As therapists, we see how powerful therapy can be in the lives of our clients. The work our clients do within sessions is crucial in taking steps towards healing, growth, and leadership.

Therapy is a critical element in experiencing change.

But we also believe that what our clients do with their time outside of therapy will either assist with or distract from their goals. In fact, studies are showing us that certain things we do and specific changes we make can literally change the “wiring” and composition of the brain.

Translation: we can actually build a better brain.

A “better” brain is one that is a stronger and more resilient base for coping with life’s difficulties. These difficulties can include mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety.

Now this is super exciting news if you ask me. If we adjust some habits and are intentional, we can change the chemistry within our brains. This opens up whole new ways of treating mental illness.

What we are finding is that there are a lot of different things we can do to build a better brain.

We’ll continue to explore what these things are in a series of posts. Be sure to check back to learn more.

Mary Overstreet, LAPC, LAMFT

moverstreet@ GROWcounseling.com

photo: Allan Ajifo, Creative Commons