit)… and the reminder that you are always deserving of care — in mind, in body, and in spirit.Quote:“Everyone’s body is different, everyone's brain works differently, and something that works for you on Monday might not work as well on Tuesday because there are also variables like mood or energy or shifting capacity.”“Scientific studies are affirming this age-old wisdom that so many cultures, so many communities have known for millennia, that being in connection with the earth, feeling it on our hands and feet, generates health and generates life.”>> Click here for episode transcripts & citations.🌿 About the HostLiz Zhou is a neurodivergent therapist of color, coach, & speaker based in Colorado (MA, LPC, she/her). She helps highly sensitive, neurodivergent adults & couples heal their nervous systems and connect with their authentic selves. Her specialties include: Brainspotting, EMDR, IFS, Psychedelic Integration, and Nervous System Intensives (deep-dive, accelerated therapy). Liz’s services are available online in Colorado & worldwide.🌿 Connect with Liz>> Subscribe to Liz’s Neurodivergent Letters.>> Follow on Instagram: www.instagram.com/liz.holistic.therapist>> Visit my website: www.seasonsofgrowthcounseling.com🌿 Options to Work Together>> To work 1:1 with Liz (adults & couples): book an intro call here.>> To hire Liz for speaking & workshops: submit an inquiry form here.
• 
  You're Not Broken: An Ancestral View of Neurodiversity 05.04.2026 27min

  Neurodivergence is often stigmatized in Western mental health. Autism & ADHD are seen as pathologies in need of a “cure.” But what if we viewed neurodiversity through a curious & affirming lens, acknowledging both the challenges AND gifts?In this episode, I explore an alternative to the pathology-based approach: an affirming, ancestral lens that views the individual within the context of their environment & community. We’ll explore how neurodivergent traits (like stimming, repetitive behaviors, or “inability to focus”) are not “deficits” – they are adaptive behaviors that make sense within a collective context, in which each person has a role & gifts to offer to the community. In other words: the traits that make us different, “weird,” or inconvenient for capitalism, may have allowed our ancestors to survive & thrive generations ago.This episode invites us to imagine a world where we embrace difference & live in relationship with each other, with nature, and with the wisdom of our nervous systems. 00:00 Intro00:23 What if we viewed neurodiversity through a curious & non-pathologizing lens?02:07 How is autism defined in Western mental health?04:12 How is ADHD defined in Western mental health?05:25 Neurodiversity-affirming & Indigenous perspectives on autism & ADHD07:38  Medical vs. social models of disability11:11 Indigenous perspectives on disability14:10 The importance of a community-based, non-pathologizing approach16:02 What do I mean by an ancestral lens on neurodiversity?16:18 Autistic traits through an ancestral lens19:33 ADHD traits through an ancestral lens21:51 Navigating the diagnostic system23:24 Mindfulness practice: vision of ancestral past & futureQuote: “We are not saying that neurodivergent & disabled people do not experience any challenges whatsoever. We are saying that it is not necessary to pathologize the people who experience these challenges.”>> Click here for episode transcripts & citations.🌿 About the HostLiz Zhou is a neurodivergent therapist of color, coach, & speaker based in Colorado (MA, LPC, she/her). She helps highly sensitive, neurodivergent adults & couples heal their nervous systems and connect with their authentic selves. Her specialties include: Brainspotting, EMDR, IFS, Psychedelic Integration, and Nervous System Intensives (deep-dive, accelerated therapy). Liz’s services are available online in Colorado & worldwide.🌿 Connect with Liz>> Subscribe to Liz’s Neurodivergent Letters.>> Follow on Instagram: www.instagram.com/liz.holistic.therapist>> Visit my website: www.seasonsofgrowthcounseling.com🌿 Options to Work Together>> To work 1:1 with Liz (adults & couples): book an intro call here.>> To hire Liz for speaking & workshops: submit an inquiry form here.
• 
  You're Not Lazy: Your Nervous System Needs Rest 29.03.2026 16min

  Endless productivity is not realistic for most humans, yet many of us carry the burden of feeling “lazy,” like we’re not doing enough.This episode explores why no one is “lazy” in a capitalistic world — but every one of us does need rest, support, and care. I’ll share 5 questions to help you explore your relationship to rest, work, and systemic & cultural expectations. You’re invited to journal on them, or listen & process in real time.01:55 What is your relationship with rest?04:18 How can you work with your cycles, energy, & wiring (not against them)?07:26 What expectations are you carrying, and how do you feel about those expectations?10:08 What would support or expand your capacity right now?13:11 What would be an easy version of this task?We’ll explore what it means to:move at the speed of your nervous system, not at the speed of capitalismtreat rest as a universal right, not as a reward to be earnedlive in alignment with the cycles of the earth & the body, rather than expecting endless productivityThis episode will leave you with: practical ideas of supports & accommodations you might explore (ex: body-doubling, adjusting expectations, & delegating tasks if possible)affirming reminders: you are allowed to rest, you deserve care & support, and you are not “lazy”; you are humanQuote: “It's natural for your energy to correlate with the seasons around you. Many of us feel more energized in the summer & spring, and more tired, more hibernation mode in the winter. To work with those cycles means that we don't have the same expectations of our energy every single day of the year.”🌿 About the HostLiz Zhou is a neurodivergent therapist of color, coach, & speaker based in Colorado (MA, LPC, she/her). She helps highly sensitive, neurodivergent adults & couples heal their nervous systems and connect with their authentic selves. Her specialties include: Brainspotting, EMDR, IFS, Psychedelic Integration, and Nervous System Intensives (deep-dive, accelerated therapy). Liz’s services are available online in Colorado & worldwide.🌿 Connect with Liz>> Subscribe to Liz’s Neurodivergent Letters.>> Follow on Instagram: www.instagram.com/liz.holistic.therapist>> Visit my website: www.seasonsofgrowthcounseling.com🌿 Options to Work Together>> To work 1:1 with Liz (adults & couples): book an intro call here.>> To hire Liz for speaking & workshops: submit an inquiry form here.
• 
  Unpacking Internalized Oppression: You're Not Crazy, You're Human 22.03.2026 14min

  If you have an inner voice that tells you, “I’m unworthy,” “I don’t matter,” or “I’m crazy/too sensitive/overreacting”... this episode explains why these beliefs may stem from the impacts of systemic oppression, and what you can do with this awareness.We’ll explore how to unlearn internalized beliefs and understand yourself through a more compassionate lens.In this episode, I speak candidly about:how definitions of “mental illness” have shifted across time to pathologize various marginalized groups (including BIPOC folks, women, and LGBTQ+ folks)why it’s important to not pathologize human responses to conditions of injusticehow to disrupt internalized oppression by asking different questions – instead of: “what’s wrong with me?”; we might ask, “how have systems of oppression impacted the way I treat myself?”the difference between an individual, pathology-based lens (“the individual is the problem”) vs. a systemic lens (“the system is the problem”)Please note: this episode covers material like the impacts of slavery, patriarchy, and systems of oppression. I invite you to take care of your nervous system (through pauses, movement, or sensory breaks) as you listen.00:00 Intro01:25 What is internalized oppression?03:38 The history of "mental illness": who gets to decide who is crazy?04:16 Historical context #1: drapetomania05:42 Historical context #2: female hysteria08:35 Historical context #3: homosexuality & gender identity in the DSM12:03 The system is messed up - where do we go from here?13:42 OutroQuotes:“There’s real medicine in being able to see things as they are. It doesn’t fix how messed up and unjust these systems are in their current form, but it does help us realize that what we feel and what we’re experiencing in response to injustice is deeply human.”Full episode transcripts & resources here.🌿 About the HostLiz Zhou is a neurodivergent therapist of color, coach, & speaker based in Colorado (MA, LPC, she/her). She helps highly sensitive, neurodivergent adults & couples heal their nervous systems and connect with their authentic selves. Her specialties include: Brainspotting, EMDR, IFS, Psychedelic Integration, and Nervous System Intensives (deep-dive, accelerated therapy). Liz’s services are available online in Colorado & worldwide.🌿 Connect with Liz>> Subscribe to Liz’s Neurodivergent Letters>> Follow on Instagram: www.instagram.com/liz.holistic.therapist>> Visit my website: www.seasonsofgrowthcounseling.com🌿 Options to Work Together>> To work 1:1 with Liz (adults & couples): book an intro call here.>> To hire Liz for speaking & workshops: submit an inquiry form here.
• 
  To Mask or Unmask: Your Nervous System, Your Needs 15.03.2026 24min

  If you’ve ever heard the advice “just be yourself” and felt frustrated by how generic it was, I want to share a framework that might be more helpful: masking vs. unmasking. We mask when we hide our authentic selves, in order to fit in or stay safe in unwelcoming environments. But masking takes a toll on the nervous system (because it’s exhausting to pretend to be someone you’re not). This is why it’s important to find spaces to UNmask as well. In this episode, I cover topics like:What masking looks like (ex: people-pleasing, downplaying your needs, & suppressing your body’s natural movements/stims)Why masking is a skill & survival strategy, especially for highly sensitive & neurodivergent folks (just like code-switching is a skill & cultural assimilation is a survival strategy)Why unmasking is essential for nervous system health, but why it might not be realistic to unmask all the time (depending on your identities, lived experiences, & personal circumstances)What it means to navigate your life with autonomy & choice, balancing safety & authenticityWhy unmasking is not a checklist, but rather an experiment in a new way of living4 types of unmasking: sensory, social, emotional, & values-based (with specific examples to apply to your own life)00:23 What is masking & why do we do it?02:37 What is UNmasking & why do we do it?08:13 What's the goal: to mask or unmask? (The answer is complicated)11:09 Types of Unmasking11:58 Sensory Unmasking14:32 Social Unmasking17:50 Emotional Unmasking18:57 Unmasking your Values20:49 How does unmasking impact the nervous system & brain?Quote: “When you feel ready to unmask, you can do so. If you don’t feel ready or comfortable or safe, masking is always an option too. For some people, maybe home is your safe space to unmask, but work is a place where you show up more buttoned up. Maybe you feel like you can be unmasked in your relationship with your partner, but not with certain family members. So I want to acknowledge all of those individual nuances.”🌿 About the HostLiz Zhou is a neurodivergent therapist of color, coach, & speaker based in Colorado (MA, LPC, she/her). She helps highly sensitive, neurodivergent adults & couples heal their nervous systems and connect with their authentic selves. Her specialties include: Brainspotting, EMDR, IFS, Psychedelic Integration, and Nervous System Intensives (deep-dive, accelerated therapy). Liz’s services are available online in Colorado & worldwide.🌿 Connect with Liz>> Subscribe to Liz’s Neurodivergent Letters (weekly email series for highly sensitive & neurodivergent folks).>> Follow on Instagram: @liz.holistic.therapist>> Visit my website: www.seasonsofgrowthcounseling.com🌿 Options to Work Together>> To work 1:1 with Liz (adults & couples): book an intro call here.>> To hire Liz for speaking & workshops: submit an inquiry form here.
• 
  Building Community: How We Disrupt Systems of Oppression 08.03.2026 27min

  In this episode, I share why community is essential for our nervous system health, especially in times of injustice and collective transition. I discuss why it can be difficult to find community in our individualistic Western society; and why community is a two-way street, where we learn to give AND receive.Through the concept of “love languages,” we’ll explore how to build community in ways that align with our needs, capacity, and available resources. I end with a reminder that our nervous system are wired for connection, and that our ancestors lived & survived through community.01:31 Why does community matter, especially in these times?05:48 How do we define community?12:52 The Love Languages of Community14:28 Quality Time17:39 Gifts20:39 Acts of Service / Solidarity25:15 Our Nervous Systems, Our AncestorsQuotes: “What I like about collective care is that it disrupts despair and it disrupts isolation. It's like lighting one candle and then spreading that light to an entire room of candles. We remember that we're not alone, that we have each other, and that a better world, a more just world, a more loving world, is absolutely possible because we're here and we're participating in its creation.”“I can’t do all the good the world needs — but the world needs all the good I can do.”🌿 About the HostLiz Zhou is a neurodivergent therapist of color, coach, & speaker based in Colorado (MA, LPC, she/her). She helps highly sensitive, neurodivergent adults & couples heal their nervous systems and connect with their authentic selves. Her specialties include: Brainspotting, EMDR, IFS, Psychedelic Integration, and Nervous System Intensives (deep-dive, accelerated therapy). Liz’s services are available online in Colorado & worldwide.🌿 Connect with Liz>> Subscribe to Liz’s Neurodivergent Letters — a weekly email series for highly sensitive, neurodivergent adults who feel burnt out from wearing masks all day & are re-learning who they really are. Every week, you’ll receive short & sweet emails on how to take care of your nervous system and understand your brain.>> Follow on Instagram: @liz.holistic.therapist>> Watch on YouTube>> Visit my website: www.seasonsofgrowthcounseling.com🌿 Options to Work Together>> To work 1:1 with Liz (adults & couples): book an intro call here.>> To hire Liz for speaking & workshops: submit an inquiry form here.