Beyond the Triune Brain:
How to Understand Neurotags and Neural Networks
In this 90-minute workshop, get a practical introduction to neural networks to understand how the brain creates patterns, communicate these concepts clearly and think more effectively about change.
Live Friday, October 30, 2026 — 1:30 PM CT / 2:30 PM ET — Replay available
The brain does not work in isolated parts.
We often learn about the nervous system by dividing it into separate structures. The amygdala detects threats. The prefrontal cortex helps us think. The limbic system controls emotions. The reptilian brain takes over under stress.
These explanations can be useful starting points, but they do not fully reflect how the brain actually creates emotion, behavior, perception and nervous system responses.
Your brain functions through dynamic networks of neurons that communicate across many different regions. These networks are shaped by experience and continually updated through sensory input, relationships, movement, emotion and context.
Understanding this changes how we think about nervous system patterns and how meaningful change happens.
What You’ll Learn...
- Why the popular triune brain model does not fully explain how the brain functions
- What neural networks and neurotags are and how connected patterns shape what we feel, perceive and do.
- How one cue can activate a much larger network of sensations, emotions, memories, beliefs and behavioral responses.
- How to identify the different elements contributing to a client’s current pattern instead of reducing it to one symptom, brain region or nervous system state.
- How to use a network-based framework to choose more thoughtful and effective entry points for change.
- How to explain these concepts clearly so clients can understand their responses as learned, adaptive and capable of updating.
Therapists, coaches and helping professionals.
Develop a clear framework for understanding how sensory input, emotion, thought, movement, memory and context interact. Learn to explain these concepts to clients in language that is accurate, accessible and useful.
Somatic and nervous system practitioners.
Move beyond simplified brain models and begin thinking more effectively about neural networks and neuroplastic change. Improve how you assess patterns, select tools and respond when an intervention is not creating the expected result.
NSI-certified practitioners and current students.
Strengthen your understanding of foundational NSI concepts while practicing how to communicate them clearly and apply them more intentionally within client work.
Learn to think in networks. Explain nervous system patterns more clearly. Create more thoughtful pathways for change. No previous neuroscience education is required.
Think More Effectively About Change
A network-based perspective changes the questions we ask. Instead of reducing a client’s experience to one brain region, nervous system state or symptom, we can look at the larger pattern:
- What sensory information is the brain receiving?
- Which sensations, emotions, memories and predictions have become connected?
- What activates the protective pattern?
- Which part(s) of the network may be most accessible to supportive input?
- What does reassessment tell us about what is helpful for adaptation?
This creates a more precise and flexible approach to change. Rather than trying to stop an entire protective response, or attempting to target a single brain area to “retrain it” (which isn’t really how it works anyway), we can work with different components of the pattern and observe what helps the nervous system produce a different outcome.
What You’ll Get
The fields of mental health, coaching and personal development are moving beyond simplified brain models and toward a more accurate understanding of how learned neural patterns shape emotion, behavior and change.
➤ A new way to understand your own responses and the patterns you see in clients.
➤ A practical framework for thinking in neurotags and networks rather than isolated symptoms or nervous system states.
➤ Clearer language for helping clients understand their responses without shame or oversimplification.
➤ A 30-minute live Q&A with Matt Bush and Elisabeth Kristof.
➤ Access to the workshop replay inside your course portal, with lifetime access + curated Trauma Rewired episodes as additional resources.
➤ More precise ways to identify where supportive input may help create change for you and your clients.
Your Educators
Elisabeth Kristof
Elisabeth Kristof is an expert in applied neurology and somatic practices, specializing in trauma resolution. She has been involved in neuro- and movement-based therapies since 2007, with a focus on the intersection of complex trauma and nervous system regulation for the past five years. Her expertise has positioned her as a leading voice in the field of trauma-informed neurology.
Elisabeth is the founder of the Neurosomatic Intelligence (NSI) coaching certification program, an ICF-accredited course that trains practitioners, therapists, and coaches to harness the power of the nervous system for resilience, behavior change, and performance. With over 200 certified practitioners, NSI is renowned for bridging the gap between the brain and body, offering a practical, neuroscience-based framework for lasting change. The program extends to corporate and community training, equipping teams with the tools to enhance wellbeing and performance.
Matt Bush
Matt Bush, MA, is an internationally recognized expert in applied neurology, sports science, athletic development and high-performance coaching. As the founder of Next Level Neuro, he has delivered over 10,000 hours of instruction and coaching to health and wellness professionals, including physiotherapists, personal trainers, athletic coaches, chiropractors, and yoga and Pilates instructors.
Matt’s innovative methods are grounded in the latest scientific research on how the brain and nervous system influence physical performance and recovery. He is known for making complex topics easy and fun to learn and apply in the real world, and his extensive expertise and global reputation have made him a sought-after educator in the fields of neuro-based therapy and performance optimization.
