PSYCHO EDUCATIONAL GROUP PRESENTATION
LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
Psychoeducational Group Presentation
Submitted to
Ratha Zeidan-Lukacs
In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
EDCO 711-D01
By
Rhonda Lee Wright
July 13, 2025
Psychoeducational Group Presentation
Introduction
Purpose
Slide 1
• Exploration of how prayer and worship affect the brain structure and enhance the
chemicals in the brain. The Brain is a complex organ and is the control center of the
Human body. The Brain houses the thoughts, emotions, and all five senses: sight,
sound, smell, taste, and touch. All human and non-human, creators, cats, dogs, and
all of God’s breathing creation, physical movements are controlled by the function of
the brain.
PSYCHO EDUCATIONAL GROUP PRESENTATION
•Prayer
Slide 2
The purpose of the PowerPoint is to describe how God changes the brain through
prayer and meditation. The psychoeducational group will discuss how reconstruction
of the neuroplasticity affects the entire person and develops their spiritual,
emotional, and cognitive growth. The group will discuss the biological and chemical
enhancement, reduction, or increase of the brain experience during times of prayer.
During times of intense stressful events, the Human brain learns how to protect
itself by creating neuropathways to the amygdala, the fight or flight response area of
the brain.
Science
Slide 3
Several therapies have been developed to change the structure of the brain. Some of
these therapies have been tested before the 21st century and are being used today. These
therapies are not considered to be curative, although they are scientific from a man-made
perspective. These therapies consist of, i.e., Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS),
Emotional
Transformation Therapy (ETT), Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES), Virtual Reality (VR),
and Robotic Assisted Therapy (RAT). According to Nieminen (2022), enhanced motor
imagery, such as what is mentioned above, has been used to change the brain structure for
the improvement of the physical defects within the Human physical body. “Andrew Newberg,
MD, an associate professor in the department of Radiology, Division of Nuclear Medicine”
(Newberg, 2009, p. 32). Newberg's focus is on neuroimaging and neurophysiology, largely
based on meditation and other therapies. “Newberg’s research is focused on brain function
and mystical or religious experiences” Newberg, 2009, p. 32). Newberg understood how
prayer and meditation change the structural activity by increasing the frontal lobe activity.
PSYCHO EDUCATIONAL GROUP PRESENTATION
Slide 4
Theoretical Framework
A proper theoretical framework to be applied to this group would be Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy. Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the patterns of this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what
God’s will is, His good, pleasing, and perfect will” (New International Version). As professional
counselors are trained in a secular setting, counselors need to seek out scripture that correlates
with the educational modalities.
The Goals and Objectives
Slide 5
Goal 1
Group members will understand the significance of the role of the GABA
neurotransmitters and the effect it has on the amygdala.
Objective 1. Group members will spend 12 minutes a day in prayer.
Goal 2. Group members will develop a daily habit of prayer
Objective 2. Group members will journal once a day on their daily experiences after
spending time in prayer.
Goal 3. Group members will develop external relationships with others who are
spending time in prayer.
Objective 3. The group members will meet weekly with a community network for
fellowship and community.
According to (J. Angel Rodriguez, 2021), A study was performed on cognitive
restructuring in neuropsychiatric conditions. The independent variable was two groups of
individuals who were chosen from a random sample. The first group was asked to refrain from
meditation and prayer. The second group was given a format to follow and asked to perform
daily prayer and meditation. The end of the study produced results for both groups. The first
PSYCHO EDUCATIONAL GROUP PRESENTATION
group shared that they experienced depression, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation. The
second group shared that they experienced calmness, joy, and overall peace within their daily
lives (pp. 22-23). According to (Buenrostro-Jáuregui MH, 2025), Stress can manifest early in life
under various circumstances, significantly impacting brain development (p. 6). According to
some psychiatrists, some stressful experiences are healthy because the human body needs
stress as an individual develops and processes through life. Stress becomes dangerous when an
individual is unable to modulate their stress by finding a balance for emotional regulation and
grounding techniques.
Mini Lecture
Slides 7-8 Philippians 4:5-7 Finding Peace through anxiety
Slide 7
Do you experience days when nothing seems to go right? Everywhere you turn,
something is wrong? You pay one bill, and the next bill is due? Is your bank account in the
negative every month? Do you worry about feeding your family while living paycheck to
paycheck? Are you working three jobs to make ends meet? Does life seem like it is a whirlwind,
and the days are getting harder to deal with? Are there times when you want to stay in bed and
ask the world to stop and let you off? I am here to tell you that you are not alone. In today’s
society, there is a decline in the United States’ economy. The price of eggs has increased, and
what used to get you a month’s worth of groceries now only provides enough for a week. The
Daily News is not helpful, and we have gotten used to hearing negative reports in our
communities. People in the State of Texas have bars on their windows and barred gates on their
front doors. Anxiety is strong in our Nation; everyone is worried about what is to come next.
Slide 8
My brother and sister allow me to encourage you today. The Book of Philippians tells us not to
worry. We should not allow the spirit of fear to have a grip on our minds. The apostle Paul tells
the Church at Phillipi to refrain from anxiety. He encourages the believers to trust God and His
PSYCHO EDUCATIONAL GROUP PRESENTATION
promises. The Book of Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not to
your understanding in all of your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”
(New International Version) How does one learn to trust the Lord? How does a believer
acknowledge someone they do not have a relationship with? It is through the development of
relationships, communication, and spending time learning about the creator. Adonai is a Holy
God. When we, as believers, enter into His presence, we must go humbly in a posture of
surrender.
Schedule
Slide 9
• Group size: 6-8 Adults
• Group time: 6 pm-8:30 pm
• Group introductions: The group members will do a 2-3 minute introduction of
themselves.
• Check-in- The group members will share levels of anxiety
• Group activity: Prayer, worship, and scripture reading
• Psychoeducation on Prayer and Neuroplasticity,
• Focus of the Group GABA: The Link to Reduce Anxiety
Conclusion
At the end of the group session, the group members will summarize the focus of the
group. They will provide feedback about the information they obtained, and the group
members will use the skills provided in their daily activities. The Group will have gained
knowledge on how stress and anxiety can physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually kill
the human body.
References
PSYCHO EDUCATIONAL GROUP PRESENTATION
Brown, N. W. (2018). Psychoeducational Groups: Process and practice 4th Edition. New York,
NY: Routledge.
Buenrostro-Jáuregui MH, M.-S. S.-H.-O.-F.-d.-J.-G. (2025). A Comprehensive Overview of Stress,
Resilience, and Neuroplasticity Mechanisms. International Journal of Molecular
Sciences, 26.
J. Angel Rodriguez, B. &. (2021). Positive neuropsychology; Faith, Hope, and Love on
Cognitive Health: A scoping review. Estudios de Ciencias de la Salud, 7-25.
Newberg, A. &. (2009). How God changes your brain: Breakthrough findings from a leading
neuroscientist. New York: Balltine Books.
Newberg, A. (2009, January 1). National Library of Medicine. Retrieved from NIH:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.gov/20671335
Nieminen, J. O. (2022). Transcranial magnetic stimulation set-up for small animals. Frontiers in
Neuroscience. Frontier in Neurosciences, 1-7.
Ueda, S. (2024). The neurobiological link between prayer, breath control, and serotonin release.
International Journal of Science and Research Archive, 629-646.
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
