Neuroscience Informed Counseling

As professional counselors learn more about neuroscience, they need guidance on how to integrate this new knowledge into counselor education and counseling practice with clients. The purpose of this updated edition is to provide a comprehensive resource for translating and applying neuroscientific concepts to the theory and practice of counseling. The authors provide guidance as to how counselors integrate neuroscience into their work, with the hope of better understanding and identifying methods for effectively and responsibly incorporating key principles of neuroscience into the profession. This new edition incorporates the 2024 CACREP Standards as markers of learning, to ensure that CACREP-accredited programs have the information needed to apply neuroscientific concepts to all the major areas of counseling practice. This volume addresses the 2024 entry-level educational standards of the main accrediting body of the counseling profession, CACREP. Each of the eight common core areas of counseling knowledge and skills are covered (professional counseling orientation, social and cultural foundations, human growth and development, career development, helping relationships, group counseling and group work, testing and assessment, research and program evaluation). Several 2024 CACREP Standards that are integrated into the eight common core standards, such as the impact of crises, disaster, and traumatic events; the neurobiology of addictions; wellness and optimal performance; and psychopharmacology are also addressed. Some chapters also focus on doctoral-level 2024 CACREP standards for counselor education and supervision. To purchase print copies, please visit the ACA Store. Reproduction requests for material from books published by ACA or any other questions about ACA Publications should be directed to publications@counseling.org. ACA no longer provides complimentary print desk copies. Digital evaluation copies may be requested from Wiley by clicking the link above and completing the details about your institution and course.

“This is a serious yet understandable book that needs to be on every counselor’s bookshelf. It makes a superb text for child and adolescent counseling courses or an excellent supplementary resource for theories courses. The case material is outstanding, and professors will find the content alignment with the CACREP Standards particularly helpful. The broad expertise of the authors speaks to a general audience, and they provide accurate, clear, and relevant information on neuroscience that is immediately useful. In short, this is a significant contribution to our profession.” —Allen E. Ivey, EdD, ABPP Distinguished University Professor (Emeritus) University of Massachusetts Amherst “This groundbreaking and comprehensive text is a must-have for any helping professional who works with today’s youth. This powerful resource contains the latest knowledge and research about neurocounseling and neuroscience, and the neuro-informed strategies and techniques are particularly helpful. This book is one that you will definitely want in your library.” —Lori A. Russell-Chapin, PhD Bradley University This innovative text is the first to illustrate how neuroscience concepts can be translated and applied to counseling with children and adolescents. Drs. Field and Ghoston discuss general principles for child and adolescent counseling before examining neurophysiological development from birth to age 18. They then provide in-session examples of neuroscience-informed approaches to behavior modification, play therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, biofeedback, neurofeedback, and therapeutic lifestyle change with diverse clients in a variety of settings. Each chapter contains knowledge and skill-building material for counselors-in-training; counselor educators; and practitioners in schools, hospitals, residential facilities, and outpatient clinics. Text features include learning objectives, alignment with the CACREP Standards specific to child and adolescent counseling, explanatory diagrams, reflection questions to prompt deep processing of the material, case vignettes to demonstrate how to apply neuroscience concepts to counseling work, and quiz questions to test knowledge of key concepts. In addition, the text includes an extensive neuroscience glossary. *Requests for digital versions from ACA can be found on www.wiley.com. *To purchase print copies, please visit the ACA website. *Reproduction requests for material from books published by ACA should be directed to permissions@counseling.org Thomas A. Field, PhD, is an assistant professor of psychiatry in the Mental Health Counseling and Behavioral Medicine program at Boston University School of Medicine. Michelle R. Ghoston, PhD, is an assistant professor at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

This text presents current, accessible information on enhancing the counseling process using a brain-based paradigm. Leading experts provide guidelines and insights for becoming a skillful neuroscience-informed counselor, making direct connections between the material covered and clinical practice. In this much-needed resource—the first to address neurocounseling concepts across the counseling curriculum—chapters cover each of the eight common core areas in the 2016 CACREP Standards in addition to several specialty areas of the Standards. Detailed case studies, questions for reflection, quiz questions, and a glossary facilitate classroom use. “Neurocounseling provides a foundation for work with individuals and groups across a broad spectrum of wellness and clinical mental health counseling topics. As a result, the reader is introduced to an exciting new frontier for understanding and serving clients more effectively. Having benefited from neurofeedback personally, as well as having been taught its principles by skilled counselor practitioners, I am enthusiastic for all counselors to learn its efficacy and applications.” —Thomas J. Sweeney, PhD Professor Emeritus, Counselor Education Ohio University “An essential addition to the counselor’s professional library, this text brings together a unique collection of well-written chapters to help both seasoned counselors and students develop an approach to counseling that applies neurophysiological information to case conceptualization, counseling relationships, assessment, addiction, psychopharmacology, group work, and career counseling.” —Richard Ponton, PhD Editor, Journal of Mental Health Counseling *Requests for digital versions from ACA can be found on www.wiley.com. *To purchase print copies, please visit the ACA website *Reproduction requests for material from books published by ACA should be directed to permissions@counseling.org

Using Neuroscience in Trauma Therapy provides a basic overview of structure and function of the brain and nervous system, with special emphasis on changes that occur when the brain is exposed to trauma. The book presents a unique and integrative approach that blends soma and psyche beyond the purview of traditional talk therapy and introduces a variety of trauma-informed approaches for promoting resilience. Each chapter includes case studies, examples, and practical and adaptable tools, making Using Neuroscience in Trauma Therapy a go-to guide for information on applying lessons from neuroscience to therapy.

Neuroscience for Counselors and Therapists by Chad Luke provides an accessible overview of the structure and function of the human brain, including how the brain influences and is influenced by biology, environment, and experiences. Full of practical applications, this cutting-edge book explores the relationships between recent neuroscience findings and counseling theories and then uses these integrated results to address four categories of common life disturbances: anxiety, depression, stress, and addictions. The book’s case-based approach helps readers understand the language of neuroscience and learn how neuroscience research can enhance their understanding of human thought, feeling, and behaviors.

A Counselor’s Introduction to Neuroscience is a guidebook to neurobiology that is customized for counselors’ unique goals and requirements. Drawing on years of experience, not only in the lab, but in the counselor’s chair, the authors unravel the complexities of neuroscience and present an easily understood volume that is an essential companion for any counselor who wishes to expand his or her understanding of the human brain, how it works, and how it creates our identities.

This is an invaluable resource for counsellors and therapists looking to reinvigorate their practice and enhance their understanding of clients' needs. Each chapter focuses on different discoveries in neuroscience, explains them in plain English and provides guidance on how to put this knowledge to practical use in the therapy room. It covers specific psychological and neurological diagnoses including bipolar affective disorder, eating disorders and ADHD, as well as other more general issues such as attachment and addiction. The book also contains recommendations backed by evidence from neuroscience for optimum mental health involving nutrition, sleep and exercise, and a comprehensive glossary of technical terms. Presenting the practical applications of neuroscience, this book will be of immeasurable use to counsellors, psychotherapists and psychologists, and also of interest to social workers and mental health practitioners.

Applying Neuroscience to Counseling Children and Adolescents: A Guide to Brain-Based, Experiential Interventions explores the neurobiological underpinnings of child and adolescent development and encourages readers to apply neuroscience-informed interventions and strategies to counseling practice. The book provides an overview and foundational perspective on neuroscience-informed child and adolescent counseling; covers models and modes of counseling from a neuroscience perspective; and examines common clinical presentations when working with children and adolescents. Individual chapters address ethical and cultural considerations, counseling theory and neuroscience, neuroscience of play, using neuroscience in working with parents and caregivers, and neuroscience-informed interventions to treat anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, substance misuse, and attention and behavioral issues. Each chapter features two primary cases, one for a young child and one for an adolescent, conceptualized from real-life clients. The chapters present practical interventions and a sample of counselor-client dialogue to help readers understand how an intervention might unfold during a session. Applying Neuroscience to Counseling Children and Adolescents bridges the gap between textbooks that cover neuroscience and counseling children and adolescents independently. It is an ideal supplemental text for courses on incorporating neuroscience in counseling.