What is Brain Integration Technique (BIT)?
BIT was developed by Susan McCrossin and utilizes principles of applied physiology and acupressure that assess and correct learning difficulties in children and adults. I became interested in BIT when I realized that many of my counseling clients also experience learning difficulties and that BIT could help people process emotional information as well.
BIT rebalances specific functions that directly influence the brain’s ability to process both academic and emotional learning. BIT can help reduce anxiety, panic symptoms, and increase self-esteem and self-confidence. For example, clients of mine report thinking more clearly, increased ability to focus and complete projects, and feeling more peaceful. For more information visit http://www.crossinology.com/.
What does BIT do?
The human brain performs extremely complicated electro-magnetic functions and, like any other organ, shows symptoms of stress. Under stress, the brain’s blood supply is redirected for ‘fight’ or ‘flight’ in the body, and the logic center, the creative center, or both, simply shuts down. With the shutdown, the synchronization of brain function is lost and we just cannot ‘think’ or ‘feel’ clearly. Then we blame ourselves for not trying harder, or worse, not being intelligent enough, when the true culprit is a stressed brain. The BIT program can help children and adults to re-pattern brain activity eliminating the chronic stress, and restoring full access to brain functions and to their full potential.
What makes BIT different from what is currently available?
Most treatments for learning disabilities involve medication, giving on-going exercises to do indefinitely, superficially removing emotional stress, or changing the format of how material is presented to the student. BIT changes the functioning of the brain. Follow-up brain scans have shown an increase of blood flow to the brain that remains after the treatment. Susan’s research is available on her web site noted above.
BIT is a multi-step process utilizes meridian energy to address different components of the brain involved in learning. A typical person with learning difficulties will have very limited communication between the two cerebral hemispheres and limited access of one or both of the brain’s hemispheres. An individual may therefore have to rely mostly on one hemisphere for all their processing of information. This can create processing delays, failure to create or retrieve memories (e.g. of the times table or spelling), frustration, and loss of self-esteem. BIT ensures that the right and left sides of the brain are able to process information simultaneously as many learning functions require both hemispheres to be active at the same time. In addition BIT de-stresses the limbic or mid-brain, which is the emotional part of the brain. This is important because the limbic brain filters all information as it comes in through the senses. When blocks or stress in the brain is cleared, function is restored.
In addition to the physiological functions involved in learning, BIT addresses the emotional subconscious to remove any relevant blocks to learning as well, such as the low self-esteem or dislike of school.
What happens during the treatment and how long does is take?
Generally, the course of treatment takes about 3-4 hours. This can be done over a period of weeks or occasionally someone may choose to receive the process in one day. Initially there is an assessment to determine current level brain functioning (30 minutes). The majority of the time the client lies (fully clothed) on a massage table while the practitioner uses meridian points and muscle testing from applied physiology to activate the various areas of the brain. This often requires the practitioner to lightly touch acupressure points on the front of the body and the head. After activating the appropriate acupressure points, the client’s head is gently held to increase energy flow to the intended part of the brain. At the end of the course of treatment, the assessment will be reviewed to confirm an increased ability in learning functions.
Side effects:
Generally there are no negative side effects. If sessions are long, the client may experience passing fatigue or pressure in one’s head. However, every effort will be made to work at a pace that is comfortable for the client.
Outcomes:
Some clients experience immediate results. Sometimes results are not noticed until completion of the process or until someone else notice a change in us. When the brain “switches on” it functions so smoothly that a client may not notice improvements that are actually occurring until someone else points out a difference (such as sitting through a meeting or class calmly).
