The Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT): Helping Clients Move Beyond Trauma

Knowledge of how specific systems in the brain affect and are affected by traumatic events has grown substantially over the past two decades of social work practice. Many clinicians are familiar with basic concepts of neurobiology, such as the importance of neurotransmitters in regulating mood; the activation of the hypothalamic pituitary (HPA) axis in response to stress; and the necessity of the frontal cortex for functions that include impulse control, judgment, logic, planning, attention, and empathy. However, most social workers have yet to learn a coherent model for using knowledge about the brain to inform their selection and implementation of interventions with clients.