Background: Over the course of their careers, clinician's hone their skills, acquire more knowledge, and become more 'seasoned' in their practices. These unique blends of experienced expertise become the 'secret sauce' of their psychotherapy. In this workshop, three seasoned clinicians will provide attendees with their special recipes for therapeutic engagement and success. Dr. Maine will address concepts related to neuroscience, attachment and relational cultural theories; Dr. Berrett will illuminate the neurobiology of intuition and the key therapeutic elements of spiritual identity, listening to the heart and compassion; and Dr. McGilley will offer a recipe for recovery incorporating concepts from interpersonal neurobiology.
Objectives: 1. Attendees will learn applications of attachment and relational cultural theories in the treatment of ED's 2. Attendees will learn about conceptualizing eating disorder recovery through the lens of interpersonal neurobiology. 3. Attendees will learn about the neuroscience of compassion and intuition and how it informs therapeutic practice.
Findings from NEUROSCIENCE:
- Insecure early relationships create less than optimal neurological connections, contributing to emotional dysregulation, anxiety, disordered eating
Psychotherapy: an “attachment relationship”
- Limbic system in right hemisphere of brain “lights up” when authentic connection is made
Relational Cultural Theory
- Focuses on disconnections and disruptions in relationships contributing to ED
- Psychological growth occurs in and through relationship
Cutting edge brain research upholds the tenets of the relational model:
- The human brain is “hardwired to connect.”
- Isolation is the major source of suffering for people
Feminist frame
- Recognizes ED as misguided solution to the victimization, sexism, objectification contemporary women experience
- Creates partnership and potential for change.
Berrett: Neuroscience and Spiritual Identity, Listening to Heart, and Compassion: A Framework for Intuitive Process in ED treatment
Spiritual and Intuitive Framework:
1) Ways of knowing in addition to scientific method
2) Treating the whole person
3) Motives and reasons for recovery
4) Spiritual identity: “who we are” and “who we might become”
5) The spiritual view
6) Utilizing spiritual beliefs towards recovery
Findings from Neuroscience:
1) Neuro-biological pathways of intuition and altruism
2) Protective mechanisms of innate spirituality in child development
3) Neuroactivity and spiritual experiences
Psychotherapy:
1) Re-connection to self
2) Nurturing “self- trust” and the internal wisdom of spiritual self
3) Self-understanding, self-acceptance, self-compassion, and self-forgiveness in the healing process
McGilley: Recovery through the lens of interpersonal neurobiology
1. Review of outcome and recovery literature
2. Need for consensus definition of ED recovery
3. Applications of Siegel's (2010) nine levels of integration to the conceptualization of ED recovery
Maine, Berrett & McGilley: Group Discussion & Experiential process
Dr. Michael E. Berrett is a Licensed Psychologist and is CEO and Co-founder of Center for Change, a specialty hospital and program for Eating Disorders.He has been treating Eating Disorders and related mental, emotional and addictive illness for more than 30 years. He is the Author of the APA bestseller "Spiritual Approaches in the Treatment of Women with Eating Disorders" and various other books, book chapters, and peer review professional journal articles. He is a nationally known presenter and clinical trainer. His workshops are engaging, active, practical, and from the heart.
