Emotional Brain Training
Rewire the brain from stress to joy!
Emotional Braining Training (EBT) www.ebt.org was developed during the last 25 years at the University of California, San Francisco. Research has shown that people who use this method over the long-term tend to experience lasting improvements in depression, anxiety, relationships, blood pressure, overspending, overworking, overeating and weight, and addictions. EBT is based on cutting edge science in neuroplasticity, stress and attachment theory. It is practical, effective and fun to use. Once you learn the tools, you’ll wonder what you ever did without them.
Neuroplasticity of the Brain
Prior to the past decade, scientific thought held that the brain could not change. But in the last 10 years, research has shown that the brain can change, developing new nerve cells (neurogenesis) and strengthening or weakening neural circuitry. Emotional Brain Training draws on these understandings of neuroplasticity – using the tools of EBT with repetition and gusto, one increase the strength and dominance of neural circuits that favor homeostasis and well-being and decrease the dominance of neural circuits that favor allostasis or stress, in favor of establishing a new emotional set point of being “wired for joy”. EBT equips you with the skills to pop your brain from stress to joy. Practicing these skills, getting a shot of joy each time, gradually retrains the feeling brain, the center of pleasure drives and stress, to favor positive emotions and resilience to stress. The long-term result is to change your wiring for more freedom and joy in your life.
Stress Science
The brain is reward driven. Without access to higher order rewards (e.g., authenticity, integrity, intimacy, spirituality) and rewards of natural pleasures (e.g., nature, music, art, companionship), it defaults to artificial rewards that trigger abnormal highs and lows of chemicals in the brain’s reward circuitry. These “hedonic” rewards can be emotions, thoughts or behaviors. Although they are effective in the short term, they tend to become repetitive and deleterious in the long- term causing wear and tear of the mind and body. In stress, addictive and compulsive behaviors are more common and more extreme, and it is easy to get “triggered”.
With EBT, you develop an increasing reliance on adaptive, pleasurable and sustainable rewards, the rewards that are associated with the long-term survival of the species. This new set point of homeostasis favors personal evolution. EBT tools are easy to learn, but they are not a quick fix. However, the new set point of homeostasis that develops by the perseverant application of EBT tools is self-reinforcing because you are experiencing of joy.
A healthful diet, exercise and optimal sleep along with EBT tools support joy and homeostasis and the creation of new neural circuitry.
Secure Attachment
Our ability to sooth and comfort ourselves or self-regulate during stress is based on past conditioning in childhood from the emotional availability and responsiveness of our early caregiver. A secure connection of a child to parent predicts resiliency to stress as adult. EBT teaches to use the elegant prefrontal cortex (PFC) to oversee the emotional brain and re-enact a secure, powerful and loving connection to self. Rather than abandoning yourself, you learn to stay connected and checked in, to be seen, heard and felt, and able to return to a state of well-being. Using the EBT tools and keeping your fingers on the pulse of your emotional life gives you the power to switch brain state that favors well-being. You will be rewarded with spurts of feel good neurotransmitters because you are simulating that secure child-parent connection which is the basis of survival.
Wired at 1
The heart of Emotional Brain Training lies in the power each individual to use simple tools over time and with greater sophistication until the emotional set point is wired in joy at a “1” (Neuroplasticity). Joy is rendered from eudonic (vs. hedonic) sources, a healthful diet — one that supports balance mood and healthy weight — as well as restful sleep, and exercise (Stress Science). How is this achieved? By keeping your fingers on the pulse of your inner life, knowing you brain state, and developing a secure attachment to self (Attachment theory).
In EBT, being at a “1” simply means you feel great! The more you experience a 1, the more your brain will feel that is safe and comfortable, and that you have the power to get to a “1” state and return yourself there when you are stressed. As our emotional set point moves to states of joy, external solutions fade. At “1” every aspect is improved – how you feel, your relationships, your productivity, and your health. What’ more, eudonic and sustainable rewards are in abundance:
Sanctuary Feeling secure and peaceful from within
Authenticity Feeling whole, self-accepting and genuine
Vibrancy Feeling at your best, physically fit, energetic, with a zest for life
Integrity Aware of one’s purpose in life, and honoring the principles that are most important to you
Intimacy Securely connected to yourself that you do not merge with others or distance from them. You are able to be separate but close
Spirituality Compassion for myself, for others and for all living beings
To learn more:
Read articles on EBT: What is EBT? and What is Emotional Plasticity? Visit ebt.org.
Read Wired for Joy! by Laurel Mellin (2010). To order a copy, click here.
Learn about Neuroplasticity, Stress Science and Attachment Theory http://www.ebt.org/ebt-research
“EBT is the real deal.” – Candace Pert, Neuroscientist, Author of Molecules in Motion: The Scientific Basis Behind Mind-Body Medicine
“EBT Training has been a wonderful experience. It has provided me with tools that have enabled me to really improve my life, my health and my happiness.” (Read more of this testimony)
˜ Terry, Santa Cruz, CA ˜
“On the day that you were born, you had all the inherent strength, goodness and wisdom you would ever need. All you needed were the skills to access it.” Laurel Mellin, Director, Institute for Health Solution
“I never believed my drive to overeat would turn off, but WOW, has it ever.” (Read more of this testimony)
˜ Phoebe, Santa Cruz, CA ˜
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