Compassion and acceptance reduce stress!

Assoc. Prof. Thomas Field from Oregon State University, the "Guest of Honor" at the 7th International Positive Psychology Congress organized this year by Üsküdar University with the theme "Neuroscience-Based Positive Psychology," addressed the topic "A Brief Introduction to Neuroscience-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy."

Drawing attention to the transformative power of concepts such as self-compassion, self-love, and self-acceptance in human psychology, Assoc. Prof. Thomas Field stated that "When we approach ourselves with more compassion and acceptance, our stress coping skills also increase. Perceiving situations solely as threats and suppressing emotions can lead to feelings such as helplessness and burnout."

The 7th International Positive Psychology Congress organized this year by Üsküdar University in partnership with Üsküdar University NPİSTANBUL Hospital, NP Etiler and NP Feneryolu Medical Centers, the Turkish Psychological Counseling and Guidance Association, and the Positive Psychology Institute, hosted world-renowned experts working in this field.

Assoc. Prof. Thomas Field: "Self-compassion and self-acceptance improve quality of life"

The theme of this year's two-day congress was set as "Neuroscience-Based Positive Psychology." At the congress, the "Guest of Honor," Assoc. Prof. Thomas Field from Oregon State University, addressed the topic "A Brief Introduction to Neuroscience-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy" online. Addressing the neuroscientific foundations of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) from a positive psychology perspective, Assoc. Prof. Thomas Field drew attention to the transformative power of concepts such as self-compassion, self-love, and self-acceptance in human psychology and said, "Self-compassion and self-acceptance improve quality of life."

In his presentation, Assoc. Prof. Thomas Field conveyed from a neuroscientific perspective how information is processed in the brain and body, explaining with examples how this process can align with positive psychology. Touching upon the fundamental building blocks of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Assoc. Prof. Thomas Field emphasized that when a person encounters environmental stress or difficulty, the beliefs they develop about how they perceive this situation directly affect their emotional responses and behaviors.

"Positive or negative beliefs determine the meaning a person assigns to events and the behaviors they develop in response. This can lead to consequences ranging from anger and shame to addiction," said Assoc. Prof. Thomas Field, noting that traditional CBT focuses on conscious and rational thought and that the prefrontal cortex plays an active role in this process. He added, "The goal in cognitive therapy is for the individual to question their thoughts regarding the situation and, if necessary, change them."

Assoc. Prof. Thomas Field: "Humans have control over their emotional responses"

The American neuroscience expert, Assoc. Prof. Thomas Field, drew attention to the neuroscientific foundations of emotional regulation, emphasizing that individuals have complete control over the emotional responses they give to the events they experience.

"Imagine you learn you are about to lose your job. In this situation, you determine how you will feel and how you will react," said Assoc. Prof. Thomas Field, stating that a person can only be held responsible for their own reactions.

Stating that when faced with a stressful situation, the brain will first perceive the threat, Assoc. Prof. Thomas Field said, "Neuroscience-based CBT allows the individual to develop healthier coping mechanisms by enabling them to recognize their automatic responses and core beliefs.”

Automatic responses occur in the brain's lower structures

Assoc. Prof. Thomas Field stated that the responses individuals give in stressful situations are shaped not only by conscious thought processes but also by the brain's automatic functioning, and continued his remarks as follows:

"The neuroscience-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) model reveals that the emotional and physical responses a person experiences often develop beyond the level of awareness. In verbal arguments with a family member, a person may struggle to express their thoughts clearly. This situation is related to the brain's defense systems activating rapidly. Just like a car stopping suddenly 10 meters in front of us. We immediately hit the brakes, but we don't think about why we gave this response. These types of automatic responses occur in the brain's lower structures. However, there is an important point here; because we give these types of responses without thinking, it would not be fair to hold the person responsible for what they feel. Because the brain activates an automatic survival mechanism. Especially in therapy with children, the 'think first, then act' approach may not be possible for some children.”

Awareness stage and the top-down brain process

In the neuroscience-based CBT model, Assoc. Prof. Thomas Field noted that in the awareness stage, the individual feels an activation in their body. He stated, "Heart rate increases, emotions like fear or anger emerge. These bodily responses are shaped by thoughts through the top-down brain process. For example, in traffic, a thought like 'I should be more careful because I encounter so many bad drivers' both provides relief and leads to positive outcomes. Otherwise, one can enter a cycle that could result in more anger and stress."

Compassion and acceptance can reduce stress

"When we approach ourselves with more compassion and acceptance, our stress coping skills also increase," said Assoc. Prof. Thomas Field. He stated, "Perceiving situations solely as threats and suppressing emotions can lead to feelings such as helplessness and burnout."

Awareness is developed with the neuroscience-based VDT approach

Explaining that in psychological support processes, the neuroscience-based Body-Emotion-Response approach contributes to helping clients cope with anxiety by increasing their bodily awareness, Assoc. Prof. Thomas Field drew attention to the fact that not only the bodily responses but also the thoughts accompanying these responses need to be restructured. Assoc. Prof. Thomas Field concluded his words by saying, "When we do not take good care of our bodies, unmet basic needs such as sleep, nutrition, and exercise can make emotional regulation difficult."

 

 

Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)