Our Applied Neuroscience Programme is all about learning to leverage the power of your brain. This blog will tell you everything you need to know about our Applied Neuroscience Programme to level up your brain game. 

Understanding a little of how the brain works can help you to create significantly more insight into the sometimes mystifying complexities of the behaviour of your team, your work colleagues, your boss, and your family and friends.

Right now there is a lot of buzz and interest around neuroscience but unfortunately there is often not much real practical neuroscience. In this programme, you can learn how to apply current research so that individuals, teams and organisations can be more effective and more efficient.

Starting from 19th March 2022, this programme has five modules tailored to exploring different functions of the brain, and how we can have better control over our thoughts, emotions and behaviour, to improve the way we act and work in everyday life, and to help others do the same.

The modules will focus on key parts of life, including some of the following areas: emotions, creativity, learning, memory, decision making and stress. 

It is taught by our trainers, Professor Patricia Riddell and Ian McDermott, the co-creators of the programme.

Patricia is a professor of Applied Neuroscience, and a chartered psychologist and scientist. She creates training tools that are cutting edge for integrating and expanding the most recent findings in neuroscience.

Ian has trained a generation of NLP Practitioners and coaches, is an author and thought leader. He has dedicated his life to giving people the tools to deal with the challenges they face and the necessary skills to create their own solutions. He does this both personally and professionally with individuals, with teams and with organisations.

What will the Applied Neuroscience participants learn?

The Applied Neuroscience Programme is broken up into modules, each with a specific focus of learning.

Our Pre-Programme Orientation takes place on Wednesday 16th March 2022 7pm – 8.30pm

Module 1: Emotion regulation and motivation 

This first module takes place on 19th and 20th March 2022. In it, we will examine the brain’s response to emotion; what is emotion for, what are the benefits of emotion, and how best we can make these responses work for us.

We will differentiate between expressed and regulated emotion and teach you how to develop a larger emotional repertoire, that you can use to create more flexible behavioural alternatives in emotional situations.

We will also examine the connection between emotions and motivations. Motivations are strongly influenced by our emotional state. By considering the way in which the brain uses emotions to determine whether to approach or avoid a situation, we can more closely investigate the link between emotion and motivation and how to use this more effectively both for ourselves and with others.

Module 2: Creativity and insight

Taking place on 23rd and 24th April 2022, the second module is about innovation and creativity.

One of the wonders of our human brain is its ability to come up with completely new and unique ideas. This does not just happen magically, or at will when you have a deadline, as many will agree. But occasionally, we are all capable of moments of insight where an idea or a solution comes to us out of nowhere. What is it that happens in the brain during these moments? And how can we create this type of original thinking when we need it most?

In this session, we will explore different types of creativity and insight and examine what is happening in the brain when this occurs. We will look at what state our brains should be in to give us the best chance of creativity and then do some fun, practical exercises that should give you a chance to increase your own creativity.

Module 3: Learning and memory

Taking place on 21st and 22nd May 2022, this session is about how people learn and how information is committed to memory. Professionally, companies may set up training days, or do varying exercises to try to help you retain information and training, but it doesn’t always work well. Rather than waste time and money, is there a better way to do this?

In this module, we will consider the systems in the brain that allow us to learn and remember. We will learn about the different types of memory, and which systems in the brain are used for each. This understanding will then be a springboard for some practical tools for more efficient communication with people, and improving training. These can be relevant for organisations or companies, teams and family groups.

Module 4: Decision making and planning

Module four is on 18th and 19th June 2022, and is all about how we make decisions and how we plan ahead.

As we move up to new positions in the workplace, or when we become parents and gain responsibility in that way, we are required to make decisions and plan for events that affect other people’s lives, sometimes in rather significant ways. We are also responsible for larger budgets and some financial planning. But we don’t always get the support we need for how to get the best out of the decision making systems in our own and other people’s brains.

In this module, we will show you the evolution of decision making, and the different decision making systems that have resulted from this process and growth. We will consider in what contexts these different decision making processes work best, and then how to choose what kind of system to use. You will be learning how to optimise both individual decision making and decision making in teams.

Module 5: Stress, Resilience and Contemplation

The fifth and final module on this programme is on 16th and 17th July 2022.

We all understand stress, whether that’s at work, from school and university, or at home. There are jobs to do, deadlines to meet, and other people counting on us. It’s a part of everyday life.

But what’s it for? What is the function and purpose of stress? I’m sure we’d all like to be less stressed, but it does happen for a number of reasons. Maybe you work faster with a deadline to stick to. Maybe you simply need a bit of a push to accomplish something that you normally struggle with.

So, in this module, we will examine the stress mechanism in the brain and what benefits it has for our performance under pressure. We will consider when stress is problematic to us and our performance of tasks, and what tools we have at our disposal in order to control it so we can work more effectively and live more stress free.

Recent advances in neuroscience have demonstrated that different contemplation techniques, such as mindfulness, meditation and yoga, can have an effect on the way that we think and the structure of the brain. We will explore this recent evidence and provide you with some tools for how to best use contemplation in different forms to reduce stress.

Why is our Applied Neuroscience programme unique?

The programme distills complex, cutting edge Neuroscience research into tools that are understandable and immediately useful, created by Professor Patricia Riddell and Ian McDermott.

Our Applied Neuroscience Programme is the first of its kind anywhere in the world. Professor of Applied Neuroscience Patricia Riddell and Ian McDermott have been collaborating for seven years, to make current, state of the art neuroscience available in a practical format to anyone who wants to learn.

The programme combines Patricia’s many years experience in teaching and researching psychology and neuroscience, with Ian’s knowledge and experience in delivering real behavioural change for individuals, teams and organisations.

As covered above in the module information, the Applied Neuroscience programme covers a wide range of topics and their applications in 10 days across 5 months, including many areas of life like motivation, creativity, memory, emotion regulation, stress, resilience and decision making.

We’re not the only ones who think that what we’ve done is incredible and unique. Don’t just take our word for it, take a look at some testimonials from those who’ve taken the programme and loved it… 

Reviews and testimonies:

“The content is stunning and Patricia is an expert. I love her style and depth of knowledge. A master of the craft with an easy presentation style, tough mind and a willingness to call pseudo-science. She is passionate about coaching and science, a pleasure to study with and incredibly humble. Ian is an accomplished trainer who is at the cutting edge of pulling multiple disciplines together to improve the effectiveness of NLP and coaching. You realise the length of the journey at the end”. 

Peter Wright (Regional Head of Procurement – Europe)  

“Understanding why we do what we do from a neuroscience perspective can give us more choices. I was surprised how easy it was to link neuroscience in a practical way, adding more tools to my toolkit. This programme is making neuroscience accessible, understandable and something you can use in the real world.”

Kim Lyddon (International Trainer, Speaker and Success Coach)

“You will gain a deep insight into how and why we do the things we do as human beings and you’ll be able to apply this easily and immediately to any aspect of life and work. You’ll be able to provide insights and create meaningful value for your clients and this will differentiate you in the marketplace. Not only will you understand what works and why, but more importantly you’ll be able to convey this to clients or colleagues in a way that will improve their own understanding of how you can help them achieve their goals.”

Gerry Murray (Solutions Partner/Coach/Trainer) 

Some practical information

The first date in your diary will be for the Pre-Programme Orientation which takes place on Wednesday 16th March 2022 7pm – 8.30pm.

Then the first module of this programme starts on 19th March 2022. During each module the sessions will take place between 10am and 5pm, UK time.

It’s all online via Zoom, so there’s no need to travel or book hotels. You can learn as you like to, straight from your own home.

As the saying goes, ‘The early bird catches the worm’, and booking early gets you an early bird price.

The Super Early Bird price is available until 22nd Jan 2022; that’s £1995 + VAT. If you book during this period you will get two free places, worth £400 + VAT, on our one day workshop: ‘The Neuroscience of Leading under Pressure’.

The Early Bird price is valid from 22nd Jan; and that’s £2250 + VAT.

After that, it’s our Full Bird price, from 18th Feb 2022; £2500 + VAT.

So booking sooner saves you money! It’s not a worm, but as we’re aren’t actually birds, we think it’s even better.

Payment plans

There are a couple of ways for you to pay for the programme. You can pay in full or through our interest free monthly installment plans.

A typical plan starts when you book and ends before the date of the final module. The total cost of the programme is divided across this period and paid in equal installments monthly. This means you can spread the amount of the progarmme for no extra cost.   

Who is the programme a good fit for?

Our Applied Neuroscience programme is designed for anyone who wishes to enhance both their personal and professional life, through gaining a deeper understanding of the brain and how to work with it. 

This can be for individuals, teams and organisations, and no prior training is required, so don’t worry if you’ve never done any neuroscience or psychology before.

You may be a coach, lead teams, work in Personnel Development or promote behavioural change. This programme will give you skills, understanding and credibility to help you leverage the power of your brain as well as other’s to increase more choice, possibilities and potential.

Your certification options

Whatever your reasons for taking this programme we have a certification option for you. 

If you’re looking for a higher level of credibility, you might decide to work towards a Certificate in Applied Neuroscience and/or a Practitioner in Brain and Behaviour Change. More about this below. 

Option 1 –  No Certification

Just attend and get the learning – there’s nothing else for you to do!

Option 2 – Certificate in Applied Neuroscience

(Included in the programme fee)

In order to achieve this you will need to complete the following requirements:

  • 3 written reflections (one from each of 3 different modules)
  • 2 in-class assessments (you must be present on the second day of Modules 3 and 5 for these for certification purposes)
  • 4 video viewing verification forms of the ‘Programme Video Tutorials: The Evolution of the Brain’

Option 3 – Certificate: Practitioner in Brain and Behaviour Change

(Additional fee of £400 applies, as this includes additional personal feedback from Professor. Patricia Riddell)

In order to achieve this you will need to complete all of the requirements for the Certificate in Applied Neuroscience (Option 2), PLUS these additional requirements:

  • 2 additional written reflections (i.e. one reflection from each of the 5 modules)
  • 4 practitioner exercises – each one consists of creating, delivering and reviewing an intervention. These will also include separate written assignments.

(you will have until Module 3 of the programme to decide if you wish to achieve this additional designation)

Please note: Only options 2 and 3 allow you to be certified for the ICF Continuing Coach Education Units.This programme qualifies for 33.5 CCE units of Core Competencies and 17.1 CCE units of Resource Development with the ICF (International Coach Federation).

Time to apply yourself to learning?

Applied Neuroscience is a wide and varied topic, with a lot of different applications and practical benefits, even if they aren’t immediately obvious. But it can help you understand why other people act and think the way they do, help you improve working performance within a team or organisation, and demonstrate ways to improve creativity and decision making.

If you still have more questions take a look at our programme page or you can talk to one of our Learning Advisers who will be able to answer your questions. Simply register your interest here.  

If you think this programme sounds like the right thing for you, we would love to have you join us. Remember, the early bird gets a discount, and the super early bird gets two free places to our one day workshop ‘The Neuroscience of Leading under Pressure’.