How to Reduce Stress and Anxiety Fast with Dr Laurel Mellin

In this episode of the Bob and Brad podcast, host Mike Kienitz interviews Dr. Laurel Mellin, a renowned health psychologist and New York Times bestselling author, about her groundbreaking Emotional Brain Training (EBT) method. Dr. Mellin shares how her personal experiences with family stress and her academic journey led her to develop a science-backed, five-minute daily practice that rewires the brain’s stress circuits—unconscious neural patterns formed during traumatic or stressful events. These circuits, stored in the amygdala, perpetuate chronic stress, anxiety, depression, and physical ailments by continuously releasing stress chemicals. EBT’s core innovation is its ability to process toxic emotions fully, completing the emotional arc and replacing stress with joy—a state neuroscientists call 'connection' and 'flow.' The method, now backed by long-term studies, allows individuals to reset their physiology, reduce reliance on pharmaceuticals, and improve mental and physical health. Dr. Mellin emphasizes that EBT is not therapy-dependent; it’s a self-therapy tool accessible anytime, anywhere, with an app, community support, and a 30-day plan outlined in her new book, The 5-Minute Solution. She also critiques traditional psychotherapy for focusing on cognition rather than emotional processing, calling it ineffective for lasting change. The episode concludes with practical steps: start with joy points, use the spiral-up technique, and rewire your brain to naturally default to well-being.