Positive experiences: a therapeutic lever
too often overlooked
In MOSAIC therapy, the positive sensations sought are the mainstay of our work.
Unlike EMDR, which directly mobilizes the painful memory in order to reprocess it by activating the neural network linked to the trauma, MOSAIC therapy begins by activating a neural network based on a positive sensation. This resource network, once well established, is then briefly linked to the traumatic memory. In other words, we use the positive pathway to gently reprogram the connections associated with the traumatic memory.
Beyond therapy, “neuronal gymnastics” for everyday use
New positive experiences (whatever they may be) encourage the creation of new neural connections and, in a post-traumatic context, help to restore movement to what has been frozen. By activating the areas of the brain involved in regulation and well-being, they support neuroplasticity and thus play an active part in the healing process.
All too often perceived as a luxury or a distraction, positive experiences and sensations must be brought back to the forefront of our lives. In fact, they should be a part of everyday life. Encouraging positive experiences is neither selfish nor immature, but it plays a major role in our mental (and therefore physical) well-being and even in healing, although it remains largely underestimated.
The relationship between positive and negative experiences plays a central role in the way our nervous system organizes and reacts to everyday life. Our brains have a natural tendency to give more weight to negative experiences - an adaptive function inherited from evolution and which has enabled the human species to survive.
A QUESTION OF RATIO
The body and mind constantly rely on an internal reference point derived from memory. The most lasting or repeated experiences leave a deep imprint on the brain and body. This imprint becomes a kind of "set point" to which the body spontaneously returns.
Thus, if a state of stress or well-being has been experienced for a prolonged period, it can become anchored as a reference and influence the way in which the body regulates its functions (homeostasis) and how the mind interprets new situations.
The ratio between positive and negative experiences plays a central role in the way our system organizes and reacts to everyday life. Our brains have a natural tendency to give more weight to negative experiences - an adaptive function inherited from evolution and which has enabled the human species to survive, but which is now failing us.
However, when an imbalance in this ratio settles in favor of the negative, it ends up reconfiguring our system in depth, becoming a form of internal “normalcy”. The brain and body become accustomed to these negative states, to the point of considering them as a reference point on which our system will systematically base itself and return to.
Conversely, repeating and reinforcing positive experiences creates a restorative counterbalance. When the nervous system is exposed to them repeatedly over a long period of time, it will gradually come to regard these positive states as references.
That's why it's essential not only to incorporate positive experiences into our trauma management, but also to ensure that they are frequent enough to permanently reorient our inner balance - our basic level of happiness.
Just as the body strengthens its overall functioning through regular physical activity, the brain needs repeated exercise / “neuronal gymnastics” to maintain its plasticity, reinforce its neural circuits and promote emotional balance.
This is where the ARBORE* method comes in.
Together let's create your new reference.
MOSAIC
Therapy
Alsaleh, M., Lebreuilly, R., Tostain, M., & Lebreuilly, J. (2018). The power of repetitions of positive thought phrases (PPTP): an effective treatment tool against psychological disorders (depression, anxiety and stress). Annales Médico-psychologiques, psychiatric journal, 176(5), 438–447.
Van der Kolk, BA (2019). The Body Remembers: Brain, Mind, and Body in Healing from Trauma. Paris: Éditions Albin Michel.
Doidge, N. (2007). The brain that changes itself: Stories of personal triumph from the frontiers of brain science. New York: Viking.
Davidson, R.J., Begley, S. (2012). The emotional life of your brain: How its unique patterns affect the way you think, feel, and live – and how you can change them. New York: Hudson Street Press.
Fredrickson, B.L. (2009). Positivity: Groundbreaking research reveals how to embrace the hidden strength of positive emotions, overcome negativity, and thrive. New York: Crown Publishers.
North, Cyrus (2023) The Code: The Essential Tools for Living Freely and Serenely. Paris: Albin Michel.
Sheldon, K.M., & Lyubomirsky, S. (2004). Achieving Sustainable New Happiness: Prospects, Practices, and Prescriptions. Positive psychology in practice ; 127–145
Do you suffer from psychological disorders (acute stress, anxiety, trauma, PTSD, addiction, OCD, etc.), are you going through a period of emotional exhaustion, recurring blockages or simply feel that a change is necessary, without always knowing how to get out of it, soothe yourself, (re)find balance?