Psychology and Neuroplasticity: Key Concepts and Therapeutic Techniques

Engagement

Deep involvement in an activity where attention is fully absorbed and time seems to pass quickly.

Flow

A state of complete immersion where challenge matches skill, self-consciousness disappears, and performance becomes effortless.

Importance of Gratitude

It increases positive emotions, improves relationships, boosts resilience, and shifts attention toward the positive.

How Gratitude Helps

It rewires the brain toward optimism (neuroplasticity), reduces stress, and improves well-being.

Biofeedback

Feedback on bodily functions (heart rate, breathing, skin temp) to teach voluntary control.

Neurofeedback

Feedback on EEG brainwave activity to train brain regulation.

Difference between Biofeedback and Neurofeedback

Biofeedback = body signals; neurofeedback = brainwave signals.

Neuroplasticity

The brain's ability to reorganize and form new neural connections.

Neurogenesis

The creation of new neurons (primarily in the hippocampus).

Build-What's-Strong Approach

Focus on strengths, resilience, and positive emotion.

Fix-What's-Wrong Approach

Focus on pathology, deficits, and symptoms.

Acceptance

Valuing the client as they are without judgment.

Absolute Worth

Belief that every person has inherent value.

Accurate Empathy

Deep effort to understand a client's internal world.

Autonomy Support

Reinforcing that change is the client's choice.

Affirmation

Highlighting strengths, efforts, or values.

MI View of Motivation

Describes motivation as fluid, influenced by interaction, and something that can be strengthened.

MI Assumptions about Motivation

Motivation is interpersonal; People resist when they feel pressured; People already have reasons for and against change; Ambivalence is normal; The client is the agent of change.

Ryff's Six Dimensions of Psychological Well-Being

Autonomy - independence, self-determination; Environmental Mastery - ability to manage life & surroundings; Personal Growth - continued development; Positive Relations with Others - meaningful, warm relationships; Purpose in Life - goals and sense of meaning; Self-Acceptance - positive view of oneself.

Goal of Motivational Interviewing

To enhance intrinsic motivation for change by exploring and resolving ambivalence.

Attention

The ability to focus on relevant stimuli while ignoring others.

Two Processes of Attention

Automatic (bottom-up) - reflexive; Controlled (top-down) - intentional.

Behavior Emotionally Driven Until Age 24

Because the prefrontal cortex (self-control, reasoning) is not fully developed until the mid-20s, while limbic/emotional systems develop earlier.

CASIO Acronym

Circumstances, Attitude, Standards, Importance, Other (people) used to analyze emotional reactions.

Change Talk

Client statements that favor movement toward change.

Types of Change Talk

Preparatory (DARN): Desire, Ability, Reason, Need; Mobilizing (CATS): Commitment, Activation, Taking Steps.

Psychological Flexibility (ACT)

Ability to stay present, accept experience, and act according to values.

Cognitive defusion

Cognitive fusion

Present moment awareness

Disconnection/autopilot

DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING

Deep belly breathing that increases parasympathetic activation, reduces HR, relaxes muscles, increases oxygenation.

DRINKER'S CHECKUP

A motivational assessment tool identifying drinking patterns and consequences.

EYE MOVEMENT DESENSITIZATION & REPROCESSING (EMDR)

A psychotherapy for trauma where clients recall distressing events while engaging in bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping).

8-Phase Protocol

History taking, Preparation, Assessment, Desensitization, Installation (positive belief), Body scan, Closure, Reevaluation.

COMBINATORY ENTAILMENT

In Relational Frame Theory, when two relations combine to form a new one (A=B, B=C → A=C).

DARN CATS

DARN - Desire, Ability, Reason, Need; CATS - Commitment, Activation, Taking Steps. Associated with Change Talk.

MI RULER

A readiness ruler assessing importance, confidence, or readiness to change (0-10 scale).

EXCEPTION-SEEKING QUESTION

Asking for times when the problem was absent or less severe. Example: 'Tell me about a time when the anxiety didn't control you.'

PSYCHOLOGICAL INFLEXIBILITY & VALUES

Inflexibility pulls people away from valued actions because they get stuck in avoidance, fusion, or autopilot.

PRIVATE vs PUBLIC LANGUAGE

Private language - internal thoughts, feelings; Public language - observable, spoken behavior.

MCAULIFFE ON TEMPERAMENT

Temperament is biologically based but not destiny; people can 'default to the negative' because evolution protected us by noticing threats first.

FRAMES ACRONYM

Feedback, Responsibility, Advice (with permission), Menu of options, Empathy, Self-efficacy.

WHO INFLUENCED MILLER?

Carl Rogers (person-centered therapy).

MIRROR NEURONS

Neurons that fire both when performing an action and when watching someone else do it. Basis for empathy and learning.

NEUROFEEDBACK EFFICACY

Effective for ADHD, seizures, anxiety, PTSD, sleep issues, traumatic brain injury.

PRESENT POSITIVE EMOTIONS

Immediate pleasant emotions (joy, gratitude, serenity). Composed of neurochemical changes in dopamine + endorphins.

MI ORIGINAL TREATMENT PURPOSE

Developed for problem drinking.

PROLONGED EXPOSURE THERAPY

Detailed, repeated exposure to trauma memories to reduce avoidance. Used mainly for PTSD.

STRESS SYSTEMS

Stress → Sympathetic nervous system; No Stress → Parasympathetic system.

RESILIENCE HYPOTHESIS

Positive emotions help people recover faster from stress and build long-term resources.

ACT ACRONYM

Acceptance & Commitment Therapy.

HAND MODEL

A visual model of brain anatomy (prefrontal cortex over limbic system) used in therapy to explain emotional 'flipping your lid.'

WHY HAYES DEVELOPED ACT

In response to his own panic disorder; he wanted a model focusing on acceptance instead of control.

LIMBIC SYSTEM

Emotional center of the brain (amygdala, hippocampus). Also known as: emotional brain or mammalian brain.

OARS ACRONYM

Open questions, Affirmations, Reflections, Summaries.

POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

Who initiated the positive psychology movement? A: Martin Seligman.

MI SPIRIT

Collaboration + Acceptance + Compassion + Evocation.

WHY MI AVOIDS ADVICE

Advice creates resistance and reduces intrinsic motivation.

POSITIVE-NEGATIVE EMOTION RATIO

Best ratio is about 3:1 (Losada Ratio).

DEVELOPING DISCREPANCY

Helping clients see the mismatch between their current behavior and their values/goals. Drives motivation.

ATTACHMENT TO A CONCEPTUALIZED SELF

Seeing yourself as fixed, defined by thoughts/stories, rather than flexible (self-as-context).

MI + OTHER THERAPIES

MI improves engagement, reduces resistance, and increases the effectiveness of other treatments.

BRAIN WAVES

Delta (0.5-4 Hz) - deep sleep; Theta (4-8 Hz) - drowsy, meditative, creative; Alpha (8-12 Hz) - relaxed wakefulness; Beta (12-30 Hz) - alert, problem-solving; Gamma (30+ Hz) - high-level cognition, binding of sensory info.

FOUR STEPS OF MI COUNSELING PROCESS

Engaging, Focusing, Evoking, Planning.

Acceptance

Allowing thoughts and feelings to be there without trying to avoid, fight, or control them.

Experiential Avoidance

Avoiding or escaping thoughts, emotions, memories, or situations that feel uncomfortable.

Cognitive Defusion

Seeing thoughts as just thoughts — not as literal truths or commands.

Cognitive Fusion

Being "hooked" by your thoughts and treating them as facts that dictate your behavior.

Present-Moment Awareness

Being fully aware, attentive, and engaged in what is happening right now.

Disconnection / Autopilot

Being distracted, zoned out, stuck in past/future, and not present in your life.

Self-as-Context ("Observing Self")

Seeing yourself as the observer of your experiences, not defined by them.

Attachment to the Conceptualized Self

Seeing yourself ONLY as your stories, labels, past, or evaluations (e.g., "I always fail," "I'm broken").

Values

Knowing what matters to you and what kind of person you want to be.

Lack of Values Clarity

Not knowing what you stand for, having no direction, or living by avoidance rather than meaning.

Committed Action

Taking meaningful, values-based action — even when it's hard.

Inaction / Impulsivity / Avoidance

Not acting, giving up, or acting based on urges/emotions instead of values.