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Welcome! I’m Kelly Mahler. As a passionate occupational therapist that is fired up to change the world for the better, you'll find me with lots to share, plenty of resources, and helpful blog posts. I'm so glad you're here!
Originally published April 13, 2026
Intense interoception refers to experiences where body signals feel strong, noticeable, and hard to ignore. Sometimes described as hyperawareness or hypervigilance of body sensations, these signals may show up as one or two intense sensations or many signals all at once, and can be overwhelming, distracting, or difficult to interpret, especially when trust in the body has been disrupted.
Originally published March 10, 2026
Explore the ABCs of interoception with 26 short, practical ideas for understanding body signals, regulation, safety, communication, and daily life.
Interoception is often described as our sense of how the body feels on the inside. Sometimes called the body awareness sense or the eighth sense, it helps us notice signals coming from inside the body. Interoception shapes so much of our daily lives, including communication, safety, regulation, trauma support, participation in everyday activities, and how we respond when someone is struggling. Understanding body signals is one of the most important parts of this process. Let’s explore this sense from A to Z.
Originally published January 26, 2026
Potty training* is often treated as a skill or a behavior, but for many children, toilet resistance or “regression” is rooted in the body not feeling safe enough to let go. This article explores potty learning through a body-based, interoception-informed lens focusing on safety, sensory experiences, pain, and understanding what’s happening inside the body.
January 19, 2026
Many well-intended regulation strategies unintentionally train endurance, asking neurodivergent people to tolerate environments that overwhelm their body. This post explores why regulation often fails without environmental modifications and how interoception can guide ethical, body-led environmental change.
Originally published February 23, 2021
How Interoception Affects Potty Training
Interoception plays a key role in toileting (often referred to as “potty training”) because it helps us notice, understand, and respond to body signals related to pee, poop, wetness, discomfort, and safety. For many children, toileting challenges are not about motivation or behavior, they’re about how clearly (or quietly) the body communicates its needs. Supporting interoception through curiosity, modeling, and felt safety helps potty training unfold from the inside out, without pressure or compliance.
This article explains how interoception supports early communication in preschoolers and non-speaking children by reframing behaviors as meaningful body-based communication. It shows … Read more
When most people hear “ARFID,” they think of picky eating, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake … Read more
Introduction: The Irony of Compliance and Why We Fear Letting It Go For generations, compliance culture has shaped how we support kids … Read more
Have you ever shared something deeply personal about how you feel, only to have someone dismiss it, question it, or tell you … Read more
Redefining Wellness as Felt, Not Forced What if wellness wasn’t about what you do—but how you feel? For far too long, wellness … Read more
The field of interoception is growing rapidly—and with it, our understanding of what it means to be human. This expanding body of … Read more
If you’re using The Interoception Curriculum and hear client responses like “I don’t know how I feel” or “I’m fine” or “My … Read more
Hi Everyone! I’m Kelly Mahler, occupational therapist, and today I want to talk about how to get the most out of interoception … Read more
Hi everyone! I’m Kelly Mahler, occupational therapist, and I’m back to talk about interoception—our sense of how the body feels—and how it … Read more
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