<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Brian J. Fernandez]]></title><description><![CDATA[Author, mental health professional.]]></description><link>https://www.brianjfernandez.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Sun, 12 Apr 2026 15:28:54 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.brianjfernandez.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[The Crucial Connection: Believing the Lie Activates Your Body]]></title><description><![CDATA[Here's where things get really interesting from a practical standpoint. The problem isn't just that your amygdala is sending out distorted messages. The real problem is when you believe those distorted messages, your body acts on them as if they're true. ]]></description><link>https://www.brianjfernandez.com/post/stillness-calm</link><guid isPermaLink="false">696939d6ebfd09b3defe565c</guid><pubDate>Thu, 13 Nov 2025 14:30:42 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_5dce333e011d4353bee6b5e37637d6c3~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Brian Fernandez</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What's Happening in Your Body: The Physiology of Anxiety]]></title><description><![CDATA[Your survival system works exactly as it's supposed to work. The problem isn't that your body sometimes responds negatively. The problem is that your brain triggers this response to things that aren't actually dangerous — like sitting in a movie theater, being in class, or posting something on social media. That's where anxiety comes in. And to understand why this happens, we need to understand a small but incredibly important part of your brain called the amygdala. ]]></description><link>https://www.brianjfernandez.com/post/spotting-the-bad-ones</link><guid isPermaLink="false">696939d6ebfd09b3defe565e</guid><pubDate>Tue, 11 Nov 2025 19:02:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/82f452_644d8e49539340919b35c7a007a695de~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_559,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Brian Fernandez</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Importance of Finding the Right Therapist]]></title><description><![CDATA[The single best thing you can do for your anxiety is to talk to a therapist. I know that might sound scary or overwhelming. You might be thinking, "Do I really need a therapist? Can't I just read books and figure this out on my own?" The honest answer is: yes, talking to a therapist is that important. ]]></description><link>https://www.brianjfernandez.com/post/a-therapist-s-view</link><guid isPermaLink="false">696939d6ebfd09b3defe565f</guid><pubDate>Tue, 04 Nov 2025 19:19:56 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_dafb8ff15f43485ba446f9bcc9ab326a~mv2_d_5760_3840_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Brian Fernandez</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>