TAME THE BRAIN

WHAT IS TAME THE BRAIN?   Skills that change lives.

Science has shown that we can rewire the brain to better handle emotions. Tame the Brain is a program to learn and practice tools that can help rewire the brain.  Tame the Brain is based on neuroscience, –understanding how our emotions work with our brain. Tame the Brain is influenced by Cognitive Therapy CBT, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Mindfulness (MindUP), and Positive Psychology.

"Tame the Brain" is a personal, life long, search of mine.  I grew up in a well educated family.  My dad was a NASA scientist but wrestled with strong emotions..

I have struggled with emotions.  One second, things were cool, and the next, I was a mess.  I had worked as a successful mental health professional for years, so why was it so difficult for me to regulate my own emotions?

How could I be this amazing person at work, and then come home and lose my emotions with the one’s I loved the most?

What’s worse, I have felt helpless as I have watched my own children struggle with their emotions.

Where are the answers? Are ‘rages’ a part of life? Or depression, or feeling like you can’t take it anymore. Is this what life is supposed to be about?

I didn’t get it.

I dedicated my professional self to figuring it out. But I felt disillusioned. It all sounded good in theory but reality was a different matter.

After working as a caseworker for adults with mental health issues . . .

After being a foster parent . . .

After teaching guidance lessons in at risk schools . . .

And after raising my own children . . .

I returned to get my Master’s Degree in Community and School Counseling.  I hoped to find the answers and then go back and help others.

In my theories class I was introduced to cognitive therapy. As a research assistant I saw data on the most successful therapies. I was surprised at the success of cognitive therapy.

At last, a technique that worked to fight depression, rage and anxiety!

Later, I discovered DBT. Dialectical Behavior Therapy. It had components of cognitive therapy, but included mindfulness and other skills.

I saw the research. . . 

Classes offering skills to rewire the brain. . .

I had found a solution.

A loved one was struggling.  I felt desperate to find help. I found a DBT class and my loved one had an interview.  This person, reluctantly, agreed to go. At last there was hope!!!!

Yay…….or not.

The only DBT class I found was over an hour away. Over an hour in Atlanta traffic. Gross.

Okay, I was still going to make it work.

The only DBT class I found cost $150 a session and did not accept insurance. Gross.  (That’s $600 a month.  Yikes.)

Okay, we were still going to make it work.

So, my loved one had the interview to get started in the class to learn the skills. BUT IT WAS A “NO”.

What? What????????

After trying and trying to convince this person to get help, and finally, reluctantly, getting them to agree, the counselor determined that they did not have the ‘right’ diagnosis.

So, here is this fabulous class that I know can help…..yet they wouldn't let us in to learn the skills.

GRRRRR.

I vowed THAT I WOULD LEARN! I had a Master’s Degree in the field. I was qualified to get certified! And I did.

I taught friendship skills to kids but realized how much emotions cause friendship issues.  I wanted to give kids DBT skills to deal with their emotions. I couldn’t find a DBT curriculum for kids,  but my search led me to “MindUP”.   MindUP is an evidenced based, social and emotional program built upon neuroscience, mindfulness and self-regulation.

I started teaching MindUP while getting trained in DBT.  I saw some incredible changes.  To be honest I was shocked.  I worked with a child who would only whisper because of his anxiety. Later this same child got the lead in his school play.  Does it perform miracles for everyone?  Of course not.  But I saw many more change than I thought I would and yes….I did see miracles.

Our brain is in charge of everything we do. Mindfulness practice can literally change the way the brain works. Practicing mindful activities, such as breath work, recognizing and labeling our emotions, and connecting with ourselves, helps us to stay calmer. Mindfulness helps us to recognize that split-second between when something happens to us and how we respond to it, so that we can choose to act in wiser ways.

Finally, I feel that I have some tools that really matter.  Skills that research has shown can change lives.  “Tame the Brain” is a result of my passion to find solutions.  I have combined my knowledge from “MindUP”, Cognitive Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Brain Science and Positive Psychology as a foundation for this program.

These skills can help anyone. Many of the skills will sound familiar—. But when learned and practiced, things happen. It takes time and motivation, but LIVES CHANGE. Just like practicing an instrument—eventually it becomes second nature.

I vowed that if it was really something that can help people, I would make the skills accessable to everyone.

It has helped me.

I’m sure it can help you.

Tame the Brain is for everyone.

Will it make all your problems go away? NO.

But I can promise you that if you learn and practice the skills you will know how to cope better with feelings of anxiety, depression, anger and extreme emotion.

From there you can move on, to make life worth it.