Dr. Caitlin Gordon owns Amaluna Wellness, a holistic health clinic based in Boulder, Colorado, where she sees patients for acupuncture and functional medicine in-office and via telemedicine. Caitlin's personal history of repeated burnout led her to specialize in treating emotional health imbalances, with an emphasis on the mind-body connection. She uses a unique blend of mindfulness techniques, transformational coaching, and neuroscience to help patients create the conditions in which they can heal.

Caitlin burned out after years of living with unacknowledged childhood trauma, a sense of self-worth that was tied to her productivity and external success, a nervous system wired for stress, and a tendency to over-commit and avoid her own emotions. After putting in more and more effort to fix the problem, she finally extricated herself from the cycle by taking time to unwind, asking for support, and developing a new relationship to her own body. I think you’ll appreciate her frankness and honesty in this wide-ranging conversation.

This month’s FRIED guests have brought us back to the topic of gratitude so many times, and it came up again in this week’s episode with Caitlin. In my practice, I see a lot of people who experience shame and guilt when practicing gratitude isn’t easy or transformative. This is important: If a past gratitude practice hasn’t worked for you or has left you feeling guilty, it’s likely you’ve experienced trauma that needs to be unwound, or that your burnt-out brain just isn’t capable of processing gratitude in its current state. And that is not your fault. Burnout changes the brain in a way that makes it impossible to fully experience gratitude.

Say it louder for the people in the back! When you’re burnt out or have unresolved trauma, you CANNOT process your gratitude, and that is NOT your fault. It just means it’s time to call for reinforcement. Reaching out to someone else for help is one of the very best things you can do to get yourself on the road to healing.

Learn more about Caitlin Gordon:

Her website: https://amalunawellness.com/

Her Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acu.caite/

Mentioned in this episode:

The Eisenhower Matrix (by President Eisenhower): https://www.eisenhower.me/eisenhower-matrix/

My Yoga Nidra meditation: [link]

Until the end of April, I’m offering my 8-week online course Master Your Own Energy at a $300 discount! Find your energy leaks and get your energy back starting right here: https://bit.ly/MYECOVID

Carve out the time and space to make yourself feel safe this week. And wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands.

XOXO

Cait

P.S. Don’t forget that you can get a little extra support for your burnt-out brain with one of my favorite supplements, Nadovim. Get 20% off your first 30-day supply at www.nadovim.com by entering the coupon code BURNOUT.

P.P.S. Do something to care for yourself this week and book a FREE call with me! Initial calls last 35 minutes and are a great way to kickstart your burnout recovery. Book your call at caitdonovan.as.me/free.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices