This is your brain on therapy: The neuroscience of psychotherapy
Ever wondered what happens in the brain during psychological therapy sessions? Psychological therapy, or “talk therapy”, is one of the most effective options for people experiencing distress. There are many approaches to psychological therapy however, all of them highlight the qualities of the therapeutic alliance; based on empathy, non-judgement and compassion, as the centrepiece of this work.
Attachment and the brain
All relationships change the brain. Especially the ones we have with our primary caregivers as infants, and our romantic partners as adults. Humans are simply not born with the capacity to regulate our emotions, and we are entirely dependent on our primary caregivers for much longer periods than other creatures. As infants, our attachment and sense of worth in the eyes of our caregivers are critical to our survival. The function of the attachment system, which bonds caregivers to infants, is to promote reliance on their caregivers so that co-regulation can facilitate the emergence of self and emotion regulation for the infant. This then leads to changes in brain structure and functionality, stimulating or inhibiting certain brain areas (Kim, 2016). The development of the right hemisphere and the prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and limbic system is influenced by such a relationship in childhood. Difficulties in early childhood attachment relationships can predispose people to mental health concerns as adults. Fortunately thanks to neuroplasticity and interpersonal neurobiology, the brain can heal from trauma and early adversity (Doidge, 2010).
