Mind, Brain and Body Connections

“I don’t think there has ever been a more exciting time to be a human looking at creating greater mental health. The growth of the fields of epigenetics, interpersonal neurobiology as well as neuroscience and quantum physics are in the process of turbocharging our understanding of, and hopefully our approach to - all areas of mental health - from healing trauma to creating mastery. ”
— Audrey Stephenson

What is the mind and why is it important?

Brain and Mind were often viewed as interchangeable terms, with the exception of spiritual teachers who discussed mind and consciousness. Or those that distinguished the brain as a physical organ and the mind as what the brain created.

Einstein discussed the idea of the Mind back in the early 20th century and his ideas have been built upon since then through our understanding of quantum physics. Quantum physics deals with the unseen - subatomic particles - and views the Mind as being located and constructed in the electromagnetic field that is present in every human. Mind equals aliveness.  Imagine each human walking around in their own “mind field”, a unique and individual force made of our thoughts beliefs and behaviours, carried around with us.  Sound “woo woo”? Yup.  But like mirror neurons, the neurons which fire both while watching someone perform an action and when actually performing the action, things that can sound “woo woo” can actually be science at the same time. 

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE BRAIN AND ‘GOOD THERAPY’

  • Creating and maintaining a connection between the therapist and patient/client

  • Creating internal and external safety

  • Empathy

  • Compassion

  • Working with and through resistance

  • Remembering, acknowledging and reframing past pain/trauma/hurt

  • Creating new structures, thoughts and behaviours

  • Creating new neural networks

  • Moving from emotional rigidity to emotional agility

Engaging in therapy involves the following elements - all of which make an impact on an individual’s ability relationship with Self and Other, reconfiguring neural maps, learning new skills, and creating new behavioural patterns.

Through the use and recent developments in neuroimaging, we are now able to see (with non invasive methods), the neuroplasticity (the ability of the brain to become rewired, making new connections and discarding others) of the brain. Psychotherapy creates changes in particular in the frontal and temporal cortex - the parts of the brain that control thoughts and memories. Certain cognitive techniques within therapy leads to heightened brain connectivity and reduction and remission of symptoms that brought people into therapy in the first place.

TAMING YOUR MIND FIELD

I refer to the Mind as a Mind Field as a reminder of its energetic properties, and the fact that it is dynamic and like a minefield - it can have a great impact on us and others. How many times have you walked into a room and “felt the tension” which gave you a headache or restricted your breathing? Felt “the chemistry” between two people, or have a friend whose presence uplifts you, or drags you down, without really doing or saying much?  


We create our Mind Fields through our daily conscious, and often unconscious, thoughts, feelings, choices and actions. And then we often relate to ourselves (and others) as though it is fixed. We might call it personality. I’m “just that way”,  “I’m anxious”, “he’s depressed.” Etc. Understanding, having compassion for, and ultimately becoming a master of your own mind, is one of the most powerful and fulfilling aspects of good therapy.

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE BODY AND ‘GOOD THERAPY’

  • Heart disease

  • Headaches

  • Digestive difficulties

  • Weakened immunity

  • Anxiety

  • Depression

  • Weight gain

  • Memory impairment

Body awareness is a critically important part of therapy. Our bodies are the repositories of our past - our posture, ease of movement and flexibility or rigidity, weight loss or gain, facial expressions, for example, illustrate in multiple ways what we have been though. The relationship between trauma and our bodies is undeniable. For example, when a stress or anxiety response is triggered in the body, this leads to heightened cortisol and adrenaline (the hormones released by feeling threatened), which in turn leads to a suppressed immune response.

Hormones are released when we are stressed in order to elevate the heart rate and blood pressure so we can have access to greater energy (adrenaline). Cortisol raises glucose in the blood to become available for the brain, also suppresses growth, digestion and anything else deemed nonessential in a critical situation. Both cortisol and adrenaline are perfectly designed to help you to be able to handle a shocking, frightening, acute situation.

Long term activation of the stress response system - when the stressor does not recede (when the nervous system is still on high alert) leads to…

“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.”

— Dalai Lama

MIND, BRAIN & BODY RESOURCES

  • In my decades of training, I have developed a unique approach to Psychotherapy that combines talking therapy with more dynamic mind-body therapy where appropriate. If the way in which I integrate Mind, Brain and Body within my therapy interests you, you can discover more about my approach to working with patients, below.

    Audrey's Approach

  • As an integrative therapist, I have great respect for many therapies, and practices. I have developed my expertise through years of academia, research, training and exploration of my own resources. Some resources that influenced my Mind, Brain & Body approach to therapy are:

    The Biology of Belief - Dr Bruce Lipton
    Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess - Dr Caroline Leaf

    More Resources