Catherine Pittman

Saturday

3:00PM – 5:00PM PT
Accessible Strategies for Calming the Anxious Brain

503 - Taming The Amygdala

Treatment of anxiety is more effective when it is rooted in an understanding of neuroscience.  Therapists need clear neuroscience explanations that they can readily use with the diverse variety of clients suffering from anxiety.  In this workshop, you will not only learn effective, brain-based strategies for calming the anxious brain but also learn how to explain the strategies to clients in ways that motivate change.   

Understand how to identify the roots of anxiety in the amygdala and provide effective interventions to tame the amygdala.  Learn how “the language of the amygdala” can be explained in an accessible, straightforward way, empowering clients to change their brains to resist anxiety.  Help clients identify how the cortex causes the amygdala to produce anxiety, and train them in strategies to resist anxiety-igniting cognitions.   

Learning Objectives:

  • Demonstrate the role of the amygdala in maintaining anxiety disorders for purposes of client psychoeducation.
  • Explain how clients who know the language of the amygdala have improved treatment engagement and mindfulness. 
  • Use neurologically informed strategies such as relaxation, exercise, exposure, and sleep interventions to produce changes in the amygdala. 

 

Author of Rewire Your Anxious Brain: How to Use the Neuroscience of Fear to End Anxiety, Panic, and Worry

Catherine M. Pittman, Ph.D., HSPP, has a background in cognitive behavioral therapy, neuropsychology, and fear-conditioning research, and treated anxiety-based disorders in clinical practice for over 25 years. Her 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.

Dr. Pittman is the author of the popular book, Rewire Your Anxious Brain: How to Use the Neuroscience of Fear to End Anxiety Panic, and Worry (New Harbinger Publications). Her new book, Taming Your Amygdala, was published in Spring 2022 (PESI Publishing & Media). Dr. Pittman is a professor of Psychology at Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, IN. She regularly presents workshops at national conferences and national webinars on anxiety treatment and is an active member of the Public Education Committee of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

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