Episode 190 NeuroMeditation | Bridging Ancient Practices With Modern Neuroscience For Mental Wellness: Interview With Stephanie Best

Yoga in the Therapy Room: Strategies for Mental Health Therapists

What is NeuroMeditation? When looking at mental wellness what does modern neuroscience reveal about the effectiveness of these ancient practices?

MEET Stephanie Best

Stephanie Best is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Certified NeuroMeditation Trainer, and two-time entrepreneur. She is passionate about helping high-achieving, anxious women discover their brilliance by connecting with their purpose, prioritizing their wellness, and living a courageously values-driven life. Backed by exceptional training and 20 years of clinical experience, Dr. Best uses an evidence-based mind-body approach to empower clients to create change that is both meaningful and long-lasting. She graduated with Highest Honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she majored in Biology and minored in Chemistry. After earning a master’s degree in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Duke University, she opened her first private practice – BeWellNC – which she owned and operated for 10 years. During that time, she also served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and was a contracting provider at the UNC WakeBrook Crisis and Assessment Service in Raleigh. In 2020, Dr. Best was invited to become a Program Lead for the cutting-edge startup Modern Minds, a novel mental health and wellness clinic affiliated with the Medical University of South Carolina. She moved to Charleston, where she also served as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in MUSC's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. After ensuring that Modern Minds was on stable footing, Dr. Best returned to her entrepreneurial roots and opened her second private practice, Dr. Stephanie Best LLC. An expert practitioner of mindfulness- and acceptance-based interventions – including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) – Dr. Best has advanced training in mindfulness and completed an intensive course in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) at Duke Integrative Medicine. She is among the most highly certified trainers affiliated with the NeuroMeditation Institute in Eugene, Oregon and enjoys teaching others about the use of neuroscience-based principles and strategies to individualize the practice of meditation for optimal health and wellness. Dr. Best has maintained regular yoga and meditation practices of her own for over two decades, sustained by her direct personal experience of their empirically supported mental, emotional, and physical health benefits. She is dually licensed in both North and South Carolina and is a long-time member of the North Carolina Psychological Association, for whom she is proud to serve as the Federal Advocacy Coordinator. Outside of work, Dr. Best's heart lights up when she is scuba diving (or communing with Mother Ocean in any form), listening to live music, taking nature walks, playing piano, rooting for her beloved Tar Heels, and spending quality time with family and friends.

Find out more at Dr. Stephanie Best and connect with Stephanie on LinkedIn

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IN THIS PODCAST:

• Who is NeuroMeditation? 4:48
• What are the 4 styles of NeuroMeditation? 10:10
• What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy? 23:50
• What are the benefits of NeuroMeditation? 32:10

Who Is NeuroMeditation?

• How is NeuroMeditation different from other meditation practices?
• How does NeuroMeditation affect the brain?
• Understanding where you or your clients are placing their attention
• The importance of setting an intention with meditation

What Are The 4 Styles Of NeuroMeditation?

• Combining modern neuroscience with ancient practices
• Learning and focusing on which part of the brain needs attention
• What is the NeuroMeditation Institute?
• Can mindfulness practice be formal or informal?

What Is Acceptance And Commitment Therapy?

• How does ACT integrate with NeuroMeditation?
• How does our brain react to external control strategies?

What Are The Benefits Of NeuroMeditation?

• What research has gone into NeuroMeditation?
• What is Quiet Mind meditation?
• Who should use NeuroMeditation?
• Keeping NeuroMeditations trauma-informed

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Find out more at Dr. Stephanie Best and connect with Stephanie on LinkedIn

Healthy Minds Program App