Episode #009: Brain Unblocked: Learning to Live “Optimized AF” after Infertility or Pregnancy Loss- Part 1 (with Carolyn Robistow, M.Ed., LPC, Clini-Coach, & Certified BSP Practitioner)

Written By Lindsay Blair

This week I had the pleasure of interviewing Carolyn Robistow, a Licensed Professional Counselor, coach, and certified Brain Spotting Practitioner.

I heard Carolyn as a guest on another podcast I listen to and she immediately stood out to me as someone I knew I wanted to connect with and learn more from. I later discovered she has her own podcast, Brain Unblocked: The Brainspotting Podcast, and I was just so intrigued with learning more about brainspotting, especially the practice of self-brainspotting (which I had NEVER heard of!) and I couldn’t help but think about all of you, our listeners, and just imagining all the ways this incredible tool of brainspotting could be so practical and helpful to you in your journey of navigating life in the midst of  infertility and/or loss.

After connecting with Carolyn on Instagram, I knew she would know better than ANYONE exactly how brainspotting could be beneficial to someone in our community, because not only is she a certified brain spotting practitioner, but she has also walked through her own personal journey of infertility— and it’s a journey of incredible strength and resilience. Carolyn’s story includes receiving an unexpected infertility diagnosis as a newlywed, two unsuccessful rounds of IVF, and an abrupt unexpected ending to her journey to adopt due to a heartbreaking paperwork snafu between two states that refused to work together.

In this episode, which is part one of a two-part series, Carolyn shares her personal story and experience of infertility to where she is now- thriving and living an amazing childfree life- and she so beautifully explains what brainspotting is, how you can start using it RIGHT NOW, and how it can be helpful to manage triggers, emotions, and unhealthy thought and behavior patterns specifically for those of us who have experienced infertility or loss.

Links and references made in this episode:

Brain Unblocked Podcast:

Brainspotting Study: The Efficacy of Brainspotting compared to EMDR

The Body Keeps the Score book by Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk

Carolyn’s Private Practice: https://joyeffectcounseling.com

Carolyn’s website: https://CarolynRobistow.net 

Connect with Carolyn

Carolyn Robistow helps high-achieving, health-minded perfectionists ditch gray area drinking habits and squelch business brain blocks to find balance and productivity without overwhelm or burnout. She is the founder of  Carolyn Robistow Consulting, LLC, an online coaching and consulting firm dedicated to helping entrepreneurs get out of their heads, stop drinking, and start living Optimized AF. She is also the creator of Optimized AF Academy and of the Balanced Productivity Blueprint.

Carolyn is the host of “Brain Unblocked: The Brainspotting Podcast”, which can be found on most podcasting platforms or by visiting https://carolynrobistow.net/podcast 

Carolyn side hustles at her private practice, The Joy Effect, an in-person and virtual counseling practice in The Woodlands, TX, where she specializes in Anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).  

Website: https://CarolynRobistow.net 

Follow Carolyn on Instagram @CarolynRobistow

Email: carolynrobistowconsulting@gmail.com 

Practice Site: https://joyeffectcounseling.com

Lindsay Blair

Lindsay Blair is a certified Trauma Specialist, Birth and Bereavement Doula, Fertility Coach and creator of Catalyst for Courage. Lindsay understands how difficult the journeys of infertility, pregnancy loss, and pregnancy after loss can be because she’s lived them. Through her own journey of healing, Lindsay is now passionate about empowering individuals and couples to transform their suffering into a catalyst for courage no matter where they are in their fertility journey. Lindsay combines her backgrounds in trauma recovery, miscarriage and loss support, and holistic fertility coaching to support fertility from a mind-body perspective. Her approach is science-driven, evidence-based, and holistic. The journey to parenthood can be filled with many challenges, but Lindsay helps individuals and couples navigate the challenges in a way that makes them feel empowered, courageous, strong, and supported. Her coaching practice weaves together lifestyle changes, mindset shifts, and education that teaches women to understand their bodies and take their health and fertility into their own hands.

https://catalystforcourage.com/about-lindsay
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Episode #010: Brain Unblocked: Learning to Live “Optimized AF” after Infertility or Pregnancy Loss- Part 2 (with Carolyn Robistow, M.Ed., LPC, Clini-Coach, & Certified BSP Practitioner)
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Why Halloween Can Be Particularly Hard For Those Who Have Experienced Infertility or Pregnancy Loss- Bonus Episode