The Cave You Fear to Enter – Memory Reconsolidation and Emotional Healing with Dr. Brian Desroches – Episode #38

Guest: Dr. Brian Desroches, PhD – Psychotherapist, Author, Clinical Coach

Release Date: January 10, 2026

Episode Summary

In this transformative conversation, Dr. Brian Desroches shares how a personal breakthrough in 2015 fundamentally changed his understanding of emotional healing after more than 20 years of clinical practice. Moving beyond traditional “overcome and manage” approaches, Brian introduces listeners to the neuroscience of memory reconsolidation – a process that allows us to update emotional learnings at the synaptic level rather than simply coping with symptoms.

Key Topics Discussed

The 2015 Paradigm Shift

1. Brian’s 10-year struggle with writing procrastination despite extensive therapy
2. His breakthrough experience with memory reconsolidation at a workshop
3. How shame and inadequacy became neurologically linked to writing in his brain
4. The immediate and lasting transformation that followed

Understanding Emotional Learning

1. How the brain acquires implicit emotional knowledge in the first 7 years of life
2. Why these learnings feel true in the present moment even when formed decades ago
3. The difference between explicit trauma memories and implicit emotional patterns
4. How the brain’s predictive process creates protective but maladaptive behaviors

Memory Reconsolidation Explained

1. The brain as a learning, predicting, and adapting process
2. What prediction errors (or “prediction corrections”) are and why they matter
3. The five-step process for creating lasting change
4. Why insight alone doesn’t lead to transformation

Reframing Self-Sabotage

1. Why “getting in your own way” is actually your brain protecting you
2. The car analogy: one foot on gas, one on brake
3. Moving from “what’s wrong with me?” to “what did I learn?”
4. Understanding triggers as protective mechanisms, not character flaws

The Role of Compassion

1. Why compassion is the gateway to self-love
2. Holding space for the parts of ourselves that learned to protect us
3. The grief that often accompanies discovering what’s really driving our patterns
4. Joseph Campbell’s wisdom: “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek”

Practical Applications

1. Why you must be in an “activated state” for change to occur
2. How to identify the real threat your brain is predicting
3. The importance of embodied experience vs. intellectual understanding
4. Navigating systemic changes when you transform

Memorable Quotes

“It is not a character flaw. The brain is doing its job that it was designed to do – it just doesn’t need to do it anymore because it’s doing it based on past history that doesn’t exist.”

“When you touch into an emotional learning, it feels true. The emotional brain doesn’t know time. You may have learned that 40 years ago, but when it gets activated today, it feels true today.”

“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure that you seek. When you land upon an emotional learning, your thinking brain will judge it as irrational, as illogical. But to your emotional brain, it does make sense.”

About Dr. Brian Desroches

Dr. Brian Desroches has over 30 years of clinical experience as a psychotherapist and holds a PhD in Pastoral Counseling and Psychology. Originally from Windsor, Ontario, he now practices in Seattle, Washington. Beyond his therapy practice, Brian consults with dental professionals worldwide, helping them navigate difficult patient interactions and lead complex organizations. His latest book, Living a Trigger Free Life, translates cutting-edge neuroscience into accessible, practical guidance for lasting emotional transformation.

Resources

1. Book:Living a Trigger Free Life by Dr. Brian Desroches
2. Website:https://a.co/d/bDgsLtC

Practice Location: Seattle, Washington

Related Concepts Mentioned

1. Memory reconsolidation
2. Implicit vs. explicit memory
3. Emotional learning
4. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
5. Internal Family Systems
6. Neuroplasticity
7. Prediction error/correction
8. Bilateral auditory stimulation

For Clinicians

This episode offers valuable insights for mental health professionals looking to move beyond symptom management toward root-cause transformation. Dr. Desroches’ approach integrates neuroscience research with clinical practice in a way that honors both the science and the deeply human experience of healing.

Next Episode: Another exciting journey into the cutting edge of neuroscience, neurostimulation, and interventional mental health.

Subscribe to never miss an episode and help us reach more curious minds!