Re-wiring

What is rewiring therapy? Rewiring therapy is a type of counselling that helps you change the thinking habits that keep you stuck, so you can feel and act differently. It works with your brain’s natural ability to build new pathways, which means old patterns of worry, low mood or self-criticism can be gradually replaced with healthier ones.

‘Re-wiring’ is a name used by counsellors, psychologists and coaches to describe a number of therapy models that are focused on helping people to think and subsequently behave differently. They generally incorporate and integrate variations of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) with other therapy models. The name is drawn from the concept of re-wiring your brain through practices that assist a person to develop new ‘neuro pathways’ of thinking. Kind of like ‘rabbit trails’ in your brain (thoughts) that become established through repetition and habit.

How your brain forms new pathways

Your brain is not fixed. Scientists call this neuroplasticity, which simply means the brain keeps changing in response to what you repeatedly think and do. Every time a thought runs through your mind, the connection behind it gets a little stronger, just like a track through long grass becomes clearer the more often it is walked. That is why anxious or negative thoughts can feel automatic. The good news is the same process works in reverse. When you deliberately practise a new way of thinking, a new track starts to form, and the old one slowly grows over from lack of use. Rewiring your brain is not about willpower. It is about steady, repeated practice.

What a rewiring session looks like

There is nothing mysterious about it. A session is a conversation, and you stay fully in control the whole time. Typically we:

• Talk about what is happening for you: what you are feeling, when it shows up and what you would like to be different.
• Notice the patterns: we identify the thoughts and beliefs that tend to fire in those moments, and where they may have come from.
• Build new responses: together we work out more helpful and realistic ways of thinking, and practise them in the session.
• Take it home: you leave with simple exercises to practise between sessions, because that repetition is what strengthens the new pathways.

Who rewiring helps

Rewiring can be helpful for anyone who feels caught in the same painful loops of thinking. I often use it with people experiencing:

• Feelings of anxiety, worry and panic
• Ongoing low mood and depression
• Trauma responses, such as feeling constantly on edge or easily triggered
• Unhelpful thinking patterns like harsh self-talk, catastrophising or feelings of inferiority

If you would like some practical ideas to start with, you might also find keys to healthy thinking and practical steps to overcoming anxiety useful.

What rewiring is not

• It is not a quick fix. Patterns that took years to form take time and practice to change. Many people notice small shifts early, but lasting change builds over weeks and months.
• It is not hypnosis. You are awake, aware and making your own choices throughout. Nothing is done to you without your understanding.
• It is not just positive thinking. The aim is not to paper over real problems with happy thoughts. It is to see things more accurately and respond in ways that actually help.

What makes rewiring effective

The effectiveness of ‘Re-Wiring’ is dependent on a number of variables such as:

1. The counsellor: his or her temperament, ‘bedside manner’, knowledge, skill and competence
2. The client: how much they engage in the therapy, whether they do their homework, their mental/ emotional health
3. The relationship between the counsellor and the client
4. The relationships the client has with others
5. The type of ‘re-wiring’ model used
6. The time invested in the process

Why I use Dr Genevieve Milnes’ model

Some Re-Wiring models have been rigorously tested, with profound evidential results. The model that I have utilised (and continue to) has been exceptional as a therapy tool, particularly when working with people who are struggling with the debilitating effects of anxiety or depression. Personally, I would recommend the Re-Wiring model developed by Dr Genevieve Milnes.

I chose this model because it came out of careful doctoral research here in Western Australia, and because it is practical. Rather than only talking about problems, it gives people clear steps they can practise and see working in their everyday lives. It blends well with other approaches I use, so the work can be shaped around you rather than forcing you into a set program.

Ready to start rewiring?

If you want to address emotional wounds and develop healthier, more productive habits of thinking, consider Re-Wiring. I would be glad to walk through it with you. You can read more about me or book a session with Nick in West Perth, Midland or online.

Nick Gwynn

Breathe Counselling