Advanced Courses: Add More Tools to Your Migraine Toolbox
Requirements for participation:
• Completion of the Migraine Management: Tools for Lasting Relief introductory course.
• Sign the disclaimer for the course.
• Commitment to participate in all sessions.
• Schedule an interview with Dan Kaufmann before the course.
• Fill out questionnaires before and at the end of the course.
• Commitment to practice the skills taught daily.
If you are interested in one of the Advanced Courses please fill out our interest form
Advanced Courses
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Migraine may be linked to dysfunction in the autonomic nervous system and an "over-arousal" of the central nervous system. Autogenic training offers simple mental exercises that aim to restore balance to the autonomic system, provide a natural way to release unresolved emotions, and help reduce the over-arousal of the central nervous system. Many practitioners describe the effects of this training as calming and therapeutic, which can significantly help alleviate migraine symptoms.
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Extensive research has examined migraine to assess treatments addressing both biological and psychological risk factors. The biofeedback skills taught in this course, when combined with relaxation training, have proven effective in reducing the frequency of migraine attacks and are recommended as a treatment option. Additionally, biofeedback has been shown to be beneficial for anxiety disorders, including anxiety linked to medical conditions such as chronic pain and migraine.
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Individuals with migraine disease encounter more stressors in their lives than those without chronic illnesses. This course fosters a mindset of forgiveness by letting go of the situations and people contributing to their distress. Participants will learn skills to enhance their overall quality of life and well-being, which in turn can aid in managing their migraine more effectively.
Autogenic Training for Migraine: Skills for Improving Your Wellbeing
What Is Autogenic Training?
Autogenic training is considered the oldest Western approach to achieving self-regulation and promoting recovery from many health issues. It is NOT merely a relaxation practice but a psychophysiological form of psychotherapy that addresses the mind-body interconnection. During the training, trainees learn a series of mental exercises that help them generate a state of inner balance and ease, promoting increased health and well-being.
How Can Autogenic Training Help with Migraine Pain?
Some migraine theories include dysfunction of the autonomic system and “over-arousal” of the central nervous system. Autogenic training teaches easy-to-use mental exercises that help rebalance the autonomic system, create a natural outlet of unresolved emotions, and help lower the “overarousal” of the central nervous system. Many practitioners describe these effects as calming and therapeutic and provide much-needed benefit in reducing migraine symptoms.
What Does the Course Include?
The course is open to 5-6 people and is offered once a week for ten weeks. Each session is two hours long. Participants are taught the six basic and advanced autogenic exercises. They are also given session handouts and session recordings.
Biofeedback Training: Self-Regulation Skills to Improve Your Well-Being
What Is Biofeedback?
Biofeedback is an interactive process where the practitioner learns to recognize how their body functions during “normal states” (work, home, in the car, at play, etc.) and how their body functions change in response to stress. The practitioner will learn to identify how their mental states affect their body states and learn different techniques for restoring their body to its normal functioning state. Learning these biofeedback self-regulation skills can increase well-being by controlling the body’s reactions to stress.
How Does Biofeedback Help with Migraine?
Much research has been done on migraine and headache disorders to evaluate treatments that target both the biological and psychological risk factors. When used in conjunction with relaxation training, the biofeedback skills taught in this course were effective for migraine reduction and are recommended as a migraine treatment. Biofeedback has also been shown to be effective for anxiety disorders, including anxiety associated with medical conditions such as chronic pain and migraine.
What Does the Course Include?
The course is open to 6-7 people and is offered once a week for eight weeks, 2 hours long each session. Each participant receives the biofeedback sensors used in the course, session handouts, and session recordings. The topics taught include breathing skills, heart coherence skills for well-being, overcoming depleting emotions, skin temperature biofeedback, and much more.
Forgiveness for Migraine: Overcoming Our Grievance Stories
Why Learn About Forgiveness?
Grievance is formed when people are unable to successfully deal with not getting what they want and then ruminate on the injustice. The more time spent dwelling on the loss, the more difficult it is to break the habit. Forgiveness is a coping mechanism that helps relieve common sources of stress and has a significant effect on our health and well-being.
How Can Forgiveness Help with Migraine?
People living with a migraine disorder are faced with many different sources of stress, including childhood adversities, lack of support from family and friends, limited ability to participate in daily activities and social events, dealing with the stigma associated with migraine, difficulties with the health care system, etc. These often result in shame, sadness, and anger towards oneself and others. Learning to release the events/people that are causing us distress and cultivating a forgiving attitude can significantly improve our quality of life and well-being and, as a result, help to better manage the disorder.
What Does the Course Include?
The course is open to 6-8 people and is offered once a week for seven weeks, 2 hours long each session. Topics taught include formulating our grievance story, sharing revenge stories, dismantling unenforceable rules, forgiveness of self, writing our forgiveness story, and much more.