Critical Information for Sufferers of Chronic Sinusitis, and Mold Related Illness
How Mold Affects the Brain and Emotions
An Integrative Psychotherapist’s Perspective on Mold Toxicity & Mental Health
By Christina P. Kantzavelos, LCSW
Mold toxicity is not always obvious. Many of my clients never suspect that their home or workplace could be influencing their mental health. Just as we test for infections or viruses, assessing indoor environments for mold can help rule out a hidden factor contributing to chronic symptoms. Over the years, I’ve seen how environmental toxins can keep people stuck in a survival state, even when they’re actively engaged in healing.
My Personal Journey
I’ve been healing from Lyme disease and other chronic health challenges for many years. During that time, I was repeatedly told my environment was clean. I continued neural retraining practices, including Primal Trust—a program that incorporates vagus nerve exercises, somatic therapies, and other tools to help the brain and body return to a state of safety. These practices helped me cope, but I still felt like I was surviving rather than thriving.
At my doctors’ suggestion, I retested my home and discovered a significant mold problem. This explained why my healing had plateaued. The discovery was both difficult and validating: difficult because I wasn’t feeling well and validating because it clarified why my nervous system remained in survival mode. After relocating to a clean, tested home in the desert, I began to experience rapid improvement. For the first time in years, my body had the space to heal rather than simply endure.
How Mold Affects Mental Health
Mold exposure can contribute to neuroinflammation, which may feel like what I call a “brain on fire” state. Symptoms in adults and children can include:
Sensory overload or heightened sensitivity to light, touch, scents, or sound
These symptoms often overlap with other neurodivergent conditions or mental health challenges. In children, mold exposure can mimic or worsen symptoms associated with autism, sensory processing differences, or ADHD. Just as we rule out infections or viruses, it’s important to consider environmental factors like mold when chronic symptoms persist.
How I Integrate Mold Awareness into My Practice
When working with clients, I often encourage testing their home or workplace for mold. Understanding the environmental load helps us determine whether toxins may be contributing to ongoing symptoms. When that load decreases, clients often notice improvements in issues such as mast cell activation symptoms, energy levels, and emotional regulation.
This year alone, two clients moved into newly tested homes. Once their exposure decreased, they reported clearer thinking, more energy, and improved overall well‑being. These experiences reinforce how essential it is to address the environment alongside therapy and neural retraining.
Case Examples
Client A had long‑standing anxiety and fatigue. Despite consistent therapy and lifestyle changes, progress was slow. After moving to a mold‑safe home and completing remediation, their anxiety decreased and they were able to engage more deeply in therapeutic work.
Client B, who experiences sensory sensitivities and neurodivergence, saw improvements in mood, focus, and sleep after reducing environmental exposure. Their system finally had the capacity to rest and recover rather than remain in constant survival mode.
Actionable Steps
1. Test Your Environment
I often recommend Envirobiomics for mold testing. The Emma Combo may also be helpful for clients as it can directly connect mycotoxins from urine testing to mycotoxins present in the environment. Understanding what’s in your space is the first step toward reducing exposure.
2. Remediate Your Home
Reliable resources like The Environmental Guide to Safe Homes can help you understand best practices for remediation.
3. Use Micro Balance EC3 Products for Environmental Cleaning
Micro Balance Health Products offers several tools designed to help reduce mold and particulate load on surfaces and in the air. These are not medical treatments, but they are commonly used for environmental cleaning:
EC3 Mold Spray A botanical, fragrance‑free spray used on hard and soft surfaces. Many people use it on furniture, bedding, carpets, and personal items that cannot be washed easily.
EC3 Laundry Additive Added to wash cycles to help reduce mold and musty odors on clothing, towels, and linens.
EC3 Air Purification Candles Soy‑based candles infused with citrus seed extracts. They are used to help reduce airborne particles in smaller indoor spaces.
EC3 Wipes Great for on-the-go cleaning and to keep in your car to wipe things down when you are away from home. Not only are they effective, but they work to lower mold counts and improve the health of your indoor surfaces/spaces without harsh chemicals, perfumes, or fumes.
These products are often used as part of a broader environmental cleaning routine, especially after remediation or when maintaining a cleaner indoor environment.
4. Support Your Body
Working with a practitioner who understands environmental illness can help you navigate detoxification and healing. Some people use products from companies like CellCore under practitioner guidance. If you are interested, you can reach out for ordering and guidance.
5. Use Journaling and Neural Retraining
Journaling helps track symptoms and progress. My Begin Within Journal is designed for this purpose. Neural retraining programs, such as Primal Trust, can help regulate the nervous system and build resilience.
6. Find Support
Connecting with others who understand environmental illness can be grounding. The San Diego Lyme Alliance Free Support Group is one example of a supportive community.
7. Move to Safer Housing if Needed
In some cases, relocating to a clean, tested environment is the most effective step. Sensitive Rentals offers housing options for individuals recovering from environmental exposures.
How to Work With Me
I integrate mold awareness, somatic therapy, neural retraining, and supportive interventions to help clients reclaim their lives. If you’re interested in working together, you can learn more at www.beginwithintoday.com.
Healing from mold toxicity is rarely linear. It’s not only about the environment—it’s about giving the body space to recover, supporting the nervous system, and having tools to thrive. Even if mold isn’t the root cause, ruling it out is an essential part of understanding your health.
About the Author
Patricia (Christina) Kantzavelos is a neurodivergent, and first-generation (third culture) Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), life coach, writer, and chronic illness warrior. She received both her BA and MSW from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and her MLIS from San Jose State University (SJSU).
Her experience includes 14 years of clinical experience in a range of settings, including both outpatient and inpatient psychiatric services, acute inpatient hospital services (telemetry, medical/surgical, labor and delivery, ER, Behavioral Health, and ICU), insurance case management, assertive community treatment (ACT), home health, hospice, applied behavioral analysis (ABA) for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), disaster mental health (humanitarian work), psychedelic-assisted therapy, and private therapy and coaching. She is warm, interactive, and treats everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion, and likes to meet her clients where they are.
She specializes in treating clients with chronic health conditions (aka spoonies and medical refugees) and trauma (including medical trauma). Chronic medical conditions and rare diseases, including psychophysiological disorders (i.e. diabetes, dysautonomia, EDS, CCI, CSF, Lyme Disease, Bartonella, Lyme Co-infections, PPD, Hashimoto’s, mast cell activation syndrome, vasculitis, back, and neck pain, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome ME, vertigo, IBS, IBD, sickle cell disease, POTS, Long-Haul Covid, mold illness CIRS, PANDAS, etc.) often come with significant challenges, like fear, anxiety, medical PTSD, and may interfere with relationships and daily function. It is her experience and belief that chronic illnesses are often rooted in trauma(s) that cause a chronic stress/ fight-or-flight response, not allowing the body to prioritize healing. She utilizes various holistic evidence-based treatment modalities and practice-based evidence such as EMDR and Constructed Awareness to get to the root, with an added focus on mindfulness techniques, somatic exercises, neural retraining, and strength-based therapy. In addition, she provides life coaching, case management, and elder and disability care planning and support.
She is also a writer, and an award-winning gluten-free and health-conscious travel and lifestyle blogger, @buenqamino. She currently volunteers as a facilitator and sits on the board of San Diego Lyme Alliance (Bay Area Lyme Foundation affiliate).
Patricia (Christina) Kantzavelos is a neurodivergent, and first-generation (third culture) Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), life coach, writer, and chronic illness warrior. She received both her BA and MSW from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and her MLIS from San Jose State University (SJSU).
Her experience includes 14 years of clinical experience in a range of settings, including both outpatient and inpatient psychiatric services, acute inpatient hospital services (telemetry, medical/surgical, labor and delivery, ER, Behavioral Health, and ICU), insurance case management, assertive community treatment (ACT), home health, hospice, applied behavioral analysis (ABA) for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), disaster mental health (humanitarian work), psychedelic-assisted therapy, and private therapy and coaching. She is warm, interactive, and treats everyone with respect, sensitivity, and compassion, and likes to meet her clients where they are.
She specializes in treating clients with chronic health conditions (aka spoonies and medical refugees) and trauma (including medical trauma). Chronic medical conditions and rare diseases, including psychophysiological disorders (i.e. diabetes, dysautonomia, EDS, CCI, CSF, Lyme Disease, Bartonella, Lyme Co-infections, PPD, Hashimoto’s, mast cell activation syndrome, vasculitis, back, and neck pain, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome ME, vertigo, IBS, IBD, sickle cell disease, POTS, Long-Haul Covid, mold illness CIRS, PANDAS, etc.) often come with significant challenges, like fear, anxiety, medical PTSD, and may interfere with relationships and daily function. It is her experience and belief that chronic illnesses are often rooted in trauma(s) that cause a chronic stress/ fight-or-flight response, not allowing the body to prioritize healing. She utilizes various holistic evidence-based treatment modalities and practice-based evidence such as EMDR and Constructed Awareness to get to the root, with an added focus on mindfulness techniques, somatic exercises, neural retraining, and strength-based therapy. In addition, she provides life coaching, case management, and elder and disability care planning and support.
She is also a writer, and an award-winning gluten-free and health-conscious travel and lifestyle blogger, @buenqamino. She currently volunteers as a facilitator and sits on the board of San Diego Lyme Alliance (Bay Area Lyme Foundation affiliate).
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