Teaching

‘The neuro science of working with body language’

Psychotherapy fills its plate gratefully; at this moment neuroscience serves fascinating knowledge that underpins once again the permanence of healing capacities of good psychotherapy, now with more exact measurable results of the actual workings of therapy.

Effective psychotherapy makes use of the fundamental plasticity of the human brain which is influenced through social experiences. Therapy works as such a social  (epigenetic) eexperience. In other words: therapy works on the level of neurons and even deeper: molecules themselves change and with them the connections and signals and therefore the emotional experience.

The vast development of imaging techniques (scans, x-rays, fMRIs) brought with it a enormous amount of informtaion about things such as brain development in newborns, the neurobiological workings of maternal love, the differences between the two hemispheres, the functions of specific areas of the brain, the acknowledgement that emotions do not primarily ‘house’ in higher parts of the brain, but actually in our most primary brain areas, where identifyable survival networks are active. A few names of fascinating scientists here are Allan Schore, Dan Siegel, Stephen Porges, Ian McGilchrist, Jaak Panksepp.

Specifically for therapists and coaches this provides answers to the question: “I know it works, but how?” The teaching from the Praktijk voor Integratieve Psychologie handles specifically about answering that qusestion. This teaching takes place at the TA-expertcenter of Linda Hoeben in Hoegaarden, Belgium.

Each year we discuss the new insights that neuroscientific research has provided about themes such as affect regulation, the role of stress and trauma as well as emotional development in the brain and the nervous system.

For two days we embark on an explorative journey to Porges’ Polyvagal Theory, neuroplasticity, affect regulation and why the quality of our ‘presence’ in the consulting room is so important. We discuss questions about how and why play, a melodious use of voice and ‘seeing yourself in the eyes of your therapist’ are so crucial for the activation of circuits in the brain and so for a new world for our clients.

More information:  Teaching 2020