How to Use CPR for the Amygdala in Your Practice
CPR for the Amygdala is designed to help your clients regain physical and emotional balance when they find themselves on those neural freeways of stress. It uses the mindful touch from self-havening in combination with “brain games” that redirect their thoughts away from the emotionally activating experience. Brain games are essentially any form of cognitive distraction that occupies the working memory resources.This is important, because when a client begins moving into survival mode, they are using all of their working memory resources to compare the current stressor to any stressful, painful, or distressing experiences from their past.
An easy way to begin integrating CPR for the Amygdala into your practice is to keep in mind the acronym SNAP, as though you’re going to snap the amygdala out of a stress reaction. These are the four foundational steps of the CPR for the Amygdala protocol:
- Sense into the experience of emotional activation, distress, or disturbance.
- Notice the intensity of the experience and rank it on the scale of 0–10.
- Apply the self-havening touch.
- Preoccupy your brain with brain games to redirect your attention and focus.
Dr. Kate Truitt, a clinical psychologist, applied neuroscientist, and international bestselling author, is an expert in trauma, stress, and resilience. She is the founder of the educational platform Truitt Institute and leads her award-winning clinical team at Dr. Kate Truitt & Associates. As a member of the Goldie Hawn Foundation’s MindUP Scientific Advisory Committee and a co-developer of the Havening Techniques®, as well as an expert contributor to the Kevin Love Fund and Girl Scouts of America, Dr. Truitt passionately advocates for mental health literacy and personal empowerment globally. Her voice in the mental health arena extends to her role as a speaker and media consultant, including being featured in BBC and Today, and speaking at prestigious platforms like the United Nations and the United States Department of Defense. Dr. Truitt founded and is the chairman of the board for the Amy Research Foundation, a 501c3 organization focused on advancing research into the innovative treatment realm of neuroscience-based mental health and wellness interventions. As the author of her memoir, #1 top new release Keep Breathing: A Psychologist’s Intimate Journey Through Loss, Trauma, and Rediscovering Life and the international bestseller Healing in Your Hands: Self-Havening Exercises to Harness Neuroplasticity, Heal Traumatic Stress, and Build Resilience, she is dedicated to advancing the treatment of traumatic stress while making significant strides in destigmatizing mental health and fostering resilience worldwide.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Dr. Kate Truitt maintains a private practice. She is the CEO of the Trauma Counseling Center of Los Angeles. Dr. Truitt is the executive director and founder of Viva Excellence and Amy Research Foundation. She is the executive director to American Cognitive Training Association. She is the Chief Strategy Officer to The Havening Techniques. Dr. Truitt is a scientific advisor and board member to Anti-AgingGames.com and Goldie Hawn Foundation. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from Psychotherapy Networker and PESI, Inc. All relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations have been mitigated.
Non-financial: Dr. Kate Truitt is a member of the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, the American Cognitive Training Association, and the American College of Healthcare Executives.
