The Sabino Model: Neuroscience Based Addiction and Trauma Treatment targets the treatment of trauma as the root of the problem; which by addressing results in symptom resolution. The model is a new paradigm for treating mental and behavioral health issues through understanding neuroplasticity and facilitating healthy brain change through consistent, impactful, positive experiences and relationships.
The Sabino Model is an integrated therapy approach developed to be used in an intensive outpatient practice or an in-patient/residential behavioral health facility. The Sabino Model is Nancy’s vision of an innovative method and new paradigm to provide behavioral health services in the United States that came to fruition after years of work with patients, her own personal process of recovery, and her study of neuroscientific research. The vision began its development in 2006 after Nancy suffered traumatic grief as a result of losing her daughter in a car accident. She continued her work as a clinician at Sierra Tucson ultimately rising to the Clinical Director position and formulating her ideas on how best to help those who suffer. After an in-depth study of Neuroscience and how our brains impact behavior, emotion, and coping mechanisms, she became captivated by all the potential advancements she envisioned could be made in behavioral health treatment from learning about Neuroplasticity – which refers to the brain’s capacity to change itself biologically through experiences in the environment. Her continued research on the brain’s malleability seemed an obvious and clinically critical scientific finding that needed to be used as the driver for programs of clinical excellence to treat co-morbidity and thus provide the needed treatment to prevent relapse. Nancy then introduced neuroplasticity as a new paradigm to improve treatment of mental health issues.
The model also puts into practice treatment applications derived from recent neuroscientific research on how the brain is impacted by our life experiences and in turn impacts our behaviors, thoughts and emotions. The Sabino Model purports that if one is provided consistent, positive, nurturing experiences over a period of time, new neural pathways can be built as a result of neuroplasticity. Neuronal pathways that were focused on negative thinking, poor decision-making, tendency toward unhappiness as an example, can be pruned and weakened as new neural pathways can override these with healthy thinking, behaviors, motivation and more.
Nancy has worked with many using this theory with wonderful success. Her model promotes the use of compassion, empathy, nurturing, and kindness.
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