Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) isn’t only genetic—it can be the body’s brilliant way of expressing unprocessed emotion and inherited stress. In this episode of The Mind Change Podcast, Heather McKean reveals how childhood hyper-vigilance, people-pleasing, and family trauma may wire the nervous system for chronic pain, joint instability, and fatigue—then shows how the Mind Change Method helps rewire those patterns for lasting relief.

In this conversation you’ll learn:

🧬 Beyond DNA: What EDS is when we look past purely genetic explanations

🧠 Mind-Body Loop: How subconscious belief patterns shape physical symptoms

🤸 People-Pleasing & Flexibility: Why saying “yes” too often can show up as literal hyper-flexibility

👶 Sensitive Childhoods: The cost of growing up hyper-aware in a high-stress home

🔄 Secondary Gains: How chronic illness can provide hidden “benefits” that keep it in place

🛠️ Rewiring Steps: Practical tools to interrupt survival patterns and claim rest, support, and joy

🔗 Show notes, resources, and Heather’s book Mind Change → mindchange.com/podcast

Food allergies aren’t random defects—they’re often your body’s way of flagging unresolved emotional wounds. In this episode, Heather & Kent McKean reveal how childhood trauma, attachment patterns, and nervous-system dysregulation can program the brain to link certain foods with danger—creating real, escalating symptoms.

What’s inside:

💥 Why many food allergies start as the body’s survival response to hidden emotional pain

👶 How unmet childhood needs and attachment trauma prime the immune system for overreaction

⚖️ The role of nervous-system dysregulation in blocking digestion and triggering allergic flare-ups

🔄 How restrictive diets may offer short relief yet reinforce deeper patterns of fear and control

✨ Mind Change success stories—gluten, peanuts, dairy, and more—showing that when the mind rewires, the body often follows

Listen for a radically different path to healing—and hope that lifelong sensitivities can change.

🔗 Show notes, resources, and Heather’s book Mind Change → mindchange.com/podcast

What if your tendonitis wasn’t just physical? In this episode, Heather McKean unpacks the emotional and subconscious drivers behind tendon inflammation, revealing how internal conflict, rigidity, and suppressed self-worth can manifest as physical pain. From childhood experiences to adult stressors, she explores how our minds create tension that our bodies can no longer hold. Tune in to learn how to identify the root causes of your symptoms, shift subconscious narratives, and regain your sense of emotional and physical freedom using the Mind Change Method.

📚 Get Heather’s book - “Mind Change: Changing The World One Mind At A Time”

🎓 Courses

🌄 Retreats

📅 Weekend Workshops

📚 Book Club Facilitator Guides

📝 More resources at https://www.mindchange.com/podcast

What we covered in this episode:

🦴 Tendonitis reveals conflict between action and inner truth.

🧘 Flexible tendons reflect flow; tight ones mirror resistance.

🔄 Misaligned choices and intuition create inner tension.

👩‍👧 Rigid or critical childhoods can seed self-doubt.

📏 Perfectionism stems from conditional love or approval.

🎭 Suppressing emotions leads to internal strain.

🔁 Resentment and self-doubt fuel chronic pain.

🚧 Pain can protect by avoiding risk or change.

📉 Tendonitis may justify staying stuck or safe.

🆘 Pain can signal unmet emotional needs.

🌀 Negative thoughts create real body stress.

🛠️ Mind Change rewires deep subconscious patterns.

💡 Healing starts when you reclaim your power.

Episode topics:

🦴 What Tendonitis Really Means (00:00:00)

🔄 Emotional & Mind-Body Conflict (00:00:58)

👶 Childhood Roots of Tendonitis (00:04:10)

🧍 How Patterns Show Up in Adulthood (00:13:39)

🎁 Hidden Benefits (Secondary Gains) (00:17:25)

🛠️ How Mind Change Helps Heal (00:23:56)

Get in touch with Heather McKean:

Web: https://www.mindchange.com/our-story

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindchange/?hl=en

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/MindChange

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindchange

In this episode of The Mind Change Podcast, Heather and Kent McKean tackle the often misunderstood topic of narcissism with depth, compassion, and a fresh perspective rooted in neuroscience and personal transformation. Rather than reducing narcissism to a label or diagnosis, they explore it as a spectrum of coping mechanisms driven by disconnection—both from self and others. Drawing on the work of Dr. Craig Malkin and their own lived experiences, including Kent’s journey through being labeled a narcissist, they reveal how both narcissistic traits and extreme people-pleasing (echoism) are responses to emotional injury, not fixed identities. This conversation challenges the weaponization of psychological labels, examines the role of childhood trauma and subconscious programming, and offers a hopeful path forward for anyone feeling trapped in toxic dynamics. Whether you’ve been hurt by narcissistic behavior or fear the label yourself, this episode offers insight, empathy, and an empowering invitation to heal through reconnection.

📚 Get Heather’s book - “Mind Change: Changing The World One Mind At A Time”

🎓 Courses

🌄 Retreats

📅 Weekend Workshops

📚 Book Club Facilitator Guides

📝 More resources at https://www.mindchange.com/podcast

What we covered in this episode:

🧠 Narcissism Is a Spectrum - From toxic narcissism to echoism, everyone falls somewhere on the scale.

💔 Disconnection Is the Real Problem - At its core, narcissism is about emotional isolation—not ego.

📉 NPD Is Extremely Rare - True narcissistic personality disorder affects only 1–2% of people.

🔒 Labels Keep People Stuck - Calling someone a narcissist often blocks healing and growth.

🔄 Victims Can Mirror Traits - Those hurt by narcissists may unconsciously adopt similar patterns.

🧬 It’s a Coping Mechanism - Narcissistic traits often stem from childhood trauma and unmet needs.

📖 The Myth Reveals the Pattern - Narcissus and Echo symbolize the extremes of disconnection.

📱 Social Media Distorts It - Online narratives overuse and misrepresent narcissism.

🛠️ Mind Change Enables Healing - Real transformation comes from rewiring subconscious patterns.

🔍 Healing Starts Within - Blame doesn’t free you—self-awareness does.

❤️ Empathy Liberates, Doesn’t Excuse - Understanding the roots of behavior frees you without justifying it.

🚪 Leaving Isn’t Enough - You must change the inner patterns that led you there.

🔓 Change Is Always Possible - With willingness and the right tools, anyone can shift.

Mentioned Resources:

“Rethinking Narcissism” - Book by Dr. Craig Malkin: https://www.drcraigmalkin.com/#thebook

Get in touch with Heather McKean and Mind Change:

Web: https://www.mindchange.com/our-story

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindchange/?hl=en

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/MindChange

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindchange

Sleep apnea affects over a billion people worldwide—but what if the root cause isn’t just physical? In this episode, Heather McKean takes you beyond the medical model to uncover the emotional and psychological patterns often underlying sleep apnea.

From growing up in emotionally repressive environments to feeling overworked, unheard, or unworthy, Heather explains how early life experiences can shape your breathing and your nervous system. She explores the symbolic meaning of breath, the hidden purpose behind chronic fatigue, and why sleep disturbances may be your body’s way of crying out for emotional safety and healing. If you’ve ever felt like you’re suffocating under the weight of expectations—or struggling to receive love and rest—this episode is for you.

📚 Get Heather’s book - “Mind Change: Changing The World One Mind At A Time”

🎓 Courses

🌄 Retreats

📅 Weekend Workshops

📚 Book Club Facilitator Guides

📝 More resources at https://www.mindchange.com/podcast

What we covered in this episode:

🌬️ Sleep apnea often reflects emotional suppression, trauma, and unresolved inner patterns.

👶 Childhood in controlling or distant homes can shape lifelong breathing and emotional habits.

💔 Suppressing emotions early on can train the body to "hold its breath" for safety.

🌪️ Feeling overworked and unappreciated leads to self-suppression in search of worth.

😶 Sleep apnea can act as a subconscious wall against intimacy and vulnerability.

🛌 Nighttime choking or waking may help avoid deep, painful emotions.

🧱 Perfectionism and self-criticism create emotional pressure and disrupt ease.

🙅‍♀️ Overgiving and avoiding help stem from beliefs that one’s needs don’t matter.

🔄 Sarcasm and emotional walls protect from rejection but block true connection.

🧘 Disrupted breath mirrors disconnection from joy, life, and self-expression.

🔐 Sleep apnea can serve to avoid emotion, intimacy, or rest as self-protection.

❓ Healing begins with asking: Where am I resisting breath, rest, or love?

Episode topics:

📊 What Is Sleep Apnea & Why It Matters (00:00:00)

🧠 Emotional Roots of Breathing Disorders (00:01:45)

👶 Childhood Environments That Shape Breath (00:03:11)

💔 Emotional Suppression & Self-Sacrifice Patterns (00:07:38)

🛡️ Defense Mechanisms: Avoiding Intimacy & Rest (00:13:28)

🔐 Secondary Gains & Symbolic Meaning of Symptoms (00:14:27)

🧭 Key Reflection Questions for Healing (00:15:50)

Mentioned Resources:

Why Do I Snore? Discover The Emotional Drivers!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn4-vXzxUrg

Get in touch with Heather McKean:

Web: https://www.mindchange.com/our-story

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindchange/?hl=en

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/MindChange

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindchange

When Brenda Tillman joined a Mind Change book club during the isolation of the COVID pandemic, she never imagined it would lead to rediscovering her childhood memories, reshaping her inner world, and finding healing from long-buried trauma.

In this episode, Brenda shares how Mind Change not only helped her deepen her self-awareness, but also gave her tools to improve her marriage, embrace aging with joy, and reignite a lifelong sense of curiosity. Whether you're facing personal blocks or simply looking for the encouragement to keep growing, this episode will show you what’s possible when you choose to do the work. Heather and Brenda dive into neuroscience, emotional healing, and the power of community in a way that’s both accessible and inspiring.

📚 Get Heather’s book - “Mind Change: Changing The World One Mind At A Time”

🎓 Courses

🌄 Retreats

📅 Weekend Workshops

📚 Book Club Facilitator Guides

📝 More resources at https://www.mindchange.com/podcast

What we covered in this episode:

🧠 How your brain is wired for change—even if you’ve never thought of yourself as “science-minded.”

📘 Why doing this work in a group setting can lead to deeper breakthroughs than going it alone.

📝 How one simple journaling exercise helped Brenda unlock long-lost childhood memories.

💬 Ways to shift relationship dynamics using curiosity instead of conflict.

🪞 Why taking ownership of your patterns is actually the most empowering thing you can do.

🗣️ How affirmations and manifestos can rewire your thinking and reignite your dreams.

⏳ Why transformation doesn’t stop with age—and how to stay open to growth later in life.

🌍 How personal healing can create ripple effects across your family and future generations.

Get in touch with Heather McKean and Mind Change:

Web: https://www.mindchange.com/our-story

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindchange/?hl=en

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/MindChange

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindchange

Heather McKean explores the emotional drivers behind Parkinson’s, including childhood trauma, perfectionism, guilt, and suppression of emotion. Learn how the mind may "do" Parkinson’s as a way to gain control, release overwhelming responsibility, or express unresolved pain. With powerful insights and hope-filled guidance, Heather shows how the Mind Change method can help rewire these internal patterns and restore freedom. Whether you or someone you love is affected, this episode offers a radically compassionate and empowering new perspective.

📚 Get Heather’s book - “Mind Change: Changing The World One Mind At A Time”

🎓 Courses

🌄 Retreats

📅 Weekend Workshops

📚 Book Club Facilitator Guides

📝 More resources at https://www.mindchange.com/podcast

What we covered in this episode:

🧠 How Parkinson’s isn’t just a neurological issue—it’s tied to chronic depletion of dopamine, which plays a crucial role in motivation, mood, reward, and emotional resilience.

🎭 How long-term suppression of anger, sadness, or even joy—especially rooted in childhood—can contribute to the body "doing" Parkinson’s as a protective or adaptive response.

👨‍👩‍👧 How rigid family systems, performance-based love, corporal punishment, or emotional neglect in early life often plant the seeds for perfectionism, fear, and over-control later in life.

⚖️ Parkinson’s may symbolically represent the tension between the compulsion to control everything and the overwhelming desire to disengage from life and responsibilities altogether.

💔 Deep-seated guilt, self-criticism, and feelings of being unsupported or like a burden are common emotional patterns among those with Parkinson’s symptoms.

🚫 How the mind may unconsciously perceive benefits from the disease—like receiving care, escaping pressure, or avoiding emotional pain—which can reinforce the condition’s presence.

🔁 The mental fixation on doing things “the right way” or fearing uncertainty often mirrors the physical symptoms of stiffness and slowed movement in Parkinson’s.

🔓 By identifying and rewriting subconscious beliefs—especially those formed in childhood—healing and transformation are truly possible.

Episode topics:

🧠 What Is Parkinson’s? (00:00:00)

💡 Emotional Roots of Parkinson’s (00:01:35)

👶 Childhood Conditioning & Trauma (00:02:54)

🎭 Control, Perfectionism & Suppression (00:04:45)

⚖️ The Role of Guilt, Shame & Fear (00:06:43)

🔁 Secondary Gains of Illness (00:14:30)

🔓 Rewiring the Subconscious (00:17:48)

🌱 Healing & Empowerment (00:18:20)

Get in touch with Heather McKean:

Web: https://www.mindchange.com/our-story

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindchange/?hl=en

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/MindChange

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindchange

Why are so many people still stuck—even after therapy, breathwork, and nervous system regulation?

In this episode, Heather and Kent McKean explore why true healing often eludes people: the subconscious mind is being left out of the process. They unpack the limitations of somatic healing when used in isolation, explain how trauma is first interpreted and stored by the brain, and why lasting transformation must involve subconscious rewiring. Sharing real client stories, scientific insights, and practical wisdom, Heather and Kent lay out a powerful case for an integrated approach that addresses mind, body, and spirit—so you can stop coping and start healing for real.

📚 Get Heather’s book - “Mind Change: Changing The World One Mind At A Time”

🎓 Courses

🌄 Retreats

📅 Weekend Workshops

📚 Book Club Facilitator Guides

📝 More resources at https://www.mindchange.com/podcast

What we covered in this episode:

🧠 Subconscious Reprogramming Is Essential - Healing isn’t complete without addressing the subconscious mind, where core beliefs, emotional responses, and trauma interpretations are stored.

💥 Somatic Healing Alone Is Not Enough - While somatic practices can bring temporary relief and valuable awareness, they often become coping tools rather than solutions if the mind isn’t involved.

🌀 Trauma Is First Processed by the Brain - The nervous system reacts based on what the brain perceives. Trauma is stored not just in the body but through mental representations like images, sounds, and beliefs.

⚖️ Mind-Body-Spirit Integration Is Vital - Lasting transformation requires all parts of the self—mind, body, and energy/spirit—working in harmony, not in isolation.

⛔ Talk Therapy’s Limitations Are Real - Talk therapy can validate trauma but may reinforce painful neural pathways by repeating stories without rewiring the brain.

🚫 Beware of Healing Fads and Undertrained Coaches - Many practitioners are offering nervous system or somatic healing with little training, creating confusion and potentially harmful oversimplifications.

🔁 Without Subconscious Work, You Stay in a Loop - Practices like breathwork and meditation can become a constant need if the underlying programs aren't resolved, leading to management instead of freedom.

🌱 Freedom Is Possible—and Lasting - When subconscious patterns are transformed, people often report total shifts in beliefs, identity, and bodily responses—so deep that the old trauma becomes laughably irrelevant.

Get in touch with Heather McKean and Mind Change:

Web: https://www.mindchange.com/our-story

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindchange/?hl=en

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/MindChange

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindchange