The Neuroscience School

Something strange happens with psychedelics that ordinary medicine can't easily explain. A person takes a single dose, once, and a year later they are still different. It's not because they keep taking it. One session, and the change holds Antidepressants don't work this way. You take them daily, and when you stop, the effect fades. […] The post How Psychedelics Create Lasting Change: Two Labs, T…

What co-regulation coaching research reveals: why your own state in a session matters more than your next question. The silence stretches. Your client has just said something important -- or maybe nothing at all -- and you are waiting. Five seconds. Ten. Something in you moves toward the next question. You offer it. The client […] The post The Nervous System You Forgot Was in the Room appeared fi…

Most coaches working today have polyvagal theory somewhere in their toolkit. The three-level ladder — ventral vagal safety, sympathetic mobilisation, dorsal vagal shutdown — has become the default language for talking about state, regulation, and what's happening in a client's nervous system. Here's the uncomfortable question: Is the version circulating in coaching actually what the […] The post …

A client tells you they are not good enough. Not ready. Too much of a risk. The coaching response is usually some version of: challenge the thought, offer a reframe, invite self-compassion. And sometimes that helps. But often it misses what is actually happening. When coaches encounter inner critic coaching situations, the standard toolkit often […] The post The Inner Critic Is Not a Mindset Prob…

For decades, the conversation around goal achievement has centred on personality: Do you have enough self-control? Are you conscientious enough? Disciplined enough? Gritty enough? The implication is always the same: if you're not following through on your intentions, and if your clients aren't following through on their goals, something is fundamentally lacking in who you […] The post Why Clients…

If you've been coaching for more than a minute, you've seen it: the capable, intelligent client who can talk endlessly about their goals but can’t seem to act on them. We tell them to shift their mindset, to think positive, to believe. But here’s the truth: mindset isn't enough. Not because people are lazy or […] The post Your Brain Doesn’t Care About Your Mindset (And That’s Actually Good News) …

If you've spent any time in personal development circles, you've probably heard this claim: "Set a clear goal, and your Reticular Activating System will help you spot opportunities everywhere!" It sounds compelling. It feels scientific. And it fuels what I call the Reticular Activating System myth, a story that's been repeated so often in self-help and coaching circles […] The post The Truth Abou…

Most of us have heard that memory works like a reconstruction project: every time we recall something, we piece it together from fragments rather than pressing play on a perfect recording. That’s why memories can change over time and why they are sometimes unreliable. But new research on how the brain stores traumatic events shows […] The post Why Are Traumatic Memories So Hard to Change? appeare…

Ever wonder how the brain wakes up? It feels instant. One moment you’re asleep; the next, you’re alert (or at least trying to be). But underneath that experience is a fascinating and finely tuned transition that unfolds across the brain, one that scientists have now mapped in remarkable detail. A new study using high-density EEG […] The post A Step-by-Step Look at How the Brain Wakes Up appeared …

We’ve all heard that stress is harmful. But what the neuroscience of stress now reveals is far more urgent and far more actionable. Chronic stress isn't just unpleasant. It's wreaking havoc on our biology. Heart disease, cancer, stroke, depression, immune problems: stress feeds into all of it. It literally rewires our brains and ages us […] The post If You’re Not Coaching Stress, You’re Coaching …

When Insight Isn’t the Issue Coaches often work with clients who are managing heavy cognitive loads. They’re thinking strategically, juggling competing demands, navigating uncertainty, and trying to show up effectively for their teams. They may not say they’re burned out, but they’re not at their best. They’re less focused, more reactive, or stretched too thin […] The post Where the Mind Meets th…

We like to think we're calling the shots; that we choose our words, reactions, and next steps. But neuroscience tells a more surprising story: much of what we do is already in motion before we’re even aware of it. And far from being a flaw, this is actually a strength. This article explores how the […] The post Who’s Really in Charge? How the Brain Makes Decisions Before You Know It appeared firs…

We tend to think of insomnia, depression, and anxiety as separate struggles. Different symptoms, different stories, different strategies. But what if they’re all playing out variations on a common theme rooted in how the brain handles sleep and mental health? A recent study involving over 25,000 adults peels back the layers on this question. Instead […] The post The Hidden Brain Link Between Slee…