Evidence-based treatments are only as effective as the context in which they are applied. This guest article explores why sociocultural context and meaning-making should come before model fidelity, introducing the Neurocultural Prediction and Regulation Model (NPRM) as a framework for more culturally responsive, neuroscience-informed clinical decision-making.

Research suggests that playing a visually engaging game like Tetris may help reduce intrusive thoughts, distressing mental images, flashbacks, and nervous system activation related to stressful or traumatic experiences.

Avoidance, shutdown, emotional overwhelm, and impulsive reactions are often viewed as signs of resistance or unwillingness to change. However, neuroscience increasingly suggests these behaviors may reflect protective nervous system responses shaped by stress, trauma, learning, and past experiences.

Neuroscience-informed DBT training shows preliminary promise in closing the research-to-practice skills gap for Master's-level Psychotherapists– By Carole Showell, DHSc (in progress), LCSW Disclaimer: Results summarized by ChatGPT, and manually reviewed and edited by a human. Overview of Neuroscience-Informed DBT Training Outcomes This pilot evaluation examined the impact of a neuroscience-informed DBT training on clinician knowledge, confidence, and application of neuroscien

Exploring how nutrition impacts the brain-gut-micriobiome in neuropsychiatric disorders. Carole Showell, DHsc (in progress), LCSW– Author's Note: This is an excerpt from an academic paper written by the author. ChatGPT was used improve readability for a general audience. Emerging research continues to highlight a powerful and often overlooked system influencing mental health: the brain–gut–microbiome axis. This bidirectional relationship between the gut and the brain plays

Author: Kaitlyn Harrison, MS, LAC There’s a quiet lie a lot of us have been taught: If you’re struggling, you just need to try harder. Try harder to focus. Try harder to stay organized. Try harder to “be normal.” But what if the problem isn’t effort? What if the problem is that you’ve been trying to force yourself into systems that were never built for you in the first place? You’re Not Broken—You’re Mismatched If you're navigating any kind of identity or experiencing symptom

By Carole Showell, DHSc (in progress), LCSW—Understanding the history of Arirang, the Korean students at Howard University, and how cross-cultural meaning-making shapes the way art is interpreted today. Disclaimer: This was written by a human who had to use em dashes for the sake of grammar. It was slightly polished for readability using ChatGPT because your human author tends to be extremely wordy. All referenced sources were manually researched, reviewed, and summarized by

Carole Showell, DHSc (in progress), LCSW - Why cultural context changes how we understand Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Yesterday, I came across a very informative article (linked below) written by Dr. Sarah Abedi that demonstrates the importance of understanding the origin and development of commonly used clinical frameworks. Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a structured psychological theory for understanding the relationship between an individual's needs and their capacity for

By Kenneth L. Bourne Jr., LSW, Founder Bourne Anew- A Practice Framework For Helping Professionals Most of us want to help people. We want to be good therapists, good neighbors, good educators, good humans. We read the books. We take the trainings. We learn the language. We try to stay informed, self-aware, and trauma-informed. And still, many of us quietly wonder: Why isn’t this landing? Why does this feel harder than it should? Why do I feel like I’m missing something impor

By Andrew E. Colsky, JD, LPC- Discover how trauma impacts sleep and learn 5 powerful strategies to improve rest and reclaim your nights. How Trauma Disrupts Sleep: 5 Powerful Ways to Heal and Rest Better Trauma doesn’t end when the event is over - it often lingers in the body and mind, especially at night. Many people living with trauma find themselves wide awake at 3 a.m., struggling with racing thoughts, nightmares, or the fear of falling asleep at all. Sleep disturbances

By the team at Arrive Therapy- At Arrive Therapy, we don’t just talk about gender-affirming care - we live it. Our practice is fully LGBTQ+ staffed and centered, and for years, we’ve walked alongside trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people of all ages as they explore their identities and build more resilient, joyful lives. We know firsthand how transformative it can be to have your gender not only seen but celebrated. But beyond the personal stories and moments of brea