Neuroscientific Therapies: a revolution in psychotherapy

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

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

Their faces, a mixture of surprise and disbelief, said it all:

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

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

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

How do you work in Neuroscientific Therapies?

In EMDR, for example, works by emulating the rapid movements of the eyes. Every night when we sleep we enter a deep sleep phase (REM sleep) 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 stress experienced throughout the day or at other times in our lives. Hence one of the benefits of being able to sleep properly.

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

But is all this scientific?

This question, formulated by one of the students, prompted me to explain that, for example, EMDR is one of the most widespread 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 action protocols. For example, at the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, ​​in the sexual assault unit, it is the most widely 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 show greater understanding and receptiveness.

Are there more Neuroscientific Therapies?

Yeah. There are currently four main therapies, and new ones are being created all the time. For example, there is the Wingwave Coaching, which is a therapy that allows us to go to the origin of the trauma or disturbance. With a kinesiological test, called O-Ring Test, we can discover the beginning of the problem. The vast majority of blocks, traumas, phobias and limiting beliefs are found in the imprint stage, from birth to 6 or 7 years. When we work on the root of the problem we are releasing great tension and allowing unlock a lot of negative emotional charge.

Also included within Neuroscientific Therapies is the so-called brainspotting, which allows to detect the brainspots either ocular points of access to experience. When someone has suffered a trauma and begins to relate it, her eyes are located at a point in space. This gaze position is not random, but rather a window to access the memory. From the Brainspots, the person can reconnect with that experience but feeling like a spectator, which allows you to be calm while you think about the event. This makes it easier for the situation to lose intensity and even for you to incorporate positive resources into the event.

The TIC (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 is more rational. When we experience a traumatic situation, such as the sudden death of a relative and we suffer a complicated or pathological mourning, it may be that one of our hemispheres is overwhelmed. Through bilateral stimulation, covering one eye and the other alternately, we make it easier for 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, can someone not be afraid of anything?

It would be possible to help a person to overcome his phobias and blocks, but 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 put your life at risk. What these therapies do allow is to help people who, for example, have spent a long time with a phobia like getting into a car, to an airplane or to an elevator, they can, in a margin of 1 to 4 sessions, do what they fear. In these cases, it can be adaptive to eliminate the source of fear, since the person really needs to carry out such actions in order to lead a normal life.

And are the changes permanent?

Completely. The changes are maintained over time because we work from the origin and going 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 negative emotions into positive emotions.

At this point, the students told me that these therapies had not been taught to them in college, but that they wanted to learn more about them.

In the end, knowledge advances in the same way that society does, and neurosciences are increasingly present in all areas of our lives. It's not magic, it's science.