Bradley Engwall, MD

12/16/2025

Feeling Overwhelmed This Holiday Season? Try Tapping into Your Vagus Nerve!

One simple, science-backed way to reset your calm is through Vagus Nerve Stimulation.

Here are 6 ways to stimulate the Vagus Nerve when holiday pressure hits:

1. Slow Breathing with a Longer Exhale
What’s happening in the brain? Slow breathing increases communication between the heart and brain, signaling safety to the nervous system.
How to do it
• Sit or lie comfortably
• Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds
• Exhale slowly for 6–8 seconds
• Continue for 3–5 minutes
• When to use: Anxiety, overwhelm, difficulty focusing
2. The Physiological Sigh
What’s happening in the brain? This breathing pattern rapidly reduces stress chemistry and helps reset the nervous system.
How to do it
• Take a short nasal inhale
• Immediately follow with a second, smaller nasal inhale
• Exhale slowly through the mouth
• Repeat 5–10 times
• When to use: Acute stress, frustration, emotional flooding
3. Humming or Gentle Vocal Toning
What’s happening in the brain? The Vagus Nerve has branches in the throat and vocal cords; vibration here sends calming signals back to the brain.
How to do it
• Inhale slowly through your nose
• Hum on the exhale at a low, comfortable pitch
• Feel vibration in the chest or face
• Continue for 2–5 minutes
• When to use: Social anxiety, shutdown, fatigue
4. Cold Water Face Splash
What’s happening in the brain? Cool stimulation of the face activates the “diving reflex,” which slows heart rate and promotes calm.
How to do it
• Splash cool (not icy) water on your face
• Focus on cheeks, around the eyes, and upper lip
• Hold your breath gently for 5–15 seconds
• Repeat 1–3 times
• When to use: Panic, emotional escalation, intense anxiety
5. Wide-Angle (Panoramic) Vision
What’s happening in the brain? Expanding the visual field quiets threat circuits and supports a sense of safety.
How to do it
• Sit upright and relax your shoulders
• Soften your gaze
• Notice the edges of your visual field without focusing
• Continue for 1–3 minutes
• When to use: Hyper-vigilance, irritability, mental overload
6. Brief Grounded Walking
What’s happening in the brain? Rhythmic movement and sensory input help synchronize brain networks involved in regulation and mood.
How to do it
• Walk slowly for 5–10 minutes
• Breathe through your nose
• Feel each foot contact the ground
• Let your arms swing naturally
• When to use: Chronic stress, rumination, low mood

If you're curious about Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation(tVNS), click below and learn more:
https://www.eastbayintegrativepsychiatry.com

Anxiety, ADHD, depression, and autism spectrum therapy. Learn more about the latest research and your mental health options here.

09/30/2025

While sleeping pills might offer a temporary fix, many people are looking for lasting, drug-free solutions to treat insomnia.

Learn more about two promising options supported by a study published in the Global Journal of Health Science.

Get ready to reclaim your nights:

https://www.eastbayintegrativepsychiatry.com/blog/cant-sleep-a-look-at-two-powerful-drug-free-solutions-for-insomnia

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT-I) and a highly targeted therapy called Z-score swLORETA Neurofeedback (ZL-NFB) are two drug-free solutions for insomnia.

09/25/2025

These are important findings validating what we have seen in patients and ourselves!

A nonstop cycle of negative news does more than just upset you—it can fundamentally alter your brain's stress response. Research shows that people who excessively consumed media after traumatic events had more acute psychological symptoms than those actually at the scene.

By understanding how constant doomscrolling rewires our minds, we can learn to engage with the world's events in a healthier way—discover how: https://on.natgeo.com/46xcp5F

09/16/2025

Meet the , your personal superpower for

*mental health
*deep sleep
*peak performance
*boosting resilience
*overall well-being

Learn about the positive benefits of with a deep dive into your body's most fascinating internal regulator.

Read new blog:

Vagus Nerve Stimulation Services

09/05/2025

A University of California, San Francisco study determined that *30% of dementia risk is preventable.*

It is one of the first studies to connect inflammation in early adulthood with lower cognitive abilities in midlife.

Higher inflammation, which is often linked to obesity, physical inactivity, chronic illness, stress, and smoking, is associated with reduced cognitive function and lower performance on processing speed and memory skills tests in midlife.

Physical activity, diet changes, and quitting smoking are a few ways to reduce inflammation.

Read more: https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2024/07/427986/poor-health-stress-20s-takes-toll-40s-lower-cognition?utm_source=ucsf&utm_medium=LI&utm_campaign=Inflammation_cognition

08/18/2025

Read our latest newsletter that highlights our *Satisfaction Guarantee* program for Advanced Neurofeedback. The Satisfaction Guarantee approach ensures that patients can pursue treatments with confidence.

You also can learn more about *NeuroThrive *and read our newest blogs on ADHD and Traumatic Brain Injuries.

To sign up: click on the newsletter below, scroll down to the bottom (after reading it!) and click the green link to the website where a pop-up will guide you.

https://mailchi.mp/engwallmd/introducing-neurothrive-satisfaction-guarantee

Anxiety, ADHD, depression, and autism spectrum therapy. Learn more about the latest research and your mental health options here.

07/30/2025

The recent fatal shooting in Midtown Manhattan by a former high school football player has highlighted once again the tragic impact of concussions.

We can likely prevent the serious progression of brain injury to Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) if we assess the brain’s healing in greater depth and with greater precision. Let’s protect the future of our youth via holistic treatment of concussions.

Please join me in this effort because it takes all of us to spread the word to change the status quo and prevent these tragic outcomes!

Red more: https://www.eastbayintegrativepsychiatry.com/blog/concussions

Unresolved concussions can lead to lifelong neurological damage and tragic outcomes like CTE. Discover why advanced, holistic concussion care is critical for youth athletes. Learn how new brain assessments and neurofeedback treatments can support full recovery, reduce mental health risks, and preven

06/24/2025

Read our that highlights the groundbreaking new system for evaluating traumatic brain injuries (TBI). Recently published in the journal Lancet Neurology, the new system incorporates additional factors such as post-traumatic amnesia, headaches, blood biomarkers of brain injury, among other things.

The new system also uniquely considers the patient's social environment, recognizing its impact on recovery. This more comprehensive approach seeks to end reliance on oversimplified testing and help researchers develop better drug treatments and procedures.

While these advancements are crucial, they still primarily focus on structural damage and general symptoms. This is where Z-score LORETA (Low Resolution Electromagnetic Tomography) Analysis and Neurofeedback offers a revolutionary leap forward.

Click the link to read the full blog:

A new TBI assessment system improves diagnosis by including biomarkers, scans, and social factors. Advanced neurofeedback (Z-score LORETA) enhances recovery by targeting brain connectivity, offering precise, personalized treatment. Case studies show significant improvements.

05/19/2025

Have We Been Thinking About ADHD All Wrong?

A recent The New York Times Magazine feature challenges conventional ADHD treatment, highlighting concerns about an over-reliance on medications and a lack of long-term effectiveness.

This raises a critical question: Are we missing a more fundamental way to address ADHD?

Medications Have Limitations
NYT Magazine points out that while medications like Ritalin and Adderall can provide short-term behavioral improvements, studies show they often fail to translate to better academic outcomes.
• Evidence that stimulant medications’ benefits appear to fade over time
• Side effects impact height, weight & anxiety

Beyond Pills: A New Perspective
The NYT suggests that ADHD isn't simply a fixed "disorder" but can be influenced by environmental factors and involve fluctuations in symptoms. This opens the door for interventions that help individuals better adapt to their environment.

Meet a Breakthrough Approach to Mental Health
Advances in neuroscience and computing have led to precision brain-training: Z-Score swLORETA Neurofeedback (ZL-NFB). It's a cutting-edge approach that directly addresses the parts of the brain involved in ADHD. Instead of just pushing the brain harder (as meds do), neurofeedback trains the brain to rewire for smooth, efficient focus.

How It Works: Targeting Brain Connectivity
ZL-Neurofeedback focuses on functional connectivity – the communication between the brain regions. By identifying and training impaired connections, it helps the brain work more efficiently, like a well-coordinated orchestra.

Personalized Training for "Niche" Adaptation
The NYT’s discussion highlighted finding one's "niche"?
ZL-Neurofeedback supports this process by enhancing the brain's ability to function optimally in a greater variety of settings; reducing the mismatch described in the article.

Evidence-Based Approach
While the NYT article raises important questions, ZL-Neurofeedback is backed by decades of National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded research and FDA-cleared. Studies demonstrate that training functional connectivity in the brain to make sweeter, more effortless “music” between brain areas.

Empowerment and Long-Term Change
Unlike medications, which only provide temporary relief, ZL-Neurofeedback harnesses your brain’s natural healing capacities to foster healthy brain functioning all day long: in work, school and relationships.

If you are seeking a different approach to ADHD, consider exploring ZL-Neurofeedback.

Contact us to learn how this innovative therapy can help you or your loved ones thrive. (Check out our satisfaction guarantee!)

Questions? Send us a DM or visit Bradley Engwall, MD at www.eastbayintegrativepsychiatry.com

Read full NYT Magazine feature:
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/13/magazine/adhd-medication-treatment-research.html

09/10/2024

The World Health Organization (WHO) says "The overall objective of World Mental Health Day is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health.

The Day provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide."

Here's to all of the professionals and laypeople throughout the world who work to provide mental health support for their communities.

08/01/2024

Dr. Engwall is proud to use Neuronic devices in his practice. Neuronic devices are showcased in the new "Mind Over Matter" documentary. If you'd like to learn more about what Neuronic devices can do for you, schedule a call with our office.

07/09/2024

Reclaim your wholeness. IFS views the mind as a system of interconnected parts, each with unique thoughts, feelings, and needs. Schedule a discovery call if you'd like to learn more https://eastbayintegrativepsychiatry.as.me/discovery-call