Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
Therapeutic _Aha!_3PP.indd 13
1/21/15 10:15 AM
I ntroduction
LeDouxs lyrics in this song refer to the fact that our brains are biologically structured so that when our emotional systems are strongly aroused,
they have the capacity to easily override our rational, cognitive systems.
We dont need a brain scan to validate this phenomenon. We know it
through our experience living as human beings. How many times have
you surprised yourself by jumping at the scary part of a movie or shouting
something hurtful at someone you love when you feel angry? Although
you know the villain in the movie isnt real and the insult to your loved
one will only make things worse, your emotional brain ignores this logic
and leaps into action. In essence, the emotional brain is our unconscious
mind, and scientists estimate that it controls, or at least influences, about
95% of what we do, think, and feel at any given moment.
T H E E M OT I O N A L B R A I N
Sitting deep in the midbrain between the cortex and brain stem, the
emotional brain, or mammalian brain, as pioneering neuroscientist Paul
MacLean (1990) called it, is where the majority of neural networks for
our attachment schemas, implicit memories, and automatic patterns are
stored. Most of the patterns stored in the emotional brain are learned
experientially and activated unconsciously.
Contrary to what Freud theorized, the emotional brain is not merely
driven by shadowy sexual urges or simplistic self-gratification, nor does
it harbor repressed feelings. While it is true that the emotional brain
drives our instincts for survival and pleasure, this lower brain isnt
as self-serving as weve been led to believe. In fact, as you will learn in
Chapter 1, this area of the brain also prompts us to be interested in connecting with others, giving and receiving care, pursuing playful activities,
and seeking experiences that inspire us and add to the quality of our
lives. After all, life without emotion would be quite dull and seem rather
meaningless.
While the emotional brain is generally adaptive and well intentioned,
it isnt really fazed by quiet, rational discussion, intellectual insight, or
x iv
Therapeutic _Aha!_3PP.indd 14
1/21/15 10:15 AM
I ntroduction
S A U N D R A S S U N R I S E
Saundra was an attractive, talented surgeon with a M
ensa-level IQ who
graduated at the top of her class from an Ivy League school. She struggled most of her life with waves of severe depression and anxiety, but in
recent years her mood swings had become more frequent and stormy,
flooding her personal life and threatening to wreck her career. When
she arrived at my office, Saundra clenched her jaw and gripped her wrist
as she expressed feeling extremely disappointed with herself. Intellectually, she lamented, I understand what causes the depression and anxiety. Trust me, Ive had years of therapy and tried dozens of medications.
I realize my thoughts are irrational and know I developed these patterns
xv
Therapeutic _Aha!_3PP.indd 15
1/21/15 10:15 AM
I ntroduction
Therapeutic _Aha!_3PP.indd 16
1/21/15 10:15 AM
I ntroduction
using s ensory-rich language to describe the balmy feel of the air and the
fresh pine scent of the trees, and made soft sound effects of the wind
and birdsong. Like an enchanting storyteller, narrating guided imagery
with sound effects, animation in your voice, and sensory descriptive
words is a great way to make an experience come alive for the emotional brain.
When I asked Saundra what she was noticing within herself, Saundra
sighed as she murmured, Feelings of serenity, peace and joy. I suggested
to her that I did not think the sunrise dropped those feelings of peace
inside of her. Instead, I told her I thought she was getting in touch with
her true nature, who she really was underneath the clouds of depression.
I added, Just like the sun is not destroyed by dark clouds and rainy days,
we know your light is not destroyed because you just got in touch with it
when you were imagining that scene. Tears streamed down her face as
Saundra nodded and placed her hand over her heart, stating, That is the
sweetest thing I have ever heard. I do think that is who I am under all this
darkness, but if I showed this side of myself to anyone, it got squelched.
I am careful not to squelch my kids. I want them to feel free to express
themselves and not feel so afraid, like I felt as a kid.
Utilizing her passion for being a loving, supportive parent informed
our work in subsequent sessions as we used other types of imagery in
which Saundra envisioned stepping into traumatic scenes from her youth
and reparented her younger self with the same nurturing, guiding, protective responses she gave to her children. Within 2 months, Saundra
developed a new relationship with herself and her emotions. She reported
fewer mood swings and was handling interpersonal situations more effectively. Rather than engaging in endless thought loops of self-talk when
she felt discouraged, Saundra imagined her sunrise and sent herself feelings of love and reassurance to calm down. She was less fearful of getting
squelched if she showed her soft side to others. Saundra commented,
Other therapists told me I needed to learn to love myself, but nobody
ever showed me how to do that. Saundra was right. She could have never
thought her way into loving herself. She needed someone who could lead
her and show her how to evoke the experience of s elf-compassion.
x vi i
Therapeutic _Aha!_3PP.indd 17
1/21/15 10:15 AM
I ntroduction
T H E A RT O F E VO K I N G E M OT I O N
Showing up for my clients in this more creative, provocative way was not an
easy transition for me. I was trained traditionally in cognitive-behavioral
therapy and was very good at delivering it with the kind of empathy
that would rival Carl Rogers. My practice was busy and my clients liked
me, but to be honest, I rarely witnessed those crystallizing breakthrough
moments. People would gain insight and try out the skills I suggested.
They would feel better for a time, but the changes would not stick unless
we met for months and the client put a lot of effort into consciously
applying the skills between sessions.
That all changed several years ago when I stumbled upon a hypnosis
workshop taught by an unconventional, but brilliant therapist named Jon
Connelly (2014), who calls his method Rapid Resolution Therapy. I
heard his method was especially effective for clearing the negative impact
of trauma. On his Web site, I watched an impressive demonstration video
of his work with a 9-11 World Trade Center bombing survivor that made
me want to learn more. When I attended my first training session in
Orlando, I expected to learn about new scientific breakthroughs and
to pick up a few innovative techniques. What I was not expecting was
essentially a theatrical performance led by this spellbinding 1960s peace
activist turned therapist who showed up as fusion of artist, actor, s tand-up
comedian, and e vangelical-like healer. He is the one who taught me the
concepts I used in the imagery exercise with Saundra. Connellys use of
poetic words and dramatic performance art in his trainings, and with
his clients, convinced me its less about the intervention and more about
how we use ourselves in the session to create a therapeutic experience.
He taught me not to get overly focused on why the client developed the
problem but instead to ask myself, What is my intention for this client?
What effect do I want our conversation to have on this person?
Then it dawned on me. I learned a similar concept during my internship in graduate school 20 years ago when I worked with groups of at-risk
students in New Orleans. The traditional cognitive-behavioral interventions I tried didnt faze those kids at all. I realized Id better come up with
x viii
Therapeutic _Aha!_3PP.indd 18
1/21/15 10:15 AM
I ntroduction
a more entertaining song and dance routine fastor those kids would fry
up my self-esteem in no time and serve it back to me in a gumbo steeped
in r ed-hot humiliation. So I left my textbooks by the Mississippi River and
brought in art supplies and music as we spent time writing raps, telling
stories, improvising skits, and honestly discussing our backgrounds and
cultures. The magic started happening when I stopped hiding behind a
detached therapist persona and began connecting with these students
emotionally, crafting experiences that helped them face their fears and
move closer to what they really wantedfeeling a sense of worth, purpose, and connection to something larger than themselves.
We spontaneously came up with ideas like developing a mock shoe
design business, which led the students to learn how to work more cooperatively with others, believe they could have a future outside the ghetto,
and see that an education could actually get them somewhere. I dared
them to be more emotionally open by telling them I would reward them
with an awkward w
hite-girl dance any time they dropped the tough
gangbanger facade and admitted to feeling scared or sad. They loved that.
It was a funny, experiential way to reduce the threat of expressing their
feelings to the group members while simultaneously teaching them that
emotional vulnerability was universal.
E M O T I O N A L PA R A D I G M S H I F T
After my stint in the New Orleans School system, I worked at hospitals
and doctors offices and eventually opened a private practice. While my
time in the medical field was valuable, I realized Id gotten so caught up in
following the medical model and keeping up with managed care requirements that Id lost the spontaneity that fueled the early years of my career.
Connellys work reminded me to listen to my clinical intuition, develop
my own creative style, and be more emotionally engaging with clients.
As I incorporated these qualities and a few of the methods I learned from
him, I began having breakthrough sessions almost immediately. Hungry
for a deeper understanding of why this approach was working so well,
xix
Therapeutic _Aha!_3PP.indd 19
1/21/15 10:15 AM
I ntroduction
Therapeutic _Aha!_3PP.indd 20
1/21/15 10:15 AM
I ntroduction
xxi
Therapeutic _Aha!_3PP.indd 21
1/21/15 10:15 AM