How therapy helps to rewire your brain
We all have negative thoughts from time to time. Thoughts like, “I am not smart enough,” “I am not good enough,” or “I can’t do this” are incredibly common and they can hold us back from reaching our full potential and living the life we dream of. But there is a proven and effective way to break free.
What’s the Difference Between the Brain and the Mind?
Put simply, the mind is the intangible seat of our consciousness and is responsible for all of our thoughts, feelings, and emotions.
On the other hand, the brain is the physical organ that houses the mind.
While the mind and brain are two separate entities, they are intimately interconnected. When we have a thought, it generates electrical impulses in the brain, impacting our behaviour and physiology. Understanding this relationship is important because it is the key to understanding how we can change our thoughts to rewire our brains.
Now that we’ve established the difference between the mind and the brain let’s uncover the mysterious superpower that most people don’t even know they have.
If you are like most people, you probably think, “I am who I am,” and “These are just the cards I’ve been dealt.” You might also say things like: “Depression runs in my family.” “It’s genetic.” “A leopard can’t change its spots.” But I want you to know that those are false beliefs, so don’t make the mistake of thinking this way. The fact is that the opposite is true—your brain is not fixed or unchangeable, but you can literally rewire your brain. Your brain is malleable. Your thoughts shape your brain and you have the power to think whatever you want. When you understand that, then everything changes.
The reason you can grow your brain is because of a thing called neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is your brain’s amazing ability to change its structure and function in response to your environment, thoughts, and emotions. This plasticity allows you to learn new things, form new memories, and make new connections. It also helps you recover from injuries and illnesses.
I want you to know that emotionally, you are born as a fresh canvas. So if you’re having depressing, negative thoughts or limiting beliefs, that’s not how you are born—it’s who you’ve become, and neuroplasticity has made that change possible. If you’ve changed your brain’s natural state and developed negative habits and ways of thinking over time, you can use your brain’s neuroplasticity to change it once again and move from negative to positive frames of mind.
This is entirely possible because your brain is a hungry organ, it wants to be constantly stimulated and we have this amazing ability to grow new thoughts and make new connections. For example, if you learn a new skill, neuroplasticity will help create new neural pathways in the brain to support that skill. Likewise, if you have a traumatic experience, neuroplasticity can help you create new pathways that make it easier to cope with that experience. By acting intentionally and organizing your thoughts, you can get the mind working to direct or affect your brain’s neuroplasticity.
All you have to do is change the story you tell yourself—we all have the power to do that and this is where counselling or therapy can help. Therapy can help you rewire your brain by facilitating changes in thought patterns, emotional responses and behaviours. Here’s how:
1. Cognitive Restructuring Many therapeutic approaches such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) focus on identifying and challenging negative or irrational thought patterns. By recognising and challenging these thought patterns individuals can rewire their brains to think more positively.
2. Emotional Regulation Therapy helps individuals better understand and manage their emotions. Techniques such as mindfulness and emotional regulation strategies can strength the brains ability to control and respond to emptions in a healthier way.
3. Behaviour Modification Therapists work with clients to set goals and make positive behavioural changes. Through consistent practice over time these behavious can create new neural pathways in the brain making them more automatic over time.
4. Trauma Processing For individuals who hav eexperienced trauma, therapies like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) can help rewire the brain’s response to traumatic memories and triggers.
5. Mindfulness and Meditation These practices are often incorporated into therapy and can help indviduals become more aware of their thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations. Regular mindfulness and meditation promote neural plasticity, leading to improved focus, emotional regulation and stress reduction.
6. Neurofeedback Some therapists use neurofeedback techniques to directly train the brain to regulate certain functions, such as managing anxiety or improving attention. This involves monitoring brain activity and providing feedback to help individuals learn how to modify their brain patterns.
7. Social Learning and Support Group therapy can provide opportunities for indviduals to learn and practice new social and communication skills. This can lead to changes in the brain’s social processing networks.
8. Medication in conjunction with therapy In some cases medication prescribed by a doctor or psychiatrist may complement therapy by regulating newurotrainsmitters and improving brain function. Medication can help reduce the symptoms of conditions like anxiety and depression making it easier for individuals to engage effectively in therapy.
9. Strengthening Resilience Therapy can help indviduals build resilience which involves adapting to stress and adversity. Developing resilience can lead to positive changes in the brain’s stress response system.
10. Reinforcement and Repetition The process or rewiring the brain involves repetition. Therapists provide guidance, encouragement and homework assignments to reinforce new thought patterns and behaviours until they become more engrained.
It is important to note that the effectiveness of therapy in rewiring the brain varies from person to person and depends on several factors such as the individuals willingness to engage in the process and the type of therapy used. Additionally, the process of rewiring the brain is gradual and takes time but it can lead to lasting positive changes.