Description

The program/presentation approaches clinical conditions presented by clients from an evolutionary, neurobiological framework. Rather than focusing on the content of presenting concerns (e.g., migraine, digestive distress, depression, or panic), the program participant is invited to explore clinical phenomena as manifestations of evolutionarily based patterns of adjusting and adapting to ever-changing physical and social landscapes. Presenting problem patterns are framed as attempts at solution seeking, goal-oriented (though not necessarily consciously mediated) adaptiveness.

Dr. Alter has identified 13-core principles that aid in cultivation of this adaptive view of clinical concerns. The principles are rooted in what we have learned about the physiological, neurological, psychological, and social legacies we have inherited from our evolutionary ancestors. Applying these principles to clinical phenomena supports the clinician in escaping the diagnostic and formulaic treatment reductionism that too often constrains our ability to interact with clients in ways that are tailored to their unique presenting problem patterns, while simultaneously cultivating an approach that imbues clients’ efforts with meaning, mission, and purpose.

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