But For Real

What if putting a bunch of electrodes on your head could tell us something about your anxiety, attention, or how your brain works? Is this legit neuroscience, or are we about to accidentally join a cult? 🫠We've all heard the internet wellness gurus telling us to "rewire our brains," but WTF does that actually mean? This week, we're joined by Cory Williams, MS, BCN, qEEG-D, a neurofeedback and brain mapping specialist at Nashville Family Wellness, to separate the actual science from the wellness-industrial-complex nonsense.We're breaking down what brain mapping can (and can't!) tell us, how neurofeedback works, and whether these approaches can actually help with things like ADHD, anxiety, depression, and trauma. Plus, we're getting into the fascinating possibilities of using brain activity to help guide mental health treatment—and why a fancy brain scan doesn't tell the whole story.And because we're us, there's also some Kacey Musgraves fangirling, deeply unhinged Nutter Butter marketing, and a healthy dose of nerdiness along the way.What You’ll Learn:09:58 – What qEEG brain mapping actually measures (and what it doesn't).13:33 – How neurofeedback works and what the research says about its effectiveness.21:39 – Why a brain map can't diagnose mental illness on its own.22:20 – Whether brain mapping can help guide mental health treatment and medication decisions.29:50 – How trauma and neuroplasticity relate to brain functioning.39:30 – How to tell whether neurofeedback is actually working—and separate legitimate neuroscience from overhyped wellness claims.Resources Mentioned:🌈✨ Kacey Musgraves’ Official WebsiteDeep Questions with Cal Newport🍪🫠 Nutter Butter’s Unhinged Instagram🐉 Robin Hobb’s Farseer TrilogySaving Honeybees from PesticidesConnect with Cory:Cory Williams, MS, BCN, qEEG-D — Nashville Child & Family WellnessLearn more about Cory and his work in qEEG assessment, biofeedback, neurofeedback, and neuromodulation.Nashville Child & Family Wellness Center websiteNashville Child & Family Wellness Center on IG: @nashvillefamilywellnessConnect with Us:Send a story or ask for advice: [email protected] For Real on IG: @butforrealpodSend us a story for The Lore segmentSend in a request for advice for our Step Into My Office segmentNow That's What I Call... OKAAAAY PlaylistThe Gaia Center on IG: @thegaiacenterVal on IG: @valkaymartinThe Gaia Center websiteDISCLAIMER: But For Real Podcast is not a substitute for individualized mental health treatment or healthcare. This podcast is solely for entertainment and educational purposes. If you are in crisis, please utilize crisis support services, such as the Crisis Text Line (Text START to 741741 in the US) or the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (Call 988 in the US), or visit www.findahelpline.com for international resources.

When someone asks what you want and your automatic response is “I don’t care, whatever you want”… even though you absolutely DO care… congrats, babe. We might need to talk about people pleasing. 😬In this episode, we’re breaking down why so many of us are more comfortable disappointing ourselves than disappointing someone else. We talk about where people-pleasing behaviors come from, how they differ from simply being kind or considerate, and how to start tolerating the discomfort of having needs, saying no, and—gasp—letting someone be disappointed in you.Because the goal isn’t to stop caring about other people. It’s to remember that you’re one of the people whose feelings matter, too.What’s in the Episode:00:00 — Welcome + People Pleasing 10101:29 — Tea & Crumpets05:28 — The DSM: People Pleasing, Fawning + Boundaries37:15 — Now That’s What I Call— OKAYY!41:41 — Fire Dumpster Phoenix46:20 — Wrap-UpResources Mentioned in This Episode:Chellie CarlsonChellie Carlson on InstagramThe Five-Star Weekend on Peacock“Same Drugs” by Chance the Rapper“Paper Bag” by Fiona AppleGood News Network — Nashville songwriter rescuing foxes with mangeGood News Network — Hotel staff gives lost stuffed animal the VIP treatmentConnect with Us:More about the pod / past episodes: https://gaiacenter.co/podcastWatch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ButForRealPodNow That's What I Call... OKAAAAY Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2bpcfrAOxJNXTx1cYHV5t8?si=7846bd1d33fb4155Send us a story for The Lore segment: https://forms.gle/K1i2XH4NCWSdAPVL6Send in a request for advice for our Step Into My Office segment: https://forms.gle/yHiMjMQPyuxtwDun8Connect with us on IG: https://instagram.com/butforrealpodThe Gaia Center on IG: https://instagram.com/thegaiacenterVal on IG: https://www.instagram.com/existentiallyvalThe Gaia Center website: https://www.gaiacenter.co/DISCLAIMER: But For Real Podcast is not a substitute for individualized mental health treatment or healthcare. This podcast is solely for entertainment and educational purposes. If you are in crisis, please utilize crisis support services, such as the Crisis Text Line (Text START to 741741 in the US) or the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: (Call 988 in the US), or visit www.findahelpline.com for international resources.

What if you know you’re supposed to touch grass… but you don’t particularly enjoy bugs, dirt, hiking, sweating, or being outside unless it’s approximately 72 degrees with a light breeze? 😌🌿This week, Val and Em sit down with forest therapy guide (and Emerson's grad school friend/ cohort mate) Georgia Bromehead to talk about what “connecting with nature” actually means when you’re living in a city, glued to a screen, overwhelmed by climate change, or simply not an Outdoors Person™.And good news: you do not need to buy hiking boots, memorize bird calls, or disappear into the wilderness for three days.Georgia breaks down forest therapy as a slow, relational practice rather than another wellness task to optimize, including how something as simple as holding a blade of grass, sitting with a houseplant, watching a candle flame, or noticing one tiny piece of the living world around you can help rebuild connection. We also get into eco-anxiety and ecological grief, why despair about the planet is not automatically something to pathologize, and how staying connected to the Earth can actually help us stay engaged rather than shutting down.Basically: consider this your permission slip to microdose nature.This episode covers:(00:00) Meet Georgia Bromehead — forest therapy, nature connection, and touching grass in the age of AI(02:00) Tea & Crumpets — analog habit trackers, archetypes, and Disney World(07:00) Step Into My Office — what if you just… don’t like nature?(10:00) Microdosing Nature — houseplants, botanical gardens, and starting tiny(14:00) What Is Forest Therapy? — forest bathing, sensory awareness, and getting out of your head(17:00) Bodies Without Performance — embodiment, agency, and letting your nervous system chill(20:00) Eco-Anxiety + Planet Grief — caring deeply without drowning in despair(26:00) Nature + Attachment — why trees can offer a surprisingly sturdy kind of support(28:00) Start With Your Senses — a low-pressure way to practice presence anywhere(31:00) Nature in the Therapy Room — regulation, intuition, and decentering the therapist(32:00) ...but for REAL — come to your senses(33:00) Now That’s What I Call— OKAYY! — “Let’s Not Shit Ourselves” by Bright Eyes(36:00) Dumpster Fire Phoenix — finding agency, community, and some genuinely good news(39:00) Rapid Fire Q&A — apps, guilty pleasures, surviving the woods, and Nashville ramen slander...but for REAL: Eco-anxiety isn’t automatically a sign that something is wrong with you. Sometimes it’s evidence that you are paying attention to something painful and real. The goal isn’t to “fix” your grief, stay hopeful 24/7, or single-handedly recycle your way out of climate collapse. It’s to let yourself feel the heartbreak, rage, beauty, and wonder—and find ways to stay in relationship with the world instead of numbing out from it.Resources + Stuff Mentioned in This Episode:King, Warrior, Magician, Lover by Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette: https://jungchicago.org/product/moore-compilation-within-mp3/Robert Moore archetypes lectures on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGQCeQzETqo&list=PL879965yJx44OcJaYHi1fO5IZRH7Fie0FGaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center — indoor gardens and atriums: https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/bnago-gaylord-opryland-resort-and-convention-center/overview/Missouri Botanical Garden: https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/Let's Not Shit Ourselves by Bright Eyes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCxgTf4Iv88Now That’s What I Call... OKAAAAY Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2bpcfrAOxJNXTx1cYHV5t8?si=7846bd1d33fb4155Connect with Georgia:Georgia’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forest_therapy_nashville/Georgia’s forest therapy offerings/resources: https://foresttherapynashville.com/BIOWhile teaching English in Japan, Georgia marveled at the cultural nature connection and rhythmic living. Inspired, she found the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy (ANFT) website. A new way to connect with nature for adults? She was intrigued.Moving home to Tennessee, Georgia taught herbal supplement education at a local pharmacy.She listened to customers talk about anxiety, depression, and fatigue — and saw firsthand how disconnected from nature and their own bodies many people felt.Georgia became the first practicing certified Guide with ANFT in Nashville and has been guiding since 2019.She has given talks and interviews about the healing power of nature connection. She's guided forest bathing internationally and Statewide, and she's been featured on podcasts, local radio, and publications. Georgia loves sharing the research and qualities of nature connection. She is also a Psychotherapist with a Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.Connect with Us:More about the pod / past episodes: https://gaiacenter.co/podcastWatch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ButForRealPodNow That's What I Call... OKAAAAY Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2bpcfrAOxJNXTx1cYHV5t8?si=7846bd1d33fb4155Send us a story for The Lore segment: https://forms.gle/K1i2XH4NCWSdAPVL6Send in a request for advice for our Step Into My Office segment: https://forms.gle/yHiMjMQPyuxtwDun8Connect with us on IG: https://instagram.com/butforrealpodThe Gaia Center on IG: https://instagram.com/thegaiacenterVal on IG: https://www.instagram.com/existentiallyvalThe Gaia Center website: https://www.gaiacenter.co/DISCLAIMER: But For Real Podcast is not a substitute for individualized mental health treatment or healthcare. This podcast is solely for entertainment and educational purposes. If you are in crisis, please utilize crisis support services, such as the Crisis Text Line (Text START to 741741 in the US) or the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (Call 988 in the US), or visit https://www.findahelpline.com/ for international resources.

What if the thing you've written off as a personality flaw your entire life is actually ADHD? And what if the way ADHD gets diagnosed, treated, and talked about has never really accounted for who you are?This week, Val and Em sit down with Dr. Chanel Thomas, founder, CEO, and clinical director of Blue Sage Wellness — a multi-state psychiatric group practice built specifically to serve communities that mainstream mental health has historically failed. They get into late ADHD diagnosis, medication stigma, what it actually means to practice psychiatry from an anti-oppressive lens, and why "high-functioning" often just means nobody can see how hard you're working to hold it together.This episode covers:(00:00) Tea & Crumpets — Val on Dungeon Crawler Carl; Chanel on One Piece (1,200 episodes and counting); Em becomes a Lego adult(05:00) Step Into My Office — 47 productivity apps and still barely functioning: is it ADHD, burnout, or something else?(09:00) The DSM — high-functioning on the outside, treading water on the inside(13:00) What ADHD actually looks like in adults who've spent their lives masking(20:00) Late diagnosis, grief, and what it felt like when Chanel took medication for the first time(23:00) Medication stigma, the "will I lose my personality" fear, and what collaborative care looks like(28:00) Practicing psychiatry from a decolonized, anti-oppressive lens(32:00) "...but for REAL"(33:00) Now That's What I Call— OKAYY! — "Served" by XLOV(34:00) Dumpster Fire Phoenix + Rapid Fire Q&A...but for REAL: ADHD doesn't just look like the hyperactive white kid bouncing off the walls. It presents differently in Black and brown, queer, and trans folks — often internalized, masked, and shaped by survival. If that's been your experience, your presentation is just as valid.Resources + Stuff Mentioned in This Episode:Blue Sage Wellness — Dr. Chanel's multi-state psychiatric group practice XLOV — "Served" — Chanel's song pick One Piece — manga and anime series; available on Crunchyroll and NetflixDungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman — Val's current readTeddy the dog rescued from Helvellyn — Good News Network Connect with Dr. Chanel:Blue Sage Wellness @chanelpsychnp on IG@bluesagewellnesspllc on IGBIODr. Chanel Thomas is a doctorally prepared, dual board-certified nurse practitioner (FNP/PMHNP) and the founder, CEO, and clinical director of Blue Sage Wellness PLLC, a multi-state psychiatric group practice serving Tennessee, Kentucky, and New York. She built Blue Sage from the ground up with a clear mission: to provide culturally affirming, high-quality psychiatric care to communities historically failed by mainstream mental health systems, including communities of color, the LGBTQ+ community, and neurodivergent individuals.But Dr. Thomas doesn't stop at the clinical chair. She is also the founder of Aligned & Abundant, a clinician empowerment and conference platform, and the Flourish Collective, a practice incubator and coaching program designed to help licensed clinicians build sustainable, values-aligned practices. She brings a decolonized lens to psychopharmacology, a neurodivergent-affirming approach to care, and a signature style that weaves anime, gaming, and geek culture into clinical work in ways that are as effective as they are unexpected.Whether she's in the clinical space, on a conference stage, or building the next chapter of her legacy, Dr. Thomas shows up the same way every time: fully, unapologetically, and with purpose.Connect with Us:More about the pod / past episodesWatch us on YouTubeNow That's What I Call... OKAAAAY PlaylistSend us a story for The Lore segmentSend in a request for advice for our Step Into My Office segmentConnect with us on IG: @butforrealpodThe Gaia Center on IG: @thegaiacenterVal on IG: @existentiallyvalThe Gaia Center website: www.gaiacenter.coDISCLAIMER: But For Real Podcast is not a substitute for individualized mental health treatment or healthcare. This podcast is solely for entertainment and educational purposes. If you are in crisis, please utilize crisis support services, such as the Crisis Text Line (Text START to 741741 in the US) or the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: (Call 988 in the US), or visit www.findahelpline.com for international resources.

Dr. Jen Le Coguic is a pelvic health physical therapist with over 15 years of experience and the founder of Nashville Pelvic Health — and she's here to talk about the body part most of us are either ignoring, overtightening, or doing Kegels for when we absolutely should not be.This episode covers way more territory than you'd expect: why bladder leaks, pelvic pain, and constipation are common but not normal, why "just do your Kegels" is actually bad advice for a lot of people, what the pelvic floor has to do with your back pain and your breathing, and why men are even less served by this conversation than women. Val and Em also bring a listener who has memorized the bathroom layout of every movie theater in her city, and they have thoughts.This episode covers:(00:00) Tea & Crumpets — Em's analog Sudoku era; Val's proud moment of discernment; Jen on the pelvic floor–nervous system connection and Asheville's dog-friendliness(05:00) Step Into My Office — a listener who knows every public bathroom in her city asks: when does "annoying" become worth getting help for?(10:00) The DSM — what the pelvic floor actually does, why "just do your Kegels" is bad advice for a lot of people, and why the medical system keeps siloing symptoms it should be connecting(17:00) The vFit, breathwork, pregnancy, postpartum, men's pelvic health, and what to expect at your first appointment(30:00) "...but for REAL"(31:00) Now That's What I Call— OKAYY! — "Undone" by Weezer(32:00) Dumpster Fire Phoenix + Rapid Fire Q&A...but for REAL: These problems are common, but they're not normal. If something is bothering you — even if it's just annoying, even if you haven't had a baby, even if it doesn't feel "serious enough" — reach out to a pelvic floor therapist, do a consult, and get the help that's out there for you.Resources + Stuff Mentioned in This Episode:Nashville Pelvic Health — Dr. Jen's clinicvFit by Joylux — the red light therapy pelvic device Val spotted at the STIMULATE Conference (#NotSponsored)"Undone — The Sweater Song" by Weezer@omgitsheidiii — the viral reel about Grandma CaroleKhruangbin — Jen's other recent musical obsession!Connect with Dr. Jen:Nashville Pelvic Health websiteJen on IGNPH on IGConnect with Us:More about the pod / past episodesWatch us on YouTubeNow That's What I Call... OKAAAAY PlaylistSend us a story for The Lore segmentSend in a request for advice for our Step Into My Office segmentConnect with us on IG: @butforrealpodThe Gaia Center on IG: @thegaiacenterVal on IG: @existentiallyvalThe Gaia Center website: www.gaiacenter.coDISCLAIMER: But For Real Podcast is not a substitute for individualized mental health treatment or healthcare. This podcast is solely for entertainment and educational purposes. If you are in crisis, please utilize crisis support services, such as the Crisis Text Line (Text START to 741741 in the US) or the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: (Call 988 in the US), or visit www.findahelpline.com for international resources.