The Intersection of Psychology, Spirituality & the Brain with Dr. Karen Hansen What happens when we stop treating the mind, body, and spirit like completely separate things? In this episode of Cool People Doing Cool Things, I sit down with my friend and colleague Dr. Karen Hansen, a PhD and Licensed Professional Counselor whose work brings together traditional mental health, neuroscience, nervous system regulation, spirituality, intuition, and alternative approaches to healing. Karen's approach is all about looking at the whole person. We talk about anxiety and trauma, but we also get into sleep, nutrition, the gut-brain connection, meditation, somatic work, astrology, intuition, past lives, consciousness, and some of the fascinating developments happening in neurofeedback. Karen had also just returned from a neurofeedback conference when we recorded this episode, so we dive into what neurofeedback actually is, how brainwave patterns work, and why she's so excited about the possibilities of helping people create greater regulation and optimize the way their brains function. And, of course, because this is Cool People Doing Cool Things, we eventually make our way into some of my favorite rabbit holes: intuition, spirituality, past lives, energetic experiences, and what it means to become more connected to who you really are. In This Episode, We Talk About: What transpersonal therapy is and Karen's mind-body-spirit approach to mental health Why healing doesn't always have to happen through talking and deeply processing the past Somatic work, breathwork, meditation, and nervous system regulation Neurofeedback and what our brainwaves can tell us How neurofeedback works and why Karen is so excited about its potential Brainwave states including delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma The connection between brain regulation, meditation, and intuition ADHD, neurodivergence, and shifting the conversation from "fixing" ourselves to optimizing how our brains work Why sleep, nutrition, screen time, genetics, and other physical factors matter when we're talking about mental health Humanistic astrology as a tool for self-awareness rather than prediction Learning to recognize, develop, and trust your intuition The different ways intuitive information can come through Spirituality, consciousness, energy, and the experiences we can't always explain Past lives and past-life regression The idea that underneath the noise, patterns, and conditioning, there may be an essence of who we are that has always been there Finding more presence, purpose, curiosity, and connection in everyday life One of my favorite things about this conversation is that it doesn't ask us to choose between science and spirituality. Instead, we explore what becomes possible when we're curious enough to look at the whole picture. Karen works with people using a holistic mind-body-spirit approach and especially enjoys working with individuals interested in spiritual growth, purpose, intuition, and exploring different paths toward greater well-being. Connect With Dr. Karen Hansentranspersonaltherapy.com Visit Karen's website to learn more about her work, neurofeedback, transpersonal therapy, and ways to work with her. 🎙️ Cool People Doing Cool Things If you enjoyed this episode, follow or subscribe to Cool People Doing Cool Things and share it with someone who would love this conversation. I'll see you in the next episode!
