EPISTRIA, LLC
We’re a development studio for coaches who want tools that actually hold up under pressure. We build tools that work in the real world — not just on a whiteboard or a stage.
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Our tools honor the complexity of human behavior — and the integrity of professional coaching.
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Our founder comes from a background in systems design, behavioral theory, and tactical fieldwork — not stage performance or mass-market coaching. We focus on practical, psychologically sound tools that coaches can use the same day, with real clients, under real pressure.
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Everything we produce is designed to work quietly in the background: no fluff, no hype, and no therapy masquerading as coaching.
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If you’re tired of pretending that inspiration equals progress, you’re in the right place.
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The following papers are the current scientific foundation of our tool development efforts, with our SAGE* series as proof-of-concept. Our research-to-practice approach ensures every tool is grounded in neurobiological understanding rather than conventional wisdom.
*SAGE = Strategic Approach to Genuine Effectiveness
Thomas, C.S. Parallel Pathways: Hope and Fear as Complementary Neurobiological Mechanisms
ABSTRACT
This article proposes a novel theoretical framework for the relationship between hope and fear responses.
Example: Consider two individuals experiencing severe turbulence on an airplane: one passenger mentally rehearses survival procedures and visualizes positive outcomes while controlling their breathing (hope with action), while another remains rigidly immobile, mind blank with terror (fear-induced freezing). Neurobiologically, these responses activate remarkably similar pathways despite their outward differences. Similarly, a person who verbally expresses hope for career advancement but takes no concrete steps (hope without action) exhibits neural patterns strikingly similar to fear-avoidance behaviors.
Rather than viewing these psychological states as opposing forces, we suggest they operate on parallel neurobiological pathways differentiated primarily by the presence or absence of action. Specifically, we argue that hope without action is functionally equivalent to fear-induced freezing, while hope with action mirrors fear-induced motivation. This hypothesis bridges Snyder's hope theory with contemporary understanding of fear responses and dopaminergic reward systems, suggesting that cognitive engagement with hope-oriented thinking constitutes a form of action capable of triggering neurobiological reward mechanisms similar to physical action in response to threats.
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Thomas, C.S. The Preparedness Ladder - A Neurobiologically-Informed Coaching Model for Overcoming Hopeful Inaction
ABSTRACT
This paper introduces the Preparedness Ladder, a theoretical coaching framework grounded in neurobiological principles, designed to help clients transition from passive, action-less hope to purposeful engagement. Drawing from the Parallel Pathways model—which conceptualizes hope and fear as neurobiologically linked by their relationship to action—this framework addresses a common but overlooked phenomenon in coaching: hopeful paralysis.
The Preparedness Ladder offers a structured, four-stage process that supports coaches in identifying cognitive or emotional stalling, mentally priming action pathways, and establishing micro-commitments and pre-freeze protocols to bypass default freeze responses. Each stage is informed by distinct neural mechanisms, particularly the shift from ventrolateral to dorsolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG to dlPAG) dominance.
An accompanying Neural State Shifting protocol deepens the model's utility by enabling targeted interventions based on the client’s neurochemical and behavioral state. While conceptual in scope, this framework provides a practical and ethically bounded tool for coaches working with action-resistant clients, and offers clear implications for future empirical study and potential application across organizational, educational, and health behavior domains.
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Thomas, C.S. Beyond Snyder's Hope Theory - Integrating Action and Neurological Foundations
ABSTRACT
This paper proposes an evolution of Snyder's Hope Theory by integrating a crucial third component—Action—to the established framework of Pathways and Agency. While Snyder's original theory conceptualizes hope as a positive motivational state based on goal-directed energy (Agency) and planning to meet goals (Pathways), this paper argues that hope without action remains merely wishful thinking. The modified formula Hope = Pathway × Agency × Action is presented and supported through neurobiological evidence, specifically examining the role of the periaqueductal gray (PAG) in mediating transitions from freeze states to action states. This expanded model offers enhanced explanatory power for understanding stalled progress and provides practical interventions through "mini-hopes," "mini-actions," and "mini-wins" that can initiate neurological shifts from inhibition to goal-directed behavior.
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Thomas, C.S. Fear-Based Motivation in the Workplace - A Domain-Specific Approach to Motivational Congruence
ABSTRACT
This paper proposes a novel framework for understanding and addressing maladaptive behaviors in workplace settings by integrating domain-specific fear patterns with neurobiologically-informed interventions. We introduce The Motivational Congruence Framework™, a structured approach to aligning visible, forward-facing motivation with underlying fear responses to restore internal coherence and drive sustainable action. Drawing on Protection Motivation Theory, neurobiology of the periaqueductal gray (PAG), and an expanded model of Hope Theory, we present a taxonomic framework of five workplace fear domains and their corresponding approach motivators. This integrated approach offers practitioners a structured method for diagnosing and addressing maladaptive workplace behaviors without requiring therapeutic exploration of historical origins.
This paper proposes a theoretical framework for addressing fear-based motivation in workplaces, offering a foundation for future empirical testing and practical application.
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​SAGE = Strategic Approach to Genuine Effectiveness — and the backbone of our coaching tools.​
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