What is NeuroFaith®?​
NeuroFaith®: A Model of Healing Born From Pain, Grounded in Science, and Shaped by Faith
NeuroFaith® did not begin in a classroom or a research laboratory. It emerged from a lifetime of walking alongside human suffering and asking a deeper question than most models ever dare to ask: What does it actually take for a human being to heal?
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The model grew out of the life and work of Dr. Jeffrey E. Hansen, known simply as Jeff to those who have walked with him. Across decades of clinical practice, military service, and personal heartbreak, Jeff came to see that healing must reach far beyond insight or symptom management. True healing must touch the whole person—brain, body, heart, relationships, and soul.
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Jeff’s professional life has unfolded on the front lines of trauma. He has sat with children devastated by abuse and neglect, families torn apart by addiction, and first responders worn down by relentless exposure to tragedy. As a United States Army psychologist, he walked alongside soldiers carrying wounds far deeper than what the eye can see. His deployment to Somalia exposed him to the brutal realities of war—the suffering of innocent civilians and the invisible moral and nervous-system burdens borne by those in uniform. These experiences made one thing unmistakably clear: trauma is not merely psychological. It is physiological. It lives in the nervous system, shapes relationships, distorts identity, and reaches into the spiritual core of a person.
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Layered on top of this professional exposure were Jeff’s own personal losses and seasons of profound grief. Those experiences did not weaken his clinical work; they deepened it. Over time, he came to recognize a painful truth: while traditional therapy often helps people cope, it rarely helps people transform. Insight alone is not enough. Skills alone are not enough. Something deeper must be engaged.
That realization became the catalyst for NeuroFaith®.
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The NeuroFaith® Model
At its core, the NeuroFaith® model integrates four foundational pillars of healing, each addressing a distinct yet inseparable dimension of the human person. Together, these pillars form a unified framework that moves beyond symptom management toward deep, embodied, and lasting transformation.
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Polyvagal-Informed Therapy
NeuroFaith® begins with an understanding of the nervous system and its role in trauma, safety, and connection. Trauma is not simply remembered cognitively; it is encoded physiologically. Through a polyvagal-informed lens, individuals learn how their nervous system adapted to survive—often at great personal cost. Healing unfolds as the nervous system is gently guided out of chronic defense and back toward regulation, safety, and relational engagement.
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HeartMath® / Neurocardiology
Healing is not driven by the brain alone. NeuroFaith® recognizes the central role of the heart in emotional regulation, resilience, and meaning-making. Through HeartMath® and principles of neurocardiology, individuals learn to restore heart–brain coherence. As coherence increases, emotional stability, clarity, and hope begin to emerge, expanding the capacity for presence, compassion, and intentional living.
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Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Trauma fragments the inner world. NeuroFaith® integrates Internal Family Systems to help individuals understand and heal the wounded and protective parts that develop in response to pain. Rather than pathologizing these parts, the model honors their protective intent and guides the system toward integration. Through compassionate Self-leadership, internal conflict gives way to coherence, trust, and internal safety.
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Spirituality
Spirituality is not an adjunct to the NeuroFaith® model; it is woven into its very foundation. Christian spiritual formation provides the relational and redemptive context in which healing finds its deepest meaning. Faith speaks to identity, dignity, forgiveness, and purpose, offering a secure anchor beyond the self. In NeuroFaith®, healing is not only about regulation and integration, but about restoration of the soul and reconnection to God, self, and others.
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A Science-Informed Model With a Soul
What makes NeuroFaith® distinct is not simply the presence of neuroscience alongside faith, but the way they are integrated into a single, coherent vision of the human person. The brain that remembers, the body that protects, the heart that longs for meaning, and the soul that refuses to give up are all addressed within one relational framework.
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A pivotal dimension of NeuroFaith® emerged through Jeff’s partnership with Pastor Earl Heverly, whose influence shaped the spiritual depth and theological grounding of the model. Pastor Earl brought biblical wisdom, pastoral discernment, and the compassionate heart of Christ into NeuroFaith®, ensuring that the model did not merely explain suffering, but spoke redemptively into it. If Jeff brought the science, Pastor Earl helped ensure that NeuroFaith® carried a heart.
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Jeff and Pastor Earl along with Tim Hayden co-authored NeuroFaith®: The Intersection of Faith and Science in the Healing of Trauma and Addiction, a work that articulates how neuroscience and Christian faith converge to create genuine and lasting change. The book reflects the essence of the model itself—rigorous, relational, and deeply humane.
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More Than a Method
NeuroFaith® is not a technique layered on top of existing therapy. It is not a program or protocol designed to be mechanically applied. It is a way of understanding the healing journey itself—one that honors the complexity of human suffering while remaining grounded in hope.
This is healing that moves beyond coping.
This is integration rather than fragmentation.
This is transformation at every level of the human person.
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How We Work Together in the NeuroFaith® Model
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NeuroFaith® is not simply a philosophy or a set of techniques. It is a living, working model carried forward by a collaborative team rooted in both clinical excellence and spiritual depth. At the center of this partnership are Dr. Jeff and Pastor Earl Heverly, two men bringing distinct yet deeply integrated strengths into the healing process.
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Dr. Jeff, as a licensed clinical psychologist, provides the neuroscience-based foundation of trauma treatment central to the NeuroFaith® model. His work is grounded in cutting-edge understandings of the nervous system, attachment, and trauma integration, while also being deeply informed by faith and spiritual formation. He works clinically with individuals in Washington and Arizona, where he is licensed to provide psychological diagnosis and treatment. This allows for in-depth trauma therapy, attachment work, dissociation treatment, and complex clinical care within the NeuroFaith® framework.
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Pastor Earl, as a pastoral coach and spiritual guide, offers a complementary dimension of care focused on identity, purpose, spiritual restoration, and discipleship. While he is well-versed in neuroscience and the NeuroFaith® model itself, his primary gifting lies in pastoral counseling, spiritual direction, and faith-based coaching. Because he is not limited by state licensure laws, he is able to meet with individuals across the country either in person within his local ministry context or virtually, providing consistent spiritual and pastoral support infused with NeuroFaith® principles.
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Rather than working in parallel silos, Dr. Jeff and Pastor Earl collaborate regularly. They consult on cases, share insights, and align care so that the clinical and spiritual dimensions of healing move together in a unified direction. This collaborative process ensures that clients receive care that is both neurologically informed and spiritually grounded, rather than being forced to choose between one or the other.
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Together, this partnership allows NeuroFaith® to be delivered as it was always intended: as a fully integrated model of healing that addresses the nervous system, the heart, the mind, relationships, and the soul. Each brings distinct authority, training, and calling to the work, and together they provide a level of care that neither discipline could offer alone.
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This is not fragmented care.
This is integrated healing.
This is NeuroFaith® in action.
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A Special Note for Military Families
As a small token of appreciation for those who have served, We offer free digital copies of any of our books to active duty service members, veterans, and military families. If you would like a copy, please email your request to:
jeffrey.hansenphd@comcast.net.
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Disclaimer
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“The views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the official policy of the Defense Health Agency, the Department of the Army, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.”
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NO MEDICAL ADVICE IS GIVEN OR PROVIDED ON THIS WEBSITE. SUCH INFORMATION, WHICH MAY BE MEDICAL IN NATURE, IS INFORMATION ONLY FOR THE USE OF LICENSED AND EXPERIENCED MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS. A READER INTERESTED IN MEDICAL ADVICE OR MEDICAL TREATMENT SHOULD CONSULT A MEDICAL PRACTIONER WITH AN APPROPRIATE SPECIALTY WHO IS PROPERLY LICENSED IN THE READER’S JURISDICTION.​
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​Our BIOs and Backstories
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Everybody has a backstory. It’s where we begin to understand the truth of a person—not just by what they’ve accomplished, but by the fires they’ve walked through and the ways they’ve chosen to heal. Our stories are not defined by titles or timelines, but by the quiet turning points that shape who we become.
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Here are ours:
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Dr. Jeff
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From the beginning of my life and career, I have been drawn to the quiet places where people hurt and to the sacred work of helping them find their way back to hope. I have always felt called to sit with those who feel unseen, broken, or overwhelmed, offering not only clinical skill but kindness, presence, and the belief that healing is possible. That passion carried me from my studies in psychology at the University of California Berkeley to earning my MA and PhD at the University of Arkansas, followed by an APA approved internship at Silas B. Hayes Army Community Hospital and a postdoctoral fellowship at Madigan Army Medical Center. I became licensed in both Washington and Arizona and stepped fully into a vocation that has always felt more like a purpose than a profession.
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My professional life began in a profound way through the honor of serving ten years on active duty in the United States Army, eventually attaining the rank of Major. My deployment to Somalia exposed me to the staggering human cost of conflict, the suffering of innocent civilians, and the invisible wounds carried by soldiers long after the battle ends. Those experiences shaped the way I understand trauma and deepened my commitment to walk with those whose pain is often hidden.
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After my military service, I built a private practice in Olympia Washington for over twenty five years and later returned to Madigan as a senior staff psychologist and Graduate Medical Education faculty member. Training young clinicians became one of the greatest privileges of my career, allowing me to shape their competence, character, and compassion.
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In 2018 I founded The Center for Connecting Living, and today I serve as Clinical Director at Holdfast Recovery and AnchorPoint in Arizona. Across all these roles, one conviction grew steadily within me: true healing cannot rely on technique alone. It requires connection, honesty, safety, and the courage to sit with another human being without judgment. This conviction became the foundation for NeuroFaith®, a model I founded in 2024 that integrates neuroscience and Christian spirituality in a way that honors the whole human person. Drawing on polyvagal informed therapy, HeartMath®/neurocardiology, Internal Family Systems, and spiritual formation, NeuroFaith® offers a path that reaches deeper than coping and points toward genuine transformation. This work led to the book NeuroFaith®: The Intersection of Faith and Science in the Healing of Trauma and Addiction, which I co authored with Pastor Earl Heverly and Tim Hayden.
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My professional story cannot be separated from my personal one. I was born in 1954 in Fort Collins Colorado, an identical twin shaped by both love and hardship. My father carried wounds from his own childhood, and some of that pain filtered into our home. Gregg and I learned early to survive through determination and achievement. During my teenage years I encountered Christian faith in a way that steadied me and became a compass for my life and work.
In October 2023 Gregg’s life came to an end after a long struggle with depression. Losing him, my twin, broke something deep within me. Yet in that grief a renewed calling emerged. His passing clarified why I sit with suffering people, why I listen to their stories with reverence, and why I believe in the possibility of healing. I work in his memory now.
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Through all of this, I have been blessed beyond measure in my personal life. I am married to an amazing woman, Leah who challenges me, encourages me, and loves me through my weaknesses. Together we have two wonderful children, Ashley and Greg, and a beautiful granddaughter, Hallie, who is the apple of my eye and a daily reminder of hope, innocence, and joy.
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Alongside trauma and addiction treatment, I feel a responsibility to protect children from cultural pressures that risk harming their development, including premature gender affirmation and exposure to pornography. This is not political. It is grounded in decades of clinical work and the belief that children deserve safety, discernment, and wise guidance.
What matters most to me is not the titles behind my name but the heart behind the work. I have seen how pain isolates and shame silences. And I have witnessed how connection, compassion, and grounded faith can bring profound healing. My calling is to meet people in the difficult places, honor their courage, and walk with them until they rediscover their strength and beauty. Every person I serve reminds me that healing is real, that compassion matters, and that when truth and love meet a wounded life, something extraordinary becomes possible.
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Pastor Earl​
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I grew up in Wheaton, Illinois and attended Wheaton Central High School, where I competed in gymnastics and tennis and served as a student court judge. I completed my BA at the University of Illinois in 1970 and began an MBA program, which I set aside when the opportunity arose to enter a partnership in a retail music business. In 1973, my wife, Nancy, and I recommitted our lives to Christ. We began attending Urbana Assembly of God, where we experienced the power and presence of God and were deeply influenced by university Bible teachers and missionaries from around the world. During that season, I also served as Vice President for Full Gospel Businessmen and on the church Deacon Board. In 1978, I responded to God’s call into ministry and began my pastoral studies through Berean School of the Bible.
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That same year, Nancy and I, along with our three young daughters, moved to Dublin, California, where I served as an associate pastor at Valley Christian Center. I was initially responsible for adult discipleship and evangelism, but I was soon entrusted with pastoral counseling and also launched an adult singles ministry that Nancy and I hosted in our home. In 1979 I became a licensed minister with the Assemblies of God, and in 1981 I was ordained.
As Valley Christian Center grew, so did my responsibilities. I oversaw Men’s Ministries, missions, and a valley-wide fellowship ministry called Racham. I produced and filmed a weekly TV series called The Pastor’s Study, which eventually expanded into VCC’s own Christian cable TV channel, CCTV 29. I was also a founding member of the Valley Crisis Pregnancy Center and served on the Hope Hospice Board of Directors.
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In addition, I represented VCC in the Dublin Minister’s Association, serving as its chairman for eight years. I frequently spoke at school chapels, coached my daughters’ junior and senior high sports teams, and partnered in various Christian school fundraisers. I also led multiple mission trips to Mexico.
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In 1993, I accepted the call to serve as Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Community Church in Sacramento, a role I held until my retirement in January 2024. During those years, I also served the Northern California Nevada District of the Assemblies of God as a Presbyter for 14 years, chaired the Northern California Nevada Teen Challenge Executive Committee, chaired the Arden Arcade Pastors Association, and co-chaired both the Luis Palau Festival in Sacramento in 2012 and the Convoy of Hope in 2014. I also taught Bible and pastoral ministry classes at Bethany University, Epic University, and Capital Bible College.
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For 14 years I served as a convener over the Arden Arcade region, working with the City Pastors’ Network to connect, serve, and pray with local senior pastors across Sacramento. Nancy and I also had the privilege of leading two trips to Israel together.
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Since retiring, Nancy and I have enjoyed traveling to Europe, Alaska, and across the United States. I have also co-authored five books with Dr. Jeffrey Hansen, Ph.D., addressing the epidemics of addiction, trauma, depression, and pornography from a Christian and scientific perspective through the NeuroFaith® model. I continue to serve on an Assemblies of God leadership team.
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My passion has always been, and continues to be, to see the Gospel preached to every tribe and nation and to see God’s people become everything He has created them to be.​​​​​
CONTACT ME
ADDRESS
Jeffrey E. Hansen, Ph.D.
Founder and Director, NeuroFaith®, LLC
4665 E Cheshire Loop
Prescott Valley, AZ 86324
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PHONE
360-870-3801