Bringing It All Together: A Whole-Human Approach To Healing Anxiety & Depression (Back to the Basics Series – Part 9)

Episode 109: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube
View transcript on Buzzsprout

Welcome to the final episode in Amanda’s Back to the Basics series—a 9-part journey to help you understand anxiety and depression through a nervous system and whole-human lens.

In this episode, Amanda ties it all together. She offers a comprehensive review and roadmap to help you understand how the nervous system, physiology, trauma, relationships, and lifestyle all play a role in healing. Whether you’re just tuning in or have followed the whole series, this is a powerful reflection point and integration tool.

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What We Cover in This Episode

• A recap of all 8 previous episodes and how they build on one another
• A core framework to map your nervous system and healing journey
• The truth about symptoms: why they make sense, not brokenness
• How to integrate tools and strategies based on your current reality
• Journal prompts and reflection questions for your next steps

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A Quick Recap: What We’ve Covered So Far

This series began with the nervous system—the foundation of how your body and mind respond to stress. Amanda broke down the six states of the nervous system, what regulation really means, and how trauma and life circumstances influence our responses.

From there, we explored the stress bucket analogy, reactive and proactive regulation, and the often-overlooked importance of labwork and physiological data. Along the way, Amanda debunked the outdated chemical imbalance theory and explained how to build your own healing roadmap.

Every episode added a new piece to a much bigger puzzle. This episode is about integration—seeing how it all fits together uniquely for you, in the real world.

The Equation That Changes Everything

One of the most powerful ideas from this series is this:

Current Nervous System State =

Past Lived Experiences + Current Life Circumstances

This lens reframes symptoms as signals, not flaws. It validates why you feel what you feel, based on everything you’ve lived through and what’s still impacting you now.

Amanda reminds us: you’re not broken. Your anxiety, depression, shutdown, activation—they make sense when viewed through this equation. And understanding this is the first step in moving from self-blame to self-compassion.

Integrating The Pieces

Healing is never one-size-fits-all. But there is a framework to help you assess and apply what you’ve learned:

1. Assess Your Reality

• Where are you on the nervous system ladder most days?
• What fills your stress bucket?
• Which reactive tools work for you now?
• What proactive changes feel doable?

2. Practice Awareness

• Start tracking your state changes and patterns.
• Learn what triggers you, what soothes you, and how different states feel.

3. Build Your Toolkit

• Choose 3-5 regulation tools that feel supportive.
• Practice them outside of crisis to make them more accessible in tough moments.

4. Pick One Area to Focus On

• Is it sleep? Blood sugar? Boundaries? Pick something meaningful and manageable.

5. Celebrate Progress

• Notice subtle shifts.

Healing doesn’t have to feel so ambiguous, it’s also important to note that no matter how you approach it, it’s never linear. That said, there is a way to give more structure and tangibility to your healing journey when you understand how everything works together. Understanding this is what flipped the switch in Amanda’s healing journey, and is what has since helped hundreds of others.

The Power Of A Whole-Human Approach

Amanda’s entire framework is rooted in wholeness: physiology and psychology, nervous system and relationships, mindset and metabolism.

In the Regulated Living Membership and Restore (1:1 coaching program), this is what clients experience: individualized support that doesn’t isolate your symptoms or fragment your care.

This approach isn’t about becoming perfectly regulated or healing everything at once. It’s about gaining the tools, insight, and support to respond with more flexibility, compassion, and clarity.

READY TO KEEP GOING?
Whether you’re interested in a supportive community (like the Regulated Living Membership) or want more hands-on support with customized tools, lifestyle, and labs (Restore 1:1 coaching), Amanda offers free discovery calls to see what next step fits your needs best.

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Three Tangible Takeaways

1. Whole-Human Approach: True healing comes from integrating both physiology and psychology – one that explores and acknowledges how your body, mind, relationships, and environment all interconnect in your mental health. Understanding the interplay between your nervous system, stress bucket, reactive and proactive regulation creates a comprehensive framework for healing that honors your unique experiences and needs. If you’ve been feeling stuck in your healing…

• Which area of your life (physical, mental, relational, or environmental) feels most neglected in your current healing approach, and what small step could you take to address it?

2. Your Symptoms Likely Make Sense: Your symptoms make perfect sense given your past lived experiences and current life circumstances—they’re not signs of brokenness but messages from a system trying to protect you and understanding this helps you shift from self-blame to self-compassion.

• How might your perspective shift if you approached your symptoms with curiosity rather than judgment, asking “what happened to me?” instead of “what’s wrong with me?”
• If you were to apply the equation ‘Current Nervous System State = Past Lived Experiences + Current Life Circumstances’ to your own experience, what’s one key insight you gain about why you might be struggling the way you are?

3. Strategic Path Forward: Real healing comes from a balanced approach that includes both in-the-moment tools and deeper, proactive changes that address the root causes of dysregulation. The journey of healing, viewed through a nervous system lens, is ultimately about reconnecting with your authentic self, accessing your inner resources, and creating a life where you feel safe, resilient, and whole.

• What’s one reactive tool you can practice this week when you notice dysregulation, and one proactive change you feel ready to explore to address something in your stress bucket?
• “What does ‘coming home to yourself’ mean to you, and what’s one small practice or action you could incorporate into your daily life to cultivate a stronger sense of connection with yourself?”

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Looking for more personalized support?

• Book a FREE discovery call for RESTORE, our 1:1 anxiety & depression coaching program (HSA/FSA eligible & includes comprehensive bloodwork)
• Join me inside the  Regulated Living Membership, a mental health membership and nervous system healing space (sliding scale pricing available)
• Join my Release Class – Monthly guided nervous system regulation class
• Order my book, Healing Through the Vagus Nerve today!
• Download free resources here

*Want me to talk about something specific on the podcast? Let me know HERE.

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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or qualified mental health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.