When neuroscience began to discover more about the brain’s remarkable ability to change, it opened up new ways of thinking about our work with patients.
By harnessing the power of neuroplasticity, we can help patients think more clearly, learn more easily, develop greater focus, and manage reactive emotions.
And that can help them find new ways to respond to a wide range of conditions including brain injury, stroke, learning disabilities, traumatic experiences, depression, and anxiety.
But neuroplasticity involves a number of complex processes, and it can be a difficult concept to convey to patients. Want to teach your clients about neuroplasticity? Give them this: @RuthBuczynski Click To Tweet So we created this as a way for you to help patients understand how neuroplasticity works. Because if the brain can change, your patients’ lives can change.
If you’d like to print a copy to share with your clients, just click here: Color or Print-friendly black & white
Now we'd like to hear from you. How could you use this in your work with patients? Please leave a comment below.
By harnessing the power of neuroplasticity, we can help patients think more clearly, learn more easily, develop greater focus, and manage reactive emotions.
And that can help them find new ways to respond to a wide range of conditions including brain injury, stroke, learning disabilities, traumatic experiences, depression, and anxiety.
But neuroplasticity involves a number of complex processes, and it can be a difficult concept to convey to patients. Want to teach your clients about neuroplasticity? Give them this: @RuthBuczynski Click To Tweet So we created this as a way for you to help patients understand how neuroplasticity works. Because if the brain can change, your patients’ lives can change.
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 black & white
Now we'd like to hear from you. How could you use this in your work with patients? Please leave a comment below.
Love your work. Thanks for your generosity. These tools help me a lot in my work as a Jungien Psychanalyst.
This is an amazingly informative infographic! As a researcher in the field of neurofeedback, this will be really helpful as I explain to clients how our brain training can foster a healthier brain!
VERY VERY GOOD, THANK YOU Ruth and team – I am a Clinical Hypnotherapist/Counsellor at Perth Hypnosis Centre in sunny West Australia and absolutely love to provide psychoeducation to each of my clients. It places them into a “possiblity” mode, hope filled to achieve their desired changes and encourages them to do their homework 🙂
Extremely informative: a good insight into the understanding of how the brain works and the resulting effects on neuroplasticity on the individual.
May I ask a question?
What does”pay attention”refer to ?
Can you give an example?Thank you.
Thanks for this! I often tell patients and clients about neuroplasticity because it creates a sense of hope and can provide motivation for them to actively participate in their own healing. This is a great visual to reinforce what I am teaching them. I remember how I felt when I first learned it!!!
Grace Hall, LMT, COTA
Our brain generate new neurons every day. It gave to me another new world when I learned this. like, new things happens every day, things can change, many things are possible!
New synapses are created when we learn new skills and have new experiences. It remind me to try sth. new every day.(*^*)
And when we repeat and practice it more times, it will strengthen the synapses. We will have the same feeling when we think of it. Or we can ride a bicycle without thinking how to control it. (Once bitten by a dog, fear of it every time when one sees it.)
Synapses can also become weak, if connections in the brain are not used…. If it is related to quit smoke?
Firstly ,I want to use these ideas to myself. Like building a new habit (like, read one page in this website and think as much as possible, one day one page.) Second, it changes my view of life. It make me believe life can be changed. And new things can happy. We can have different experience. That’s amazing. Third, it encourages me think of life in a positive way. No one can be defined by trauma. We can learn , grow up from trauma! So it is the way I can respect my client, a way with hope. Fourth, it shows me how I can affect the client.
I may try this,”Your brain create new neurons every day. Once you have good, new experience of life, your brain will get this message and creates a new synapses which says, hello, I’m new. If you do it again and again, this new synapses ,like a bridge, will be stronger and stronger. It will be obvious and you can easily feel it. Of course, the old synapse , once you haven’t use it for a long time, it become weak. ”
I think this will give the client hope, encourage them to try, and make their life under control!
For a case, like how the mum teach a child, a right teaching method once used by the mum, a good, happy relationship will be built, so is the things in their brain.
That’s all I learn today.I still have too much to share or in my heart(that I want to express).
Thanks to all the workers here. You do help me a lot!!
mum and baby ,the relationship will affect the neurons of the baby.
2 aspects
3 stages
6 changes
10 possibilities
There is still another thing here…
We get stimulate from the environment, and our brain passes
an order to our body. A Neural circuit formed. Since neuroplasticity is possible , new experience will change the Neural circuit,so we will have a body reaction.
really!I am so excited when I read this page!
It tells me good news—Things can change! Hope!
English is not my first language…I still want to share sth. here…
Look at the picture.It makes me know more about it… traumatic events, stress, some bad emotion which last long,such as depression, can change our brain. Then our brain can change how we feel and think.(like an endless cycle… until one day sth. change)
Also we can see, good personal relationship, good feelings (when you take a walk outside), learning new things, and proper diet(food we eat related to our energy balance), do some exercise(like running), ,especially new experiences can also change our life! It can even save one’s life!
I would like to introduce all of these things to my clients,and I need to learn more. I may advise my clients in some ways like above. and tell him or her that, because of the neuroplasticity, if you chose to do exercise or take photos enjoying peaceful and pleasure inside, you will have good new feelings,that will stored in your brain and change your mind and more ways you will find.
It reminds me that, if one was hurt in interpersonal relationships, esp. from intimate relationship, a new relationship should be built between the person and the clinician,which includes safety, relax, care, warmth and love. That will build a quite different way for the client , to feel or think differently. It works because it depends on neuroplasticity.
I like this part very much…!
So we can introduce this idea to our clients. like saying”Trauma is part of the life, but it is not the whole of it.Your new experience and feelings, changes it. Your brain has ability to learn. New things can store in your brain, like feeling of safety, love, pleasure and peace. Your body will memorize it and things will change. Your brain will learn new things and make it work differently. So welcome a new world here.”
it seems… that I have endless words to say here…
or I can tell the client, like,”Your brain has the ability to learn new things. and your body have the instincts to heal from trauma,from Peter A. Lavine. Your brain has a system to restore and address memories(information)”—It sounds like we can introduce ….how we can recover in the way of brain(neuroplasticity and the powerful system), body , and …other ways.
Part 3:
I would like to say… “Our brain has neuroplasticity, like a sea or river to help itself make the water clean. When our brain works, we learn things. We learn good ones and bad ones. If one accident happened, we may be fearful of driving. It is because the brain controls how we think and feel about it. But it doesn’t mean you’ll never get a chance to learn new things, to have a kind of new,good feeling, like safe, able to control. ”
“Our brain has neuroplasticity.”
I am a student of Metaphysical Science and I am beginning my work on my Master’s/Doctoral thesis and dissertation. Specifically I want to prove my theory that neuroplasticity, with the help of metaphysical teachings and understands, can help people fully recover from addiction. I noticed on the above flyer that addiction was mentioned and I wanted to request any further information or research that you may know of to assist me in “re-creating” our rehab programs to bring these lovely people back to a state of health and wellness. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Hello, Kim Carter
By Metaphysical Science do you mean Metaphysics? What are your methods? Perhaps if you re more explicit of what you do we can help you better.
Kind regards
Dr. Maya
There has been some research in this area over the last decade. For example, Judson Brewer MD, PhD (University of Massachusetts Medical School) has found that Mindfulness Meditation is twice as effective as the past gold standard for quitting smoking (which is just as addictive as heroin and activates the same areas of the brain) Check out “Mindfulness and Neurofeedback” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wil45EaQvUE
Very grateful. This certainly will make sense to many patients. Thanks again.
This is great! I love using brain science with our couples. It helps create a new sense of empowerment as they discover there’s a “neurology underneath love”. This will be a great addition alongside the model brain I have them hold. The 3-pound universe 🙂
Thanks again! You are much appreciated!!!
Thank you! Neuroplasticity in the brain is an amazing and exciting discovery!
some of my clients enjoy studying the”science” of neiroscience and beleive it will give them more understanding of what’s going on for them
As a Physical Therapist, most of my clients have chronic pain issues, and we know that the more they know how the nervous system can and does change, the more they can work with it. Each tool I can use to help them understand, gives them more ways that they can connect with the information. Every client I see is taught about neuroplasticity.
I love teaching in the community about resilience, neuroplasticity, and mental health. What a great, clear explanation to pass on to the community. Thank you.
Excellent graphic! Will prove very useful as a physical and visual reference to verbal information.
This handout will validate the verbal information provided to the client regarding rain-changing activities.
We know so much more now than when I was in graduate school and realized that I was experiencing math anxiety. At the time I discovered brain changing exercises to enable me to make an A in my statistics class and a 100 on the statistics portion of my licensing examination. That personal achievement has been useful throughout my years as a therapist.
THANKS for this information.
This is a brilliant and very clear summary which provides visual support for any explanations. thank you Ruth for developing resources of such high standard. Jacquie Wise Australia.
Thank you — it’s beautifully encapsulated the tomes about neuroplastiicity. Very helpful!
This is a wonderful summary of neuro-psychological processes. I can easily use it with clients in counselling and when offering reassessment recommendations. Thank you!
An excellent graphic presentation for use in psycho-educational sessions.
The topic of neuroplasticity and the brain is an important one when I am working with my clients with trauma, depression, anxiety … To share there is hope in developing new neural networks for healing and health is such a gift to clients.
This is a great visua to explain to my clients in more detail about neuroplasticity is … thank you!
Thank you! I’m going to be using this next week.
This is great! Thank you so much for all the wonderful resources from NICABM over the years. Because of NICABM, I am a more informed therapist.
Wonderful infographics, may i add two small suggestions, to change “diet” for “nutrition” and “new experiences” (OK) as with a time-frame > new positive experiences/per weekend or per month or per year, especially as i work with adolescentes/Young and traumatized clients and when neuro plasticity is so importante!
I will be delighted to use this as back-up to what I’ve been teaching in Brain Gym(R). These charts will make it just a little bit clearer for them. Thanks again for all you share.
Thanks, Great information!
To give them hope of positive change
Thank you, Ruth,
Everything you put out is very helpful. Just can’t keep up with it!
Best,
Irini Rockwell
Thank you. Clear, concise and informative (hope-inducing even).
We will use this as part of our 8-week couple’s communication workshop here on Maui, as well as-needed when coaching dialogue skills and practice.
Terrific handout. Thank you!
Dear Ruth
Thank you for this wonderful information
I thought you might enjoy this chapter from my newest book
NEURAL HYPNOSIS
BY SHELLEY STOCKWELL-NICHOLAS, PhD
(Excerpted from her new book “THRIVE: Medical Hypnosis For Yourself and Others” feel free to contact her at shelleynicholas@cox.net)
With every thought, your dynamic brain reorganizes itself in structure, connections and function. Thoughts change your cells and your cells change your thoughts. Your very perception can enhance or interfere with your cell activity, performance, happiness and wellness.
In this moment, billions of embryonic stem cells repair and/or replace your tissue and organs creating five to ten thousand new cells a day! This explains how you recover from stroke, injury and physical.anomalies.
New cells and new connections are created as you learn and remember. Old cells and their connections are weakened and may fade away when not called upon.
Clever marketers re-brand hypnosis with veiled titles like “neuroplasticity,” “neurobiology,” “neuroscience hypnosis,” “self-directed neuro-immunology,” “neural meditation,” and “epigenics” (meaning “above genes”). All celebrate that mind-over-matter matters when it comes to brain matter…
Dear Shelly,
Most interesting your excerpt of your new book “Thrive”! Thanks for sharing it!
Thanks to Ruth also!
I completely agree with Rebecca’s comments and I am a psychiatrist.
Ruth and her collaborators are outstanding for addressing new ways to help mentally ill patients and to prevent mental illness mostly based on neuroplasticity and not on DSM diagnoses only.
Neuroplasticity is not yes integrated in our medical and psychiatric practice. We are still mostly working on the neurotransmitters (and cognitive distortions at times with CBT) according to our diagnoses without addressing the environmental and brain connecting issues.
Too often people spend their energy in becoming more and more depressed and anxious rather than in constructing connections, all type of energizing connections for the brain to be working for them. I like the comment in the dark side that the brain is neutral : “it doesn’t know the difference between good and bad”. Up to us to be aware of this fact: the thoughts I entertained are not neutral. it gives the direction to my emotions and interferes with my connections around me and in my brain synapses. For example, blaming oneself for a problem does not mean one is a responsible person but that one is a guilt ridden person with negative thoughts deepening one’s depressive state. Recognizing mistakes is completely different from staying in a guilty trip.
Becoming aware of neuroplasticity brings our attention not so much on symptoms but on how we create and maintain them. It gives us tools to be healthy with or without a disease. Very good to know for a psychiatrist.
Suzanne Lamarre MD
Thank you so very much! I printed two copies, one for me and one for my son and his wife. I also posted it on Facebook. I am not a professional, but I have spent my adult lifetime getting mentally healthy. Your site has helped me so very, very much. I don’t know how I got on your mailing list, Miss Ruth, but I praise God. How wonderful that you make this knowledge available to the average person who does not have five degrees in psychology and who does not have a shingle hanging outside. I think making this info mainstream is the way to educate the masses. There are many like me who are very smart and very motivated to get and stay well– and help others. Our lives have often been spent in raising children and a plethora of other careers– not psychology. If I had the money, I would take almost every course you offer! Blessings, Rebecca Hobbs, Jackson, Mississippi
Thank you. Very helpful indeed and I will be leaving with my clients to reinforce the beneficial effects of repetition in their homework.
Many thanks indeed for this graphic.
It will be most helpful when explaining neuroplasticity, to clients, and in describing how pathways can change.
I think page two will be particularly of benefit and will be useful as a take home sheet for further learning and understanding.
Love this and will use it in my work with parents of high-risk children who’ve suffered abandonment, abuse, neglect, and/or substances in utero. You just made my world easier with this great visual!
Very good te educate clients. Could you also mention about frequency resonance coherence? The heart and the brain influence each other. See: Evolving Thought Field Therapy, John H. Diepold, page 283-286.
I will absolutely use this with clients. A nice clear visual. Thanks!
It’s a great resource!!! Clear, simple and effective!Thank you very much for sharing!!!!
Brain does not understand language.
It responds to frequencies of colours, sounds, gem stones, always SEEKING BALANCE to heal itself, as it
knows best.
Morris Chrono 93 – bio.60 , according to blood tests
Brain does not understand language.
It responds to frequencies of colours, sounds, gem stones, always SEEKING BALANCE to heal itself, as it
knows best.
Morris Chrono 93 – bio.60 , according to blood tests
This is really great, as was your last infographic, thank you.
A point re printing: in a world where we all try to reduce waste, the reversed-out graphic uses a HUGE amount of printer ink – using a black on white, instead of white on black (or colour) would allow five copies for the same amount of ink as is used for just one, in your present format….
Hi Suzie, please check out the print-friendly black and white option. It’s right under the infographic.
Ruth
Very nice graphic summary of the neuroplasticity. More useful in the work with students than with patiens
Thank you..
Seeing brain growth in some foster kids. Believing for others
Very nice, accessible explanation. As an Art Therapist working with survivors of sexual trauma I discuss neuroplasticity with my clients on a regular basis. Makes sense that various arts media and creative engagement stimulate neuroplasticity.
Thank you!
That’s great, so helpful to have a visual when explaining how neuroplasticity works. Thank you. Ann
Thank you Dr. Ruth. On this we do agree as I am a firm believer in these concepts and beliefs whether yet proven or not. It makes perfect sense. I just did not know there was a name to it until more currently. Just as a child I did not know there was a name for losing one’s memories so abruptly and I strongly believe connected to very last surviving memories near or around very same time and filled with pure unadulterated paralyzing terror. I imagine its going to take a whole lot of something to overcome these extremely disturbing, hurting phantom pains telling quite the story themselves. they hurt, almost constantly while awake they hurt. Contrary to actual current pain, I would describe them more as a low level constant pain interrupted only by sleep, heavy concentration, and the movement of body part originally so cruelly and inhumanly effected.
Hello Arina,
Have you considered reiki or myofascial release therapy? It will be safe way to address your pain and associated trauma. I am a practicing MFR therapist (not reiki) and also studying psychology/neurobiology to understand how this works because I know it does. I think any therapy you try may be painful at first, but at least you will move through it instead of feeling trapped behind it. Good luck!
Grace Hall, LMT, COTA, student/ lifelong learner
A great chart which I can use often in my work. Thank you
Great visual for explaining neuroplasticity! I am an OT and hung it in my office; I also gave one to our PT for her gym. Thanks!
great work @ lovespellsandlostlovespells.com
It’s a very helpful survey and even encourages the client to find out his/her own way. It diminishes fear and is motivating: helpful techniques are possible. There is a chance for a better life. The client knows what happens and how and why it works. No witchcraft, no magic.
This is great. I would love to teach my clients Neuroplasticity . Thank you for sharing this.
awesome! and Easy to ‘get’! …great visual too. I can envision being great help to illustrate and re~mind kids and adults and classrooms I coach, consult and advocate with. Thank you!
Thank you so much for the chart. I have 2 clients, one that recently had a stroke and one has been recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. The graph will be such a helpful tool working with these clients and also with my teaching of Mindfulness to all of my clients.
Thank you for this chart and opportunity to look again at neuroplasticity. I always appreciate the consistency and high standard you bring to the profession and our education, Ruth.
“The brain is neutral; it doesn’t know the difference between good and bad.” Some say life’s events are neutral– I say it is the meaning we give to what happens that wires the brain. Mindfulness plays a bigger role than anyone can imagine–in helping lead us through life’s inevitable challenges with presence and choice– incorporating new ways of being and more resilience than we thought possible.
Thank you for publishing this – our team are going to print out this poster. However, like Andrew Bein, we have a concern about the ‘good / bad thoughts’ label. Could you perhaps change this to ‘Helpful / Unhelpful’ thoughts?
yes I second that as it implies less judgement. What one society or even generation within same said society deems as good, another might deem as bad. The use of marijuana as a medicinal herbal medication is a perfect example I would imagine.
Thanks, Ruth.
This will be very helpful for my depressed clients that hold little hope for the future, and are not thoroughly convinced that change is possible.
there is always hope but it may take a village and will involve much work on the part of the client too. Going to school and taking classes that challenges the mind is helpful. Exercise too. Healthy diet of course as well. I used to believe in LOVE so much as the cure all but lately I wonder where has it gone.
Hi everyone,
It was brought to our attention that there was an issue with the PDF file in that it was not printing or displaying properly for some devices. We have looked into the issue and made some adjustments, so now all devices should be able to access and print the full PDF.
To download the infographic, click here: https://s3.amazonaws.com/nicabm-stealthseminar/Blog/images/NICABM-Neuroplasticity-Infographic-PDF.pdf
If you are still having difficulties with viewing or printing the PDF, please let us know at: respond@nicabm.com and we will assist you.
Thank you for the graphic
Using this as a teacher of young children is
priceless
This will be a wonderful tool to share with my Ageless Grace students. However, as other have noted above, the pdf is incomplete. It includes the second page twice, but does not include the first page.
I’ll check back later, in hopes that this is corrected, it’s such a valuable resource!
Thank you so much for this information, and in a little diagram how wonderful. I will use this in my Addiction groups along with my other visual charts to explain that change is possible.
This is a great tool for some of my most challenging patients! Will download it and give it to them so that they can understand how practicing the things we do in session, as well as turning their negative thoughts into positive thoughts, will strengthen their neuroplasticity in a positive way, whereas continuing
their negative thoughts and behaviors will reinforce that in their brains. Thanks for a simple, understandable, tool.
Clients seem to understand that repetition affects neural pathways and also the concept of a part of the brain being the executive and another part being the emotional side. Thus the concept of emotional regulation resting upon coupling new physiological responses and the observing non judgemental brain with data which previously resulted in a heightened arousal. This information presented by you explains in brief form some fairly involved concepts including polyvagal theory, trauma activation and the triune brain, mindfulness etc.
Thankyou
Thank you! Great to have to teach people. Appreciate your putting it out.
Thank you for your continuing work and know that many of us are indebted to you for your dedication and continued invaluable work
Dr Jonn Mumford
Thank you will certainly help with my work with clients and patients. Much appreciated
I really appreciate the work and offering client access to the information. I work hard at moving away from the language of “good” and “bad,” especially from a DBT perspective. Because of the inclusion of good/bad language, I would not show this chart to my clients. Just some feedback. –Andrew Bein, Ph.D., LCSW
Thank you for sharing this. It will be very helpful to our group as we work with incarcerated women to help demonstrate the real and positive benefit and possible outcomes of developing mindfulness practice and interrupting learned responses.
Thank you for this ! It will be very helpful in my work with a team of volunteers with incarcerated women! It will help demonstrate the value of developing mindfulness practices and interrupting learned responses.
Thank you so much for this precious piece of work, it will be most valuable for my clients.
Thank you to share this with us, I like to learn and this is a great help.
Hello Dr. Buczynski, I don’t usually comment, but I appreciate your emails. I am not a healthcare professional, however, I teach a meditation-type of class. It is always great to see scientific reinforcement that the brain can change in positive ways.
Thank you so much for make “complicated” topics understandable for the layman.
In gratitude,
Rita V
Im a yoga teacher and I love that this science proves what I know to be true from my work and personal practice. Great work, and thank you for sharing in such a clear and concise way.
You are really doing great work to enhance better brain, and when there are better brains people will be able to make wise decision which will enhance development and where there is development we will have a better society and automatically a better world…. More grace to your elbow Dr Ruth
This is an excellent informative and motivational chart for students to understand that they have the power within them to make positive changes.
This is a nice visual summary of neuroplasticity and mindfulness. THANKS . A couple things could help with definitions, such as dendritic spines and microglia activity. Keep up the great work
Jim Lewis
Thanks so much, this is excellent! I’m still having a problem with printing the entire documet and I’m using the PDF link under the graphic. it pulls up the entire document but only prints page 2 twice…page 1 doesn’t print even tho it looks like it will.
I have the same problem, only the pdf I downloaded doesn’t have page 1 at all, just two copies of page 2.
Me, too. Please email when this is corrected. Thank you,
Kathleen
Same here.
Thank you so much for sharing this valuable teaching tool. Can’t wait to share with my colleagues and clients at work.
I love this chart. Some clients like all of us are visual learners.
Thank you, Dr. Ruth Buczinsky! This comprehensive representation of a new view of ourselves will benefit me and my students. Talking about neuroplasticity has helped, but looking at this poster will make major inroads in understanding and in motivation.
Thank you
This is a great graphic for the military members I work with and means I won’t have to resort to drawing a much poorer version of this on my dry-erase board every time I explain what’s happening in their brain that is causing their crisis cycle or stress-response. (Is a kid-friendly graphic in the works?) Currently I work on an air force base and the stigma attached to mental health issues prevents many from seeking help for trauma, anxiety, and related-symptoms. I use brain-informed methods to help remove the stigma of mental ‘illness’ and their idea that, despite their mission-ready competencies, they are weak and powerless to effect change. When I explain the ‘dark’ side of neuroplasticity, the relief on their face is easily visible and when I explain the ‘bright’ side of neuroplasticity, they finally experience hope. They are empowered by the knowledge they can develop competencies that will not only help them manage their symptoms, but that could potentially heal what lies behind their symptoms. Thank you for this!
Hi Patricia,
I forwarded your comment to Ruth. This is so encouraging. Thank you for taking the time to comment on how you will use this with members of our military.
Best regards,
Nancy
Thank you for this visual representation of the concepts of neuroplasticity – it will be a useful resource for people who preferentially learn through a visual mode.
Thank you for such a concise and remarkably visual diagram. This makes abundantly clear the concepts involved in neuroplasticity. I will use with clients and colleagues.
So much is a mystery unfolding… New knowledge….
Very exciting to share! Thank you!
I am a psychotherapist and I find it difficult to explain what I don’t thoroughly understand. This is helpful to me and will, undoubtedly, be helpful to my clients. Many thanks!
I am a clinical psychologist who uses neurofeedback as part of (or sometimes all of) treatment. This will obviously help explain how what we are doing affects brain function and the importance of also practicing new patterns of behavior in order to solidify change. Thanks!
I love this diagram and will definitely share with clients. However, when I try to print out a copy from the PDF it excludes the first page and prints the second page twice. The JPEG reduces the size so that it prints as one page and the quality is not as great. Perhaps I’m just a bit technologically challenged. Any ideas?
I am having the same problem with printing. The PDF has Page 2 twice and no Page 1. I love the graphic, very informative and yet easy to follow. Please provide PDF for Page 1. Thanks.
The message of hope and possibility is always good!
never mind… found the PDF 🙂
did any one else have difficulty printing this graphic?
couldn’t print the entire graphic…
Hi Lori,
Please use the PDF version to print, it is just under the infographic.
The pdf has page 2 twice, no page 1. Could you please provide both pages of the graphic in the pdf? It’s wonderful.
Thank you so very much! I love the summarized look. It helps bring everything together in my thinking.
Thanks for this – it is a great infographic and really covers what people need to know to give them hope. I like that you have covered the negatives as well as the positives. The pattern-matching aspect of our brains is so often overlooked.
Great, can stimulate conversation, curiosity and new exploration.
Love the concept and appreciate the resource. Any chance I missed the “cheat-sheet” for therapists that accompanies this diagram-so then we can explain it to the clients? I am familiar enough with the other concepts but the section “NP can take place when changes occur in.. ” went above my knowledge base.
DK, the PDF is just under the infographic.
The pdf I downloaded has page 2 twice, no page 1. I hope this can be fixed. Thanks.
Very clear and informative… good tool to share info with patients. Hope it can be translated in several languages
This is an excellent tool to add to the collection because it clearly and convincingly demonstrates how change is possible, behavioral changes, reprogramming, healing old wounds, correcting health issues is all possible… Allowing the client to believe in their own potential.. That’s most of the work done.. Thanku.. A brilliant resource! .. Much appreciated.. Regards Mia
Brilliantly & simply stated, well done! Thank you for your work in this life enhancing enterprise.
Thank you so much! Although the concepts are familiar, and though we may have intense conversation as we work, or just think about it on our own, this visual + language format is great! When one sees it, there is a dfiferent felt sense that arises….and it is one that opens and encourages the very thing we all long for: the possibility of change! What a great, and useful idea, put into action! Thanks for making it available!
Love the handout but when I try to print it, the bottom is cut off and there is no way to print the rest.
Hi Valerie, thank you very much for letting use know. We made a PDF version of it so you can print it without cutting off. Please enjoy.
Thanks so much for this chart Ruth. It has it ‘in a nutshell’ so to speak. I will find it useful with many patients where the aim is to develop new neural pathways but especially for those who have a somewhat paranoid personality adaptation and tend to be suspicious of many ideas, people and things. Being offered a clear explanation, especially with scientific underpinning, is more than helpful for these patients. By the way . . it’s a great summary for me as the practitioner too!!
Wow, this is a wonderful infographic. I talk to all my clients about neuroplasticity and this will be very helpful.
Thanks Ruth! A very useful tool.
This visual really helps understand what is going on in the brain. Thank you.
The visual is often so much easier for clients to comprehend–thank you! Very useful tool.
Thank you for your courses and articles. I’ve been using these concepts in my work with attorneys to educate them on the impact of stress on the brain and as a way to encourage them to engage in practices such as meditation and exercise. Science prevails!
Thank you, Ruth. Especially for making it a download. Seeing a visual makes this easier to internalize for my clients.
Thank you Ruth! Very useful!
When scientifically proven findings are shown to the patients it definitely educates them to make their brain resilient. This in turn makes them to help themselves to overcome their problems
This is excellent! As a TBI survivor (from a SAH caused by an AVM), I am eternally grateful to learn about the brain’s miraculous assets. Following my craniotomy I suddenly started composing orchestral themes, and for the last 25 years have very blessed to be able to have some success with my music. Dr. Darrold Treffert has added my name to the database he keeps on patients where this “phenomenon” has occurred. I am thankful each day as I look back now….for this gift of music in my life….which I doubt would be present without having suffered the TBI.
wow, that is very interesting, I am finding the same thing myself! Wow!
The realization that the brain is neutral and “learns” good as well as bad is an “Aha” moment for those struggling with any type of recovery. Thanks for this!
I’m actually working with meditation and neuroplasticity for myself. Just haven’t been the same since that brain tumor! Thanks for the help.
Thank you for sharing this. A useful tool.
Thank you for putting this out. I do agree with mind being neutral, the direction of thoughts need to be external and can be nurtured. Younger the better.
Thank you for sharing this. Very clear and well proportioned information. Often clients feel so stuck that they believe that they do not have the capacity to change. This illustration confirms that indeed, they do! I look forward to sharing this with my clients.
Thanks for that great tool. This will be helpfull for my clients and colleagues!
Very beautifully collated!! Thank you for being so generous.I and my clients will love this!
Thank you! I’ve been Trina to create this myself!!!!!
thank you this is very helpful for sharing with clients.
Good guidelines in a nutshell. Thanks.
Thank you! This is especially timely, as we have just begun another Regaining Balance Retreat for Women Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress. We teach them a very grounding, extended outbreath, mindfulness meditation, art-as-journaling, journaling by hand (in the blank journals we give them), and an awareness developing exercise that culminates in each person writing a poem as well as together writing a group poem. We will share your graphic with our group; thank you so much for making it available!
This is great stuff to learn to know! Yoga is the healing tool in my life. Mindfulness and enjoying a meditation and yoga practice keeps me calm and peaceful. I feel like I clear my brain of negative thoughts and emotions each time. It is clear to me that our breath and connection to source are key to help sustain focus and eliminate what does serve you. I am ! Grateful ! The one thing I would like to improve in my brain is memory. How can I do that?? Some people have the most remarkable memories and others are just like me! Is is what we choose? Why do Iremember certain things and not others randomly? This is my question to you about changing the brain! Thank you for your insight !!
Great resource & clear illustration . Thanks for sharing
Thank you for this awesome visual! My brain lights up as I look at it, and I feel energy running through me. This diagram connects all the dots of new neuroscience I’ve been accumulating for several years. It’s a new tool for my working memory. It’s a great tool for helping others understand themselves and see how to participate in one’s own healing. It offers a plan and hope!
Thank you – I can see a lot of uses for this with my clients as part of the psycho-educational process
Thank you!!
Great tool..thanks for sharing
Neuroplasticity gives me great hope for the future: a cure for various mental illnesses, dementia + PTSD.
Absolutely brilliant – something that I can use with some of my young people who are dependant on mind-altering substances. Thank you so much for this.
It is helpful to have all the info presented so clearly and in one place.
This chart is great because most of the clients I talk to understand that positive effects of neuroplasticity, but don’t realize that negative patterns, repeated over time become entrenched as well and these too can be changed, albeit, slowly and with some difficulty, but still can be changed.
This flow chart would useful in palm size to put into purse wallet ; to be easily referred to when needing a prompt to remind yourself of the steps involved in change.
This is such a great piece of psychoed, I’m excited to share it with clients. Thank you for creating and generously sharing this chart!