Self-Care & Mental Wellness: Patricia C. Rogers Of Body to Brain Therapy On The Top Five Selfcare Practices That Improve Mental Wellness

An Interview With Maria Angelova

Make friends with your body. That’s right, the key to achieving your best mental health lies in the body. Listen to your body. Pay attention to your physical sensations and give your body what you need. After all, if you aren’t working together with your body, you’re working against yourself.

Let’s face it. It seems that everyone is under a great deal of stress these days. This takes a toll on our mental wellness. What are some of the best self-care practices that we can use to help improve our mental wellness and mental well-being? In this interview series, we are talking to medical doctors, mental health professionals, health and wellness professionals, and experts about self-care or mental health who can share insights from their experience about How Each Of Us Can Use Self Care To Improve Our Mental Wellness. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Patricia C. Rogers.

Patricia C. Rogers, CST-D is an advanced CranioSacral therapist with a thriving private practice in Charleston, WV. She also serves as Primary Therapist at international Intensive Therapy Programs for the Upledger Institute International. Patricia’s avid yoga practice led her to become a four time nationally ranked competitive USA Yoga athlete. She’s written two manuscripts and is currently drafting a third one on her journey toward authorship.

Thank you so much for doing this interview with us. It is a great honor. Our readers would love to learn more about you and your personal background. Can you please share your personal story? What has brought you to this point in your life?

Sure! I’ll take any opportunity to share about my passion, which is helping people achieve their best physical and mental health with a trauma informed approach. I treat children and adults with an array of physical and mental health concerns in my practice, including participants of a grant-funded State Opioid Response addiction recovery program.

But my story of success has unlofty beginnings. It was my personal journey that led to my professional achievements. I had tremendous struggles early in life, and when I finally stumbled onto a path that transformed me, I was compelled to help others do the same.

You see, as a child I was diagnosed with a number of mental illnesses, including anxiety, depression, anorexia, cyclothymia and attention deficit disorder. My condition led to self-harm and attempted suicide in my preteens, followed by alcoholism and then drug abuse. I’d tried the litany of medications I was prescribed. When I was involuntarily committed to a psych ward, I invested myself in talk therapy.

Nothing helped.

After two hospitalizations for self-harm and attempted suicide, at the age of fifteen I made an agreement with myself. I would not end my own life. I wanted to figure out how to be happy. Nonetheless, my young adult life was a downward spiral. Then, the wheels fell off.

My behavior had become a constant disruption to my peers; I had emotional outbursts I was helpless to control. I was in my post-grad study of bodywork.

“Your classmates have voted you may remain in the program. They talked and agreed there’s something they can learn from what you’re going through.” As I heard these words from the school-owner, I was equal parts relieved and ashamed.

“As a condition of your continued enrollment, you’ll be required to seek therapy.”

And that’s when it happened: I received my first body-based, trauma-informed care for mental health. That kickstarted a whole life overhaul, leading me to become the balanced, successful person I was always meant to be.

My experiences give me a beneficial vantage point for treating a diverse array of clients. In addition to treating clients with neurological disorders, I treat people with varying degrees of exposure to trauma. I see people with the accumulation of the little “t” traumas we all experience and stuff down. I’m also equipped to address the needs of clients with the big “T” traumas that bring life to a halt, as well as those who grew up never knowing a feeling of safety and relaxation in the body.

What is your “WHY” behind what you do? What fuels you?

My path toward mental wellness was rather indirect. On the other side of it all, I wouldn’t change a thing. My struggles have made me who I am today. But I jump at the opportunity to ease the suffering of others who haven’t yet accessed care that adequately addresses their needs.

I now know that what I was working to heal is a condition known as Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) or Developmental Trauma Disorder, in which brain development is altered in response to the experience of childhood trauma. Having healed my brain and body and recovered from this condition makes me uniquely suited to meet the physical and mental health needs of others.

Client successes fuel me. Like an adult in addiction recovery who experiences deep relaxation in their body for the first time. Or a CEO workaholic who begins to prioritize time with her children. A young woman, riddled by anxiety all her life, learning to down-regulate and feel safe. A man, abandoned by his own mother as a toddler, putting down the bottle and investing in a new home that’s safe for his children. A woman who links her child’s picky eating with her own eating disorder and then resolves them both. My practice is self-propelled by my clients’ wins.

And then, my journey toward authorship was actually fueled by my personal experience with a traumatic brain injury (TBI), which I sustained in an auto accident in 2021. I was 12 years into my career as a hands-on therapist, treating the brains of clients with mental health concerns as well as those with neurological issues. I had experience treating everything from mild concussions to severe TBIs. So, fortunately for me, when I needed treatment for my own TBI, I knew some of the best brain therapists in the country to meet my needs.

Unfortunately, because of the brain injury, I couldn’t remember all my training and knowledge. I was unable to recognize the condition I was in. Plus, I had poor judgement, and my decisions and behaviors made my condition worse. My first three weeks post-TBI were a living hell before I connected with a well-qualified colleague who treated me with CranioSacral therapy. By the time I reached her, I was barely able to walk or talk. It would take months to relearn to walk and talk, I thought. I stayed in my colleague’s home for round-the-clock support for my activities of daily living, and therapy twice daily.

Within a mind-blowing four short days, I was able to care for myself fully and I returned home. And the next day, I was able to return to a modified work schedule. Much more therapy was needed to get me back to 100%, but this rapid improvement was remarkable.

It’s the combination of my expertise as a brain therapist and my personal experience triumphing over the ravages to the brain caused by C-PTSD as well as TBI that compelled me to become an author.

Sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about a mistake or failure which you now appreciate has taught you a valuable lesson?

Well, this is embarrassing, but here goes.

When I was twenty-five, my alcoholism caught up with me. Completely out of control, I was busted for drunk driving. The judge threw the book at me, and I had a thirty-day opportunity to contemplate what a hot mess my life had become. My short-sleeved, orange jump suit was no match for the frigid Nebraskan winter cell block. Huddling underneath my so-called blanket helped only marginally.

One morning I was daydreaming about being warm when a DVD I’d used at home came to mind: Susan Deason’s Yoga Conditioning for Weight Loss.

I could hear her words, “feel the heat rising up from your belly.”

The idea struck me, maybe I could warm my body in here, with yoga. I could start with triangle pose, I thought. I chose the least conspicuous corner and gave it a try. I put my body in the correct position, the best I could recall. I didn’t consistently remember to breathe without the prompts from the instructor. And I didn’t have the patience to hold the posture the appropriate length of time. But sure enough, after moving my body into warrior and downward dog, the cold began to abate from my bones.

Little did I know that experience planted a seed that would grow to be a huge source of transformation years down the road. Yoga became an integral part of my mental wellness regimen. So much so that my teacher recruited me and coached me to compete! (Who knew yoga competition was a thing.) That led to becoming a four-time nationally ranked yoga athlete. But more importantly, it contributed to my consistent state of mental wellness.

Plus, I stay warm now.

You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

I’ll share a bit about my determination, goal setting and presence.

I was young when I determined I wanted to find happiness. But deciding to find happiness didn’t easily make it so. That goal became a life quest, and reaching it required sheer determination.

As a child, I remember being asked, “what do you want to be when you grow up?”

I fashioned my answer after something I’d heard my dad say. He told about being asked, before I was born, whether he wanted a girl or a boy.

“I just want a healthy baby,” he’d respond.

So, when people wanted to know what I aspired to become, I’d say, “I just want to be happy.”

Once I set that goal for myself, the rest was determination. When the mental hospital didn’t help me find happiness, I bootstrapped my way through college. When my degree left me feeling lacking, I turned to the service of others. After five years of volunteer service in Peace Corp Ghana, on American Indian reservations, and in Appalachia I was no happier. So, I got married. When that marriage fell flat, quickly, I went back to school to reinvent myself. That’s when I began to find the key to mental wellness. And I’d never have made it that far without sheer determination to reach my goal of happiness.

Determination has played a similar role in my professional life. I can remember looking up to my CranioSacral instructors at the Upledger Institute with complete awe. Part of me never imagined I could develop the mastery required to practice at that level. And yet, another part of me was determined I would someday.

So, I invested blood, sweat, tears, and sometimes my rent money toward that goal. When I was invited to serve as a Primary Therapist at Research Intensives in 2018 and again in 2019, alongside Upledger instructors from the United States, England, and Holland, I knew it had all paid off.

It wasn’t, however, focus on the end result that got me where I wanted to go. It was, rather, presence in the moments along the way. Becoming a diplomate certified CranioSacral therapist required me to master presence, but that was a hard-earned skill. I remember the impossibility of that as a child.

It was my junior high basketball coach, Russ Nutt, that gave me my first lesson in presence. He saw practicing free throws one day; I was off my game. He came over, picked up a ball, put his toes on the line alongside mine and got into stance.

“When you’re standing here,” he told me, “it looks like you’re already thinking about whether you’re going to make the shot.”

I listened intently in my little nervous body.

“It won’t work to be thinking about what’s going to happen. You have to be thinking about what’s happening now. Think about your stance. Feel the weight distributed in your legs, the bend in your knees. Think about the position of your wrist. Notice how your hand cradles the ball. Think about how you extend your arm. Feel the flick of your wrist with your follow-through. Let go of wishing for the end result. You wont get it if you’re not paying attention to how you get there”

Though it was uncommonly effortful for me, I eventually ranked among the starting lineup. Little did I know, that was the beginning of one of the most vital skills I’d develop personally and professionally, spanning far beyond its use in sports.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting new projects you are working on now? How do you think that will help people?

I recently launched two initiatives to extend the benefits of my therapy practice beyond my local area: my 3-Day Therapy Immersion program and my books.

• The 3-Day Therapy Immersion is open to out-of-town clients who travel to wild, wonderful West Virginia to work with me day in and day out. This highly individualized program offers clients my undivided attention to focus on their healing process. Three full days allows time and space to address any physical health issues within the body while supporting any emotional and mental health concerns. The therapeutic process unfolds at whatever pace feels safe and supportive to the client. Participants of the 3-Day Therapy Immersion are consistently reporting an enhanced quality of life after integrating the changes brought about by the program.
• Each of my forthcoming books will speak to different readers with varying degrees of trauma history and awareness of trauma as a universal part of the human experience. My self-help book, which I’m drafting now, is for readers who suffer from the little “t” traumas we all stuff down.
• My memoir is a relatable brain therapist’s story about the impacts of childhood trauma on brain development and her road to recovery.
• My signature framework book will guide people through healing childhood trauma’s impacts on the brain and body.

OK, thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview, about the interface between self-care and mental health. From where you stand personally or professionally, why are you so passionate about mental well-being?

I’m passionate about helping people understand that mental health problems are not a life sentence, as I once thought was the case.

As I learned about trauma-informed care, I saw that all my mental health symptoms started out as natural survival skills to withstand the trauma I experienced as a child. But those survival skills soon outlived their usefulness and became maladaptive coping strategies. And once I learned this, I was able to let go of the limiting belief that something was inherently wrong with me.

Sustainable healing is possible through understanding and shifting the roots of trauma within the body and brain. This is a process that requires plenty of self-care.

Based on your research or experience, how exactly does self-care impact our mental wellness?

Self-care is vital to long-term mental wellness. While some of us may get away with burning the candle at both ends, and some are driven to go on like that for quite some time, this is ultimately unsustainable. To be at one’s best mental wellness, self-care is paramount.

Here is our primary question. Can you please share your “Top Five Selfcare Practices That Each Of Us Can Use To Improve Our Mental Wellness”?

1. Make friends with your body. That’s right, the key to achieving your best mental health lies in the body. Listen to your body. Pay attention to your physical sensations and give your body what you need. After all, if you aren’t working together with your body, you’re working against yourself.
2. Deepen your body awareness. As you begin to make friends with your body, use your bodily sensations as guides. And if you learn to listen closely to what your body is telling you, it will read like the mental health trail guide your life should have come with.
3. Let your emotions flow. As you deepen your body awareness, you’ll notice different physical sensations associated with your emotions. When a destructive emotion comes up, resist the temptation to push the feeling back down, to distract yourself from it or latch onto your favorite vice. That’s how our emotional baggage gets trapped inside, where it wreaks havoc on the tissues of the body. Instead, feel through those difficult times, noticing how the body feels. When you’re present with destructive emotions, you allow them to flow, discharging them from the body for good.
4. Move! When emotional baggage gets trapped in the body, it can have a variety of impacts. It may generate a feeling of chronic tension or pain. Or it may impact nervous system function, leaving the body in a persistent state of elevated fight-or-flight, with rapid heart rate and shallow breathing. Or the opposite could be true, where the body becomes lethargic as the mind becomes depressed. Fortunately, there’s a direct way out of these ruts, and that’s by moving your body. Movement is key to mental wellness. It unlocks old strain patterns that hold destructive emotions down. Plus, it gets blood pumping and your brain cells moving for optimal brain function, which of course is important for mental wellness.
5. Breathe. You may feel at times like you have no control over distress and anxiety. But breath is your tool to do just that. Breath is your gateway into regulating your own nervous system. Slow, deep, breaths in through the nose and out through the nose helps tone the rest-and-digest branch of the nervous system. Practicing this self-care consistently trains you to regulate your internal state. And mastering self-regulation will transform your life. Pro tip: practice breath awareness when you’re not stressed out. Then, you’ll be able to focus on your breath and bring yourself back into balance in the stressful times.

Can you please share a few of the main roadblocks that prevent people from making better self-care choices? What would you suggest can be done to overcome those roadblocks?

If you’ve read this far, chances are there’s a part of you that really needs these selfcare strategies, and another part of you that tends to self-sabotage. So, here’s the thing. Our messages of self-worth get encoded deep in the limbic system of the brain. This can result in an inner voice that tells you not to prioritize self-care, even when you’ve decided, maybe multiple times, that you need to.

The good news is you can exercise mind over brain. Here’s how: set a realistic and specific goal. This could be as simple as setting an alarm to do daily, one-minute check-ins for thirty days, to notice how your body feels. Or place post-it notes in prominent places reminding you to take slow, deep breaths through your nose. Or finally committing to that once-weekly physical activity. By setting realistic and specific goals, you’re set to improve mental wellness with these top five selfcare practices.

In one sentence, what would you say to someone who doesn’t prioritize their mental well-being?

Two things: you’re worth it, and nothing’s more important.

Thank you for all that great insight! Let’s start wrapping up. Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does this quote resonate with you so much?

“Long term, your beliefs determine your destiny.”

This quote by Marie Forleo comes from a section entitled The Human Body on Belief in her book Everything Is Figureoutable.

This speaks to an important part of both my personal growth journey and my professional development. I’ve been required to expand my views and broaden my lens of perception on a variety of core beliefs. This practice eliminated a number of limiting beliefs that were serving as stumbling blocks, like “something’s inherently wrong with me.” Without those limiting beliefs, I’ve been able to manifest my successes.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? They might just see this, especially if we both tag them :-)

Dolly.

I grew up playing fiddle and singing in our old-time family string band. In the summer we booked a different West Virginia county fair or festival most weekends. I was raised on a steady diet of Dolly Parton, Emmie Lou Harris and Patsy Cline.

It was later that I came to appreciate all Dolly has done for her home state and Appalachia. If I had the chance, I’d pick her brain about how I might grow my work to help more people in our communities ravaged by the impacts of trauma, C-PTSD and the opioid crisis.

I truly appreciate your time and valuable contribution. One last question. How can our readers best reach or follow you?

For the latest updates on my forthcoming books and to learn about my 3-Day Therapy Immersion program subscribe at PatriciaCRogers.com.

This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for the time you spent on this. We wish you only continued success.

About The Interviewer: Maria Angelova, MBA is a disruptor, author, motivational speaker, body-mind expert, Pilates teacher and founder and CEO of Rebellious Intl. As a disruptor, Maria is on a mission to change the face of the wellness industry by shifting the self-care mindset for consumers and providers alike. As a mind-body coach, Maria’s superpower is alignment which helps clients create a strong body and a calm mind so they can live a life of freedom, happiness and fulfillment. Prior to founding Rebellious Intl, Maria was a Finance Director and a professional with 17+ years of progressive corporate experience in the Telecommunications, Finance, and Insurance industries. Born in Bulgaria, Maria moved to the United States in 1992. She graduated summa cum laude from both Georgia State University (MBA, Finance) and the University of Georgia (BBA, Finance). Maria’s favorite job is being a mom. Maria enjoys learning, coaching, creating authentic connections, working out, Latin dancing, traveling, and spending time with her tribe. To contact Maria, email her at angelova@rebellious-intl.com. To schedule a free consultation, click here.