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A Quick and Simple Way to Think about the Brain [Infographic]

149 Comments

Could having a map of the brain help you in your work with clients?

For example, just being able to show your clients what part of the brain controls emotion, or the nervous system, could open the door to helping them learn how to regulate these areas.

So we created an infographic based on the work of Paul D. MacLean, MD and Rick Hanson, PhD that you can share with your clients. (Please feel free to make a copy to give to them.)

Click the image to enlarge


If you’d like to print a copy to share with your clients, just click here: Color or Print-friendly

(When you make copies to share, please be sure to include the copyright information. We put a lot of work into creating these resources for you. Thanks!)

For information on how to apply brain science to your work with clients who struggle with trauma, please click here. You’ll hear from 5 of the top experts in the world on treating the traumatized brain.

 

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149 Comments

  1. Deborah Elizabeth Lotus says

    Excellent! really is ‘simple’; easier to remember because of the layout comparing the different brain’s and their functions, but maybe a way to connect them all graphically? Good job, nonetheless!

    Reply
  2. Merrilee Gibson says

    Thank you so much! This graphic will be so helpful when explaining this concept to patients. I appreciate your generosity, and will certainly retain copyright information when sharing.

    Reply
  3. John Threadgold says

    Brilliant than you very much I am teaching Mindfulness and Focusing courses and this is brilliant when combined with my other trauma training that I have received.

    Reply
  4. Maggie Baumann, MFT, CEDS says

    This is a great resource to share with clients! Thank you!!
    I do have to say like others have commented, if this infographic was designed with a white background it would make much easier for printing and copying!!

    Reply
  5. CONNIE SPRUILL says

    THIS IS A VALUABLE REFERENCE TOOL I CAN USE IN MY TRAINING.

    Reply
  6. Mary Moore says

    Thanks for this resource. I’d like to use it with clients and as a resource for them to keep to refer too. However the background BLACK makes the copying difficult. It can’t be changed by me as protected. Could it be recoloured avoiding so much BLACK please. As usual, great resources.

    Reply
  7. Jeanette Parsons says

    That is similar to a drawing I on a white board , but this terrific ! I also have diagram of symbol for crisis( yen and yang) showing choice of destructive behaviors or using crisis as opportunity for grown! I also have diagram of Emotional, Wise and Rational mind . All to show how we can calm the threat and focus on options and choose what’s in ones’s best interest!
    Thank you for your continued, up to date programs,
    Jeanette ParsonsMS, LPC

    Reply
  8. Ni says

    Thank you, this is an excellent visual. It will make it a bit more straightforward to talk about the brain – demystify the information.
    A very valuable resource.
    Thanks for your work in putting this together

    Reply
  9. Chiara says

    Thank you!!!

    Reply
  10. newell eaton says

    thanks – look forward to reviewing the report

    Reply
  11. Denise says

    Excellent for use as a tool however the dark background will use up too much ink to print. Thank you for sharing though.

    Reply
  12. Leslie Vornholt says

    Excellent visual and description of functions of each region of the brain. I can use it to guide my hands-on treatments and selection of essential oils. Thank you!

    Reply
  13. Debbie Davis says

    Thank you so much! An excellent summary for my clients. It is one thing for them to hear me talk about this, or even to share an article, but this diagram is really powerful and will assist clients in remembering this information between sessions!

    Reply
  14. Deb Foshager says

    I sure appreciate you sharing this! Thank you so much. It’s an excellent summarization of what we’re learning about the brain. It will be very helpful to my clients.

    Reply
  15. Diana Bowen says

    Thank you! I’m often looking for good visuals to share with clients, and this is well-written and easy to understand. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
  16. Pauline says

    Your sharing of information is just amazing and I thank you.

    Reply
  17. Kina Malmberg-Lovatt says

    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  18. Liz brimacombe says

    What a wonderful illustration, thank you for your generosity in sharing it for us to use with clients. Much appreciated and incredibly helpful.

    Reply
  19. Paula Jean Adams says

    Thanks for the great visual. It does help some clients to see what we’re talking about.

    Reply
  20. Timmie Pollock says

    Great chart. . However other mammals other than primates feel love and attachment

    Reply
  21. Sarah Clevely says

    Excellent chart. Thank you I have printed it and will frame it for myself, clients, and colleagues.

    Reply
  22. Menique Perera says

    A great Infographic. Thanks for sharing it!

    Reply
  23. zoe strickland says

    thank you for this helpful resource

    Reply
  24. Ellen says

    I like this. However, like another commenter, I would likely use it more if the background was not black. Any way to release another version with white background? Thank you.

    Reply
  25. Lorenia says

    Thank you so much for your generosity!!!
    Would love to have this translated into Spanish to support our work with Spanish-speaking population. Please let me know if I can be of service for it.
    Lorenia

    Reply
  26. Eric Andrews says

    Gah… There are so many things about this graphic that are not accurate from a stance of modern neuroscience. The Triune Brain model is interesting, but it is far too simplistic given the information from more modern research. Similarly, the “need” section is cute but over-simplistic. I know that many clients are not going to want an in-depth and complicated explanation of neurology and behavior, but we should find one that strikes a balance between accuracy and accessibility. Otherwise, we are all guilty of disseminating inaccuracies that hinder progress.

    Reply
    • Nancy says

      Wholeheartedly agree!

      Reply
    • Erin Wolfe says

      Eric, Do you have a link to a more accurate diagram? I agree that this model is too simplistic and also think that helping clients learn about their brain is helpful. If you know of something more accurate and still accessible, I’d love to know about it! Thanks.

      Reply
      • Mary Ann says

        I’d love to know about a more accurate one, too.

        Reply
  27. Lynne says

    A helpful visual aid in education of mind body experiences .
    ..thanks very much .

    Reply
  28. Sherine Lovegrove says

    Amazing poster
    Thank you much for sharing it, it is a mose welcome resource for my clients.

    Reply
  29. Pam Gottschalk says

    This is an excellent psychoeducational tool!!!
    Thanks.

    Reply
  30. Susan D. Gorman, M.A., SEP says

    Thank you for providing this excellent resource which has the benefit of helping us to partner with our clients to develop their own healing which can lead to finding additional tools for themselves outside of the partnership with the therapist. The clients then have a deeper commitment to do their own work in order to develop a greater sense of empowerment, self-confidence, choice of responses, and a deeper sense of agency!

    Reply
  31. Julia Laidlaw says

    Simple and elegant. Thanks for sharing this graphic.

    Reply
  32. Laura J. Nigro, M.S. says

    Wonderful! Thanks for another great resource, Ruth, Rick and Paul. ● SciEnspire! LLC

    Reply
  33. Rossen Russev says

    Thank you very much!

    Reply
  34. Johanna Bergerman says

    thank you; I will be able to make use of this.

    Reply
  35. tato says

    Great! Why can’t I print it?

    Reply
  36. Jackie Danielson says

    This is great–so clear. I will certainly use this. Thank you!

    Reply
  37. Francesca Di Mauro. LCSW says

    Very helpful. Thank you!!!

    Reply
  38. Louise says

    This is great! Thank you so much, will help my clients to understand.
    Blessings,
    Louise from Chicago

    Reply
  39. Juan R. says

    Thank you!

    Reply
  40. Stephen says

    Thank you.

    Reply
  41. stella bhagwat says

    thats super helpful! Thanks Ruth and team 🙂
    stella

    Reply
  42. Dave Shirley says

    Thank you for the information. It is a very helpful handout to give to clients when explaining how the brain functions. It would have been more helpful to have the handout with the background white instead of in colour. My printer had to use a lot of colour ink when printing it.

    Reply
  43. Doris Mason says

    Thanks! This is helpful.

    Reply
  44. Valerie Feeeley says

    Awesome, thank you. Explaining the brain and how trauma impacts the brain helps open people to be willing to try calming activities and meditative practices.

    Reply
  45. Sandra says

    Thank you! This is really a wonderful tool.
    Thank you for caring so much for people that you’ve made this free. I will certainly share the copywrite and include just how generous you are as well!

    Reply
  46. Janet Harvey says

    I have heard about the Triune Brain from the various sources of information I have learnt over the years. However, I do appreciate this Infography to show to clients it is well presented – Thank you

    Reply
  47. Jan Yordy says

    I have known about the Dr. McLean’s Triune Brain Theory for at least 15 or 20 years and use it all the time with clients. Since most of the time I work with children, I even wrote a book about this theory to help them understand it. Thanks for making this handy visual which I can now use with adults.

    Reply
  48. Erika says

    I laminated your last infograph, it’s such a great visual when speaking to the necessity of ongoing practice…. This will be the perfect compliment to explaining the effects of trauma on various regions of the brain, how to move out of tfight, flight, freeze, fiegn, for starters. I’ve had a number of clients ask for copies (the nicabm logo is always included). Thank you for creating and sharing this wonderful resource!

    Reply
  49. Donna Willems says

    Thank you for this concise and well done illustration of the basic brain. It would have been so helpful when I was learning cranio sacral work and now I will print it out and give it to my clients to assist them in becoming aware of their basic brain function. I am very grateful!

    Reply
  50. Suzette Misrachi says

    Thanks. Looks good. Any chance of making it even more simple?

    Reply
    • Erika says

      Hi Suzette, I’m wondering if you noticed that the third page is the first two pages combined for a simple one page version?

      Reply
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