Bonus | Minneapolis, Renée Good, and Alex Pretti with My Childhood Friend Claire Branigan, PhD

My hometown is under occupation right now. Watching this nightmare unfold is… unreal… but it’s also not necessarily shocking. Today, I talk to my childhood friend Dr. Claire Branigan about the occupation in Minneapolis. Claire is an anthropology professor at Rice University. She and I reflect on the false “safety” of the white supremacist bubble in which we grew up, and we discuss waking up to the truth of the broader cultural dynamics present in Minnesota and in the world beyond. We highlight the idea of questioning your narrative. And, of course, I make the connection to that theme as a core part of healing from chronic pain.

In this Episode:

🔹 “It’s very strange to watch places you know very intimately suddenly being presented as war zones.”

🔹 We examine the narrative of a “cute,” “quaint,” and even “boring” hometown as juxtaposed with the reality. The cute/quaint narrative was never reality. It just felt true for us as children.

🔹 We give some reports about what this is like for people we know who are on the ground experiencing the fear and intimidation first-hand.

🔹 And also, “Some people really want this,” and people are saying, “What did Renée Good expect?”

🔹 We examine the question: What can you do if you’re not directly impacted and you want to be an ally to immigrants and to people who are directly impacted?

🔹 And we discuss how it’s a kind of resistance to live a good life. There’s a difference between “it’s too stressful to engage” and “I’m cognizant of what’s going on, and I’m going to choose to live.” “Don’t let the Trump administration win.” “Stephen Miller does not control my joy.”

🔹 On that note, Claire’s son is turning 1! We have stuff to celebrate, we have life to live.

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If you’re able to give, please consider helping people on the front lines. As you know, it’s bad. People need help. This is a list of organizations and direct individuals who need support.

MPLS MUTUAL AID LINKTREE: https://linktr.ee/mplsmutualaid

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Find Dr. Claire Branigan:

www.clairebranigan.phd

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Find Sean:

Visit My Website to Learn More or to Request a Consultation for Therapy

TMS Treatment & Support Group Now Enrolling, Starts February 24th, 2026

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Sean’s Free Email List: Join the List for Free Updates and Advice

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Click Here to Ask a Question on the Podcast

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…and you’re listening to Mindbody Medicine for Chronic Pain.

Therapist Sean Hershey, LCSW teaches you how to use psychological and emotional modalities to heal from chronic pain. Common conditions treated: Back Pain, Neck Pain, Hip Pain, Shoulder Pain, Knee Pain, Elbow Pain, Pain from Disc Bulges, Pain from Disc Degeneration, Sciatica, Neuropathy, Chronic Headaches, Migraine, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Pelvic Pain, Fibromyalgia, Many Eczema and Skin Conditions, Many Arthritic Presentations, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Long Covid, Depression, and Anxiety.

Inspired by the pioneering work of Dr. John Sarno and all who’ve built upon his theories including: Nicole Sachs, Christina Sarno Horner, Dr. Howard Schubiner, Dr. Dan Ratner, Alan Gordon, the ATNS, and so many others.

Join us as we discuss: TMS, pain as a danger signal, the pain/threat cycle, healing through psychological work, healing through emotional work, healing through patiently attuning to your true self, trauma, healing as a work in progress, maddening frustration, glimmers of hope, elating successes... But most of all, join us because you don’t have to be alone in your pain. You don’t have to be alone in the hard work of healing. And you don’t have to be alone as this starts to work for you, and you begin to get better.

We’re all walking this path together. We’re right here with you.

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