Jennifer is a runner and outdoor enthusiast with cervical dystonia. She was diagnosed just a few years ago and has already been through multiple rounds of botox, PT and now has had DBS.

Key points include:

• acting fast when you notice something doesn't seem right with your body
• self-advocacy
• find a support team you can trust and which makes a difference in progress

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The information shared in this podcast is not intended to diagnose. recommend nor treat medical conditions. We are not licensed medical professionals and do not take the place of your team of medical professionals.

You can find me here: Julie Bergfeld - julie@juliebergfeld.com and juliebergfeld.com (@juliebergfeldcoaching)

Ruth Chiles is a somatic performance therapist, author, and educator working at the intersection of neuroscience, trauma, and physical and mental flow.

As a musician who experienced and fully recovered from focal embouchure dystonia and other performance blocks, Ruth understands from the inside what it feels like to lose the abilities you rely on most. Ruth Chiles has spent more than a decade developing therapeutic methods that work where others have failed.

Links:

• Focal Dystonia Method
• Focal Dystonia Method on Facebook
• Focal Dystonia Blog

Research:

Self-determination theory

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. Plenum Press.

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78.

Orientation and self-regulation (Michael Posner)

Posner, M. I., & Rothbart, M. K. (2000). Developing mechanisms of self-regulation. Development and Psychopathology, 12(3), 427–441.

Rothbart, M. K., Sheese, B. E., Rueda, M. R., & Posner, M. I. (2011). Developing mechanisms of self-regulation in early life. Emotion Review, 3(2), 207–213.

Adversity in elite athletes

Hardy, L., Barlow, M., Evans, L., Rees, T., Woodman, T., & Warr, C. (2017). Great British medalists: Psychosocial biographies of super-elite and elite athletes from Olympic sports. Progress in Brain Research, 232, 1–119.

Sarkar, M., Fletcher, D., & Brown, D. J. (2015). What doesn't kill me…: Adversity-related experiences are vital in the development of superior Olympic performance. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 18(4), 475–479.

Support the show

The information shared in this podcast is not intended to diagnose. recommend nor treat medical conditions. We are not licensed medical professionals and do not take the place of your team of medical professionals.

You can find me here: Julie Bergfeld - julie@juliebergfeld.com and juliebergfeld.com (@juliebergfeldcoaching)

In this episode, Julie and Mindy explore how psychedelics, psychotherapy, movement, mindfulness, creativity, and connection can work together as an ecosystem for healing.

Mindy Tockman, LPC, is a trauma therapist, speaker, and founder of Resonance, an emerging integrative wellness center being developed in St. Louis, MO

Her work integrates Internal Family Systems, somatic therapies, nervous system regulation, mindfulness practices, and psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy to support healing and transformation.

Mindy has completed extensive training in psychedelic-assisted therapies through the Integrative Psychiatry Institute and the MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychadelics Studies) Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Training Program. She has also completed advanced psilocybin training programs in the United States and the Netherlands, attended multiple MAPS conferences focused on the future of psychedelic medicine, and holds a Colorado psilocybin facilitator license.

Support the show

The information shared in this podcast is not intended to diagnose. recommend nor treat medical conditions. We are not licensed medical professionals and do not take the place of your team of medical professionals.

You can find me here: Julie Bergfeld - julie@juliebergfeld.com and juliebergfeld.com (@juliebergfeldcoaching)

In this episode, I have a conversation with Movement educator Monika Volkmar where we talk about how foot mechanics can help or hinder the gait cycle when the timing is not appropriate. Monika shares her history, knowledge and many resources on her journey, work and education in this rich discussion. Thanks for listening and sharing.

Please consider dropping some funds into the donation fund to keep this resource going.

https://www.tmswiki.org/ppd/The_Tension_Myositis_Syndrome_Wiki

Find Monika Volkmar on her website

Gary Ward and Anatomy in Motion

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The information shared in this podcast is not intended to diagnose. recommend nor treat medical conditions. We are not licensed medical professionals and do not take the place of your team of medical professionals.

You can find me here: Julie Bergfeld - julie@juliebergfeld.com and juliebergfeld.com (@juliebergfeldcoaching)

Bree Sutton is a mental health therapist specializing in helping athletes and high achievers overcome anxiety and reach their full potential. Her approach is unique because of the integration of techniques like HeartMath biofeedback to enhance heart rate variability and brainspotting to target deep, subconscious roots of anxiety and performance blocks in the neurological system. These methods help clients not just manage anxiety but transform it into a source of strength, resilience, and peak performance.

HeartMath

Brainspotting

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The information shared in this podcast is not intended to diagnose. recommend nor treat medical conditions. We are not licensed medical professionals and do not take the place of your team of medical professionals.

You can find me here: Julie Bergfeld - julie@juliebergfeld.com and juliebergfeld.com (@juliebergfeldcoaching)

Tim Koh, Professor of Kinesiology and Nutrition at the University of Illinois-Chicago, shares his story of dystonia and information about a possible link with a genetic mutation (THAP 1).

Please share these podcasts with friends, supporters, healthcare providers, your team. Without your support, we could not exist. If you'd like to contribute to our keeping these going, please consider donating via the links here.

Support the show

The information shared in this podcast is not intended to diagnose. recommend nor treat medical conditions. We are not licensed medical professionals and do not take the place of your team of medical professionals.

You can find me here: Julie Bergfeld - julie@juliebergfeld.com and juliebergfeld.com (@juliebergfeldcoaching)

Julie talks with Ariel Beccia, a researcher with the Harvard School of Public Health, on her dystonia story and how she got from not running 10 years ago to where she is now with running and racing and workouts.

Please Like, Comment, Share!

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The information shared in this podcast is not intended to diagnose. recommend nor treat medical conditions. We are not licensed medical professionals and do not take the place of your team of medical professionals.

You can find me here: Julie Bergfeld - julie@juliebergfeld.com and juliebergfeld.com (@juliebergfeldcoaching)

Julie sits down with Dr. Bernard Ravina, CEO and founder of Vima Therapeutics. His company is developing a drug that looks promising in helping those with dystonia.

Vima Therapeutic website

Vima Therapeutics team

Site for current Phase 2 dystonia study into first oral medication. The study is named "Stride Dystonia"

Survey done with the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation (DMRF).

Support the show

The information shared in this podcast is not intended to diagnose. recommend nor treat medical conditions. We are not licensed medical professionals and do not take the place of your team of medical professionals.

You can find me here: Julie Bergfeld - julie@juliebergfeld.com and juliebergfeld.com (@juliebergfeldcoaching)