#15 Calm Your Nervous System Fast: Butterfly Hug + Bogart Visualization | Recovery Secrets Series

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Overview:
In this episode, Brad and Kayleen teach two of the most effective tools from The Art of Trauma Relief for calming your nervous system, stopping flashbacks, and gaining control fast — the Butterfly Hug and the Bogart Visualization.

You’ll learn how to use the Butterfly Hug to stimulate both hemispheres of your brain, balance your emotions in real time, and quickly lower anxiety or panic. Then, Brad and Kayleen explain how the Bogart Visualization — inspired by the Harry Potter series — helps you turn frightening memories or recurring visual flashbacks into something laughable and powerless. These two tools form the foundation of trauma relief: they help you stay grounded, process emotions safely, and regain control when triggers strike.

What You’ll Learn:
Brad shares how bilateral stimulation mimics REM sleep to help the brain naturally process memories, while Kayleen demonstrates multiple variations of the Butterfly Hug you can use anywhere — including discreet tapping, foot flexing, or even eye movement. You’ll also discover how pairing the Butterfly Hug with deep breathing or visualization amplifies its power, and how to use the Bogart exercise to break repetitive mental loops through humor and creativity.

These techniques work together to help your brain reprocess emotional memories safely, build confidence under stress, and restore a sense of calm control.

Key Takeaway:
Releasing emotion isn’t losing control — it’s regaining it. When you can safely feel and reframe your emotional responses, your brain can finally process trauma instead of suppressing it.

Next Steps:
Subscribe to the Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching archive to get new sessions every weekday. To work directly with Brad, visit https://overcomingptsd.com/consultation.

 

CHAPTERS:

00:00 Introduction to Recovery Secrets Daily Coaching
00:36 Starting the Session: Recovery Toolbox Tools
01:25 The Butterfly Hug Technique
02:29 Scientific Basis and Variations of the Butterfly Hug
06:51 Practical Applications and Pairing with Other Tools
14:36 Introduction to the Bogart Visualization Exercise
17:47 Defeating the Bogar with Laughter
18:09 Making Memories Ridiculous
18:47 Changing Details for Control
19:32 Creative Visualization Techniques
21:03 Building the Muscle of Control
24:00 The Power of Laughter
28:59 Mindset Bootcamp Announcement
32:15 Final Thoughts and Action Items

 

Topics Covered:
PTSD recovery • trauma healing • Butterfly Hug technique • bilateral stimulation • Bogart visualization • trauma relief tools • emotional regulation • anxiety and flashbacks • calming the nervous system • mind–body connection • safe emotional release • trauma processing • deep breathing and grounding • nervous system regulation • reprocessing memories • humor and healing • trauma coping skills • Brad Schipke coaching • Overcoming PTSD podcast • Recovery Secrets Series