Neural Cognition Therapy

 Neural Cognition Therapy (NCT) is a form of neuro- psychotherapy that utilizes neural pathways, thought or memory patterns and acupuncture to correct patterns of behavior, emotions and thought (both conscious and subconscious). Dr. Kevin Conners, combining specific techniques of Applied Kinesiology, Psychology, Neurology and Acupuncture, developed it for aiding his treatment of Brain-injured, PSTS, emotionally abused, and other patients who ‘just seem stuck’ or at a ‘dead end’ in their current approach.

 NCT does exist and may be used as a distinct therapeutic technique though it is best utilized in conjunction with Brain-Based Therapy (BBT). NCT is based on the characteristics:

 

1. NCT is based on a Cognitive Model of Emotional Response. 
 Neural Cognition therapy is based on the idea that thoughts are ONE cause of our feelings and behaviors. These thoughts may be real (true) or unreal (not true) and may be triggered by circumstances, events, or other thoughts.  The benefit of this fact is that we can change the way we think to feel / act better even if the situation does not change.

 

2. NCT is based on a Neural Model of Emotional Response. 
 Neural Cognition therapy is also based on the idea that neural pathways are ANOTHER cause of our feelings and behaviors. These neural pathways are specific neural connections created over time by firing (stimulation) into cortical centers. To put it simply: A neural pathway is created and strengthened through repetition triggered by circumstances, events, or other thoughts.  Every one of life’s experiences, whether real or imagined, was definitely real in one’s mind! The strength of these neural connections and therefore the greater chance they will be traveled upon rests on the frequency these were fired upon or the intensity of emotional energy that accompanied it. The benefit of this fact is that we can change the way we react to stimulus by changing the pathways being fired.

 

Let me give you two examples:

 

A) Jill considered herself a normal, happy teenager with loving parents. When she was 19, in her first year of college, she was invited to her first dorm party where two young males molested her after she admittedly had ‘way too much to drink’. Her life went on, she graduated with honors, landed a wonderful job and married a great guy. Since the birth of their baby two years ago, Jill has been experiencing a barrage of physical symptoms and her relationship with her husband has been rocky at best. Through therapy, Jill has realized that the ‘incident’ in college is a major contributor to how she now reacts to the opposite sex at her job and her inability to enjoy and relate to intimacy with her spouse. One horrible incident of such high emotional content ‘burned’ several associative pathways in Jill’s brain. Here are a few of the connections that may need to be severed: Men = control; sex = pain; alcohol = loss; commotion = crying; in situations out of my control = theft of self; dark rooms = constriction; and the list goes on, from the smells in the room to the sounds in the background, indelibly engrained in Jill’s neural pathways. When stimulated in completely unrelated instances, the same pathways fire and similar reactions are experienced.

 

B) Andrew was a quiet man who lived alone. His past is not well remembered though his medical history is splattered with diagnosis after diagnosis from MD’s and psychologists. Years of therapy and modern mood enhancers have helped him cope and fit in; Andrew considers himself a normal, well-adjusted 40 year old. At 12, Andrew lost both his parents to a tragic car accident and he was shipped off to his alcoholic grandmother who ‘never said a kind word’ and ‘nurture’ was not in her vocabulary. Years of negative associations can be even more damaging than horrific instances. Multitudes of neural pathways are ‘burned’ and negative, fearful, or highly charged connections with seemingly gentle characters, events and circumstances develop giving rise to psychoses, neuroses, phobias and addictions as well as organic physical disease.

 

3. NCT treatment is much more “Time-Sensitive” then traditional therapy. 
 Though NCT treatment is still a process over time, Neural Cognition therapy is considered among the most rapid in terms of results obtained.  The average number of sessions clients receive (across all types of problems and approaches to NCT) is only 20.  Other forms of
 therapy, like psychoanalysis, can take years.  What enables NCT to be briefer is its use of Kinesiology to pinpoint specific thought patterns as well as acupuncture points to assist in altering pathways.  NCT is time-limited in that we help clients understand at the very beginning of the therapy process that there will be a point when the formal therapy will end.  The ending of the formal therapy is a decision made by the client.  Therefore, NCT is not an open-ended, never-ending process.

 

4. NCT uses the Socratic Method. 
    In Neural Cognition therapy, we want to gain a very good understanding of their clients' concerns.  That's why we often ask a lot of questions.  We also encourage our clients to ask questions of themselves, like, "How do I really know that those people are laughing at me?"  "Could they be laughing about something else?"

 

5. NCT is structured and directive following a specific Acupuncture pattern. 
    In Neural Cognition therapy, we have a specific agenda for each session.  Individual emotions, thoughts, or concepts are addressed during each session.  NCT
focuses on the client's goals. 

 

6. Homework is a central feature of NCT. 
      If when you attempted to learn your multiplication tables you spent only one hour per week studying them, you might still be wondering what 2 X 2 equals.  You very likely spent a great deal of time at home studying math tables, maybe with flashcards. 
The same is the case with psychotherapy.  Goal achievement (if obtained)
 could take a very long time if all a person did was only to think about the
 techniques and topics taught for one hour per week.  That's why with NCT, we assign specific homework assignments and encourage our patients to practice the techniques learned.