Realfoodology Podcast – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Rewire Your Brain Naturally: Neurofeedback, Anxiety & The Truth About SSRIs
Host: Courtney Swan (aka Bethany Cameron in transcript)
Guest: Angie Nowak, Licensed Professional Counselor, Brain Code Centers
Date: October 28, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode explores the intersection of behavioral science, trauma, mental health diagnostics, and brain rewiring using neurofeedback. Guest Angie Nowak shares personal and clinical experiences to unveil how brain mapping and functional techniques can transform mental health, cut through misdiagnosis, and offer non-drug routes to healing anxiety, trauma, and mood disorders. The discussion also dissects the impacts of tech addiction, dopamine overload, and the limitations of medication like SSRIs. The episode is packed with actionable insights and hope for listeners seeking alternatives to conventional approaches.

Key Topics and Insights

1. Angie Nowak’s Story and Path to Neurofeedback

• Personal Journey:

  • Angie was a classic underachiever, then suffered a traumatic brain injury in college.
  • “Honestly, neurofeedback kind of found me. I did not find it, but it very much was, was meant for me.” (05:32, Angie)
  • Angie’s mother’s “crunchy” attitude (holistic/no giving up) fueled her drive for functional healing.

• Brain Injuries as Invisible:

  • The invisibility of brain injuries complicates diagnosis and healing.
  • Post-injury struggles included insomnia and anxiety for a decade before discovering neurofeedback.

2. How Brain Mapping and Neurofeedback Work

• Brain Mapping (QEEG):

  • Non-invasive technique showing electrical activity via brain waves (Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta, High Beta).
  • “It’s electrical, neurological scan… Delta, deep sleep… Beta should be clean energy. High beta is fight or flight…” (06:10, Angie)

• Neurofeedback Basics:

  • “Operant conditioning of the brain…reward training. We’re teaching the brain to create new neuropathways to serve that person better.” (06:53, Angie)
  • Electrodes only read (not stimulate) the brain; software returns feedback via sound or visuals.
  • Remote neurofeedback is possible—sessions can be done at home with shipped headsets and Zoom assistance.

• Analogy:

  • Training a brain is like teaching a puppy to sit: reward the behavior until it becomes automatic.

3. Trauma & Brain Patterns

• Trauma Signatures in Brain Maps:

  • Trauma types (early childhood, developmental, PTSD) create distinct wave patterns.
  • “You’re acting funny, your brain’s not…but you can’t see it like a cast on an arm.” (04:23, Angie)
  • A constantly high (overactive/high beta) state equates to perpetual fight-or-flight.

• Healability:

  • “That is 100% something that someone can heal.” (09:50, Angie)
  • Neurofeedback targets somatic/neurological roots beyond talk therapy.
  • It’s not about coping with triggers, but fundamentally reducing their frequency and severity.

4. Genetics vs. Environment

• Nature & Nurture:
  • Both contribute:
    • “Grandma, mom, daughter, all struggled with anxiety, all had overstimulation…” (16:30, Angie)
  • Life stress, fast-brain biology, and trauma can amplify pre-existing vulnerabilities.

5. ADHD, Misdiagnosis & Medication

• ADHD Misdiagnosis:

  • “It is the most misdiagnosed thing I see. I see tons of people…with a diagnosis…who actually have very fast brains, overactive trauma anxiety patterns that now have been put on a stimulant.” (00:02/19:48, Angie)
  • Some children diagnosed with ADHD might actually have trauma-induced fast brains, not classic slow/theta ADHD.

• Importance of Testing:

  • “That’s why we do a brain map, because I need to know exactly what it is. Right. Going off of guess…does not feel like the answer.” (21:29, Angie)

• Medication Caution:

  • “If I were a parent… I would absolutely do a brain map on my child before putting them on any type of medication.” (21:51, Angie)

6. Neuroplasticity: Can We Rewire Our Brains Without Drugs?

• Neurofeedback as Brain Rewiring:

  • “Literally, that is what neurofeedback is. It is creating new neural pathways in the brain. That is all it is.” (24:46, Angie)
  • Neurofeedback sessions are cumulative—practice builds permanence.

• Comparison to Psychedelics:

  • Psilocybin also changes default neural pathways, but with less precision and more potential side effects than neurofeedback.

7. SSRIs, Depression, and the Chemical Imbalance Myth

• Skepticism & Limitations:
  • “Are they HEALING in any way? No, absolutely not. Are they putting a band aid on what I believe in a lot of ways is a bullet wound? Yes.” (26:18, Angie)
  • SSRIs may alleviate symptoms short-term but do not resolve root causes—should be a bridge, not an endpoint.

8. Hope and Healing: Is Change Possible?

• Redefining Healing:
  • Control over your brain = healing, not necessarily absence of all symptoms.
  • “Neurofeedback does not make us bullet-proof to life…healing happens when you feel you have control.” (31:47, Angie)
  • Host Courtney’s ethos: “Whenever I got a diagnosis like that, I just thought, okay, what can I do to avoid medication? What can I do to get to the very root cause of this?” (32:29, Host)

9. Tech Addiction, Dopamine, and Burnout

• The Dopamine Epidemic:

  • “We are in a dopamine epidemic as a culture…social media is no different than drug addiction.” (35:55, Angie)
  • Easy/constant hits from social media and tech have hijacked reward circuits, leading to higher thresholds and burnout.
  • The most dopamine comes from pursuing, not receiving, a reward.

• Practical Dopamine Hacks:

  • Put your phone away two hours before bed.
  • Avoid social media for an hour after waking up.
  • Use apps like Opal or devices like Brick to lock/block distracting apps. (39:49, Host & Angie)

10. Youth, Social Media, and Mental Health

• Kids’ Brains and Tech:
  • Protect them from social media—brain scans of tech-addicted kids look like those of cocaine-addicted adults.
  • Early unfiltered exposure leads to body dysmorphia and emotional dysregulation.
  • “If your home is a safe place for them to bring issues…generally they’re going to come to you.” (44:13, Angie)
  • Interventions: Communication, limited device functions, and physical/behavioral hacks (e.g., bilateral tapping).

11. Somatic and At-Home Brain Calming Tools

• Bilateral Tapping:

  • Tap alternately on shoulders or legs to calm anxiety and integrate brain hemispheres. (45:42, Angie)

• Cross-Crawling & Burpees:

  • Moves like cross-crawling (elbow-to-opposite-knee) physically integrate left/right brain and help with focus/anxiety. (46:02, Angie)

• Box Breathing for Nerves:

  • Inhale, hold, exhale, hold each for four counts to regulate arousal, especially before public speaking. (47:11, Angie)

12. Holistic Brain Health: Nutrition, Hormones, and More

• Inflammation, gut issues, hormone imbalances, environmental toxins (e.g., mold) can all affect brain waves and mood.

• “Our brains are incredibly neuroplastic. They are willing to change. We just have to know the way in which to elicit that change.” (55:43, Angie)

• Good sleep is the #1 “life hack” for a healthy brain—sleep as compounding interest.

• Supplements:

  • Fish oil, magnesium, calcium may help, but most nutrients should come from a whole-foods diet. Test before supplementing. (56:49, Angie)

13. The Biggest Lie About Mental Health

• “That what you are born with is what you get…Absolutely not. We do not accept that.” (55:43, Angie)

14. Practical Brain Rewiring Takeaways

• Bilateral tapping for acute anxiety.
• Sleep hygiene: prioritize, don’t try to “catch up” only on weekends.
• Set and pursue achievable goals to restore dopamine sensitivity and boost motivation.
• If feeling stuck, there are always more tools—neurofeedback among many.

Memorable Quotes

• On Misdiagnosis:

  • “I see tons of people, kids come in with a diagnosis of ADD ADHD who actually have very fast brains, overactive trauma anxiety patterns that now have been put on a stimulant.” (00:02 & 19:48, Angie)

• On Neurofeedback:

  • “It is not about what should I do when something happens. It's more, how do I keep it from happening in the first place?” (09:50, Angie)

• On SSRIs:

  • “Are they healing in any way? No, absolutely not. Are they putting a band-aid on what I believe in a lot of ways is a bullet wound? Yes.” (26:18, Angie)

• On Dopamine Addiction:

  • “We are in a dopamine epidemic as a culture…social media is no different [from drug addiction].” (35:55, Angie)

• On the Possibility of Change:

  • “You are not beholden to what you're born with. Your brain is absolutely capable of change.” (63:40, Angie)

Notable Timestamps

• Angie’s story & injury recovery: 03:12–06:10
• Brain mapping explained: 06:10–07:17
• Neurofeedback basics/at-home approach: 11:07–13:10
• Trauma patterns on brain map: 07:44–09:50
• ADHD misdiagnosis & meds: 19:48–22:23
• SSRI skepticism & alternatives: 26:18–27:54
• Dopamine, social media hooks: 35:25–37:41
• Practical sleep & tech hacks: 38:15–40:29
• Bilateral tapping/cross-crawling: 45:42–46:57
• Hope, neuroplasticity & changing your brain: 55:43–56:23, 63:40–64:47

Actionable Hacks and Takeaways

• For Anxiety/Panic:

  • Try bilateral tapping or cross-crawling to calm and reintegrate the brain.
  • Use box breathing ahead of stressful events.
  • Improve sleep and protect bedtime from devices.
  • Set and write down achievable goals to cultivate natural dopamine.

• For Brain Health:

  • Consider brain mapping before starting medications for mood or attention issues—test, don’t guess.
  • Look at diet, hormones, inflammation, and environmental toxins as potential contributors.
  • Whole-food nutrition trumps supplements (with some exceptions for key nutrients).

• For Parents:

  • Delay or restrict social media/device exposure for kids as long as possible.
  • Keep communication open and be a “safe space.”

Conclusion

This episode is a heartening, science-based deep-dive into how our brains can heal and adapt—often without pills. Angie Nowak and Courtney Swan challenge old paradigms around mental health, explain the crucial value of actually testing (not guessing) the brain before medicating, and share transformative hope for anyone stuck in a rut of anxiety, misdiagnosis, or unexplained burnout. There’s a strong call to own your healing journey, leverage emerging science like neurofeedback, and remember that lasting change is not only possible, but natural.

Find Angie Nowak and learn more:

• Brain Code Centers website: braincodecenters.com
• Instagram: @BrainCodeCenters
• Free neurofeedback consultations available