Nervous System Care & Healing

Liz Zhou
  • 4.8 (12)
  • Mental Health

A podcast about how to take care of our nervous systems while we navigate systems that were designed to keep us dysregulated. Hosted by Liz Zhou, a neurodivergent therapist of color. If you’re a highly sensitive or neurodivergent person — or have always felt different from others, like you belong nowhere — then I hope this podcast will feel like a “welcome home” for you. Here, we approach difference with curiosity, not judgment. We affirm that there is nothing “wrong” with you, that none of us are broken — but the systems around us are. If you’re curious about individual healing & collective liberation, this podcast is for you. Join us as we heal our nervous systems & take good care of ourselves and each other. You are welcome here.

  1. 1d ago

    Embracing Cycles & Seasons to Deconstruct from Capitalism

    If you’ve ever criticized yourself for being “lazy,” “unproductive,” or “not trying hard enough”, you may be struggling to conform to capitalistic standards of productivity. But that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with YOU - it means you’re navigating a system that wasn’t built to account for your full humanity (like your body’s need for rest). Under capitalism, we’re taught to base our worth on our productivity. Any hour spent resting, playing, or otherwise not working, is considered an hour “wasted.” This is an exhausting way to live - especially if you’re also navigating disabilities, neurodivergence, chronic illness, or anything that makes it harder for you to keep up with the (unsustainable) pace of capitalism. In this episode, I share how embracing cycles, seasons, and a nonlinear relationship to time can help us deconstruct from capitalism & live more fully. We’ll explore: how capitalism runs on linear time, while nature runs on cyclical timewhy it’s not realistic to expect ourselves to be constantly productive - we are humans, not machineswhy it’s important to honor cycles in nature & in our bodiesexamples of cycles that appear in nature & in cultural traditions: the 4 seasons (fall, winter, spring, summer); the phases of the lunar cycle; and the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac Let this episode remind you: your life is not a productivity project. You deserve to live fully and freely, and in collaboration with your true nature - not against it. 🌿 Resources Related to Episode Topic >> How Indigenous ideas about non‑linear time can help us navigate ecological crises >> A Brief Economic History of Time >> A brief history of (linear) time 🌿 About the Host Liz Zhou is a neurodivergent therapist of color, coach, & speaker based in Colorado & Oregon (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). 🌿 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) 🌻

  2. Sep 27

    How to Tend to the Nervous System as a Highly Sensitive Person, w/ April Snow

    If you experience the world through a highly sensitive nervous system - and often feel stuck in overstimulation, or more deeply impacted by stress compared to others - this episode is here to support you. Join me & April in a soothing conversation on: What is the HSP (Highly Sensitive Person) nervous system & how does it differ from non-HSP nervous systems? | 05:52How to care for your highly sensitive nervous system: Calming Portals & Tending Practices | 08:11How lifestyle shifts can support your HSP nervous system | 14:12Why April wrote the book: Big Feelings, Big Joy | 22:47How April tended to her nervous system while writing this book | 28:18The HSP community: HSP traits show up across cultures, races, genders, sexualities, ages, and identities | 32:10April shares practical tools that you can begin to practice today, to help your nervous system shift from overstimulation to calm, regulation, and joy.  Let this conversation remind you: >> Your sensitivity isn’t a flaw. Though there are challenges that come with being highly sensitive, HSPs also experience unique gifts & strengths.  >> When we’re proactive & intentional about taking care of our nervous systems, it’s easier to access the joys & best parts of being highly sensitive. >> Your sensitivity doesn’t make you “weak” or “fragile.” Due to a phenomenon called “differential susceptibility,” your nervous system has a deep capacity for joy & resilience. 🌿 Resources for Highly Sensitive People >> Big Feelings, Big Joy (Book): www.bigfeelingsbigjoy.com/book >> Tending Practices 🌿 About the Guest April Snow, LMFT (she/her) is a licensed psychotherapist, author, and consultant who specializes in working with highly sensitive people to help calm the storm of overload, guilt, and self-doubt to allow their innate sensitive strengths to shine through. April supports HSPs around the world through her Sensitive Circles community, Sensitive Sessions workshops, Sensitive Stories podcast, and her latest book: Big Feelings, Big Joy. 🌿 Connect with April >> www.sensitivestrengths.com >> www.instagram.com/sensitivestrengths   >> www.tiktok.com/@sensitivestrengths 🌿 About the Host Liz 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 email newsletter: Liz’s Neurodivergent Letters >> IG: www.instagram.com/liz.holistic.therapist

  3. Sep 20

    A Gentle Practice to Soothe the Nervous System

    The nervous system communicates in different “languages,” and one of those languages is sensation - like muscle tension, heart rate, breathing patterns, and other internal bodily experiences.  The nervous system can also communicate through other languages - like emotions that you feel, thoughts that you think, images that you see in your mind’s eye, or an inner voice that you hear. In this episode, I share a gentle practice to help you soothe & resource your nervous system - focusing on the language of sensation.  Across time, this practice can help expand your brain & body’s capacity to access calm, joy, and contentment. Please follow along as you feel called, adjusting or pausing as needed to make this practice work for you. Enjoy.  🌿 About the Host Liz 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). 🌿 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) 🌻

  4. Sep 13

    Reconnecting with Our Roots Can Bring Intergenerational Healing, w/ Denise Jauregui

    How are our lives shaped by the experiences of our parents, grandparents, and ancestors? How can we honor our family's stories - of migration, survival, assimilation - without having those stories define/limit our future? Why do some people feel disconnected from their cultures/lineages… and how can reconnecting with our roots help us heal & feel a sense of belonging?  Join me & Denise in a heartfelt conversation, where we discuss: the importance of community-based spaces for healing & educationhow our nervous systems carry the experiences of our ancestors - even if we don’t consciously know what those experiences werehow adverse childhood experiences (like neglect, bullying, or not feeling loved) shape our lives - but that doesn't mean the future is set in stonehow the need to survive, assimilate, & blend in can disconnect us from our cultural roots - why it’s never too late to reconnecthow nature, food, music, stories, art - and anything else that calls to you - can reconnect you to ancestors We share some of our personal experiences as first / second-generation immigrants, navigating multicultural upbringings in the U.S. If you’re curious about intergenerational healing, this episode is for you. Remember: understanding the past can help us find meaning in the present... and your ancestors are rooting for you.  🌿 Resources Mentioned in Episode >> You Sound Like a White Girl: The Case for Rejecting Assimilation, by Julissa Arce >> ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) Study: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8882933/ 🌿 About the Guest Denise Jauregui, LCSW (she/her/ella), is the founder of Cultivando Wellness, a bilingual mental health practice and education organization rooted in the belief that healing is deeply connected to culture, community, and the systems that shape our lives. As a first-generation daughter of Mexican immigrants, her work explores the intersections of intergenerational trauma, migration, identity, and belonging. Through psychotherapy, speaking, consultation, professional education, and community-centered gatherings, Denise partners with individuals and organizations to cultivate more culturally responsive, connected, and affirming spaces. 🌿 Connect with Denise >> Instagram: www.instagram.com/cultivandowellness  >> LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisejauregui >> Continuing Education for Therapists: www.cultivandowellness.com/continuing-education-offerings  🌿 About the Host Liz 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 email newsletter: Liz’s Neurodivergent Letters >> IG: www.instagram.com/liz.holistic.therapist

  5. Sep 6

    Sensory Rest: An Antidote to Burnout

    If your nervous system can’t tell the difference between being chased by a bear and checking the news (or checking your email, or receiving a text that says “we need to talk”)… you’re not alone. You’re among the many people who feel overwhelmed by the pace & intensity of modern life, and you may be experiencing sensory burnout & overload. In this episode, I explain what “sensory rest” is, and why it’s a necessary antidote to burnout. We’ll explore how sensory burnout is caused by the systems & environment around us: auditory overstimulation through noise pollutionvisual overstimulation through screen exposureconstant transitions that disrupt attention, including ads & algorithmsextreme temperatures through climate change Then, I’ll share a simple plan for sensory rest: Minimize sensory inputMinimize transitionsBe intentional about screens & technology useCreate soothing sensory rituals This episode brings a holistic, ecological, systemic lens to the topic of nervous system burnout, and will leave you with practical ideas to support your mind, body, and spirit.  🌿 RESOURCES >> To view research mentioned in the episode, click here 🌿 About the Host Liz 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). 🌿 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) 🌻

  6. Aug 30

    When Trauma is Ongoing & Collective, How Do We Take Care of Ourselves?, w/ Dr. Diana Ali

    The term PTSD, short for “Post-traumatic Stress Disorder,” implies that trauma happened in the past (and is over now). But for so many people, trauma is not a thing of the past - it’s an ongoing, collective, and systemic experience. In this educational conversation, Dr. Diana Ali & I unpack this question: How do we heal, when trauma is still happening in the present? How do we regulate our nervous systems… even if the environment/circumstances around us remain unsafe? Topics: There are many trauma therapy modalities - how do we decide which one to use? | 04:12How do we heal if the trauma isn't over? (& an alternative to the term “PTSD”) | 05:47The limitations of Western psychotherapy & why a decolonial approach to therapy matters | 08:20How body-based approaches to therapy can support survivors of ongoing trauma - like war, genocide, and systemic oppression | 12:53Intro to Havening: resourcing the nervous system through physical touch | 16:08Intro to Ashira Active Meditation: intentionally guiding the nervous system through different states of activation (fight, flight, & freeze) in order to release stuck energy & complete processing | 32:10The neuroscience behind ancient, collective, community-based healing practices 42:38 🌿 RESOURCES >> Dr. Samah Jabr’s work on decolonial mental health: www.drsamahjabr.com >> Chronic traumatic stress disorder: www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/14/mental-health-palestine-children >> Ashira Darwish’s work on Ashira Active Meditation: www.ashirapremrachana.com >> Havening Techniques: www.havening.org  🌿 About the Guest Dr. Diana Ali (she/her) is a clinical psychologist with 20+ years of experience working with survivors of complex trauma. She uses a variety of trauma therapies including EMDR, Cognitive Processing Therapy, the DBT-PTSD protocol, Brainspotting, the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM), Havening techniques, and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. Diana is certified in Ashira Darwish’s “Ashira Active Meditation” Protocol, a community-based intervention involving a series of somatic release practices that were developed for working with survivors of ongoing, chronic trauma. She has been honored to be able to offer Ashira Active Meditation workshops to Palestinian refugees from Gaza. 🌿 Connect with Diana >> Therapy in CO & CA: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/diana-ali-ventura-ca/757844  🌿 About the Host Liz 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 email newsletter: Liz’s Neurodivergent Letters >> IG: www.instagram.com/liz.holistic.therapist

  7. Aug 23

    Building Community: How We Disrupt Systems of Oppression [Replay]

    Community is essential for our nervous system health - especially in times of systemic turmoil, injustice, and grief. In this episode, 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 systems 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 Community 14:28 Quality Time 17:39 Gifts 20:39 Acts of Service / Solidarity 25:15 Our Nervous Systems, Our Ancestors Quotes:  “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 Host Liz 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). 🌿 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) 🌻

  8. Aug 16

    Self-Regulation & Co-Regulation: Our Nervous Systems Need Both

    Nervous system regulation is the capacity to shift states - from dysregulated, overwhelmed, and disconnected, to regulated, grounded, and connected. It’s a skill that we can develop & strengthen across time, and that allows us to build healthy relationships - with self, others, & the world. This episode shares options for nervous system regulation - self- & co-regulation - so you can add ideas to your nervous system care plan. Topics covered: What is self-regulation?What is co-regulation?Why we need BOTH self-regulation & co-regulation practices: experiences of healthy connection & co-regulation teach our nervous systems how to self-regulateHow childhood experiences impact nervous system development (& why none of us are “doomed” by the past - our nervous systems are malleable, and capable of change, healing, and rewiring across time)Nature offers opportunities for non-human relationship, connection, & co-regulation - which is helpful if you don’t feel safe to co-regulate w/ other humans RESOURCES >> To view research mentioned in the episode, click here. 🌿 About the Host Liz 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). 🌿 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) 🌻

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4.8
out of 5
12 Ratings

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A podcast about how to take care of our nervous systems while we navigate systems that were designed to keep us dysregulated. Hosted by Liz Zhou, a neurodivergent therapist of color. If you’re a highly sensitive or neurodivergent person — or have always felt different from others, like you belong nowhere — then I hope this podcast will feel like a “welcome home” for you. Here, we approach difference with curiosity, not judgment. We affirm that there is nothing “wrong” with you, that none of us are broken — but the systems around us are. If you’re curious about individual healing & collective liberation, this podcast is for you. Join us as we heal our nervous systems & take good care of ourselves and each other. You are welcome here.

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