Taming the Amygdala: A Brain-Based Approach to Anxiety

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. Appraise the role of the amygdala in maintaining anxiety disorders for purposes of client psychoeducation. 
2. Demonstrate how clients who know the language of the amygdala have improved engagement and mindfulness.  
3. Use neurologically informed strategies, such as exposure, relaxation, exercise, and sleep interventions to produce changes in the amygdala and improve client outcomes. 
4. Use cognitive restructuring, cognitive defusion, and mindfulness techniques to reduce cognitions that ignite the amygdala activation that produces anxious responding. 

Outline

Describe the role of the amygdala in maintaining anxiety disorders for purposes of client psychoeducation. 

• Explain amygdala as an alarm system that responds to danger. 
• Explain amygdala as storing memories of emotional importance.
• Describe responses of amygdala as not always appropriate to 21st century. 

Explain the language of the amygdala. 

• Explain that the amygdala communicates through bodily responses. 
• Explain that the amygdala does not learn from books or lectures. 
• Explain that the amygdala learns from experience. 
• Describe the association-based learning process (i.e., classical conditioning) 

Explain how clients who know the language of the amygdala have improved engagement and mindfulness.  

• Recognition of ways to change amygdala responding is empowering. 
• Recognition of the purpose of symptoms such as increased heart rate, muscle tension allow one to observe and interpret these responses differently. 
• Attributing anxiety responses to amygdala helps client to dissociate from and take the role of an observer of these responses. 

Use neurologically informed strategies such as exposure, relaxation, exercise, and sleep interventions to produce changes in the amygdala. 

• Present exposure is a way of teaching the amygdala new associations and responses. 
• Teach relaxation strategies that reduce amygdala in minutes. 
• Identify the ability of regular exercise and adequate sleep to produce lasting changes in amygdala activation. 

Use neurologically informed strategies such as cognitive restructuring, cognitive defusion, and mindfulness techniques to reduce cognitions that ignite the amygdala activation that produces anxious responding. 

• Teach clients that the amygdala responds to cortex activity that presents threatening thoughts, images, or worries. 
• Teach clients to recognize worries and anticipatory thoughts as simply thoughts and not as accurate predictors of the future.     
• Train clients to observe and be curious about their anxiety responses rather than get caught up in the experience of anxiety. 

Target Audience

• Counselors
• Social Workers
• Psychologists
• Psychotherapists
• Therapists
• Marriage & Family Therapists
• Addiction Counselors
• Case Managers
• Physicians
• Nurses
• Other Mental Health Professionals