Dr Kate Barry

12/06/2026

Stress Management Video Series

Video 4
1. The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), also known as "tapping," is a holistic healing technique that combines aspects of traditional Chinese medicine, cognitive therapy, and acupressure.
2. Vagus nerve exercises are techniques or practices designed to stimulate and strengthen the vagus nerve, which is the longest cranial nerve in the body. The vagus nerve plays a critical role in regulating many bodily functions, including heart rate, digestion, and breathing.
3. The Wim Hof Method (WHM) is a holistic wellness program created by Dutch athlete Wim Hof, also known as "The Iceman". The method consists of a combination of breathing exercises, cold exposure, and meditation techniques.
4. Limbic retraining is a holistic approach to healing chronic health conditions that are believed to be caused or worsened by an overactive limbic system in the brain. The limbic system is the part of the brain responsible for regulating emotions, memories, and the stress response.

11/06/2026

Stress Management Video Series

Video 3: Meditation is a mental practice that involves training your attention and awareness to achieve a calm and clear state of mind. It is a technique that has been used for thousands of years to promote relaxation, reduce stress, and increase overall well-being. When you meditate, you typically sit quietly and focus your attention on your breath, a word, or an object. As you do this, you become more aware of your thoughts and feelings, and you learn to observe them without judgment or reaction. With practice, you can cultivate a sense of inner calm and clarity that can carry over into your daily life.

10/06/2026

Stress Management Video Series

Video 2: Breathing techniques are effective for stress reduction because they activate the body's relaxation response, which counteracts the physiological and psychological effects of stress. When you are stressed, your body enters a state of fight or flight response, in which your sympathetic nervous system is activated, leading to increased heart rate, rapid breathing, and elevated levels of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. This response is useful in situations where you need to respond quickly to a threat, but if it becomes chronic, it can have negative effects on your physical and mental health. Breathing techniques, such as deep breathing or diaphragmatic breathing, activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the body's relaxation response. This response leads to a decrease in heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormone levels, and an increase in feelings of calmness and relaxation. Breathing techniques can also help you to focus your attention on the present moment, which can be helpful in reducing anxiety and stress.

09/06/2026

Stress Management Video Series

Video 1: Become aware of your nervous system activation by using a 1-10 scoring system eg do you feel anxious, do you feel wired, do you feel a buzzing sensation through your body, do you have ruminating thoughts, do you startle easily? Score every few hours for three days. Continue to score as you implement different stress management techniques.

08/06/2026

I spoke to Jacie and Barbara from The CIRS Group about the final stage of the Shoemaker Protocol - VIP.

05/06/2026

Check out this blog with four part video series about toxins and detoxification...

Detox Challenge. Start by reducing everyday toxins, then support the detox organs, then get involved in detox-promoting activities, then think about mould and mycotoxins and whether they are impacting you.

03/06/2026

I spoke with Amelie Becher from Sanctuary Safe Spaces about what I've learned from being chronically ill and what I would pass on to others that need advice.

01/06/2026

Nutrition - what do I eat?!

It’s the million-dollar question isn’t it? What to eat to optimize your health and wellbeing. This is especially important when you have some health challenges - either acute infection or chronic illness. There are so many schools of thought out there, and obviously everybody is different so you need to find out what works best for you, but here are some of the basics that I think are relevant for the majority of people...

29/05/2026

So you’re chronically ill and feeling fatigued and unwell most days. You’ve either read or been told by a practitioner that you need to make significant diet and lifestyle change in order to improve your health, but how are you supposed to make these changes when you can hardly get out of bed? Bit of a catch 22 right?

This conundrum is one of my clients’ biggest gripes, so as a practitioner I’m always looking for ways to help out and provide guidance around the day-to-day tasks that suck energy and prevent clients from sticking to the therapeutic plan. Check out this blog post for my top three tips.

Blog post providing guidance around the day-to-day tasks that suck energy and prevent clients from sticking to a therapeutic plan.

27/05/2026

My journey with CIRS.... from academic to practitioner.