Episodes

  • When Slow Breathing Isn't Enough: More on HRV Training Alternatives with Dr. Fred Shaffer

    When Slow Breathing Isn't Enough: More on HRV Training Alternatives with Dr. Fred Shaffer
    Jun 17 2026

    Most clinicians think of slow-paced breathing when they think of heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback. But what if breathing isn’t always the best tool?

    In this episode, Saul Rosenthal talks with Dr. Fred Shaffer delving deeper into the tips for HRV training he describes in his NRBS webinar.

    Fred explains how slow-paced muscle contraction can improve HRV, discusses the situations in which it may be helpful, and shares some surprising findings from his laboratory. The conversation also explores broader questions about HRV training, including what we know, and still need to learn, about resonance frequency, why some clients struggle with paced breathing, and how clinicians can avoid becoming overly focused on physiological metrics.

    Along the way, Fred offers a reminder that applies far beyond HRV training: use HRV as a compass, not a scoreboard.

    Topics include:

    • Slow-paced muscle contraction as an alternative to slow breathing
    • When breathing-based HRV training may not be appropriate
    • Resonance frequency and the unanswered questions in HRV science
    • Common challenges in HRV biofeedback training
    • Measuring outcomes that matter to clients
    • Why clinicians should master the skills they teach

    Dr. Fred Shaffer is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Truman State University, former president of the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance (BCIA), and one of the field’s leading educators in biofeedback and psychophysiology.

    Contact us at healthybrain@nrbs.org.

    Subscribe here or wherever you get your podcasts.

    Watch the video versions of our podcasts and Subscribe there as well!

    This podcast is produced by the Northeast Region Biofeedback Society. NRBS is an organization for professionals, students, and everyone interested in neurofeedback, biofeedback, and whole body health.

    Learn more about Dr. Saul Rosenthal at advancedbehavioral.care.

    Our theme music is Catch It by Coma-Media

    The Healthy Brain Happy Body logo was designed by Alexandra VanDerlyke. Our heartfelt thanks to her and the rest of the team at Collectively Rooted.

    #Neurofeedback #Biofeedback #Migraine #MentalHealth #BrainHealth #PIRHEG #HEG #PainManagement #EmotionalPain #Seizures #PrefrontalCortex #PsychologyPodcast #ClinicalPsychology #MindBodyConnection #Neuroscience #Therapists #Counselors #BrainBasedTherapy #NRBS #HealthyBrainHealthyBody
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    38 mins
  • The Creative State: What We Learned About Creativity, Flow, and Human Potential

    The Creative State: What We Learned About Creativity, Flow, and Human Potential
    Jun 9 2026

    Over the past several months, the Healthy Brain Happy Body Creativity Series has explored creativity through conversations with neuroscientists, musicians, performers, artists, clinicians, and researchers. While these guests came from very different backgrounds, many described remarkably similar experiences: flow, absorption, uncertainty, connection, vulnerability, and the feeling of entering a different state of mind.

    In this special synthesis episode, Dr. Saul Rosenthal steps back from the individual interviews to examine the themes that emerged across the series. Drawing on conversations with Rex Jung, Alice Flaherty, Simone Lucchini, Barbara Minton, Mari Swingle, Danielle Pinals, Penijean Gracefire, Kimaya Lakamwasam, and others, he explores the idea that creativity may be less a talent that some people possess and more a state that human beings can enter.

    Topics include:

    • Flow states and altered states of consciousness
    • Creativity as an embodied experience
    • Improvisation, uncertainty, and flexibility
    • Emotional expression and psychological safety
    • Creativity, connection, and world-building
    • The role of boredom, mind-wandering, and downtime
    • How overload, distraction, and exhaustion interfere with creativity
    • What creativity can teach us about being human

    This episode also serves as a transition between the science-focused portion of the Creativity Series and upcoming conversations with artists, performers, writers, comedians, and other creative professionals about their lived experiences of creativity.

    Guests featured in this episode include:

    • Rex Jung, PhD
    • Alice Flaherty, MD
    • Simone Lucchini, PhD
    • Barbara Minton, MA
    • Mari Swingle, PhD
    • Danielle Pinals, LICSW
    • Penijean Gracefire, LMHC
    • Kimaya Lakamwasam

    Contact us at healthybrain@nrbs.org.

    Subscribe here or wherever you get your podcasts.

    Watch the video versions of our podcasts and Subscribe there as well!

    This podcast is produced by the Northeast Region Biofeedback Society. NRBS is an organization for professionals, students, and everyone interested in neurofeedback, biofeedback, and whole body health.

    Learn more about Dr. Saul Rosenthal at advancedbehavioral.care.

    Our theme music is Catch It by Coma-Media

    The Healthy Brain Happy Body logo was designed by Alexandra VanDerlyke. Our heartfelt thanks to her and the rest of the team at Collectively Rooted.

    #Neurofeedback #Biofeedback #Migraine #MentalHealth #BrainHealth #PIRHEG #HEG #PainManagement #EmotionalPain #Seizures #PrefrontalCortex #PsychologyPodcast #ClinicalPsychology #MindBodyConnection #Neuroscience #Therapists #Counselors #BrainBasedTherapy #NRBS #HealthyBrainHealthyBody #creativity #flowstate #neuroscience #psychology #humanpotential #innovation #improvisation #attention #consciousness #performance #resilience #creativityresearch #cognitiveflexibility #emotionalregulation
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    20 mins
  • When Technology Hijacks Creativity with Mari Swingle (Part 2)

    When Technology Hijacks Creativity with Mari Swingle (Part 2)
    Jun 2 2026

    In the second part of this conversation, Dr. Mari Swingle and Dr. Saul Rosenthal turn to one of the defining questions of modern life:

    What happens to creativity in a world dominated by screens?

    Drawing from her research on excessive technology use and “interactive screen addiction,” Dr. Swingle explains how digital media can “piggyback and hijack” the same brain systems involved in creativity and artistic flow.

    Topics include:

    • How screen use impacts alpha activity and attention
    • The difference between creative flow and technological “hijacking”
    • Why boredom and “blank space” are essential for creativity
    • Technology, algorithms, and the attention economy
    • Creativity versus consumption
    • Gaming, social media, and the loss of creative drive
    • Artificial intelligence, art, and human originality
    • Supporting creativity in children and adults
    • Why creative expression matters for human well-being

    Throughout the episode, Dr. Swingle offers both caution and hope, emphasizing the importance of preserving space for human imagination, experimentation, and emotional expression in an increasingly technology-saturated culture.

    This episode is a thoughtful exploration of creativity not just as artistic production, but as a deeply human process worth protecting.

    • Watch on YouTube

    Contact us at healthybrain@nrbs.org.

    Subscribe here or wherever you get your podcasts.

    Watch the video versions of our podcasts and Subscribe there as well!

    This podcast is produced by the Northeast Region Biofeedback Society. NRBS is an organization for professionals, students, and everyone interested in neurofeedback, biofeedback, and whole body health.

    Learn more about Dr. Saul Rosenthal at advancedbehavioral.care.

    Our theme music is Catch It by Coma-Media

    The Healthy Brain Happy Body logo was designed by Alexandra VanDerlyke. Our heartfelt thanks to her and the rest of the team at Collectively Rooted.

    #Creativity #Neurofeedback #Biofeedback #MentalHealth #BrainHealth #PrefrontalCortex #PsychologyPodcast #ClinicalPsychology #MindBodyConnection #Neuroscience #Therapists #Counselors #BrainBasedTherapy #NRBS #HealthyBrainHealthyBody
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    37 mins
  • The Creative Brain in the Muse State with Mari Swingle (Part 1)

    The Creative Brain in the Muse State with Mari Swingle (Part 1)
    May 26 2026

    Dr. Mari Swingle joins Healthy Brain Happy Body for the first of a two-part conversation on creativity, neurophysiology, and the brain states that support artistic expression.

    Known for her pioneering work on technology addiction and brain health, Dr. Swingle also has a lifelong background in the arts as a painter and singer. In this episode, she explores creativity not simply as talent, but as a unique brain state involving alpha activity, visualization, emotional processing, and what she describes as the “muse” or “fugue” state.

    Dr. Swingle and host Dr. Saul Rosenthal discuss:

    • The neurophysiology of creativity and artistic flow
    • Alpha brainwave activity and creative states
    • The relationship between emotion and artistic expression
    • Creativity, pattern recognition, and visualization
    • The “tortured artist” stereotype and mood regulation
    • Creative blocks and neurotherapy approaches
    • How composers, writers, and artists experience flow states
    • The balance between peak creative performance and mental health

    The conversation also explores the fascinating overlap between creativity, emotional intensity, and altered states of attention, raising important questions about how clinicians can support creative individuals without disrupting the processes that make creativity possible.

    Contact us at healthybrain@nrbs.org.

    Subscribe here or wherever you get your podcasts.

    Watch the video versions of our podcasts and Subscribe there as well!

    This podcast is produced by the Northeast Region Biofeedback Society. NRBS is an organization for professionals, students, and everyone interested in neurofeedback, biofeedback, and whole body health.

    Learn more about Dr. Saul Rosenthal at advancedbehavioral.care.

    Our theme music is Catch It by Coma-Media

    The Healthy Brain Happy Body logo was designed by Alexandra VanDerlyke. Our heartfelt thanks to her and the rest of the team at Collectively Rooted.

    #Creativity #Neurofeedback #Biofeedback #MentalHealth #BrainHealth #PrefrontalCortex #PsychologyPodcast #ClinicalPsychology #MindBodyConnection #Neuroscience #Therapists #Counselors #BrainBasedTherapy #NRBS #HealthyBrainHealthyBody
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    32 mins
  • Creativity, Flexibility, and the Adaptive Brain with Penijean Gracefire (Part 2)

    Creativity, Flexibility, and the Adaptive Brain with Penijean Gracefire (Part 2)
    May 19 2026

    In Part 2 of this conversation, Dr. Saul Rosenthal and Penijean Gracefire continue their exploration of creativity through the lens of neuroscience, neurofeedback, and human adaptation.

    The discussion expands into questions about peak performance, executive function, aging, artistic identity, and the role of neurotechnology in enhancing creativity. Penijean explains why she considers the executive control network central to creative functioning and argues that flexibility—not perfection—is one of the defining features of a healthy creative brain.

    The episode also explores the use of biometrics as part of the creative process itself, including collaborations using EEG-driven sound and light environments.

    ⸻

    🧠 In This Episode

    Creativity and Executive Function:

    • Why executive networks may be central to creativity
    • Cognitive bandwidth, processing speed, and adaptability
    • The relationship between stress, exhaustion, and creative capacity

    Does Emotional Distress Fuel Creativity?

    • The complicated relationship between suffering and artistic production
    • Whether reducing distress changes creative drive
    • Creativity across different life stages and developmental periods

    Neurofeedback and Peak Performance:

    • Can neurofeedback enhance creativity?
    • Differences between simple and highly customized interventions
    • Working with performers, athletes, and individuals with creative “blocks”

    Contact us at healthybrain@nrbs.org.

    Subscribe here or wherever you get your podcasts.

    Watch the video versions of our podcasts and Subscribe there as well!

    This podcast is produced by the Northeast Region Biofeedback Society. NRBS is an organization for professionals, students, and everyone interested in neurofeedback, biofeedback, and whole body health.

    Learn more about Dr. Saul Rosenthal at advancedbehavioral.care.

    Our theme music is Catch It by Coma-Media

    The Healthy Brain Happy Body logo was designed by Alexandra VanDerlyke. Our heartfelt thanks to her and the rest of the team at Collectively Rooted.

    #creativity #neurofeedback #EEG #musicians #brainnetworks #visualization #cognitiveflexibility #Dessa #emotionalprocessing #executivefunction #defaultmodenetwork #neuroscienceofcreativity #performancepsychology #Biofeedback #MentalHealth #BrainHealth #PrefrontalCortex #PsychologyPodcast #ClinicalPsychology #MindBodyConnection #Neuroscience #Therapists #Counselors #BrainBasedTherapy #NRBS #HealthyBrainHealthyBody
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    40 mins
  • Creativity as World-Building with Penijean Gracefire (Part 1)

    Creativity as World-Building with Penijean Gracefire (Part 1)
    May 12 2026

    In this episode of Healthy Brain Happy Body, Dr. Saul Rosenthal continues the podcast’s creativity series with neurotechnology designer and neural frequency analyst Penijean Gracefire.

    Penijean explores creativity not as a single talent or trait, but as a process of “world-building.” The brain attempts to organize experience, construct meaning, and communicate internal reality to others. Drawing from her work with musicians, artists, athletes, and clinical clients, she discusses how differences in perception, attention, and neural connectivity shape the many forms creativity can take.

    The conversation also examines why highly creative people often experience challenges with emotional regulation, sensitivity, or social connection—and how these same traits may contribute to artistic expression.

    ⸻

    🧠 In This Episode, Penijean discusses:

    • Why therapy itself as a creative act
    • The challenge of communicating subjective experience
    • How clinicians and artists both construct internal models of reality
    • Why both “overly connected” and “overly differentiated” brains can produce remarkable creative work
    • Her work with musician Dessa, who sought help processing the emotional impact of a long-term relationship while continuing to perform music connected to those experiences.

    Contact us at healthybrain@nrbs.org.

    Subscribe here or wherever you get your podcasts.

    Watch the video versions of our podcasts and Subscribe there as well!

    This podcast is produced by the Northeast Region Biofeedback Society. NRBS is an organization for professionals, students, and everyone interested in neurofeedback, biofeedback, and whole body health.

    Learn more about Dr. Saul Rosenthal at advancedbehavioral.care.

    Our theme music is Catch It by Coma-Media

    The Healthy Brain Happy Body logo was designed by Alexandra VanDerlyke. Our heartfelt thanks to her and the rest of the team at Collectively Rooted.

    #creativity #neurofeedback #EEG #musicians #brainnetworks #visualization #cognitiveflexibility #Dessa #emotionalprocessing #executivefunction #defaultmodenetwork #neuroscienceofcreativity #performancepsychology #Biofeedback #MentalHealth #BrainHealth #PrefrontalCortex #PsychologyPodcast #ClinicalPsychology #MindBodyConnection #Neuroscience #Therapists #Counselors #BrainBasedTherapy #NRBS #HealthyBrainHealthyBody
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    39 mins
  • David Ims on Concussion Management

    David Ims on Concussion Management
    May 5 2026

    This episode's guide is David Ims, who just presented a webinar to the NRBS about concussion management with the XLNTBrain system. Concussions are common, often underdiagnosed, and notoriously difficult to assess. The conversation explores the limits of symptom reporting, the role of cognitive testing, and how adding neurophysiological data like QEEG may help clinicians and patients make more informed decisions.

    In This Episode, We Discuss:
    1. Why concussions are frequently missed or underestimated
    2. The importance—and limitations—of baseline testing
    3. How symptom tracking can reveal recovery patterns over time
    4. Whether more data actually improves clinical decisions
    5. The role of QEEG in validating patient experience
    6. Why concussion recovery is often inconsistent and nonlinear
    7. Balancing standardized tools with individual variability

    Contact us at healthybrain@nrbs.org.

    Subscribe here or wherever you get your podcasts.

    Watch the video versions of our podcasts and Subscribe there as well!

    This podcast is produced by the Northeast Region Biofeedback Society. NRBS is an organization for professionals, students, and everyone interested in neurofeedback, biofeedback, and whole body health.

    Learn more about Dr. Saul Rosenthal at advancedbehavioral.care.


    Our theme music is Catch It by Coma-Media

    The Healthy Brain Happy Body logo was designed by Alexandra VanDerlyke. Our heartfelt thanks to her and the rest of the team at Collectively Rooted.

    #Concussion #ConcussionRecovery #BrainHealth #QEEG #CognitiveHealth #Neurofeedback #Biofeedback #Migraine #MentalHealth #BrainHealth #HealthPsychology #PsychologyPodcast #ClinicalPsychology #MindBodyConnection #Neuroscience #Therapists #Counselors #BrainBasedTherapy #NRBS #HealthyBrainHealthyBody
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    38 mins
  • Daniel Pinals: Voice, Trauma, and the Courage to Be Heard (Part 2)

    Daniel Pinals: Voice, Trauma, and the Courage to Be Heard (Part 2)
    Apr 28 2026
    How does voice work move from technique… into transformation?In Part 2 of this conversation, Dr. Saul Rosenthal continues his discussion with Daniel Pinals. Daniele is a singing coach, performer, and licensed mental health counselor. The discussion explores how voice, therapy, and the nervous system intersect in real, lived experience.Daniel describes how vocal training and psychotherapy share a common foundation: awareness of the body and internal experience. Whether through the OneVoice method or approaches like Internal Family Systems (IFS) and EMDR, the work often begins with noticing—what’s happening in the voice, in the body, and beneath the surface.The conversation moves into powerful examples of how singing can open emotional pathways, from children discovering their feelings through music to adults revisiting and transforming experiences tied to trauma. Along the way, we explore performance anxiety, the role of exposure and safety, and how identity and life experience shape a person’s relationship with their voice.This episode brings the focus squarely onto healing, integration, and authentic self-expression—not just as artistic goals, but as deeply human ones.In This Episode, We Discuss:How the OneVoice method informs therapeutic awareness and self-observationThe role of IFS (parts work) in understanding fear, self-doubt, and vocal blocksWhat “mental health–informed voice lessons” look like in practiceReal examples of emotional release and unburdening through singingHow singing can function as a form of safe exposure to anxiety and traumaUnderstanding and working with performance anxietyThe difference between private expression and public performanceHow identity, culture, and background influence creative expressionA philosophy of voice as authentic self-expression and personal growthWhy This Conversation MattersFor many people, the voice is more than a skill—it’s a reflection of what feels safe to express.By integrating trauma-informed therapy with vocal work, this conversation highlights how creativity can become a pathway to healing, resilience, and self-discovery. It also underscores a key idea: expression isn’t just about being heard by others—it’s about reconnecting with parts of ourselves that may have gone silent.About Our GuestDaniel Pinals is a singing coach, performer, and licensed mental health counselor based in the Boston area. She integrates vocal training with trauma-informed approaches, including EMDR and Internal Family Systems (IFS), and offers both voice lessons and therapy services.Learn more:https://www.breakitdownvocals.com/https://www.singonevoice.com/aboutonevoicehttps://www.realtalkpractice.com/A Message to ListenersIf you’ve ever felt hesitant to use your voice—to sing, speak, or express yourself—this episode offers a different perspective: that hesitation may not be about ability, but about safety, experience, and learning.As Daniel reminds us, singing is a skill—and like any skill, it can be developed with patience, openness, and self-compassion .Contact us at healthybrain@nrbs.org.Subscribe here or wherever you get your podcasts.Watch the video versions of our podcasts and Subscribe there as well!This podcast is produced by the Northeast Region Biofeedback Society. NRBS is an organization for professionals, students, and everyone interested in neurofeedback, biofeedback, and whole body health.Learn more about Dr. Saul Rosenthal at advancedbehavioral.care.Our theme music is Catch It by Coma-MediaThe Healthy Brain Happy Body logo was designed by Alexandra VanDerlyke. Our heartfelt thanks to her and the rest of the team at Collectively Rooted.#Neurofeedback #Biofeedback #MentalHealth #BrainHealth #EmotionalPain #mentalhealth #PsychologyPodcast #ClinicalPsychology #MindBodyConnection #Neuroscience #nervoussystem #Therapists #Counselors #BrainBasedTherapy #NRBS #NortheastRegionBiofeedbackSociety #HealthyBrainHealthyBody #voicework #trauma #EMDR #InternalFamilySystems #IFStherapy #performanceanxiety #singinganxiety #exposuretherapy #creativeexpression #selfexpression #vocalcoaching #therapyandcreativity #partswork #authenticity #identityandexpression #healingthroughmusic #OneVoicemethod
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    23 mins