Therapist John Gasienica talks with patient Rachel and guest Raelan Agle about life-stopping chronic fatigue and post-viral symptoms after COVID, and how belief, emotional regulation, and nervous system safety can create real openings for change. A grounded, hopeful look at living again, even when exhaustion feels like a monster you can’t explain.
In this episode, we explore what happens when fatigue doesn’t just mean “tired”—it feels like your whole life has been taken away.
Host John Gasienica sits down with Rachel, who developed severe post-viral chronic fatigue after a major COVID infection. Her symptoms—crushing exhaustion, brain fog, fear, and OCD spikes—left her doubting whether she’d ever get her life back. Together, John and Raelan Agle, a social worker and author who recovered from 10 years of ME/CFS, unpack how belief, emotion, and nervous system regulation interact when fatigue feels terrifying and permanent.
You’ll hear John work with Rachel in real time on two core beliefs:
“I’m physically broken.”
“I’m incapable of regulating myself.”
They explore how shifting from rumination and fear into sadness, grief, and healthy anger can loosen those beliefs and reduce the “monster” feeling of fatigue, even before symptoms entirely change.
Along the way, John and Raelan talk about:
John also shares a framework for belief in recovery:
- Neuroplastic symptoms are real and can drive physical sensations.
- This might actually be what’s happening in my body.
- I can learn to regulate my nervous system with support.
At the end of the episode, John announces that this is the last episode of Season One and his final episode as host. He shares where he’s headed next (including a Substack for clinicians) and how to keep learning about Pain Reprocessing Therapy and neuroplastic symptoms.
- Why severe fatigue can feel so terrifying and isolating—and why that reaction makes sense
- How core beliefs like “I’m broken” and “I can’t regulate myself” keep symptoms feeling permanent
- A practical way to shift from anxiety and rumination into sadness, grief, and healthy anger
- How emotional regulation and belief interact to create safety in the nervous system
- Why joy, play, and doing things you genuinely enjoy are powerful predictors of recovery
- The “three layers of belief” about neuroplastic symptoms and where you might be stuck
0:00 – Intro: chronic symptoms, belief, and why feeling safer (not solving everything) matters
2:00 – Disclaimer & PRT practitioner training mention
3:00 – Meet guest Raelan Agle and her background with ME/CFS recovery
6:00 – Meet Rachel: post-COVID crash, severe fatigue, brain fog, and OCD spirals
14:00 – “I’m broken” vs. “I can’t regulate myself”: core beliefs behind the fear
24:00 – Exploring anger vs. sadness; assertiveness as protection, sadness as grief
32:00 – Live emotional work: touching grief and noticing shifts in fatigue in real time
44:00 – Debrief with Raelan: why fatigue feels like a “different monster”
53:00 – The role of belief, understanding the nervous system, and genuine joy in recovery
1:05:00 – The three layers of belief in neuroplastic symptoms
1:15:00 – Takeaways for people living with chronic fatigue and long COVID
1:20:00 – John’s closing: final episode as host, what’s next, and how to stay connected