Beyond the Mirror: A NeuroAffective-CBT Case Study of Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Dr Oana Barnett (July, 2026) | The NeuroAffective-CBT® Journal | Abstract Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is a debilitating psychological condition characterised by persistent preoccupation with perceived defects in physical appearance, often resulting in significant emotional distress, functional impairment, and repetitive safety behaviours. Although cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) remains the recommended psychological intervention for BDD, many individuals continue…
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The NeuroAffective-CBT Formulation of Pain: Understanding the Body–Brain–Affect Connection
Daniel Mirea (June, 2026) |The NeuroAffective-CBT® Journal | Pain is not simply a signal travelling from the body to the brain. It is a neuroaffective experience emerging from the continuous interaction between physiology, emotion, cognition, and context. Abstract Pain has traditionally been conceptualised as a direct consequence of tissue damage, whereby nociceptive signals travel from…
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Ketogenic Diet and Mental Health
Daniel Mirea (May, 2026) |The NeuroAffective-CBT® Journal | Could Altering Brain Metabolism Improve Emotional Wellbeing? Abstract This article explores the emerging fields of metabolic psychiatry and nutritional psychiatry, two rapidly developing areas of research investigating how metabolism, inflammation, insulin resistance, mitochondrial function, and nutrition may influence mental health and brain functioning. It examines the growing…
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A NeuroAffective-CBT Perspective on Perimenopause: Multi-System Recalibration of Brain, Body, and Behaviour
Daniel Mirea (April, 2026) |The NeuroAffective-CBT® Journal | Defining Perimenopause and Menopause Perimenopause is often approached primarily as a hormonal issue and is typically managed within general medical practice. While this is appropriate, it may underrepresent the broader impact of this transition across neural, behavioural, and regulatory systems. As a result, the condition is not…
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When Panic Attacks Go Beyond Panic Disorder: A NeuroAffective-CBT Perspective
Ioana Dulcu (April, 2026) |The NeuroAffective-CBT® Journal | A clinical story about how panic, shame, and physiological dysregulation interact and why stabilising physiological regulation can be the first step toward recovery. Jenna’s story When Jenna, a 26-year-old married woman, first arrived for therapy after the sudden onset of panic attacks, she dreaded that the conversation…
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NeuroAffective Narrative Reconsolidation: Integrating Traumatic Memories and the Development of the Integrated-Self in NeuroAffective-CBT
Daniel Mirea (March, 2026) |The NeuroAffective-CBT® Journal | Abstract NeuroAffective Narrative Reconsolidation (NNR) is a trauma-processing method developed within the NeuroAffective-CBT (NA-CBT) framework. The approach integrates principles from trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy, affective neuroscience, and dual-attention trauma processing to enable clients to revisit traumatic memories while maintaining physiological regulation and present-moment awareness. Unlike interventions that…
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Physical Strength, Muscle Growth and Mental Health
Iulia Popa – Strength & Nutrition Consultant (February, 2026)|The NeuroAffective-CBT® Journal | Abstract Growing evidence indicates that resistance training influences not only muscular strength and morphology, but also neural, endocrine, and immune processes relevant to mental health. This narrative review synthesises mechanistic and clinical findings linking progressive resistance exercise to emotional regulation, neuroplasticity, and immune…
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The Transdiagnostic Application of NeuroAffective-CBT: A Case Study of Chronic Stress and Burnout
Dr Marco Cortez (January, 2026) |The NeuroAffective-CBT® Journal | Abstract This case report describes the application of NeuroAffective-CBT® (NA-CBT®) with a single working mother, Susan, presenting with chronic stress, shame-organised self-criticism, affective instability, and fluctuating anxiety and low mood. The article may be relevant for clinicians working with clients who ‘understand their patterns’ cognitively but…
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Fight SAD with “S-A-D”: A Practical Guide to Seasonal Affective Disorder
Daniel Mirea (December, 2025) |The NeuroAffective-CBT® Journal | If winter reliably knocks your mood and energy, you’re not alone and you’re not broken. This NeuroAffective-CBT guide reframes Seasonal Affective Disorder as a manageable seasonal pattern, offering practical strategies to prepare for winter rather than dread it. Chapter 1: When “SAD” isn’t just sad Every year,…
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The Use of Lifestyle Interventions in Psychotherapy
Daniel Mirea (December, 2025) |The NeuroAffective-CBT® Journal | Why Sleep, Movement, and Metabolic Stability Matter in NeuroAffective-CBT Many clients enter psychotherapy believing their distress is “all in the mind.” From a NeuroAffective-CBT (NA-CBT) perspective, however, this assumption is incomplete. Mind and body form a single regulatory system, and emotional suffering often emerges from how physiological…
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TED in NeuroAffective-CBT: An Applied Self-Regulation Framework for Enhancing Emotional Well-Being through Sleep, Movement, and Nutrition
Daniel Mirea (December, 2025) | The NeuroAffective-CBT® Journal | Abstract TED is a lifestyle-based self-regulation model within NeuroAffective-CBT® (NA-CBT®), designed to stabilise the Body–Brain–Affect triangle by targeting three powerful yet frequently neglected regulators of emotion: sleep, movement, and diet/metabolism. Framed both as a memorable acronym and as an imaginal “inner friend”, TED translates complex neuroscience…
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The Hidden Conversation: How Nutrition Shapes Emotional States
Daniel Mirea (November, 2025) |The NeuroAffective-CBT® Journal | Abstract In this eighth instalment of the TED (Tired–Exercise–Diet) Series, we turn to the neuroscience of food and drink, how what we consume shapes emotional regulation, cognitive performance, and overall mental health. Food is not merely fuel; it is information – biochemical data moving continuously from gut…
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Physical Exercise, Sports Science and Mental Health
Daniel Mirea (October, 2025) | The NeuroAffective-CBT® Journal | Abstract In this seventh instalment of the TED (Tired–Exercise–Diet) Series, we explore the neuroscience of physical exercise and its central role in emotional regulation, cognitive function, and mental health. Within the NeuroAffective-CBT® (NA-CBT®) framework, exercise represents the “E” in TED – the second pillar of biological…
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Sleep and Mental Health: The Neuroscience of Restoration and Affective Regulation
Daniel Mirea (October 2025)|The NeuroAffective-CBT® Journal | Abstract In this sixth instalment of the TED (Tired–Exercise–Diet) Series, we explore the neuroscience of sleep and its central role in emotional regulation, cognitive function, and mental health. Sleep is not a passive state but a dynamic neurobiological process that restores metabolic balance, consolidates memory, and recalibrates affective…
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Vitamin C and Mental Health: Neurotransmitters, Stress, and Emotional Resilience
Daniel Mirea (October, 2025) | The NeuroAffective-CBT® Journal | Abstract In this fifth instalment of TED (Tired–Exercise–Diet) series, of the NeuroAffective-CBT® project, we explore the multifaceted role of Vitamin C in mental health. Emerging evidence suggests optimal neurocognitive benefits occur at daily intakes of 200–500 mg. Beyond its reputation as an immune booster, Vitamin C…
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