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12/08/2025
PCA Journal Fall 2025 Issue - Article 1: Constructed Awareness and Memory Reconsolidation: An Integration of Trauma Counseling and Neuroscience
Constructed Awareness and Memory Reconsolidation: An Integration of Trauma Counseling and Neuroscience
AUTHOR: Tyler Orr, University of the Cumberlands
ABSTRACT:
Memory reconsolidation (MR) research reveals that memories can be reactivated and revised, leading to changes in neural encoding and subjective experiences, such as emotional responses and self-perception. This discovery has advanced the understanding of memory processing and opened new avenues for developing therapeutic strategies, particularly in trauma counseling. This conceptual article introduces Constructed Awareness (CA), an emerging trauma therapy model that integrates principles from mindfulness and neuroscience with MR mechanisms through its intervention called Memory Reconstruction. The article examines the principles and treatment phases of CA and provides a detailed review of MR literature, with an emphasis on the mechanisms that initiate memory updates. The practical integration of CA and MR is illustrated through an in-depth analysis of the Memory Reconstruction script, supported by a hypothetical case example. The discussion concludes with clinical implications and future research directions to further validate the CA model.
