Pioneers in the field of brain science and the treatment of trauma are continually researching new ways to help treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) . . . . . . and it looks like they’ve found something that works with the plasticity of the brain to help people gain control over a restless mind. R.C. […]
One Powerful Trauma Intervention for Working with a "Fear-Driven" Brain
When we treat patients who have experienced trauma, we’re often working with a brain that’s driven by fear. So for practitioners, it can be essential to know just what part of the brain to focus in on, and more importantly, what you can do once you know where to look. According to Sebern Fisher, MA, […]
Rethinking Trauma – Stephen Porges and the Polyvagal Theory
Following trauma, the body’s warning system often gets stuck on high alert . . . . . . but in Wednesday’s webinar with Stephen Porges, PhD, we got into some effective ways for “speaking” directly to a trauma survivor’s nervous system. Stephen revealed how things like tone of voice, certain gestures, and even the use […]
A Trauma Therapy Program for Children in Conflict Zones
If a single traumatic experience can change a person’s life for years to come, what must an average day be like for someone who faces traumatic events on a routine basis? For people affected by war or natural disaster, where entire populations from infants to the elderly have been exposed to so much suffering, what […]
Reframing a Patient’s Response to Trauma so They Can Heal
When a trauma occurs, our bodies simply react. But sometimes, when the body immobilizes in the face of trauma, this shutdown response can leave some trauma survivors (and even their loved ones) wondering why they didn’t “do” more to protect or defend themselves . . . . . . and often, this feeling of helplessness […]
Epigenetics Might Help Us Predict How the Brain Responds to Threats
If you could predict how well your clients might be able to deal with stress, just based on a blood or saliva sample, would that change your treatment approach? There’s a specific gene that’s been getting a lot of attention lately because it affects how the brain processes serotonin – a chemical created inside the […]
Brain Science and Meditation: How to Improve the Brain
Stress is no joke. Aside from the sleepless nights and lots of tension, stress can also have a range of negative health effects. So how do you reduce stress? A team of researchers at the Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine started looking for answers. They gathered 18 patients who had received a diagnosis of […]
How Mindfulness Works to Help the Brain Manage Pain
Can meditation help you feel less pain? What if one week of short meditation classes could change the way your brain perceives pain? Fadel Zeidan, PhD, and his colleagues at Wake Forest University wanted to find out how mindfulness meditation affects pain reception. Specifically, they looked at the areas of the brain responsible for constructing […]
A Better Night’s Sleep with Mindfulness
One of the problems with antidepressants is that they sometimes don’t work. Though many people try, it can be difficult to treat depression with antidepressants alone. And the side effects, like fatigue, anxiety, loss of libido, and sleep disturbance, can be frustrating. Dr. Willoughby Britton and her research team at the University of Arizona wanted […]
Do Your Wandering Thoughts Make You Unhappy? You’re Not Alone
Everywhere I go, I see people glued to their phones – almost obsessed. And you might say, why not? Phones these days can do everything – take photos, store games and books, keep our calendars . . . even help us chart our happiness. Yes, I did say chart our happiness. This app is one […]