{"id":18947,"date":"2026-04-02T18:02:30","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T18:02:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/?p=18947"},"modified":"2026-04-02T18:02:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T18:02:30","slug":"understanding-the-difference-between-the-brain-and-the-mind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/02\/understanding-the-difference-between-the-brain-and-the-mind\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding the Difference Between the Brain and the Mind"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Bernadette Joy Graham, MA, LPCC, LLC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A Mental Health Moment<\/strong><\/p>\n

By Bernadette Joy Graham, MA, LPCC, Licensed Clinical Mental Health Therapist
\n<\/em><\/strong>The Truth Contributor<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cHave you lost your mind?\u201d \u201cI done lost my mind.\u201d\u00a0 I believe we can all agree we have made these statements before or heard others say them. I can remember so clearly in my undergraduate school days at University of Maryland at College Park sitting in a classroom of 500 students in Psychology 101 taught by a very well-known professor in the world of Psychology, Dr. Charles Gelso. One day 1 asked the question \u201cis there a difference between our brain and our mind and, if so, what is the difference?\u201d\u00a0 Deep question. One not often discussed but one that very much needs to be understood.<\/p>\n

Understanding how they differ\u2014and how they work together\u2014can help reduce stigma around mental health, improve how we care for our loved ones, and empower us to make more informed choices about healing and wellness.<\/p>\n

What is the brain? The brain is a physical organ made of cells\u2014neurons, glial cells, blood<\/p>\n

vessels\u2014housed in the skull. It is measurable and observable with medical tools like MRI and<\/p>\n

EEG. The brain is responsible for bodily functions (heartbeat, breathing), sensory processing<\/p>\n

(sight, sound, touch), movement, memory formation and the biochemical systems that influence<\/p>\n

mood and stress (neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine.) (Kandel, Schwartz, & amp; Jessell, 2013).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What is the mind? The mind refers to our subjective experiences: thoughts, feelings, memories,<\/p>\n

imagination, beliefs and consciousness. The mind is how we interpret and make meaning of our<\/p>\n

experiences and the world\u2014our values, identity and the narrative we tell ourselves. The mind is<\/p>\n

not a single physical thing you can hold; rather, it describes emergent experiences that arise from<\/p>\n

brain activity and from our relationships, culture and environment (Sperry, 1984; Northoff, 2016).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

So how do they relate? The brain is the hardware; the mind is the software and user experience. Brain activity<\/p>\n

enables mental experiences, but those experiences are shaped by context\u2014culture, family, trauma, spirituality and social systems.\u00a0 Changes in the brain can alter mental states (e.g., injury, illness, medication); likewise,<\/p>\n

changes in the mind (therapy, learning, social support) can change the brain\u2019s structure and functioning (neuroplasticity) (Kandel, 2001; Doidge, 2007).\u00a0 Neither is \u201cmore real.\u201d The brain\u2019s biology matters for diagnosis and treatment; the mind\u2019s meanings, stories and social realities matter for healing and resilience.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Why this matters for the Black community?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Stigma and mistrust: Historical and ongoing racism in medicine has made many Black<\/p>\n

individuals wary of psychiatric labels and biological explanations alone. Framing mental<\/p>\n

health as involving both brain and mind helps validate biological treatment when needed<\/p>\n

while honoring cultural, spiritual and community-based healing practices.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Trauma and resilience: Experiences of racism, poverty and community violence change<\/p>\n

stress systems in the brain, but they also shape identity and coping strategies. Healing<\/p>\n

must address both\u2014biological symptoms and the psychosocial context that created them<\/p>\n

(Williams &amp; Mohammed, 2013).<\/p>\n

In terms of treatment choices: Some people benefit from medication that targets brain chemistry;<\/p>\n

others benefit most from talk therapies that change thought patterns and behavior; often,<\/p>\n

integrated approaches (therapy + medication + community support) are best (National<\/p>\n

Institute of Mental Health, 2020).<\/p>\n

Some examples include depression & trauma: A person may have biochemical changes (lowered activity in certain brain regions) and negative beliefs about self (mind). Effective care can include antidepressants to help brain chemistry and therapy interventions to change thought patterns and social supports to address isolation (Kessler et al., 2003). Another example is trauma which can sensitize brain stress systems, causing hypervigilance. Trauma-focused therapy helps process memories and change how the mind understands the trauma while the brain gradually regains regulation (van der Kolk, 2014).<\/p>\n

All human beings regardless of race, color, culture or gender have both a brain and a mind.\u00a0 Black mental health needs to be addressed differently due to historical, cultural, generational and overall lived experiences.\u00a0 \u00a0A culturally grounded approach will produce better outcomes in mental health treatment such as spiritual and religious community collaboration with medical providers.\u00a0 Validating lived experiences and recognizing how racism and economic stress are real contributors to distress and not \u201cjust\u201d an individual problem.\u00a0 Being offered choices by explaining the roles of both therapy and medication inviting questions with shared decision-making that will increase trust and adherence.<\/p>\n

Take a mental health moment for not only yourself but for our black community, honoring cultural strengths while using evidence-based care studied and researched by Black mental health professionals and others who realized cultural differences are key in reducing stigma and improving mental health care outcomes.<\/p>\n

At the end of the semester of Psychology 101, which covered many topics such as the mind and brain, I was highly disappointed that although cultural difference was \u201ctouched\u201d upon yet why no Black firsts<\/em> or early<\/em> Psychologists or Psychiatrists were mentioned or referenced in their work and research? \u00a0They did exist as early as the 1920\u2019s.\u00a0 So mental health diagnoses, interventions, treatment and assessments and psychological tests were based on the work of white men. That was a personal Black mental health moment for me as a student. A question I found far more important to have answered and understood than what was presented on day one.<\/p>\n

For our Black men and women early Psychologists and Psychiatrist in mental health I highly honor them and thank them for their efforts, unnoticed for many decades.<\/p>\n

First Black Americans in Psychology<\/strong><\/p>\n

Francis Cecil Sumner<\/strong><\/p>\n