Our perception of reality is shaped by past experiences that are stored in memory traces and networks beyond our conscious awareness. Critical Memories guide how a person interacts with the world for survival and social engagement, much like a policy and procedure manual. Although Critical Memories are not always traumatic, the patterns developed can influence a person’s perceptions, behaviors, and ability to integrate new experiences.

Integration refers to the brain’s way of storing and updating information (consolidation and reconsolidation processes). The brain gathers information about an experience, including emotions and sensations, and integrates it into pre-existing knowledge. When the natural integration process is disrupted, the brain continues to operate with outdated information, leading to responses that no longer serve the individual and may cause distress. CMI™ aims to facilitate the Integration of these experiences to reflect what is important or valuable for the person now, ultimately reducing distress.

Recent advances in psychotherapy provide effective treatments for alleviating trauma symptoms and self-regulation. However, managing long-standing adaptive behaviors with coping skills often requires significant effort and can be unsustainable, leading to feelings of failure. While coping can provide short-term relief, it may disrupt the long-term integration process. In order to identify underlying causes and address issues such as shame or a fragmented sense of self, we need to move beyond conventional approaches.