I'm Joe Ruotolo.

I coach teens through SAT and ACT test anxiety — the score problem and the nervous-system problem underneath it, together.

Joe Ruotolo speaking on stage

My background is physics and mathematics, then an MBA at UCLA. Along the way I became a Certified HeartMath® Trainer, which is where the other half of my approach comes from: practical techniques for regulating the nervous system under pressure, not just breathing exercises, but a trainable skill in its own right.

I call the practice Third Mind Learning. The name is a placeholder for a simple idea: a student under exam pressure is often fighting their own nervous system as much as the material, and until that gets addressed, more content review just adds more pressure to a system that's already overloaded.

I work with students on both halves at once — the test-taking skill itself, and the ability to stay regulated long enough to use it.

Based in Los Angeles. All sessions are held online.

Want to talk? Get in touch.