Mindsight is a cutting-edge model of treatment that capitalizes on neuroplasticity. It has been called the “New Science of Personal Transformation” (1). Neuroplasticity is defined as the ability to change the connections in your brain even through adulthood. A useful acronym is SNAG (Stimulate Neural Activation and Growth), which we are able to accomplish by focusing your attention on the right area of the brain. Mindsight was developed by Daniel Siegel, who was initially a Harvard-trained physician, and continued his work at UCLA under very well established attachment researchers.
The Mindsight model utilizes neuroplasticity to help you achieve better mental health in every aspect of your life. It is also particularly significant in parenting (2), as it shows you how some types of parenting can help your child develop an “optimized brain” that leads to resilience and high achievement (3).
With increased self-awareness and the right tools, we can teach you how to sense if a particular emotional state or “thought” is emerging from the right or left sides of your brain. If your thinking in that particular moment is linear, linguistic, logical, literal, labeling, or list-making, it is dominated by the left hemisphere. On the other hand, if your thinking is nonverbal, holistic, imagery-based, metaphoric, autobiographical, or whole-body mapping, it is therefore right hemisphere dominant. Once you identify the areas where your thinking has become rigid or chaotic, we can introduce the next level of intervention and nurture the development and neural activation and growth of those isolated regions (4)(5).
If you’re interested in learning more about brain training, or you think that you can benefit from understanding your thought process, the experts at Dr. Eliana Cohen Psychology are here to help. Browse our website to find out more about our service, and call our office in Toronto to schedule an appointment today!
References:
1. Siegel, D.J. (2010). Mindsight: The new science of personal transformation. New York: Bantam.
2. Bryson, T.P. & Siegel, D.J. (2012). The whole-brain child. New York: Bantam.
3. Siegel D.J., & Harzell, M. (2003). Parenting from the inside out: How a deeper self-understanding can help you raise children who thrive. New York: Tarcher/Penguin
4. Siegel, D.J. (2010) The Mindful Therapist: A clinicians guide to mindsight and neuralintegration. New York: Norton.
5. Siegel D.J. (2001). Toward an interpersonal neurobiology of the developing mind: Attachment, “mindsight” and neural integration. Infant Mental Health Journal, 22, 67-94.