TU112: The Life-Changing Science of Memory Reconsolidation with Guests Bruce Ecker & Tori Olds

by | Jan 7, 2020 | Brain Science, Episodes, Neuroscience, Personal Growth, Therapy, Trauma | 0 comments

Show Notes

Tori Olds with Deep Eddy Psychotherapy

Learn to apply the advances in neuroscience to our lives in a real way – we all want to be able to do that, right? This episode delivers on that for sure – memory reconsolidation is changing how therapists practice and explains why those lightbulb moments can actually transform us if done correctly. 🙂

In this episode,

Powerhouse clinicians Tori Olds and Bruce Ecker join co-host Sue Marriott in a discussion on how memory reconsolidation brings awareness to old maps and traumatic emotional learning and gives us a clean slate on which to build new learning pathways.

Saturday February 15, 2020: Introduction to Coherence Therapy, Austin, TX

Who is Bruce Ecker?

Bruce Ecker, MA, LMFT is co-originator of Coherence Therapy and coauthor
of Unlocking the Emotional Brain: Eliminating Symptoms at Their Roots Using Memory Reconsolidation; the Coherence Therapy Practice Manual & Training Guide; and Depth Oriented Brief Therapy: How To Be Brief When You Were Trained To Be Deep and Vice Versa. Clarifying how transformational change takes place is the central theme of Bruce Ecker’s clinical career, and he has contributed many innovations in concepts and methods of experiential psychotherapy. Since 2006 he has driven the clinical field’s recognition of memory reconsolidation as the core process of transformational change and has developed the application of this brain research breakthrough to advancements in therapeutic effectiveness and psychotherapy integration. Bruce is a frequent presenter at conferences and workshops internationally, has taught extensively in clinical graduate programs, and is in private practice in New York City

Who is Dr Tori Olds?

Tori Olds, PhD is a psychologist in private practice in Austin, Texas. She is a co-owner of Deep Eddy Psychotherapy, a counseling center housing seventeen clinicians. She specializes in working with trauma, particularly attachment trauma, and utilizing mindfulness and self-compassion as a resource for personal growth. Alongside her clinical work, she has a passion for training therapists in experiential ways of working. She leads a number of study groups and is developing 10 online courses focused on helping clinicians develop experiential skills, as well as understand human development from an evolutionary, neurobiological, and attachment lens.

Show Notes

Meeting Tori Olds and Bruce Ecker

  • Tori Olds: Clinician and leader of a training group on how to integrate experiential psychotherapies (AEDP, PACT, Somatic Experiencing)
  • Bruce Ecker: Clinician and author of “Unlocking the Emotional Brain”

Emotional Learning

  • Emotional learning happens much as a Pavlovian response
  • We often learn without awareness and become prisoners of emotional learning
  • Emotional truths are a powerful mental model how of how the world works that we don’t often realize are there
  • Low self-esteem works as a protective, adaptive tactic
  • By bringing awareness to these learnings, we can de-pathologize them (therapists can help facilitate this) and begin the disconfirmation process

Memory reconsolidation

  • Memory reconsolidation: the brain’s built-in, natural way of using new learning to directly update and re-encode existing old learning
  • This process targets emotional learning
  • Memory reconsolidation can serve as a “unifying framework for the psychotherapy field, which has been so fragmented”

Therapeutic Contexts of Memory Reconsolidation

  • Coherence therapy, as well as many other different therapeutic models, can produce transformational change through memory reconsolidation
  • Three stages: 1) Discovery 2) Integration 3) Juxtaposition

Resources

Primer on Memory Reconsolidation – PDF – READ THIS if you want more!

Unlocking the Emotional Brain –– Bruce Ecker

Coherence Therapy Practice Manual – Bruce Ecker

Depth Oriented Brief Therapy – Bruce Ecker

Memory Reconsolidation in Psychotherapy: The Neuropsychotherapist Special Issue (The Neuropsychotherapist Special Issues) (Volume 1)

Deep Eddy Psychotherapy

Dr. Tori Olds’s Youtube Channel

Coherence Institute

Clinical Translation of Memory Reconsolidation Article

Saturday February 15, 2020: Introduction to Coherence Therapy, Austin, TX

 

Other Episodes That You May Enjoy:

TU49: Five Strategies to Manage Intense Emotions & Why Emotional Regulation Matters &

TU08: Understanding Emotional Triggers: Why Your Buttons Get Pushed and What To Do About It

Who doesn’t love special offers?

 

 

brain neuroscience, amygdala, course
Our advanced course on attachment and neuroscience has been recently released and is now available for a discounted price! While this course is aimed toward clinicians (CE’s available!), all who are interested in deepening security in yourselves and your relationships are welcome to participate. 4 hours of curated content!
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

 

We’re on Patreon – dive in and get more involved! 

Join our exclusive community of Therapist Uncensored Neuronerds for as little as $5 a month!

Increase your access, join a kick-ass like-minded community, get discounts on our courses and get exclusive content.

Help us create a ripple of security by supporting us in freely sharing the science of relationships around the globe!

We have pledged 50% of all corporate profits & merch sales (very fun swag!) to organizations that support mental health access to those traditionally left out of mainstream healthcare.  We can only do that with the help of our Neuronerd private community.

By joining as a Neuronerd premium subscriber, you get a dedicated ad-free feed, deeper dives into select content and first shot at very unique study opportunities. If we've provided value then please check us out, poke around, make sure you feel comfortable and then join us today!

Tweet

Recent Episodes

Bonus – The 5 Phases of Divorce: From Heartbreak to Healing with Oona Metz (297)

Bonus – The 5 Phases of Divorce: From Heartbreak to Healing with Oona Metz (297)

Therapist and author Oona Metz draws on three decades of experience supporting women through divorce. She breaks down the emotional arc of separation through her five-phase model, offering a clear lens into the grief, upheaval, and eventual growth that can unfold. The episode also explores common misconceptions, practical guidance for clinicians and individuals, and the powerful role of support groups in the healing process. Listen now at TherapistUncensored.com/TU297

read more
Inner Stability in an Unstable World: Margaret Cullen on Equanimity (296)

Inner Stability in an Unstable World: Margaret Cullen on Equanimity (296)

Explore the role of equanimity, mindfulness, and compassion in navigating an increasingly complex world. Special guest
Margaret Cullen alongside co-host Sue Marriott discuss the evolution of mindfulness in modern culture, the foundations of compassion-based practices, and how these approaches can support resilience and emotional balance. Grounded in both clinical insight and lived practice, this conversation offers a thoughtful, accessible perspective on cultivating steadiness and clarity in the midst of ongoing challenges. Listen to the full episode now at TherapistUncensored.com/TU296

read more
Where Personal Healing Meets Collective Change with Prentis Hemphill (295)

Where Personal Healing Meets Collective Change with Prentis Hemphill (295)

Prentis Hemphill, alongside co-host Sue Marriott, traces their path from social organizing to somatic therapy, revealing how personal healing and collective transformation are deeply intertwined. Together, they explore how inherited myths, power dynamics, and collective trauma shape both our inner worlds and our social systems. This episode invites therapists and change makers alike to consider healing as more than an individual process—it’s relational, embodied, and political in impact.
Prentice offers grounded reflections and practical tools for working with the body, navigating power, and engaging in healing that extends beyond the self. Listen to the full episode now at TherapistUncensored.com/TU295

read more
Bonus – Hormones, Libido, and the Missing Conversation About Women’s Bodies with Dr. Christine Vaccaro (294)

Bonus – Hormones, Libido, and the Missing Conversation About Women’s Bodies with Dr. Christine Vaccaro (294)

Dr. Christine Vaccaro helps demystify women’s sexual health – exploring everything from hormones and anatomy to libido and pelvic floor challenges. Together, we break down what’s often misunderstood or overlooked, offering clear, empowering insights to help women better understand their bodies and advocate for their care. Listen now at TherapistUncensored.com/TU294

read more
How Music Heals What Words Can’t with Ann Koplow (293)

How Music Heals What Words Can’t with Ann Koplow (293)

Ann Koplow shares her journey as a therapist and musician, discussing the healing power of music, her experiences with a rare heart condition, and the importance of authenticity in therapy. She emphasizes the role of shamelessness in creative expression and how songwriting serves as a therapeutic tool for both herself and her clients. The conversation explores the impact of music on mental health, the creation of community through shared experiences, and the necessity of letting go of
shame to embrace one’s true self. Listen now at TherapistUncensored.com/TU293

read more

What else do you want to learn today?

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This