The Psychology of Neuroplasticity, Well-Being & Relationships with Randy Kamen

Week of January 23, 2027

The Psychology of Neuroplasticity, Well-Being & Relationships
Dr. Kamen brings the scientific and psychological foundation for Brain Week. Her sessions translate current understanding of neuroplasticity into practical tools participants can immediately incorporate into their lives.

Rewire
Neuroplasticity & The Power of Ritual
Changing the Brain Through Attention and Repetition
The brain wires and rewires through repetition. What we repeatedly think about, attend to, and practice becomes increasingly accessible.

• Participants explore:
  • How the brain changes through repetition and experience
  • Why attention is the sculptor of the brain
  • The difference between the stress-reactive brain and a regulated nervous system
  • How everyday habits become neural pathways
  • Why small, consistent practices can create meaningful change

Experiential Practice: The Anchor
Participants learn a simple Morning Anchor Ritual designed to establish intentional attention at the beginning of the day.

Key takeaway:
What you repeatedly practice, your brain strengthens.

Renew
The Gratitude Effect
Training the Brain to Notice What Is Good
Our brains are naturally wired to detect threat, problems, and what needs attention. Gratitude provides a way to deliberately strengthen the neural pathways associated with appreciation, positive emotion, and resilience.

• Participants explore:
  • The brain’s negativity bias
  • How intentional appreciation changes what we notice
  • The relationship between gratitude, positive emotion, and resilience
  • Research on the neurobiology of positive emotional states
  • How gratitude becomes more powerful when it is practiced rather than simply felt
  • How to fortify the good and build an emotional foundation that supports well-being

Experiential Practice: Gratitude Sculpting
Participants learn a sustainable daily gratitude practice designed to move beyond a simple gratitude list toward actively training attention toward what is meaningful, nourishing, and working.

Key takeaway:
What we repeatedly notice becomes increasingly available to us.

Reimagine
From Relationship to Relationships
Creating More Connected Relationships—Within Ourselves and With Others
Our nervous systems are constantly communicating with one another. Greater emotional regulation creates greater capacity for connection, communication, empathy, and repair.

• Participants explore:
  • How regulated nervous systems support regulated relationships
  • The relationship between self-awareness and interpersonal connection
  • How stress and emotional reactivity affect communication
  • Tools for mindful communication
  • How to repair relational ruptures
  • How to create greater satisfaction and connection in relationships
  • How the relationship we have with ourselves shapes the relationships we have with others

Experiential Practice: Relationship Reset
Participants practice simple strategies for pausing, regulating, listening, and responding differently during moments of interpersonal stress.

Key takeaway:
When we change how we regulate and communicate, we change the relationships we experience.

 

Randy Kamen, EdD
Psychologist • Educator • Author
Dr. Randy Kamen is a psychologist, life coach, educator, and bestselling author of Behind the Therapy Door and The Gratitude Effect Positivity Journal. A pioneer in mind-body medicine at Boston University and Harvard Medical School, she leads global programs, workshops, and retreats. Her Thera-Coaching approach integrates evidence-based tools for mindset, self-regulation, relationships, and purposeful living. Dr. Kamen divides her time between Martha’s Vineyard and New York City and is delighted to return to Rancho La Puerta.