Spooky Season & Scared Brains: Why We Like (or Hate) Being Afraid

Happy Halloween! 🎃 Melissa (Halloween superfan) and Susan (hard pass on haunted houses) swap stories about spooky décor, jump scares, and why some of us crave adrenaline while others avoid horror at all costs. Then they get therapist-y about fear: what phobias are, how our brains learn them (sometimes from family or one-off moments), and why finishing the stress cycle matters more than “just breathe” in the moment. You’ll hear practical ways to discharge that surge (walks, dancing, music, movement), when grounding does help, and how approaches like gradual exposure and EMDR can untangle fears—whether it’s snakes, flying, or scary movies that felt a little too real. They also touch on parenting with anxiety (protecting vs. over-protecting), reframing the parts of Halloween you actually enjoy, and giving yourself permission to skip the rest. Remember that listening to this podcast is not therapy. It might be therapeutic, but it isn’t a replacement for good mental health treatment. We can help with getting you connected with a good therapist. Check out our website.  Grove: A Healing Collective