This practical seminar which will be useful for psychotherapists, counsellors and psychologists across modalities, will provide us with the neuroscientific background that explains the seeming intractability of negative, shaming-blaming messages and beliefs, even when clients are trying extremely hard to modify or even re-wire them. We will look at practical therapeutic tools that can help our clients cultivate the self-awareness, self-empathy, self-compassion and self-acceptance that allows for revision and re-wiring of such negative beliefs.

The seminar shows how we can use the brain’s neuroplasticity to modify coping behaviours, even when these appear to be seemingly ‘stuck’ or intractable. Linda helps us identify empirically-validated therapeutic techniques that can be applied across modalities. Specifically, we consider how we can help our clients to learn:

• The ABC model of working with disruptive emotions and beliefs (aware, allow, accept, be with, be-friend, compassion and curiosity)
• Experiential exercises to strengthen self-awareness, self-compassion, self-empathy, self-forgiveness and self-acceptance in reliable, measurable ways
• Practices and protocols for healing toxic shame
• Tools for memory deconsolidation-reconsolidation (the juxtaposition of opposites) to rewire seemingly intractable patterns and shift from negativity to positivity
• Guided visualisations for the creation of inner resources – Wiser Self, Compassionate Friend, Inner Protector – to support and companion the healing process
• Mindful awareness practices that allow clients to see their repetitive mental patterns clearly and discern options
• The Wiser Self-Inner Critic dialogue that will allow the inner critic to retire to a new role of inner advisor
• Tools of guided imagination, inner parts dialogue, written reflection and why each is more effective at different stages of learning and growth

© nscience 2021 / 22