In this episode of the PRT Podcast, therapist and host John Gasienica sits down with Vanessa Blackstone, Executive Director of the Pain Psychology Center and co-author of The Pain Reprocessing Therapy Workbook, for a candid, compassionate conversation about one of the biggest roadblocks to healing: perfectionism. They explore the real-life journey of Jaycie, a nurse and mom grappling with chronic pain, burnout, and the relentless pressure to keep it all together. Through Jaycie’s story, we learn how urgency, self-criticism, and emotional suppression fuel nervous system dysregulation—and how accessing self-compassion (the real kind, not the bubble bath kind) can begin to reverse it. Vanessa and John break down the science of freeze responses, why joy and creativity are essential for recovery, and how to start speaking to yourself the way you would speak to someone you love. Vulnerable, funny, and refreshingly honest, this episode is a must-listen for anyone stuck in cycles of pain and pressure.