Episode 112
A listener wrote in and suggested that I interview today’s guest Jana Glass about brainspotting—and I’m so grateful she did! If you ever have an interesting guest or topic that you believe could benefit moms, please reach out and share—the result could be something like today’s awesome episode!
Jana is going to share a therapy technique called brainspotting—she’ll describe what it is, how it works, what a brainspotting session looks like, and how it can help moms (during any time in their lives, but also specifically during the perinatal period). She also answers practical questions like “How do you know when you need therapy?” and “Who goes to therapy & why?”
I appreciate her approach to trauma and how she describes it as treatable…as well as her beliefs that there is no better time to heal than now, the strongest and bravest people reach out for support, and when we heal birthgivers, we heal the world.
This episode contains tons of general brainspotting information (great for anyone seeking healing modalities) as well as specific info for moms and moms to be.
Jana’s Bio: Jana Glass is a Licensed Professional Counselor certified in Brainspotting, Addictions, Perinatal Mental Health, and Telemental Health. She is in private practice in Atlanta, Georgia, USA specializing in treating trauma, addictions, and perinatal mental health including decisions and challenges around family expansion through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. She found her own perinatal healing through Brainspotting and is passionate about helping people heal and enjoy their role as a parent. Jana is a Certified Brainspotting Consultant and provides individual and group consultation.
In this episode, Jana & I talk about:
- What brainspotting is
- Earlier traumas that effect where we are in parenthood
- Stillbirth
- Infertility
- Helping people feel more grounded and calm as they begin to enter parenthood
- The role of the pandemic and social media during these difficult times
- The unrealistic societal expectation that we are supposedly strong enough to handle everything on our own
- When you’re not sure whether you’re done having children
- My vague sharing of how vulnerable I feel during this pregnancy transition
- When it’s messy to share the messy parts of our lives
- Being an encourager
- Feeling isolated
- An internal sense of trauma
- Trauma = “too much too fast”
- Leaving out everyday types of events
- Successfully processing events on a brain level
- How to know when you need therapy
- Brainspotting harnesses the brain’s ability to heal
- Brainspotting recognizes eye positions during therapy sessions
- Brainspotting allows trauma capsules to be isolated and healed
- Brainspotting as an integrative therapy approach
- Non-verbal communication
- Tele-health: therapy online and distance
- With brainspotting, you don’t have to know exactly what is wrong to know there is a problem
- Building on strengths that already exist
- A “visual” for what brainspotting looks like in practice
- Visceral reactions
- Eye positioning and the connection to the midbrain
- Stress levels are present whether you’re fully allowing yourself to recognize them or not
- Processing while pregnant
- Cortisol’s critical role in healthy development
- The plancental enzyme 11 beta HSD2 that oxidizes cortisol to an inactive form called cortisene
- We are wired for life
- Our bodies will suffer for the baby to be okay
- Strong emotional experiences during pregnancy
- What causes miscarriage
- Brainspotting is client led
- Feeling managed in pregnancy
- Perinatal issues that moms seek out therapy for
- Postpartum mood disorders
- Supporting parents through ending wanted pregnancies
- Generational healing and trauma
- Therapy for moms to help feel attached to their baby
- Intrusive thoughts: unwanted thoughts that come anyway
- Fear of being reported for anything other than a picture perfect parenting image
- The result of removing the vulnerability piece from motherhood and sharing
- We can’t present a fake version of a problem and expect a real
answer/solution to present itself - Worst case scenario thoughts
- Moms “need to ask for help” – and how this implies that it is a moms’ job to ask for help
- Identifying roles as parents
- Everyone finding their own healing makes a big difference
- Aligning with your partner, with values, with actions, etc.
- Having mercy for the moms who came before us
- Healthy boundaries
- Building on what’s possible
- “There’s no better time to heal than now”
Jana’s Links: Website and Facebook
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SPONSOR
Blossom & Root: Today’s episode of Elevating Motherhood is sponsored by Blossom & Root a nature-based, Charlotte Mason inspired homeschool curriculum company that has been gently guiding and supporting families for years! This thoughtful, age appropriate curriculum begins at the preschool level with options all the way up to 4th grade with more grade levels being released each year.
Blossom & Root is the homeschool curriculum my family uses and loves! The information and ideas are easy to follow, fun, and engaging. If you’re new to homeschool or looking for an inspired homeschool curriculum to help you lovingly teach and guide your children, I highly recommend Blossom & Root. Using this curriculum has brought so much connection and joy to our homeschool days—I love it! Blossom & Root has generously offered a discount for listeners of Elevating Motherhood: use the code LORIBETH10 at checkout for 10% OFF your order.
LINKS
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