Episode 327: How Your Fawn Response Hijacks Your Health with Dr. Nima Rahmany

Host Erin Kerry welcomes minister, teacher, and author of Mourning God, Tiffany Stein, to discuss the complex intersection of grief, faith, and lament. After the devastating loss of her infant son, Tiffany found herself mourning not only her child, but also the version of God she believed she understood. Together, Erin and Tiffany explore why lament is a deeply biblical response to suffering, why the modern church often struggles to sit with grief, and how Scripture offers a framework for processing pain without abandoning faith. Rather than offering quick spiritual clichés, this episode invites listeners to discover the God who enters our sorrow, mourns with us, and walks with us through the darkness toward healing. If you’ve ever felt abandoned by God in your pain—or struggled to understand suffering through the lens of faith—this conversation offers both honesty and hope. Key Topics - Tiffany Stein’s journey from ministry leadership to first-time author - The inspiration behind Mourning God after the loss of her son - Mourning the God you thought you knew during deep grief - Why faith crises often accompany traumatic loss - The problem with common Christian platitudes about suffering - Why the modern church struggles to sit with grief and lament - Biblical examples of lament in Psalms and Job - A biblical pattern for processing grief through lament - Holding sorrow and hope together in the Christian life - How community and faith support healing after devastating loss Links: Website: tiffanystein.com Book: https://www.tiffanystein.com/mourninggod Join Erin’s monthly mailing list to get health tips and fresh meal plans and recipes every month: https://mailchi.mp/adde1b3a4af3/monthlysparksignup Order Erin’s new book, Live Beyond Your Label, at erinbkerry.com/upcomingbook/

Host Erin Kerry interviews internationally recognized naturopathic physician and functional medicine leader Dr. Jaquel Patterson to unpack why anxiety, depression, and ADHD are skyrocketing…and why medications often stop working. Dr. Patterson explains the missing link between chronic inflammation, infections, gut health, and neuropsychiatric symptoms — especially in kids and teens. They discuss the labs your doctor may not be running, how to identify biological drivers of mental health struggles, and why functional medicine looks beyond “normal” ranges to find what’s optimal. Key Topics: - Chronic inflammation and how it disrupts the blood-brain barrier, neurotransmitters, and medication effectiveness - The biological drivers behind rising rates of anxiety, depression, and ADHD - Why standard labs miss key issues — and the optimal ranges that matter (ferritin, cortisol, thyroid, CRP, IL-6, ESR, testosterone) - How infections, including strep, Lyme disease, and tick-borne co-infections impact behavior, mood, and cognition - Understanding PANS/PANDAS and sudden-onset OCD, anxiety, and tics in children - The role of gut health, antibiotic exposure, and microbiome repair in brain development - Nutritional supports for kids: amino acids, protein intake, lithium orotate, beef liver, and micronutrients - Mold and environmental toxicity: why symptoms often get misdiagnosed as psychiatric - When medications stop working — and the physical issues to rule out - Practical first steps: blood work, environmental assessments, and small habits for long-term healing Links: Website: http://fairfieldfamilyhealth.com Facebook:       https://www.facebook.com/drjaquel/ Instagram:       https://www.instagram.com/naturopathic.physician/

Host Erin Kerry sits down with naturopathic physician, bodyworker, former dancer, and “Frequent Feeler” Dr. Jenn Rapkin to explore why so many of us struggle to feel our feelings—and how reconnecting with the body can completely transform emotional and physical health. Drawing from more than 25 years of mind-body work and her new book The Feeling Muscle, Jenn explains the cultural stigma around emotions, the four common forms of emotional avoidance, and why the body often carries what the mind refuses to process. Erin and Jenn unpack everything from grief and distraction to parenting “frequent feelers,” the difference between rumination and true emotional presence, and practical ways to build emotional resilience. Whether you’re a parent, a healer, a highly sensitive person, or someone who’s spent years pushing feelings down, this conversation offers compassionate, nonjudgmental tools for befriending difficult emotions, expanding your emotional capacity, and healing from the inside out. Key Topics: - What it means to be a “Frequent Feeler” - Why emotions get suppressed—and the cost to the body - Jenn’s four categories of emotional avoidance - Rumination vs. body-centered awareness - How emotional retreat shows up physiologically - Practical tools for sitting with discomfort - Parenting strategies for kids with big emotions - How to break familiar emotional narratives - Micro-practices for building emotional resilience - The role of art, movement, and bodywork in processing feelings - How suppression impacts relationships and nervous system health Book: The Feeling Muscle Website: drjennrapkin.com Instagram: @drjennrapkin Join Erin’s monthly mailing list to get health tips and fresh meal plans and recipes every month: https://mailchi.mp/adde1b3a4af3/monthlysparksignup Order Erin’s new book, Live Beyond Your Label, at erinbkerry.com/upcomingbook/

Host Erin Kerry sits down with functional nutritionist and bestselling author of God's Prescription, Terri Ward, MS, FNTP, CGP, to explore the powerful intersection of faith and functional nutrition. Together, they unpack the limitations of the conventional “sick care” model and discuss how root-cause nutrition, gut health, inflammation, and mindset shifts can restore the body according to God’s design. Terri shares her personal journey from CPA to functional nutritionist, the science of neuroplasticity and prayer, why inflammation is at the root of chronic disease, and how an anti-inflammatory “rainbow diet” can support gut healing and autoimmune recovery. They also tackle controversial topics like seed oils, saturated fats, cholesterol myths, raw milk, sugar reduction, and raising healthy kids in a processed-food world. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by conflicting health information or wondered how Scripture and science work together, this episode will encourage you with practical, faith-based strategies to reclaim your God-given health. Key Topics: - Sick Care vs. Root-Cause Healing - Faith and Neuroplasticity - Gut Health and Inflammation - The Anti-Inflammatory Rainbow Diet - Fat, Cholesterol, and Seed Oil Myths - Genetics vs. Lifestyle Choices - Raising Healthy Families Without Food Fear Links: Website: Go to terriward.com/sparking for a consult package and food guide from Terri! Join Erin’s monthly mailing list to get health tips and fresh meal plans and recipes every month: https://mailchi.mp/adde1b3a4af3/monthlysparksignup Order Erin’s new book, Live Beyond Your Label, at erinbkerry.com/upcomingbook/

Host Erin Kerry is joined by Dr. Nima Rahmany, a trauma and nervous-system expert who helps high-performers heal attachment wounds and become “trigger-proof” in love, leadership, and everyday life. They break down the least talked about trauma response: fawning—the automatic people-pleasing pattern rooted in attachment injury, self-abandonment, and chronic dysregulation. You’ll learn how the fawn response affects physiology, how it shapes boundaries, and why your body often becomes the boundary when your voice can’t. They also explore attachment styles, polyvagal theory, somatic healing, and the neuroscience of safety. Dr. Nima shares practical tools to rewire your stress response, break away from shame, restore connection, and create secure relationships from the inside out. Links from this episode:
Website: becometriggerproof.com
Attachment Style Quiz: https://becometriggerproof.com/attachment-style-assessment/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drnima/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/chironimz Erin's links: Join Erin’s monthly mailing list to get health tips and fresh meal plans and recipes every month: https://mailchi.mp/adde1b3a4af3/monthlysparksignup Order Erin’s new book, Live Beyond Your Label, at erinbkerry.com/upcomingbook/ 45 Journaling Prompts for Mind-Body Regulation https://mailchi.mp/dc24677d1aad/45-journaling-prompts

What if you could literally rewire your brain with the power of your mind?
This week, host Erin Kerry is joined by neurosurgeon, award-winning author, and Iraq War veteran Dr. Lee Warren, whose new book The Life-Changing Art of Self-Brain Surgery reveals how neuroscience and faith work together to transform our emotional health. Drawing from functional brain imaging research, decades of surgical expertise, and his own story of PTSD and devastating loss, Dr. Warren shares why 80% of your thoughts and feelings aren’t based in truth — and how changing your mind can truly change your life. They discuss the tools he uses to help people heal from trauma, anxiety, chronic stress, and the emotional spirals that keep us stuck. Dr. Warren explains why not all adversity is trauma, how the brain’s design reflects God’s intentionality, and why curiosity is more powerful than reactivity. Through the concept of “self-brain surgery,” he teaches how to access the resilience your brain was built for. If you’ve ever wondered how faith, neuroscience, and daily habits can shift your emotional landscape, this conversation will empower you with practical steps toward hope, stability, and renewed mental strength. This episode is for anyone who wants to break old patterns, understand the brain through a Biblical lens, and develop the emotional tools to live a healthier, more connected life. Website: drleewarren.com Book: The Life-Changing Art of Self-Brain Surgery Podcast: The Dr. Lee Warren Podcast Instagram: drleewarren Join Erin’s monthly mailing list to get health tips and fresh meal plans and recipes every month: https://mailchi.mp/adde1b3a4af3/monthlysparksignup Order Erin’s new book, Live Beyond Your Label, at erinbkerry.com/upcomingbook/

What if depression isn’t “all in your head," but in your body?
In this powerful conversation, host Erin Kerry is joined by Dr. James Greenblatt, MD—one of the world’s leading voices in functional and integrative psychiatry and the pioneer of low-dose nutritional lithium for mental health. For more than 30 years, Dr. Greenblatt has been sounding the alarm that psychiatry can do better. Much better. And the research finally agrees: depression is influenced by nutrient deficiencies, immune activation, gut dysfunction, endocrine imbalance, and the brain’s biochemical wiring. This episode unpacks the root causes of depression, why nutritional psychiatry is essential for healing, the truth about serotonin, what clinicians get wrong about deprescribing, and the overlooked nutrients that often make the difference between struggling and thriving. If you’ve ever felt hopeless, stuck, or confused by your symptoms—or if traditional treatments haven’t worked—this episode will help you see your mental health through an entirely new (and hopeful) lens. Key Topics: - Why nutritional psychiatry needs to be integrated into all mental health treatment plans - The role of amino acids as precursors for neurotransmitters - Serotonin and depression: science vs. marketing - What everyone should know about deprescribing antidepressants - How B vitamins impact mood, methylation, and energy production - The mineral deficiencies most commonly seen in depression - The nutritional patterns that support recovery from chronic low mood - Root causes of PMDD and natural ways to reduce symptoms - Why Vitamin D is a pivotal regulator of mood and stress - The surprising role of cholesterol and healthy fats in mental health—and why low cholesterol can increase depression risk - How functional psychiatry gets to the root cause instead of masking symptoms - A preview of Dr. Greenblatt’s new book, Finally Hopeful 
Links: Website: jamesgreenblattmd.com Book: Finally Hopeful Instagram: @psychiatryredefined Join Erin’s monthly mailing list to get health tips and fresh meal plans and recipes every month: https://mailchi.mp/adde1b3a4af3/monthlysparksignup Order Erin’s new book, Live Beyond Your Label, at erinbkerry.com/upcomingbook/

In this powerful conversation, host Erin Kerry is joined by Gina Birkemeier, LPC—licensed professional counselor, international speaker, and award-winning author of Generations Deep. Gina is a leading voice on generational trauma, helping thousands understand how faith, neuroscience, biology, and epigenetics intersect to shape our emotional and spiritual health. Together, they explore how trauma can be passed down through both learned behavior and biological imprinting—and how God designed the brain and nervous system with the capacity to heal, rewire, and experience safety again. Key Topics: - What generational trauma actually is and how it shows up in everyday life - How epigenetics influences genetic expression and emotional patterns - Why God’s nervous system design equips us to shift our default settings - The neuroscience behind being “wired for healing” - How to find safety in discomfort and build resilience - The generational impact of shame and how it fuels the fawn response - Why breaking patterns begins with awareness—not self-blame This episode offers both scientific grounding and Biblical hope, reminding you that what runs in your family doesn’t have to run your life. About Gina: Instagram: @myoutloudvoice
Book: Generations Deep
Website: https://www.ginabirkemeier.com/ Substack: https://ginabirkemeierlpc.substack.com/ Join Erin’s monthly mailing list to get health tips and fresh meal plans and recipes every month: https://mailchi.mp/adde1b3a4af3/monthlysparksignup Order Erin’s new book, Live Beyond Your Label, at erinbkerry.com/upcomingbook/

What do you do when faith doesn’t make the pain disappear? In this deeply grounding conversation, host Erin Kerry sits down with Dominique Young, founder of Faith Mamas Inc., to talk honestly about pain, fear, and the temptation to hide—both from God and from others. Dominique shares how her own experiences with suffering shaped her ministry and her new book, God, Where Are You, challenging the Christian “quick fix” mentality that often pressures believers to move past pain before it’s been acknowledged. With wisdom rooted in Scripture, psychology, and lived experience, she invites listeners to stop masking, stop spiritualizing discomfort away, and instead allow God to meet them inside their pain. This episode explores what it really means to feel uncomfortable emotions without shame, how faith communities can become safer spaces for those who are hurting, and why true healing begins when we rest in our God-given identity—not performance, productivity, or pretending. If you’ve ever wondered where God is in your suffering, this conversation is a reminder: you don’t have to hide to belong. Key Topics: - Why pain doesn’t mean God is absent - The cost of hiding behind spiritual “quick fixes” - Giving yourself permission to feel hard emotions - Vulnerability, identity, and emotional honesty in faith spaces - How churches and communities can better support suffering - Resting in who you are—not who you perform as Guest Info: Instagram: @dominiqueyoung YouTube: Faith Family Worldwide Website: dominiquenyoung.com Dominique's Book: God, Where Are You (available wherever books are sold) Join Erin’s monthly mailing list to get health tips and fresh meal plans and recipes every month: https://mailchi.mp/adde1b3a4af3/monthlysparksignup Order Erin’s new book, Live Beyond Your Label, at erinbkerry.com/upcomingbook/

This solo episode with host Erin Kerry reflects on the most impactful mental health conversations from 2025: anxiety, nervous system regulation, gut-brain connection, hormone health, trauma, and faith. Erin shares a whole-body, faith-forward framework for mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health—grounded in neuroscience, nutrition, and Scripture. This episode is for anyone who feels tired of pressure-based healing and is ready for compassion, regulation, and hope. Topics Covered: - Anxiety and the nervous system - Why anxiety is not a faith failure - Gut-brain-hormone connections - Perimenopause, hormone shifts and mental health - Faith and neuroscience working together - Moving from survival mode into wholeness Book Mentioned:
Live Beyond Your Label by Erin Kerry, erinbkerry.com/upcomingbook Journaling Prompt Resource Mentioned: https://mailchi.mp/dc24677d1aad/45-journaling-prompts Health coaching interest form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfBahf6Wv677i9tlcF_6uIrfvfPzUmWNjrykpVxGWpKegfWWA/viewform?usp=header