As a licensed occupational therapist and MNRI® Core Specialist, I’ve had the honor of supporting children and adults on their healing journeys—especially those living with the effects of trauma. Over the years, I’ve seen how powerful it is to address both the brain and the body together. That’s why I use a combined approach with NeurOptimal® Neurofeedback and the Masgutova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Integration (MNRI®) PTSD Protocol.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can occur after someone experiences or witnesses something overwhelming—such as an accident, abuse, loss, or medical trauma. Symptoms may include:
Ongoing anxiety or panic
Emotional shutdown or numbness
Hypervigilance (always “on guard”)
Flashbacks or nightmares
Trouble sleeping or concentrating
Difficulty feeling safe or connected
PTSD affects the nervous system on both the mental and physical levels. It can leave people feeling stuck in survival mode long after the danger has passed.
NeurOptimal® is an advanced brain-training system that helps the brain notice and adjust its own activity. It does not push or stimulate the brain. Instead, it offers gentle feedback—like a mirror—when the brain becomes unstable. Over time, the brain learns to return to balance on its own.
During a session, the person relaxes for 33 minutes while sensors monitor brainwave activity. Music plays softly in the background. When the brain shows signs of stress or disorganization, the music briefly pauses, encouraging the brain to self-correct.
In my practice, I’ve seen how this simple feedback process helps clients feel calmer, more focused, and more emotionally resilient—especially those navigating PTSD.
The MNRI® Method (Masgutova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Integration) is a therapy that helps the brain and body heal by working with reflexes—the automatic movements we are born with.
Due to trauma, stress, or developmental delays, these reflexes don’t develop properly causing problems with behavior, emotions, or coordination.
The MNRI® PTSD Protocol uses gentle techniques, natural movement patterns, and special exercises to:
Rebuild healthy brain connections
Calm the body’s survival reflexes
Support emotional and physical healing
It’s a body-based way to help both children and adults feel safer, stronger, and more balanced.
Trauma often causes survival reflexes—like freeze, fight, or flight—to become stuck. This can lead to chronic stress, fear, and emotional shutdown.
Using hands-on techniques, the MNRI® PTSD protocol:
Supports the re-integration of disrupted reflexes (like Fear Paralysis and Moro)
Helps the nervous system shift from survival to regulation
Encourages the body to process and release stored trauma
Rebuilds emotional safety and self-trust
I’ve worked with clients who were non-verbal, highly reactive, or shut down—and watched them reconnect with their emotions, body, and sense of inner calm through this protocol.
These two methods complement each other beautifully.
NeurOptimal® helps the brain become more calm, flexible and adaptive.
MNRI® helps the body release patterns of trauma and regain its natural balance.
Together, they offer a whole-person path to healing—especially for individuals who have struggled with talk therapy alone or who don’t have words to express what they’ve been through.
Improved sleep and relaxation
Reduced emotional reactivity and fear
Clearer thinking and better focus
Increased self-awareness and trust in the body
Greater sense of calm, safety, and connection
Everyone’s journey is different. In general, I’ve found:
20 NeurOptimal® sessions (33min), often 2x per week
Weekly MNRI® sessions (50min) over a few months help stabilize reflexes
both approaches are gentle and non-invasive
PTSD is not just a mental condition—it’s something that lives in the body and the nervous system. When we support the brain and body together, healing becomes not only possible but empowering.
If you’re living with PTSD or supporting a child with trauma, know that there is a path forward. This work is gentle, grounded, and profoundly life-changing. I’m grateful to witness it every day.
Anastasiya Boikova, MS OTR/L
MNRI® Core Specialist | NeurOptimal® Practitioner
https://neuroptimal.com/discover-neuroptimal-usa/
https://masgutovamethod.com/learning-the-method/ptsd-and-post-trauma
