(Winter 2008)

The Mind that Changes the Brain: Wellness in the Second Millennium (Section 1) PSYCHTY 812.2  (1.5 CEU)

An increasing amount of evidence suggests that mind-body practices rooted in both Eastern traditions (relaxation, awareness, concentration, meditation) and Western traditions (prayer, psychodynamic, cognitive and behavioral interventions) can result in changes in the organization of the brain, a phenomenon referred to as neuroplasticity. In this hands-on experiential workshop you will learn how the latest brain plasticity research can be used to understand the general wellness benefits of such practices and how neuroscience is revolutionizing our view of practical every-day applications of "traditional" health techniques. Maximize your wellness, change your feelings, attitudes, behaviors and mind-set while seeing benefits to such issues as depression, dyslexia, cravings, uncontrollable habits, anxiety and even the effects of strokes. The experiential aspect of the workshop will help you develop a custom tailored wellness program integrating techniques and practices rooted in different traditions with the latest neuroscience discoveries.

Adrian Preda, M.D. is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior in the UC Irvine School of Medicine. His expertise in human behavior, psychology and spirituality is based on years of experience working as a psychiatrist, psychotherapist, teacher and researcher in a variety of academic clinical and non-clinical settings, including Yale Psychiatric Institute, Yale New Haven Hospital, Yale Health Plan, UT Southwestern and UC Irvine Neuro-Psychiatric Research. Dr. Preda also has extensive contemplative experience in Raja Yoga and mantra meditation, and in the Christian Eastern Orthodox tradition of the Prayer of the Heart. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.