Outline

The essentials of brain and behavior shift.

• Evolution and development of human brain
• Impact of relationships on brain development and coping strategies
• Four mechanisms of brain change
• Four practices that accelerate brain change

Experiencing stress and trauma can cause equilibrium to be lost.

• Body-based tools to regulate the stressed-out/numbed-out cycles of the nervous system
• Body-based tools reduce symptoms of PTSD
• Social engagement tools to antidote the brain’s innate negativity bias
• Sensorimotor approaches to manage surges of emotions
• Practices to prime the brain’s plasticity-receptivity to learning

Emotions can be managed skillfully.

• Shift out of the brain’s ruminative negative judgments
• Rewire memories of toxic shame
• Manage anxiety when facing the new or the unknown
• Experience new self-acceptance and self-appreciation
• Strengthen one’s sense of self and self-worth
• Recover internal working models of resilience

The events are being re-appraised.

• Re-frame meaning and consequences of challenges and catastrophes
• Finding silver lining in difficulties and disasters
• Contextualizing traumatizing events in coherent narrative
• Re-engagement with larger world; accessing resources; recovering self-efficacy
• Finding renewed meaning, purpose, authentic and resilient self