Calm Living: Navigating Anxiety
New episode with Dr. Candice Esposito
Enjoy this new episode where I welcome on one of my colleagues Dr. Candice Esposito. Again, tacking the topic of Anxiety.
In this episode I have the great honor of interviewing someone I have admired for over 10-years. DR. Candice Esposito.
Candice an expert in living calmly and navigating anxiety: In this episode we discuss:
Overcoming anxiety through self-awareness and acceptance and how trauma and personal mis-alignment are the root of many illnesses.
The healing trap; where we get stuck feeling we are broken.
Being a health creator and creating a new reality.
Nervous system regulation
Presence as the opposite of anxiety
The Health Creation Blueprint, a 9-step process that helps individuals identify and address root causes of concerns, such as trauma and living out of alignment with their true selves.
About Dr. Candice Esposito: Candice went from not being able to leave her apartment due to crippling social anxiety and depression to becoming a Naturopathic Doctor and creating The Calm Living Blueprint to help others heal their mental health issues. Today, she teaches high-achieving, spiritually minded entrepreneurs to overcome chronic health issues without the use of antidepressants, restrictive diets or having to work harder so that they love their lives and themselves again. www. thehealthcreators.com
Detailed transcript:
Anxiety, healing traps, and integrative medicine with Dr. Candace Esposito. 0:00
Dr. Adam Rinde interviews Dr. Candace Esposito on his podcast, discussing her work in integrative medicine for anxiety and related disorders.
Topics include the healing trap, inner drivers of anxiety, social anxiety, and the connection between illness and trauma.
Anxiety and its treatment with a focus on personal growth. 3:08
Candice shares their personal experience with severe social anxiety, which led to creating the Calm Blueprint podcast to help others.
Candice explains how their anxiety reached a point where they couldn't even go grocery shopping due to fear and anxiety.
Candice shares their personal journey of healing from anxiety and depression, and how they created the common living blueprint to help others.
The blueprint has evolved to include a manifesto, "I am not broken, I don't need to be fixed," and the speaker has launched an online retreat from anxiety to share their insights with others.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and its impact on mental health. 9:22
Candice mentions Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as a therapeutic modality that has influenced their current work, citing its ability to create space for emotions and thoughts to move through.
Candice explains that ACT's focus on acceptance and commitment helps individuals move beyond simply replacing negative thoughts with positive ones, and instead cultivate a sense of detachment and action from a place of awareness.
Candice finds mindfulness tool helpful for addressing thoughts and emotions.
Candice suggests everyone is born whole, with a journey towards accepting themselves.
Disempowering dynamics in healthcare and shifting towards self-empowerment. 16:11
Candice discusses the limitations of the "healing trap" in conventional medicine and the importance of recognizing one's evolving potential for health.
Candice describes how their own approach to health and wellness was influenced by a system that disempowers individuals, leading them to adopt a more holistic and self-empowering approach.
Candice and Adam Rinde discuss the challenges of disentangling this dynamic in clinical practice, where expectations are set up for a more paternalistic relationship.
Candice explores personal alignment in health creation, inspiring others to become self-empowered health creators.
Empowering patients in healthcare decisions. 23:54
Adam Rinde and Candice discuss the importance of empowering patients in their healthcare, with Candice highlighting the need for customized and personalized approaches.
Candice emphasizes the importance of addressing nervous system regulation and anchoring clients back to a safe place before providing coaching or guidance.
Adam Rinde shares his experience of implementing a "ask for everything" approach in his medical practice, which has led to increased connection and trust between him and his patients.
Candice agrees that this approach can create a safe space and co-regulation, leading to therapeutic benefits beyond the clinical setting.
Anxiety, presence, and trust in therapy. 29:14
Adam Rinde and Candice discuss the importance of being present and authentic in therapy sessions, with Candice sharing their personal experience of healing through stillness and silence.
Both agree that sustaining a true self in any given moment is healthiest for both parties involved in the therapy, as it allows for deeper connections and more meaningful progress.
Candice defines the opposite of anxiety as presence, citing physiological impossibility of anxiety in the present state.
Adam Rinde emphasizes the importance of recognizing and accepting one's emotions, particularly anxiety, rather than trying to hide or suppress them.
Candice shares their experience of high-functioning anxiety, where they appear calm and collected on the outside but are actually dysregulated on the inside.
Social anxiety and its impact on mental health. 37:33
Adam Rinde shares his personal experience with social anxiety and its impact on his life.
Adam Rinde and Candice discuss social anxiety and its physical symptoms, such as heart rate changes and flushing of the skin, which can be exacerbated by fear of other people's judgement.
Candice notes that people with autism spectrum disorder may have a strong overlap with social anxiety, as they can experience similar symptoms such as withdrawing into a corner or appearing extroverted on the inside.
Holistic approach to healing with a focus on trauma, nervous system regulation, and spiritual growth. 43:21
Candice uses a 9-step process to help clients identify and address root causes of their concerns, including trauma and living out of alignment with their true selves.
Candice incorporates the safe and sound protocol, developed by Dr. Steven Porges, as a gentle and effective tool for nervous system regulation and healing.
Candice incorporates elements of natural beauty, functional medicine, and spirituality into their work, using a blend of techniques to help clients heal and optimize their lives.
Candice believes that addressing energetic and spiritual imbalances is crucial to overall wellness, and is incorporating elements of quantum biology and bioenergetics into their practice.
Self-awareness and personal growth with a holistic health expert. 49:27
Practical takeaway: Check for areas of alignment and self-honoring to foster health and well-being.
Candice offers practical advice on how to help others find balance and well-being through co-regulation and open communication.
Some resources mentioned in the podcast
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy https://www.psychotherapy.net/article/Acceptance-and-Commitment-Therapy-ACT
Health Creators Collective https://www.skool.com/healthcreators/about
Sound Safe Protocol https://integratedlistening.com/products/ssp-safe-sound-protocol/
\