Dr Annalisa Manca Psychotherapy

30/10/2025

Nervous system regulation doesn’t mean never getting upset, anxious, or triggered again.
It means your body learns how to come back.

Calm isn’t the goal — safety is.
When your body feels safe to experience what it feels — sadness, anger, joy, even stress — it can flow naturally through each state instead of getting stuck in one.

So next time your body reacts, don’t chase calm.
Chase safety. 🤍

28/10/2025

Your body isn’t slow to catch up — it’s waiting for a new message from the parts of your brain that learned to protect you.

You can’t simply “think” your way out of those automatic responses.
But you can teach your system that safety is here now, moment by moment.

✨ Start small: notice when your body tenses, take a slow exhale, and gently remind your brain — we’re safe to feel this.

Have you ever felt your body holding on to something your mind already understood?

25/10/2025

✨ A little professional milestone to share…

I’m delighted to say I’m now an Accredited Member of the BWRT Institute.

Officially Dr Annalisa Manca, MIBWRT(Acc.) 🎉

For those who may not know, BWRT® (BrainWorking Recursive Therapy) is a neuroscience-based therapeutic approach that works directly with the brain’s natural processes to create rapid, lasting change, and it’s been at the heart of my practice for years.

This accreditation recognises advanced training and experience in the field, and I couldn’t be happier to continue using this work to help clients rewire their nervous systems and live with more calm, ease, and confidence🌿

Feeling grateful for the ongoing learning from BWRT and Terence, my clients’ trust, and the ever-evolving science of change 💛

24/10/2025

Take a slow breath... and whisper to yourself,
“It’s safe to rest” 🤍

Even if your body doesn’t fully believe it yet, that message begins to rewire your brain for safety. 🧠

🎦 Full video on YouTube: Why You Feel Worse When You Finally Relax

23/10/2025

This isn’t failure. It’s your brain doing what it’s learned to do.

If your nervous system has spent years in “go” mode, stillness can feel unfamiliar, even unsafe.

That’s why rest can sometimes trigger symptoms. Your brain isn’t punishing you. It’s scanning for danger.

In my next post, I’ll share a simple practice to start sending that message of safety to your system. 🤍

21/10/2025

Your brain is brilliant at learning! But it doesn’t always know what to stop practising.

When you experience pain for a long time, your brain gets really good at firing those pain pathways.

Not because you’re imagining it, but because your nervous system has learned to expect it.

The same neural circuits that once protected you from danger are now stuck rehearsing an old pattern… even when the threat is long gone.

🧠 The hopeful part?
Your brain can retrain just as powerfully as it learned.
With the right awareness, movement, and emotional safety, those old pathways can quiet down, and new, calmer ones can take their place.

That’s neuroplasticity, and it’s happening every day.

✨ Have you ever noticed your symptoms follow a familiar pattern? Tell me below 🤍

13/10/2025

🌿 Why Your Symptoms Flare Up When You Finally Slow Down

You know that moment when you finally get a break — the weekend, a quiet evening, a few days off — and instead of feeling relaxed… you feel worse?

Your pain, fatigue, or tension seem to spike the moment you stop😩

It feels unfair, doesn’t it? You rest like you’re supposed to- and your body seems to rebel.
But what’s really happening here has nothing to do with weakness or laziness. It’s your nervous system trying to find its way back to safety after being in “go-mode” for too long.

In this week’s video, I explain:
💫 why symptoms flare when you slow down
💫 what this says about your nervous system
💫 and how to begin easing the cycle… without pushing or forcing your body

🎥 Watch here: https://youtu.be/kPd-nvXbrEA?si=VzxPE9YP8hVAgS5-

Take five minutes, make a cup of tea, and give this one a listen, especially if you’ve ever thought “why do I only feel awful when I stop?” 💛

Ever taken a break — only to feel worse? Maybe you finally stopped, and suddenly the fatigue, pain, or emotions you’d been holding back all came flooding in....

25/09/2025

Chronic pain isn’t just about your body.
It’s about patterns your brain has learned—often without you realising.

But just as your brain learned to expect pain… it can unlearn it too.

This is where real healing begins.

🤍 Save this if it speaks to you, or send it to someone who needs to hear it today.

⸻

23/09/2025

The latest research shows that microcircuits in the emotional brain (the limbic system) can rewire themselves based on experience—within hours.

That means the “pathways” your brain uses for pain, fear, or emotional memory aren’t fixed. They’re adaptable. Intelligent. Rewire-able.
You’re not broken. You’re running old routes.
And just like you’d take a different road to avoid traffic… your brain can learn a new direction, too.

Have you ever noticed an old emotional pattern shift or soften over time? Tell me below. 🤍

05/09/2025

💛🖤💛🖤

26/08/2025

Why am I doing a bodybuilding competition at 45+? 👙✨

Not for beauty. Not for an “ideal body.”

For curiosity.
For the challenge.
For the discipline that’s carried me through an intense year.

For me, this journey has never been about restriction — it’s been about curiosity, growth, and resilience. And now, I’m excited to see how it all comes together on stage ✨.

✨ None of this would have been possible (or safe) without doing it under the guidance of , who’s ensured my training and nutrition were right for me — and has supported and motivated me every step of the way 🤍

📸 Huge thanks as well to Kieran ( ) for capturing some fantastic shots at on Sunday. I can’t wait to share them!

🌟 Now looking forward to stepping on stage at this Sunday!

22/07/2025

Your symptoms aren’t random.
That back pain that flares up during stressful weeks.
The migraines after difficult conversations.
The exhaustion that hits right when you finally stop.

These patterns aren’t in your head… they’re in your nervous system.
And, you know what? Patterns can change.

Your brain has learned to interpret certain cues — emotions, movements, even thoughts — as threats.
That’s what keeps you stuck in cycles of pain, fatigue, or overwhelm.

But with the right support, your brain can relearn.
It can create new, safer pathways.
That’s the power of neuroplasticity.
And it’s how real healing begins.

✨ Have you noticed any patterns in your symptoms? Let me know in the comments 🤍