Neuroscientific Therapies: a revolution in psychotherapy

We discovered new psychological therapies based on neurological knowledge.

When I had finished teaching my class at the Faculty of Psychology, I was approached by some students who asked me about a type of therapy I had mentioned in my presentation: the Neuroscientific Therapies.

I told them that it is a form of therapy that a form of therapy that takes advantage of the latest research in neurosciences. neurosciences. I then added that they are therapeutic options that help overcome phobias, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders and sadness, among others, in a fast, deep, effective and permanent way.

Their mixed faces of surprise and disbelief said it all:

"And why haven't we heard of them?"

To such a question I answered. are therapies that are currently in expansion and are becoming more and more known.. Neuroscientific Therapies began in the 80's with the "EMDR" (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and it has been recently, in the first decade of the 21st century, when they have become more popular.

From that point on, the students' questions followed one after the other.

How do Neuroscientific Therapies work?

In EMDR, for example, we work by emulating the rapid movements of the eyes.. Every night when we sleep we enter a phase of deep sleep (the REM phase) in which we move our eyes at high speed while dreaming. This mechanism is completely natural and is a way for the brain to reprocess, or reduce and even eliminate the stress experienced during the day or at other times in our lives. Hence one of the benefits of being able to sleep correctly.

Based on this knowledge, the EMDR therapist applies a series of sets or horizontal movements with the fingers, while the patient follows them with the eyes. When thinking about a disturbing or stressful event while moving the eyes at high speed, the amygdala is activated at high speed, the amygdala is activated in a way that produces a reduction in stress.This can cause the negative emotion to be transformed into a positive one, such as calmness or acceptance.

But is all this scientific?

This question, asked by one of the students, prompted me to explain that, for example, EMDR is one of the most popular therapies in the world, EMDR is one of the most widely used and studied neuroscientific therapies in the world.. It is also true that it is one of the first to appear. In our country there are hospitals that have it integrated into their protocols. For example, at the Hospital Clínic in Barcelona, in the sexual assault unit, it is the most commonly used therapy to help people overcome their traumas and all the stress they have suffered.

As I told them more about these therapies, their faces began to indicate greater understanding and receptivity.

Are there more Neuroscience Therapies?

Yes. There are currently four main therapies, and new ones are being created all the time. For example, there is Wingwave Coachingwhich is a therapy that allows us to go to the origin of the trauma or disturbance. With a kinesiological testtest, called O-Ring Testwe can discover the beginning of the problem. The great majority of blockages, traumas, phobias and limiting beliefs are found in the stage of imprintingfrom birth to 6 or 7 years old. When we work the root of the problem we are releasing a great tension and allowing to unblock a lot of negative emotional charge.

It is also included within the Neuroscientific Therapies the so called Brainspottingwhich allows us to detect the Brainspots o ocular points of access to the experience. When someone has suffered a trauma and begins to relate it, his eyes are placed at a point in space. This position of the gaze is not random, but a window to access the memory. From the Brainspots, the person can reconnect with that experience but feeling like a spectator, which allows him/her to be at ease.This allows him/her to be calm while thinking about the event. This makes it easier for the situation to lose intensity and even to incorporate positive resources to the event.

The ICT (Brain Integration Therapies), are based on the idea that each of our hemispheres processes information in a different way. The right hemisphere is more emotional and the left hemisphere is more rational. When we experience a traumatic situation, such as the sudden death of a family member and suffer a complicated or pathological grief, it may be that one of our right hemispheres is more emotional and the left is more rational, one of our hemispheres may be overwhelmed.. By bilateral stimulation, covering one eye and the other alternately, we facilitate the two hemispheres to connect. When this happens the levels of tension and anxiety are reduced and we are able to think about that event with peace and serenity.

So, is it possible to make someone not afraid of anything?

It would be possible to help a person to overcome their phobias and blockages, but we must not lose sight of the fact that we cannot lose sight of the fact that we are not afraid of anything. we must not lose sight of the fact that not being afraid of anything is not very adaptive..

My professional ethics would prevent me from reprocessing the fear of doing something that would put your life at risk. What these therapies do allow is to help people who, for example, have had a phobia for a long time, such as getting into a car, an airplane or an elevator, to be able to do what they are afraid of in 1 to 4 sessions. In these cases it can be adaptive to eliminate the focus of the fear, since the person really needs to perform such actions in order to lead a normal life.

And the changes are permanent?

Absolutely. The changes are maintained over time because we work from the origin and passing through each of the feeder memories (other traumatic events that have added negative emotions), in such a way that the person has reprocessed or transformed all the negative emotions into positive emotions.

At this point, the students told me that they had not been taught these therapies at school, but that they were eager to learn more about them.

In the end, knowledge advances as society does, and neurosciences are increasingly present in all areas of our lives. It is not magic, it is science.