Neuroscience for Effective Clinical Practice

Understanding what’s going on in our heads – how our brain’s work – can help us become better practitioners and help our clients make sense of their experiences in ways that reduce self-blame and self-criticism. Although the human brain is probably one of the most complex structures around, some of the principles on which it works are easily explained. You don’t have to be a neuroscientist to get a better understanding of the brain and nervous system!

This workshop will provide you with ways to make sense of the responses of the nervous system to threat and safety and to explain them in ways that are easy to understand for both you and your clients. Psychoeducation can be enormously useful for clients to help them make sense of what’s happening to them although this resource can be resisted in some therapeutic approaches that value the practitioner not taking an ‘expert stance’ in relation to the client. I like to think of it as ‘information sharing’ and doing this in the context of the therapeutic relationship can be a way for the therapist and client to explore the clients’ experiences together to make sense and meaning. I find that doing this can allow the client to make connections between their current experiences and past events in a way that is less likely to result in blame – for self or others.

In the workshop we will look at threat and safety, responses to acute and chronic stress, using the body as an ally, and practical ways to work with anxiety, panic and stress that are backed up by sound, up-to-date, scientific research. There will be opportunities to try out some of these practical tools, as well as informational input, and time for discussion.

This workshop is usually presented over 2 days, however we feel that it will be more accessible in an online environment to split the workshop into 4 parts of two and a half hours each. We would love to have you with us for all 4 parts of the workshop, please dont worry if you cant manage all the four dates advertised here as we plan to run this workshop again and you will be able to register for the parts you missed.

We require you to register for all four parts of this workshop separately.. Remember to click the links and register for part 1-4 on our Workshop Registration Page.

About Maggi McAllister-MacGregor

Maggi McAllister-MacGregorI have been working as a qualified counselor since 2000, after completing a Diploma in Counselling at Strathclyde University, coming from a previous background in Bodywork. I have been a trainer on the PG Diploma in Counselling at Strathclyde University since 2005. Much of my interest in my work with clients is centered around how our body-mind interacts and how clients experience feeling safe within the counseling process. Related to this is a long-standing interest in neuroscience which has informed my practice and teaching over the years. Understanding how our nervous systems influence our perceptions of the world and our physiology has deepened both my self-understanding and also my understanding of client process resulting in a more compassionate approach to my work.

Why Online Workshops?

We are acutely aware that for many colleagues in the helping professions travel is extremely difficult due to time, money and health constraints. We are developing this programme so that the workshops offered by experienced trainers from all over the world can also be accessed by you from the comfort of your own home

This workshop will be hosted in the Zoom meeting platform which has all the resources we need to create an experiential group learning environment. The workshops will have access to an online group room, breakout rooms for small groups, whiteboards for creating and sharing resources and the capacity to communicate with voice and text.

How Do I Attend the Workshop?

One week before the date of the workshop you will receive an email which will include a clickable link to join the workshop. About 10 minutes before the workshop is about to begin please goto this email and click on the link. This will open the Zoom meeting on your computer or mobile device.

When you register for the workshop you will receive an email with an invitation to meet a colleague from the onlinevents team in Zoom who will help you orientate to the Zoom environment. Because the workshop will require the use of the camera and microphone on your computer or mobile device we want to help you feel confident using your technology.

Please note that we are requiring that all workshop participants meet with a colleague from the onlinevents team before participating in the onlinevents workshop programme so that the workshop can begin and run smoothly. Any colleagues who do not respond to the invitation for the pre-workshop meeting will not be able to join the workshop. This pre-workshop meeting will prepare you to attend this workshop and any other onlinevents workshop that you choose to register for. You wont need to attend one meeting per workshop.