The Joy Reset: Rewiring our Brains and Discovering our Capacity to Cultivate Joy. With Dr. MaryCatherine McDonald
Untangle2 Dec 2025

The Joy Reset: Rewiring our Brains and Discovering our Capacity to Cultivate Joy. With Dr. MaryCatherine McDonald

Our guest today is Dr. MaryCatherine McDonald, Trauma researcher and Author of the book, "The Joy Reset: Six Ways Trauma Steals Happiness and How to Get It Back.” Her book isn’t just about finding joy; it’s about rewiring our brains and rediscovering our power to cultivate joy EVEN in the darkest moments of life.

She describes the barriers that keep us from accessing joy—hypervigilance, emotional numbing, fear of loss, conditioning, guilt, and shame—and then defines ways to tap into positive emotions that can become the very foundation of psychological resilience.

In our interview she shares some exercises that make joy, hope and gratitude both bite-sized and accessible and how they can show up even in our toughest moments.

I love how she weaves neuroscience into her exploration of trauma and joy, explaining how our brains are biologically wired to both adapt to trauma and heal from it. And…good news…we ARE always biologically capable of joy.

Quote from her website: "Joy does not exist only in the moments that are free of pain. In fact, the brightest, tiniest, most important pieces can only be found in the dark. I want to teach you how to harness and amplify the power of that glinting magic–because this sustainable, endless light source will do more than help you get through your darkest, scariest, loneliest times."

As always, we’re untangle, the podcast from Muse the brain sensing headband that helps to transform your brain. Use promo code untangle 15 at choosemuse.com for your discount.

Resource: https://www.drmcmcdonald.com/

Thanks, as always, to our sponsors. Rula. Quince. Born Shoes.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Avsnitt(572)

Mark Coleman - Silencing the Negative Inner Critic

Mark Coleman - Silencing the Negative Inner Critic

Mark Coleman, mindfulness teacher and author of "Make Peace with Your Mind," shares how mindfulness and compassion can free us from our inner critic--the one that blasts us with messages that "we’re n...

6 Mars 201728min

Melli O’Brien - Know Yourself Deeply, Live Your Life Fully

Melli O’Brien - Know Yourself Deeply, Live Your Life Fully

Melli O’Brien is a devoted meditation teacher and practitioner from Australia, known worldwide as Mrs. Mindfulness. Her mission is to help us lead more conscious and connected lives with more peace an...

27 Feb 201732min

Lodro Rinzler - Meditation, Heartbreak, and Resilience

Lodro Rinzler - Meditation, Heartbreak, and Resilience

Lodro Rinzler, author of "Love Hurts" and co-founder of MNDFL Studios in New York shares the universal nature of heartbreak and how it connects us to one another. Whether we’re experiencing little eve...

20 Feb 201723min

Emily Fletcher - Your Relationship and Sex Questions Answered

Emily Fletcher - Your Relationship and Sex Questions Answered

Emily Fletcher, Ziva Meditation founder and Meditation Studio app teacher, shares how meditation helps us to be a more ‘present’ partner in our relationships and--bonus!--gives us a boost in our sex l...

14 Feb 201730min

Valentine’s Day - Chrissy Carter - Relationship Meditation

Valentine’s Day - Chrissy Carter - Relationship Meditation

Chrissy Carter, Meditation Studio teacher, offers two favorite meditations from our app Relationship Collection. The first is called Relationship Lessons and reminds us how relationships teach us what...

13 Feb 201711min

Ashley Turner - Your Love Questions Answered

Ashley Turner - Your Love Questions Answered

Ashley Turner is a meditation and yoga teacher and psychotherapist. On today's episode, she answers our biggest love questions. How does meditation help us in relationships? How does it help us to be ...

7 Feb 201730min

Jerry Colonna - Bringing Your Full Human Potential to the Work You Love

Jerry Colonna - Bringing Your Full Human Potential to the Work You Love

Jerry Colonna is an executive coach and the founder of Reboot, where he uses the skills that he learned as a venture capitalist to help entrepreneurs. Jerry shares his story, from depression, to Buddh...

31 Jan 201728min

Jeffrey Walker - Mindfulness Practices in Leadership, Education, and Philanthropy

Jeffrey Walker - Mindfulness Practices in Leadership, Education, and Philanthropy

Jeffrey Walker is an accomplished executive, author, and philanthropist with an eclectic background in music, finance, and contemplative practices. He shares his passion for bringing mindfulness tools...

24 Jan 201732min

Populärt inom Hälsa

somna-med-henrik
rss-bara-en-till-om-missbruk-medberoende-2
rss-jossan-nina
inga-beiga-morsor
alska-oss
rss-vuxna-pa-latsas
sexnoveller-deluxe
sova-med-dan-horning
angestpodden
not-fanny-anymore
johannes-hansen-podcast
rss-viktmedicinpodden
brottarbroder
rss-the-house-podcast-3
sa-in-i-sjalen
vinterpasset
rss-sjalsligt-avkladd
sag-det-bara
till-sangs
halsoveckan-by-tyngre