How the MAP Method™ Leverages Memory Reconsolidation To Thrive and Be Happy
When Colette Streicher, licensed psychotherapist and Founder of the MAP Method™, was only nine years old, she experienced sudden trauma that shook her to her core. At that moment, she committed to doing everything she could to be happy, create a happy family, and help others be happy.
Decades of life experiences, training in several traditional and energy psychology modalities, and her firm resolve to fulfill her joyful mission led her to finally be happy and create a loving family with her soulmate. Together with her son, Valentin Streicher, they created MAP, aka Make Anything Possible, as a scientifically validated technique that can help anyone dissolve limiting beliefs, neutralize fears, overcome stress and anxiety, and stop self-sabotaging behaviors in their tracks.
Memory Reconsolidation is one of the revolutionary discoveries in neuroscience that makes MAP so effective.
Let’s explore why!
How memory consolidation can impact our happiness and peak performance
Our memories inform us which actions to take in our tasks and interactions with others. As our daily actions and reactions build new memories, our brains need to keep consolidating memories so our short-term memories can shift into long-term memories.
Memory consolidation. (2024, July 12). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memory_consolidation
In particular, stressful memories can be consolidated and recalled most vividly because the amygdala, the main region in our brain that processes our emotions, gets super-activated.
Here are a couple of client examples before they had a MAP session:
Suffering from a painful breakup
Whenever Jill thought about her past relationship that ended painfully, she felt a very tangible swirly, icky feeling in her stomach. She rated the intensity at 6 out of 10. Her mind kept replaying the phone call about the breakup and every word he said to her. This always brought up a visceral response, with lots of grief and tears. That memory was rated at an 8 out of 10.
Business struggles in the real estate industry during the global pandemic
In 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic started, Patty, a real estate agent, was merely getting enough deals to crawl to the next deal. She constantly heard a voice in her head talking about all the worst-case scenarios and how she couldn't do anything she wanted to do. It seemed like she had barely enough to keep the business going.
The exciting discovery of Memory Reconsolidation
The good news is we don't have to keep sabotaging ourselves because of these seemingly permanent negative long-term memories that keep looping in our minds. Scientists have discovered another process, called memory reconsolidation.
Professor Karim Nader has been at the forefront of discovering more about memory reconsolidation since 2000. When a memory is retrieved, it is transformed into a vulnerable state in which it can be lost, changed, or strengthened depending on the experimental manipulation.
“A provocative possibility was raised early on by reconsolidation research…“it might be possible to treat persons with post-traumatic stress disorder or other related anxiety conditions by reactivating traumatic memories under conditions that would prevent reconsolidation”
~Joseph E. LeDoux, The day I told Karim Nader, “Don’t do the study” — ScienceDirect
We have plenty of opportunities to make these long-term memories malleable and update them into more positive and self-empowering memories that are much more helpful to us.
How does MAP leverage the process of Memory Reconsolidation?
Here are the 6 steps of the MAP Method:
- The client watches a short brain-training video that teaches the client’s brain how to find and neutralize painful memories gently and safely.
- The client chooses an issue to focus on, reactivating the memory trace and becoming mindful of the thoughts, sensations, and feelings in her body/mind.
- The MAP practitioner gives an instruction to the client’s brain, launching a self-healing of conscious and unconscious painful memories
- The client stays in mindfulness, present to what she is experiencing, doing nothing, and making no effort to change or affect the situation.
- After the processing, the client gives feedback– either a description of the changes observed or a subjective rating scale.
- The practitioner uses a protocol to find the next instruction needed to complete the neutralization process. Steps 3-6 are repeated as needed until the client feels complete for the session.
The process of memory reconsolidation is carefully included in the MAP session protocol so that the client’s stressful memories impeding her happiness or peak performance goals are gently, safely, and rapidly neutralized in real time. The client typically observes changes in emotions, body sensations, thoughts, and muscle tension, and may suddenly recall other memories related to her family history or generational trauma.
Let's revisit the previous client examples after they experienced MAP:
Jill neutralized her emotions from her painful breakup within minutes
Jill received an introductory MAP session from Colette Streicher to neutralize her emotions from her painful breakup. She was asked to bring up the vivid and upsetting memory of the phone call with her ex-boyfriend. After a few minutes of going through the six-step MAP process, she felt neutral about the memory. She said, "I'm trying to feel something…I'm not feeling any particular feeling about it right now."
Watch how Jill neutralized her painful emotions in real time through this video below.
Patty leaps from $24 in savings to a six-figure income, in two weeks with the help of MAP
Patty first experienced MAP through a group MAP session. Even though it was not a private one-on-one session, she felt a huge peace and great relief from the things that were worrying her. That negative voice in her head disappeared and never returned. She continued to receive MAP sessions to rewire her workaholic tendency and limiting beliefs such as, "Well, it's a seller's market." She also released trauma from being physically abused as a child. Within ten days, Patty went from having $24 in savings to bringing in six figures through real estate deals.
She shared her fascinating journey here in this interview:
After receiving MAP, Jill feels ready to move on from her breakup; Patty no longer worries and is thriving in her business. The rewiring process is safe, gentle, fast, effective, and creates lasting results.
Conclusion
To summarize, the fascinating discovery of Memory Reconsoldation explains how it’s possible for us to neutralize our stressful, long-term memories, release emotional stress, free ourselves from negative patterns and self-sabotaging behaviors, and move toward our goals and desires with ease.
Having a conscious awareness of how the memory has shifted to a neutral or a more self-empowering memory, helps the client to feel happier and freer to thrive.
This article is brought to you by the MAP Coaching Institute. If you are a therapist, coach, healer, or someone passionate about personal growth and want to explore adding MAP as part of your practice, we invite you to experience the MAP Experience Masterclass at this link below:
https://www.mapcoachinginstitute.com/a/2147521186/BE2gMS2Z
*The MAP Method™ is NOT counseling or therapy of any kind. It is an application of a Mindset Algorithm used for coaching and well-being. We do not advise anyone to avoid or discontinue medical or psychological consultations or current treatment. It is important to continue with medications or therapy as prescribed. MAP Method™ sessions and programs are not a substitute for medication or therapy.
Bibliography
1- Nader.K., schafe, G. E. & LeDoux. J. E. (2000) Fear memories require protein synthesis in the amygdala for reconsolidation after retrieval. Nature, 406 722-726
2- Colette Streicher, LMSW, LMT (2019) Presentation on the MAP Method(™) at Conference CAIET (Canadian Association for Integrative and Energy Therapies) titled - MINDFULNESS 2.0 For Fast Disappearance of Negative Emotions, a Unique Approach to Neuroplasticity
