Why anxiety shows up in your body + virtual reality treatment approaches

In this episode, I'm joined by Dr Brennan Spiegel , a physician, researcher and author whose work sits at the intersection of the brain, the body and lived experience. Together, we explore why anxiety so often shows up physically, why being told “it’s just anxiety” can feel dismissive rather than reassuring, and how the mind and body are far more interconnected than we’ve been taught. Brennan introduces ideas like mental gravity, interoception and the brain–gut connection, and explains how approaches like virtual reality are being used to treat anxiety, pain and chronic symptoms. This is a validating, perspective-shifting conversation for anyone who has ever felt unheard in a doctor’s office or confused by physical anxiety symptoms. Order yourself (or for a friend) a copy of my new book, Everything I Wish I'd Known About Anxiety: A Roadmap out of the Overwhelm and Back to Yourself here Follow me on Instagram @CarolineForan and @OwningItPodcas t, on Tik Tok here

You can listen to Why anxiety shows up in your body + virtual reality treatment approaches online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Why anxiety shows up in your body + virtual reality treatment approaches is an episode from Owning It: The Anxiety Podcast by Caroline Foran.

This episode is 50:52 long.

This episode was published on Mar 29, 2026.

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