Courses Infomation

The Advanced Mindfulness Toolbox for Rewiring the Brain by Donald Altman

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Description

In this in-depth workshop, national mindfulness teacher and author Donald Altman will demonstrate a variety of powerful clinical tools—from grounding and attention-focusing skills to metacognitive awareness and mindfulness skills—for helping clients to rewire the brain as they overcome clinical anxiety, depression, chronic pain, PTSD, addictive cravings, and stress-related symptoms. It’s no secret that over 40 million Americans suffer from an anxiety disorder, 25 million from clinical depression, and more 100 million from chronic pain that shatters their lives and relationships. This highly experiential workshop utilizes practical and evidence-based mindfulness tools that radically alter clients’ habitual and conditioned reactions to these and other forms of suffering.

Drawing upon brain science and concepts from Interpersonal Neurobiology, this workshop will make brain science easy to understand for your clients. You’ll be able to clearly demonstrate for clients how they can regulate emotions and rewire their brains through practices such as focused attention, selective memory, and strengths-based storytelling. In addition, you will learn how to adapt these many tools for different populations in order to create a clear roadmap to wellness for clients. In all, this training will have you returning to your practice with a comprehensive menu of transformative mindfulness tools to draw from—and that clients can use to regulate emotions and find calm.

Donald is known for creating compelling experiential and participatory trainings. Whether you are experienced in mindfulness or are new to these techniques, this special workshop is certain to get you enthused and excited about experiencing and using mindfulness for joy, calm, and healing in your own life, as well as in your therapy practice. You won’t want to miss out on this unique mindfulness training opportunity.

MINDFULNESS AND CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH

Mindfulness as a metacognitive skill
Negative effects of a wandering mind
Breathing reduces rumination and anxiety
Useful (and free) web resources

INTRODUCE MINDFULNESS TO YOUR CLIENTS

Expand Your Mindfulness Vocabulary
- Help clients understand mindfulness
- Find the right metaphor
- Using clients’ learning styles
Practice: Getting into the Present Moment

THE POWER OF SENSE GROUNDING

Anxiety reduction with sense grounding
- Mindfulness for transitioning between activities
- Physical grounding method of dropping into the body
- Integrates progressive muscle relaxation
- Good for spatial, visual, hands-on learning styles
Practice: Palm the Present Moment

BRAIN BASICS, METACOGNITION, AND INTERPERSONAL NEUROBIOLOGY

Emotional Regulation for Depression and Anxiety
- Balance the brain’s default survival mode
- Effects of cortisol on learning and immune system
- Visual Brain Model for clients
- The brain’s mindfulness module
- Train the brain for calm response and metacognition
- Navy Seals, arousal control & parasympathetic nervous system
- Heart rate variability & relaxation response
Practice: The Power of Breath
- Enhancing effectiveness of a breathing practice
Practice: Ask Clients the 3-Minute Question

THE BEHAVIORAL SIDE OF MINDFULNESS

Core lifestyle skills awareness training
- Sleep hygiene
  - Managing sleep
  - Sleep rituals and strategies
- Healthy eating/nutrition
  - Caffeine, protein, neurotransmitters, and the brain
- Exercise
- Manage Technology
- How weapons of mass distraction may be rewiring the brain
Practice: Assessment of Technology and Time
- Focus the mind (useful for ADHD)
- Integrate breath with a word/image
Practice: Be the Pebble

MINDFUL LAUGHTER FOR DEPRESSION AND GRIEF: TOOLS FOR THE “TERMINALLY SERIOUS”

Research on laughter and mood
Biochemistry of laughter & human laughter response
Laughter yoga and laughter in therapy
Practice: The Lightness of Laughter

THE UPLIFTING POWER OF STORYTELLING

Storytelling to overcome depression and build relationships
- Fredrickson’s Broaden and Build Theory of Positive Emotions
- Broaden attention; find resilience
- Stories are fundamental to attachment
- Build relationships through a story of strengths
Practice: Identifying Strengths & Strengths Journal

MANAGING MOODS THROUGH ATTENTION AND SELECTIVE MEMORY

Master attention and memories
- Savoring of the present moment
Practice: Here and Now Pleasantness
- Using selective memory to savor the past and future
Practice: Savoring Success: Past, Present, and Future

HARNESSING GRATITUDE TO INCREASE POSITIVE EMOTIONS

Managing depression with gratitude
- Gratitude research
- Four psychological reasons for gratitude
- Techniques that make gratitude interpersonal and enhancing Supportive social networks
Practice: The G.L.A.D. Technique

HEALING EMOTIONAL PAIN THROUGH ACCEPTANCE, FORGIVENESS, AND COMPASSION

Forgiveness for moving forward from trauma
- Forgiveness is a skill
- Research on compassion practice
- Changes in brain function
- Security priming for feelings of safety and trust
- Develop positive emotions and resources
Practice: Loving-Kindness Affirmation

THE TRUTH ABOUT STRESS:

Biological markers of stress: telomeres and aging
Identify and assess client stress levels
- Perceived Stress Scale
- Epstein Stress-Management Inventory
Practice: Be a Smart Stress-Avoider

MINDFULNESS FOR ADDICTIVE CRAVINGS

Emotional Regulation for Cravings
- Impulse Control and Craving Control Using Grounding
Practice: S-T-O-P Grounding Technique

CHANGING THE PERCEPTION OF PAIN: MINDFULNESS FOR CHRONIC PAIN

Introduction to the Body Scan Practice
Research and history
Demonstrates how to pay attention non-judgmentally
Powerful grounding method; applications
Practice: Surf the Body (The Body Scan)

THE POWER OF SENSE GROUNDING TRAUMA: CONSTRUCTIVELY DISTANCE FROM PTSD AND NEGATIVITY

Three kinds of sense grounding
Practice: Focusing on Favorites

REDUCING ANXIETY BY MINDFULLY MANAGING TRANSITIONS

Managing transitions through movement and nature
- Process orientation vs. outcome orientation
- Attention Restoration Theory
- Effects of nature on focus, moods, & healing
- Slowing down with nature to get present
Integrated Tools:
- Practice: Ground-Surfing (Mindful Walking)
- Practice: Turning Down the Volume with Nature

RE-ENVISIONING AND REFOCUSING

Working with difficult, unresolved life situations
- Metacognition as a path to insight
Practice: Bear Meditation

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Creating a mindfulness roadmap for clients
- Bundling practices together
- Engage through learning styles
- Maintaining skills
- Follow-up and reinforcement

More information about Medical:

Medicine is the science and practice of establishing the diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, and prevention of disease.
Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness.
Contemporary medicine applies biomedical sciences, biomedical research, genetics, and medical technology to diagnose, treat, and prevent injury and disease,
typically through pharmaceuticals or surgery, but also through therapies as diverse as psychotherapy, external splints and traction, medical devices, biologics, and ionizing radiation, amongst others.

Medicine has been around for thousands of years, during most of which it was an art (an area of skill and knowledge) frequently having connections to the religious and
philosophical beliefs of local culture. For example, a medicine man would apply herbs and say prayers for healing, or an ancient philosopher and physician would apply bloodletting according to the theories of humorism.
In recent centuries, since the advent of modern science, most medicine has become a combination of art and science (both basic and applied, under the umbrella of medical science).
While stitching technique for sutures is an art learned through practice, the knowledge of what happens at the cellular and molecular level in the tissues being stitched arises through science.

Salepage : The Advanced Mindfulness Toolbox for Rewiring the Brain by Donald Altman

About Author

Donald Altman

Donald Altman is an international mindfulness expert, speaker, workshop leader, and award-winning author of 15 books that have been translated into many languages worldwide. A psychotherapist and former Buddhist monk, Donald is a featured expert in The Mindfulness Movie and was profiled in the Living Spiritual Teachers Project. He served as past vice-president of The Center for Mindful Eating and for years taught as an adjunct professor at Portland State University’s Interpersonal Neurobiology Certificate Program and the Lewis and Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling.

His newest book is Simply Mindful: A 7-Week Course and Personal Handbook for Mindful Living. Other books include the award-winning The Mindfulness Toolbox, Clearing Emotional Clutter, One Minute Mindfulness, The Mindfulness Code and 101 Mindful Ways to Build Resilience. Donald has also written a book of transformative meditations, Reflect: Awaken to the Wisdom of the Here and Now.