Taming the Amygdala: Brain-based Strategies for Quieting the Anxious Mind

CPD

Handouts

Faculty

Catherine Pittman, PhD, HSPP Related seminars and products

Saint Mary's College

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Catherine Pittman, PhD, HSPP, is a professor of psychology at Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana. Dr. Pittman is the author of the popular books Rewire the Anxious Brain: How to Use the Neuroscience of Fear to End Anxiety, Panic, and Worry (New Harbinger Publications) and Taming Your Amygdala (PESI Publishing & Media). She has a background in cognitive behavioral therapy, neuropsychology, fear-conditioning research, and has treated anxiety-based disorders in clinical practice for over 25 years.

Dr. Pittman’s experience makes her uniquely qualified to provide a clear understanding of neuroscience and how that informs the selection and application of successful anxiety treatment strategies. She is recognized for her clear, accessible explanations of the role of the amygdala, and her approaches to lifestyle change and cognitive restructuring that help motivate clients to be more engaged and motivated in therapy. Dr. Pittman regularly presents workshops at national conferences and webinars on anxiety treatment and is an active member of the public education committee of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Catherine Pittman maintains a private practice and has an employment relationship with Saint Mary's College. She receives royalties as a published author. Dr. Pittman receives a speaking honorarium, recording, and book royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Dr. Catherine Pittman is a member of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

Objectives

1. Describe the role of the amygdala in maintaining anxiety disorders for purposes of client psychoeducation 
2. Learn to explain the language of the amygdala in easily accessible terms. 
3. Recognize how clients who know the language of the amygdala have improved treatment engagement and mindfulness.  
4. Use neurologically informed strategies such as relaxation, exercise, exposure, and sleep interventions to produce changes in the amygdala. 
5. Recognize the role of the cortex in activating amygdala responding. 
6. Use neurologically informed strategies such as cognitive restructuring techniques to reduce cognitions that ignite the amygdala activation that produces anxious responding.

Outline

Key Knowledge about the Amygdala 

• Knowledge of the Language of the Amygdala helps clients understand the experience of stress, anxiety, and panic 
• The amygdala learns through experience, so vivid experiences in therapy are needed 
• Changes in lifestyle will produce a calmer amygdala 

Introducing Neuroscience Concepts 

• Keep goals as a therapist in mind 
• Use accessible language 
• Focus on neuroscience that empowers clients 
• Minimize introduction of brain structures 
• Promote a mindful, observant approach 
• Introduce gradually, over course of treatment 

Promoting Motivation and Engagement 

• Form a strong, empathic therapeutic alliance 
• Demonstrate that you understand client experience of anxiety 
• Focus on client’s personal goals 
• Find ways to connect amygdala to client concerns and questions 
• Focusing on changing the amygdala rather than avoiding anxiety  
• Promote acceptance of limits of control using Serenity Prayer

Identify Two Pathways to Anxiety 

• Both pathways require the amygdala for anxiety to be produced 
• Amygdala pathway- bottom-up triggering of emotion 
• Cortex pathway – top-down generation of emotion 
• Helping clients recognize the two pathways 
• How anxiety is initiated in each pathway and how they influence each other 

Client Friendly Explanations and Examples 

• Introducing the amygdala 
• Helping clients identify where anxiety begins 
• Fight, Flight, Freeze Response 
• The amygdala as protector 
• The limits of the amygdala 
• How the amygdala learns 

Neuroplasticity in the Amygdala (Essential for all Anxiety Disorders, PTSD, OCD, Depression) 

• Interventions that calm the amygdala 
• Effective use of sleep, exercise, relaxation, yoga 
• Exposure interventions that teach the amygdala 

Through the Eyes of the Amygdala 

• The limits of how the amygdala processes information 
• The amygdala is not logical 
• The language of pairing  
• A better-safe-than sorry approach 

Changing Client’s Relationship to the Amygdala 

• Don’t trust the amygdala 
• A mindful approach to the amygdala 
• Mindfulness training for discomfort 

Relating Client Goals to the Amygdala 

• Amygdala’s misinterpretations 
• Amygdala’s blocking of goals 
• Amygdala’s limited response set 

Exposure is Retraining the Amygdala 

• Importance of SUDS ratings 
• General guidelines for exposure 
• Tips for Exposure Effectiveness 

Relationship of Cortex to the Amygdala 

• How the cortex can misinterpret amygdala activation 
• How the cortex can activate the amygdala 
• Neuroplasticity in the cortex 
• Emphasize how cortex “constructs” reality 

Cortex-focused Interventions 

• Remember survival of the busiest rule 
• You can’t erase- You must replace 
• The amygdala watches cortex television 
• Changing the channel in the cortex 

Cognitive Approaches Target the Cortex 

• Recognizing ways the cortex activates the amygdala 
• Combatting anticipation and worry 
• Distraction can be helpful

Target Audience

• Psychotherapists
• Counsellors
• IAPT practitioners
• Social Workers
• Psychologists
• Therapists
• Case Managers
• Addiction Counsellors
• Nurses
• Psychiatrists
• GPs
• Other Mental Health Professionals