Perimenopause and menopause can affect more than hormones. Dr. Irena O’Brien speaks with coach Luce Beaulieu about capacity, nervous system regulation, identity, brain fog, shame, leadership, and why old ways of pushing through may stop working.

Perimenopause and menopause are often discussed as hormonal or reproductive transitions. But what if they are also capacity transitions?

In this episode of Neuroscience of Coaching, Dr. Irena O’Brien speaks with coach and transformation specialist Luce Beaulieu about menopause, nervous system regulation, identity, emotional meaning, and embodied leadership. Luce explains why menopause is not simply a list of symptoms, and why many women experience this phase as a deeper disruption of identity, energy, self-trust, and the ability to keep pushing through.

Together, Irena and Luce explore how changing body signals can affect the brain’s predictions, why old strategies may stop working, and why what looks like burnout, low confidence, emotional instability, or resistance may sometimes reflect a system under greater physiological and emotional load.

This conversation is especially relevant for coaches and helping professionals who work with midlife clients navigating brain fog, emotional intensity, burnout, identity shifts, leadership strain, or the quiet realization that they can no longer function in the same way they once did.

Guest Bio:

Luce Beaulieu helps midlife women in leadership stop running their work and impact from depletion, and start leading from real internal capacity. After nearly 20 years working in sustainability, research and social impact, she recognized a critical gap: we cannot build better systems with burned-out, dysregulated leaders.

Today, she integrates nervous system work, somatic coaching, embodiment and leadership development to help founders, executives and change-makers restore clarity, resilience, and grounded authority. Her work challenges the idea that more effort creates better results, and instead shows that the future of leadership depends on how much we can actually hold.

Host Bio:

Dr. Irena O'Brien teaches coaches and care professionals how to achieve better results for their clients through neuroscience.

She is the founder of Neuroscience School, which helps practitioners understand and apply insights from cutting-edge neuroscience research. She loves seeing her students gain confidence in their ability to evaluate neuroscience findings and use them successfully in their own practices. Her Certificate Program in Neuroscience is certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) for Continuing Coaching Education credit.

Dr. O'Brien has studied neuroscience for 25 years and holds a Ph.D. in the field from the Université du Quebec à Montréal (UQAM), where she did brain-imaging studies. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Centre for Language, Mind, and Brain at McGill University.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Mirasee
Dr. Irena O'Brien’s website: The Neuroscience School
Luce’s website: https://www.immergence.co/

Credits:

Host: Dr. Irena O’Brien
Producer: Michi Lantz
Audio Editor: Marvin del Rosario
Executive Producer: Danny Iny
Music Soundscape: Chad Michael Snavely
Making our hosts sound great: Home Brew Audio

Music credits:

Track Title: Sneaker Smeaker
Artist: Avocado Junkie
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Track Title: Coo Coos
Artist: Dresden, The Flamingo
Writer: Matthew Wigton
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Track Title: In This Light
Artist: Sounds Like Sander
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Special effects credits:
24990513_birds-chirping_by_promission used with permission of the author and under license by AudioJungle/Envato Market.

To catch the great episodes coming up on Neuroscience of Coaching, please follow us on Mirasee FM's YouTube channelor your favorite podcast player. And if you enjoyed the show, please leave us a comment or a starred review. It’s the best way to help us get these ideas to more people.

Episode transcript: Menopause Is Not Decline: A Nervous-System Lens for Coaches coming soon.

Why can self-advocacy feel wrong, even when a woman’s contribution is clear? In Part 2 of the Women’s Leadership Series, Dr. Irena O’Brien and Silvia Causo explore how visibility, praise, and claiming one’s work can register as risk in the nervous system, not just reluctance or lack of confidence. Through a neuroscience- and trauma-informed lens, Irena and Silvia explore why self-advocacy can feel like exposure, why “the work will speak for itself” often stops working at senior levels, and why the body may signal risk before the mind can explain it.

This conversation is especially relevant for coaches, women leaders, and helping professionals who want a deeper and more compassionate understanding of why self-minimizing, deflecting praise, or struggling to own their achievements can persist even at senior levels.

Guest Bio:

Silvia Causo is a trauma-informed coach and energetic realignment facilitator who supports visionary leaders and changemakers to release the mental, emotional, and energetic blocks that limit their fullest expression of power and purpose.

Her work moves beyond traditional coaching, bridging neuroscience, somatic healing, and energetic attunement to create profound transformation at every level of being. Through her high-touch, deeply intuitive approach, Silvia helps leaders reconnect to their inner coherence, the state where clarity, confidence, and authenticity naturally arise.

Silvia is also the co-founder of Lead & Belong, a pioneering collaboration with writer and scholar Adrianne Arendse. Together, they explore the intersections of leadership, culture, and embodied healing, guiding organisations and individuals to move beyond performative inclusion toward genuine connection, collective wellbeing, and regenerative impact.

At the heart of Silvia's work is a simple yet radical set of beliefs: that deep self-awareness is the path to true freedom, authentic belonging is what we all seek, and true power emerges when we self-lead from integrated wholeness rather than fragmentation.

Her presence invites both safety and expansion, a rare balance that allows transformation to unfold not through force, but through resonance.

Host Bio:

Dr. Irena O'Brien teaches coaches and care professionals how to achieve better results for their clients through neuroscience.

She is the founder of Neuroscience School, which helps practitioners understand and apply insights from cutting-edge neuroscience research. She loves seeing her students gain confidence in their ability to evaluate neuroscience findings and use them successfully in their own practices. Her Certificate Program in Neuroscience is certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) for Continuing Coaching Education credit.

Dr. O'Brien has studied neuroscience for 25 years and holds a Ph.D. in the field from the Université du Quebec à Montréal (UQAM), where she did brain-imaging studies. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Centre for Language, Mind, and Brain at McGill University.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Mirasee
Dr. Irena O'Brien’s website: The Neuroscience School
Silvia’s website: www.SilviaCauso.com
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/silviaannacauso/

Credits:

Host: Dr. Irena O’Brien
Producer: Michi Lantz
Audio Editor: Marvin del Rosario
Executive Producer: Danny Iny
Music Soundscape: Chad Michael Snavely
Making our hosts sound great: Home Brew Audio

Music credits:

Track Title: Sneaker Smeaker
Artist: Avocado Junkie
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Track Title: Coo Coos
Artist: Dresden, The Flamingo
Writer: Matthew Wigton
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Track Title: In This Light
Artist: Sounds Like Sander
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Special effects credits:

24990513_birds-chirping_by_promission used with permission of the author and under license by AudioJungle/Envato Market.

To catch the great episodes coming up on Neuroscience of Coaching, please follow us on Mirasee FM's YouTube channelor your favorite podcast player. And if you enjoyed the show, please leave us a comment or a starred review. It’s the best way to help us get these ideas to more people.

Episode transcript: The Neuroscience of Women’s Leadership: Why Self-Advocacy Can Feel Wrong  coming soon.

What if some of what looks like distraction, fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, or low motivation is actually visual load? In this episode, Dr. Irena O’Brien and neurooptometrist Dr. Lisa Chow explore the difference between eyesight and vision, and why 20/20 vision is not the whole story, and how visual strain can quietly affect focus, regulation, and everyday functioning.

In each episode of Neuroscience of Coaching, host Dr. Irena O’Brien explains the science-based insights behind a particular concept and interviews an expert to discuss how these apply in the real world. Just as she does in her professional programs, Irena “un-complicates” neuroscience and teaches practical, evidence-based tools and strategies that listeners can use in their coaching practices.

Guest Bio:

Dr. Lisa Chow is a neuro-optometrist and founder of The Sight Doctor platform, where she helps people understand that vision is more than just seeing clearly; it is how the brain processes visual information to help us function, focus, perform, and navigate the world.

A practicing clinician based in Ontario, Canada, Dr. Chow brings over 15 years of clinical experience and more than 30,000 patient visits to her work. Through her clinical practice, she works with patients experiencing concussion-related vision problems, visual dysfunction, eye teaming and focusing challenges, and other brain-based visual issues that can impact daily life, performance, learning, and recovery.

She is passionate about translating complex neuroscience and vision concepts into practical insights that people can apply to modern life, including screen fatigue, mental clarity, cognitive endurance, stress regulation, and overall visual wellness.

Dr. Chow's mission is to help people see vision differently: not just as eyesight, but as a key part of how we think, feel, learn, perform, and experience the world.

Host Bio:

Dr. Irena O'Brien teaches coaches and care professionals how to achieve better results for their clients through neuroscience.

She is the founder of Neuroscience School, which helps practitioners understand and apply insights from cutting-edge neuroscience research. She loves seeing her students gain confidence in their ability to evaluate neuroscience findings and use them successfully in their own practices. Her Certificate Program in Neuroscience is certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) for Continuing Coaching Education credit.

Dr. O'Brien has studied neuroscience for 25 years and holds a Ph.D. in the field from the Université du Quebec à Montréal (UQAM), where she did brain-imaging studies. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Centre for Language, Mind, and Brain at McGill University.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Mirasee
Dr. Irena O'Brien’s website: The Neuroscience School
Lisa's Instagram: www.instagram.com/drlisachow
Lisa's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drlisachow/
Lisa's Brain Vision community here: https://www.drlisachow.com/community

Credits:

Host: Dr. Irena O’Brien
Producer: Michi Lantz
Audio Editor: Marvin del Rosario
Executive Producer: Danny Iny
Music Soundscape: Chad Michael Snavely
Making our hosts sound great: Home Brew Audio

Music credits:

Track Title: Sneaker Smeaker
Artist: Avocado Junkie
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Track Title: Coo Coos
Artist: Dresden, The Flamingo
Writer: Matthew Wigton
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Track Title: In This Light
Artist: Sounds Like Sander
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Special effects credits:

24990513_birds-chirping_by_promission used with permission of the author and under license by AudioJungle/Envato Market.

To catch the great episodes coming up on Neuroscience of Coaching, please follow us on Mirasee FM's YouTube channelor your favorite podcast player. And if you enjoyed the show, please leave us a comment or a starred review. It’s the best way to help us get these ideas to more people.

Episode transcript:  Vision Is a Brain Process: 20/20 Isn’t the Whole Story coming soon.

Why do so many accomplished women still struggle to name and claim their achievements, even when their competence is clear?

In Part 1 of this 12-part Women’s Leadership series within Neuroscience of Coaching, Dr. Irena O’Brien and Silvia Causo explore why this is often not a confidence gap at all, but a nervous system pattern shaped by history, belonging, and the learned risk of visibility.

Through a neuroscience- and trauma-informed lens, Irena and Silvia explore why visibility can still feel risky, why insight alone is often not enough, and why advice like “speak up more” can miss what is really happening underneath. This conversation is especially relevant for coaches, women leaders, and helping professionals who want a deeper and more compassionate understanding of why self-minimizing, deflecting praise, or struggling to own their achievements can persist even at senior levels.

Guest Bio:

Silvia Causo is a trauma-informed coach and energetic realignment facilitator who supports visionary leaders and changemakers to release the mental, emotional, and energetic blocks that limit their fullest expression of power and purpose.

Her work moves beyond traditional coaching, bridging neuroscience, somatic healing, and energetic attunement to create profound transformation at every level of being. Through her high-touch, deeply intuitive approach, Silvia helps leaders reconnect to their inner coherence, the state where clarity, confidence, and authenticity naturally arise.

Silvia is also the co-founder of Lead & Belong, a pioneering collaboration with writer and scholar Adrianne Arendse. Together, they explore the intersections of leadership, culture, and embodied healing, guiding organisations and individuals to move beyond performative inclusion toward genuine connection, collective wellbeing, and regenerative impact.

At the heart of Silvia's work is a simple yet radical set of beliefs: that deep self-awareness is the path to true freedom, authentic belonging is what we all seek, and true power emerges when we self-lead from integrated wholeness rather than fragmentation.

Her presence invites both safety and expansion, a rare balance that allows transformation to unfold not through force, but through resonance.

Host Bio:

Dr. Irena O'Brien teaches coaches and care professionals how to achieve better results for their clients through neuroscience.

She is the founder of Neuroscience School, which helps practitioners understand and apply insights from cutting-edge neuroscience research. She loves seeing her students gain confidence in their ability to evaluate neuroscience findings and use them successfully in their own practices. Her Certificate Program in Neuroscience is certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) for Continuing Coaching Education credit.

Dr. O'Brien has studied neuroscience for 25 years and holds a Ph.D. in the field from the Université du Quebec à Montréal (UQAM), where she did brain-imaging studies. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Centre for Language, Mind, and Brain at McGill University.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Mirasee
Dr. Irena O'Brien’s website: The Neuroscience School
Silvia’s website: www.SilviaCauso.com
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/silviaannacauso/

Credits:

Host: Dr. Irena O’Brien
Producer: Michi Lantz
Audio Editor: Marvin del Rosario
Executive Producer: Danny Iny
Music Soundscape: Chad Michael Snavely
Making our hosts sound great: Home Brew Audio

Music credits:

Track Title: Sneaker Smeaker
Artist: Avocado Junkie
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Track Title: Coo Coos
Artist: Dresden, The Flamingo
Writer: Matthew Wigton
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Track Title: In This Light
Artist: Sounds Like Sander
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Special effects credits:

24990513_birds-chirping_by_promission used with permission of the author and under license by AudioJungle/Envato Market.

To catch the great episodes coming up on Neuroscience of Coaching, please follow us on Mirasee FM's YouTube channel or your favorite podcast player. And if you enjoyed the show, please leave us a comment or a starred review. It’s the best way to help us get these ideas to more people.

Episode transcript: The Neuroscience of Women’s Leadership: Why Claiming Achievements Feels Risky coming soon.

Why do clients know what to do—but still don’t do it? In this episode, Dr. Irena and technologist, coach, and author Anette Lan explore rhythm, presence, and disciplined practice as the real drivers of change. They reveal how sustainable growth comes from repeated experience, not just insight.

In each episode of Neuroscience of Coaching, host Dr. Irena O’Brien explains the science-based insights behind a particular concept and interviews a coach to discuss how these apply in the real world. Just as she does in her professional programs, Irena “un-complicates” neuroscience and teaches practical, evidence-based tools and strategies that listeners can use in their coaching practices.

Guest Bio:

Anette Lan works at the intersection of leadership, language, and technology, exploring how energy moves through people, teams, and systems and how those subtle dynamics shape performance long before results are visible.

She is the co-founder of Miru Pulse™, a human-centred diagnostic platform focused on the side of leadership most organizations don’t measure. Alongside her work as a tech co-founder, she leads Ensō Mindset, where she developed the Human Impact Kata, a Japanese-inspired leadership practice grounded in repetition, presence, and real-world application.

She is also the author of Ensō, A Tree Still Grows, in which she shares her story as a Canadian-Japanese leader and founder—and the shift that changed how she understands leadership, not as something to chase, but something to grow into. She’s interested in what becomes possible when organizations learn to understand not just what people do at work, but how they are while doing it.

Host Bio:

Dr. Irena O’Brien teaches coaches and care professionals how to achieve better results for their clients through neuroscience.

She is the founder of Neuroscience School, which helps practitioners understand and apply insights from cutting-edge neuroscience research. She loves seeing her students gain confidence in their ability to evaluate neuroscience findings and use them successfully in their own practices. Her Certificate Program in Neuroscience is certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) for Continuing Coaching Education credit.

Dr. O’Brien has studied neuroscience for 25 years and holds a Ph.D. in the field from the Université du Quebec à Montréal (UQAM), where she did brain-imaging studies. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Centre for Language, Mind, and Brain at McGill University.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Mirasee
Dr. Irena O’Brien’s website: The Neuroscience School
Anette’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anette-lan
Anette’s website: https://www.EnsoMindset.com

Credits:

Host: Dr. Irena O’Brien
Producer: Andrew Chapman
Audio Editor: Marvin del Rosario
Executive Producer: Danny Iny
Music Soundscape: Chad Michael Snavely
Making our hosts sound great: Home Brew Audio

Music credits:

Track Title: Sneaker Smeaker
Artist: Avocado Junkie
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Track Title: Coo Coos
Artist: Dresden, The Flamingo
Writer: Matthew Wigton
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Track Title: In This Light
Artist: Sounds Like Sander
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Special effects credits:

24990513_birds-chirping_by_promission used with permission of the author and under license by AudioJungle/Envato Market.

To catch the great episodes coming up on Neuroscience of Coaching, please follow us on Mirasee FM's YouTube channelor your favorite podcast player. And if you enjoyed the show, please leave us a comment or a starred review. It’s the best way to help us get these ideas to more people.

Episode transcript: The Science of Rhythm: A New Way to Think About Growth (Anette Lan) coming soon.

This episode introduces a 12-part series reframing women’s leadership challenges as nervous system adaptations – not flaws. The groundbreaking series is ideal for coaches, professionals, and leaders seeking deeper and more sustainable change through a neuroscience- and trauma-informed perspective.

In this series within the podcast Neuroscience of Coaching, co-hosts Dr. Irena O’Brien and Silvia Causo discuss women’s leadership through the lens of neuroscience and trauma. Just as she does in her professional programs, Irena “un-complicates” neuroscience and teaches practical, evidence-based tools and strategies that listeners can use in their coaching practices. 

“Many of the patterns and the challenges we will be talking about are often misunderstood especially in leadership spaces.”— Silvia Causo

Host Bio:
 
Dr. Irena O’Brien teaches coaches and care professionals how to achieve better results for their clients through neuroscience.

She is the founder of Neuroscience School, which helps practitioners understand and apply insights from cutting-edge neuroscience research. She loves seeing her students gain confidence in their ability to evaluate neuroscience findings and use them successfully in their own practices. Her Certificate Program in Neuroscience is certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) for Continuing Coaching Education credit.

Dr. O’Brien has studied neuroscience for 25 years and holds a Ph.D. in the field from the Université du Quebec à Montréal (UQAM), where she did brain-imaging studies. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Centre for Language, Mind, and Brain at McGill University.

Silvia Causo is a trauma-informed coach and energetic realignment facilitator who supports visionary leaders and changemakers to release the mental, emotional, and energetic blocks that limit their fullest expression of power and purpose.

Her work moves beyond traditional coaching, bridging neuroscience, somatic healing, and energetic attunement to create profound transformation at every level of being. Through her high-touch, deeply intuitive approach, Silvia helps leaders reconnect to their inner coherence, the state where clarity, confidence, and authenticity naturally arise.

Silvia is also the co-founder of Lead & Belong, a pioneering collaboration with writer and scholar Adrianne Arendse. Together, they explore the intersections of leadership, culture, and embodied healing, guiding organisations and individuals to move beyond performative inclusion toward genuine connection, collective wellbeing, and regenerative impact.

At the heart of Silvia's work is a simple yet radical set of beliefs: that deep self-awareness is the path to true freedom, authentic belonging is what we all seek, and true power emerges when we self-lead from integrated wholeness rather than fragmentation.

Her presence invites both safety and expansion, a rare balance that allows transformation to unfold not through force, but through resonance.

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/silviaannacauso/
Website: www.SilviaCauso.com

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Mirasee
Dr. Irena O'Brien’s website: The Neuroscience School
Silvia’s website: www.SilviaCauso.com

Credits:

Host: Dr. Irena O’Brien
Producers: Andrew Chapman and Michi Lantz
Audio Editor: Marvin del Rosario
Executive Producer: Danny Iny
Music Soundscape: Chad Michael Snavely
Making our hosts sound great: Home Brew Audio

Music credits:

Track Title: Sneaker Smeaker
Artist: Avocado Junkie
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Track Title: Coo Coos
Artist: Dresden, The Flamingo
Writer: Matthew Wigton
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Track Title: In This Light
Artist: Sounds Like Sander
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Special effects credits:

24990513_birds-chirping_by_promission used with permission of the author and under license by AudioJungle/Envato Market.

To catch the great episodes coming up on Neuroscience of Coaching, please follow us on Mirasee FM's YouTube channel or your favorite podcast player. And if you enjoyed the show, please leave us a comment or a starred review. It’s the best way to help us get these ideas to more people.

Episode transcript: The Neuroscience of Women’s Leadership: A New Perspective coming soon.

Dr. Irena and mind-shifting expert Mitch Weisburgh explore how scripts and stories shape our behavior and mindset, and how awareness and metacognition can lead to meaningful change. The episode offers practical tools for coaches to help clients reframe limiting narratives and develop new habits.

In each episode of Neuroscience of Coaching, host Dr. Irena O’Brien explains the science-based insights behind a particular concept and interviews a coach to discuss how these apply in the real world. Just as she does in her professional programs, Irena “un-complicates” neuroscience and teaches practical, evidence-based tools and strategies that listeners can use in their coaching practices.

Guest Bio:

Mitch Weisburgh is an educator, author, and speaker who has spent decades helping people unlock their potential. After witnessing how individuals often get stuck in limiting mindsets—whether in education, leadership, or personal life—he developed a practice called MindShifting.

Drawing from cognitive science, lived experience, and real-world application, Mitch’s MindShifting framework teaches people to reframe their thinking, confront unproductive narratives, and replace them with clarity and action.

Today, through books, speaking engagements, and online learning, Mitch helps others shift their thinking—and their lives.

Host Bio:

Dr. Irena O'Brien teaches coaches and care professionals how to achieve better results for their clients through neuroscience.

She is the founder of Neuroscience School, which helps practitioners understand and apply insights from cutting-edge neuroscience research. She loves seeing her students gain confidence in their ability to evaluate neuroscience findings and use them successfully in their own practices. Her Certificate Program in Neuroscience is certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) for Continuing Coaching Education credit.

Dr. O'Brien has studied neuroscience for 25 years and holds a Ph.D. in the field from the Université du Quebec à Montréal (UQAM), where she did brain-imaging studies. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Centre for Language, Mind, and Brain at McGill University.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Mirasee
Dr. Irena O'Brien’s website: The Neuroscience School
Mitch Weisburgh’s website: MindShiftingWithMitch.com

Credits:

Host: Dr. Irena O’Brien
Producer: Andrew Chapman
Audio Editor: Marvin del Rosario
Executive Producer: Danny Iny
Music Soundscape: Chad Michael Snavely
Making our hosts sound great: Home Brew Audio

Music credits:

Track Title: Sneaker Smeaker
Artist: Avocado Junkie
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Track Title: Coo Coos
Artist: Dresden, The Flamingo
Writer: Matthew Wigton
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Track Title: In This Light
Artist: Sounds Like Sander
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Special effects credits:

24990513_birds-chirping_by_promission used with permission of the author and under license by AudioJungle/Envato Market.

To catch the great episodes coming up on Neuroscience of Coaching, please follow us on Mirasee FM's YouTube channelor your favorite podcast player. And if you enjoyed the show, please leave us a comment or a starred review. It’s the best way to help us get these ideas to more people.

Episode transcript: Rewriting Your Brain: How Scripts and Stories Shape Behavior (Mitch Weisburgh) coming soon.

Victoria Rennoldson explores cultural intelligence (also known as CQ) as an active process rooted in self-awareness, strategy, and action. She shares how coaches can develop CQ to build trust, navigate communication differences, and support leaders working across diverse cultures.

In each episode of Neuroscience of Coaching, host Dr. Irena O’Brien explains the science-based insights behind a particular concept and interviews a coach to discuss how these apply in the real world. Just as she does in her professional programs, Irena “un-complicates” neuroscience and teaches practical, evidence-based tools and strategies that listeners can use in their coaching practices.

Guest Bio:

Victoria Rennoldson is an award-winning cultural intelligence and communication coach and the founder of Culture Cuppa. She is a born native of London, one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world, with more than 300 languages spoken.

In her previous career working in international teams within global multinational organizations, Victoria observed that many talented professionals did not always contribute their full expertise to the team or the business. This was often because they did not feel confident speaking up and sharing their voice. As a result, they did not fully shine, became less visible than their colleagues, and their teams missed out on the benefit of their knowledge and skills.

Victoria believes that this communication and cultural gap represents a significant waste of talent and valuable ideas for teams and organizations. This belief fuels her passion for helping create an equal share of voice for everyone in multicultural and multilingual teams.

Today, she works with talented and ambitious individuals and teams around the world who need support with leadership communication skills, communicating with confidence, and navigating the cultural challenges of collaborating successfully and building trust with global teams, international customers, and partners.

Host Bio:

Dr. Irena O’Brien teaches coaches and care professionals how to achieve better results for their clients through neuroscience.

She is the founder of Neuroscience School, which helps practitioners understand and apply insights from cutting-edge neuroscience research. She loves seeing her students gain confidence in their ability to evaluate neuroscience findings and use them successfully in their own practices. Her Certificate Program in Neuroscience is certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) for Continuing Coaching Education credit.

Dr. O’Brien has studied neuroscience for 25 years and holds a Ph.D. in the field from the Université du Quebec à Montréal (UQAM), where she did brain-imaging studies. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Centre for Language, Mind, and Brain at McGill University.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Mirasee
Dr. Irena O'Brien’s website: The Neuroscience School
Victoria’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-rennoldson
Victoria’s website: https://culturecuppa.com/

Credits:

Host: Dr. Irena O’Brien
Producer: Andrew Chapman
Audio Editor: Marvin del Rosario
Executive Producer: Danny Iny
Music Soundscape: Chad Michael Snavely
Making our hosts sound great: Home Brew Audio

Music credits:

Track Title: Sneaker Smeaker
Artist: Avocado Junkie
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Track Title: Coo Coos
Artist: Dresden, The Flamingo
Writer: Matthew Wigton
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Track Title: In This Light
Artist: Sounds Like Sander
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Special effects credits:

24990513_birds-chirping_by_promission used with permission of the author and under license by AudioJungle/Envato Market.

To catch the great episodes coming up on Neuroscience of Coaching, please follow us on Mirasee FM's YouTube channelor your favorite podcast player. And if you enjoyed the show, please leave us a comment or a starred review. It’s the best way to help us get these ideas to more people.

Episode transcript: Cultural Intelligence and the Predictive Brain: What Coaches Need to Know (Victoria Rennoldson) coming soon.

Equine coaching offers a powerful lens on nervous system regulation, authenticity, and relational intelligence. In this episode, we explore how horses provide real-time, nonverbal feedback that helps clients move from insight to embodied change—revealing what it truly means to coach the whole person.

In each episode of Neuroscience of Coaching, host Dr. Irena O’Brien explains the science-based insights behind a particular concept and interviews a coach to discuss how these apply in the real world. Just as she does in her professional programs, Irena “un-complicates” neuroscience and teaches practical, evidence-based tools and strategies that listeners can use in their coaching practices.

Guest Bio:

Jocelyn Hastie is trained in the equine Gestalt coaching method, which blends Gestalt coaching principles, somatic awareness, and the horse-human relationship. This work invites clients to notice what's happening in their bodies, their emotions, and their patterns in real time, and to experiment with ways of being, not just new ways of thinking. You can learn more about her work at TheCowGirlsCode.com.

Host Bio:

Dr. Irena O'Brien teaches coaches and care professionals how to achieve better results for their clients through neuroscience.

She is the founder of Neuroscience School, which helps practitioners understand and apply insights from cutting-edge neuroscience research. She loves seeing her students gain confidence in their ability to evaluate neuroscience findings and use them successfully in their own practices. Her Certificate Program in Neuroscience is certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) for Continuing Coaching Education credit.

Dr. O'Brien has studied neuroscience for 25 years and holds a Ph.D. in the field from the Université du Quebec à Montréal (UQAM), where she did brain-imaging studies. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Centre for Language, Mind, and Brain at McGill University.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Mirasee
Dr. Irena O'Brien’s website: The Neuroscience School
Jocelyn Hastie's website: TheCowGirlsCode.com

Credits:

Host: Dr. Irena O’Brien
Producer: Andrew Chapman
Audio Editor: Marvin del Rosario
Executive Producer: Danny Iny
Music Soundscape: Chad Michael Snavely
Making our hosts sound great: Home Brew Audio

Music credits:

Track Title: Sneaker Smeaker
Artist: Avocado Junkie
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Track Title: Coo Coos
Artist: Dresden, The Flamingo
Writer: Matthew Wigton
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Track Title: In This Light
Artist: Sounds Like Sander
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Special effects credits:

24990513_birds-chirping_by_promission used with permission of the author and under license by AudioJungle/Envato Market.

To catch the great episodes coming up on Neuroscience of Coaching, please follow us on Mirasee FM's YouTube channel or your favorite podcast player. And if you enjoyed the show, please leave us a comment or a starred review. It’s the best way to help us get these ideas to more people.

Episode transcript: Coaching Beyond Words: How Equine Coaching Builds Regulation and Authentic Leadership (Jocelyn Hastie) coming soon.

Dive into the science behind flow with Dr. Eugene Choi as we explore the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems. Learn how stress impacts decision-making, debunk hustle culture, and uncover the secrets to attaining flow for enhanced productivity, better creativity, and overall well-being.

In each episode of Neuroscience of Coaching, host Dr. Irena O’Brien explains the science-based insights behind a particular concept and interviews a coach to discuss how these apply in the real world. Just as she does in her professional programs, Irena “un-complicates” neuroscience and teaches practical, evidence-based tools and strategies that listeners can use in their coaching practices.

Guest Bio:

Leading in today’s business environment is hard. Technologies change, priorities change, and leaders change. Expectations are to be at your best day in and day out, in unpredictable and unclear circumstances.

Dr. Eugene K. Choi teaches executive leaders how to achieve and sustain peak performance in high-stress, high-stakes and high-change environments. He created a unique, science-backed process that teaches leaders how to activate their executive brain to dramatically improve results and increase clarity and focus in challenging and unpredictable situations. He has a background in clinical pharmacy, neuroscience, and business coaching and has helped thousands of entrepreneurs and executives optimize their mindset, reduce toxic stress, and lead with more impact.

Dr. Eugene's written articles have impacted over 11 million people and counting. His work has also been featured on platforms like Entrepreneur, Lifehack, and Success Magazine. His experience and expertise in both strategy and psychology have proven critical in helping clients produce tangible results in both business and in life.

Host Bio:

Dr. Irena O'Brien teaches coaches and care professionals how to achieve better results for their clients through neuroscience.

She is the founder of Neuroscience School, which helps practitioners understand and apply insights from cutting-edge neuroscience research. She loves seeing her students gain confidence in their ability to evaluate neuroscience findings and use them successfully in their own practices. Her Certificate Program in Neuroscience is certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) for Continuing Coaching Education credit.

Dr. O'Brien has studied neuroscience for 25 years and holds a Ph.D. in the field from the Université du Quebec à Montréal (UQAM), where she did brain-imaging studies. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the Centre for Language, Mind, and Brain at McGill University.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Mirasee
Dr. Irena O'Brien’s website: The Neuroscience School
Dr. Eugene K. Choi’s online community and membership site: Neurohacking School
Dr. Eugene K. Choi’s Podcast: The Neurohacking Podcast
Dr. Eugene K. Choi’s LinkedIn Page: eugenekchoi
Dr. Eugene K. Choi’s Instagram Page: eugenekchoi

Credits:

Host: Dr. Irena O’Brien
Producer: Andrew Chapman
Audio Editor: Marvin del Rosario
Executive Producer: Danny Iny
Music Soundscape: Chad Michael Snavely
Making our hosts sound great: Home Brew Audio

Music credits:

Track Title: Sneaker Smeaker
Artist: Avocado Junkie
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Track Title: Coo Coos
Artist: Dresden, The Flamingo
Writer: Matthew Wigton
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Track Title: In This Light
Artist: Sounds Like Sander
Writer: Sander Kalmeijer
Publisher: A SOUNDSTRIPE PRODUCTION

Special effects credits:

24990513_birds-chirping_by_promission used with permission of the author and under license by AudioJungle/Envato Market.

To catch the great episodes coming up on Neuroscience of Coaching, please follow us on Mirasee FM's YouTube channelor your favorite podcast player. And if you enjoyed the show, please leave us a comment or a starred review. It’s the best way to help us get these ideas to more people.

Episode transcript: Special Replay: The Role of Nervous System Regulation in Peak Performance (Eugene Choi) coming soon.