Therapy in the Age of Neuroscience: A Guide for Counsellors and Therapists is an essential guide to key areas of neuroscience that inform the theory underlying psychotherapy, and how they can be applied to practice. Laying out the science clearly and accessibly, it outlines what therapists need to know about the human nervous system in order to be able to engage with the subject. Chapters cover the neuroscience underlying key aspects of therapy such as relationships, emotion, anxiety, trauma and dissociation, the mind-body connection, and the processes which enable therapists to engage deeper aspects of mind and psyche. This book responds to the need for counsellors and therapists to have an accessible and comprehensive guide to how contemporary neuroscience views mind and body. Therapy in the Age of Neuroscience will appeal to psychotherapists, counsellors and other mental health professionals who wish to learn more about how to integrate neuroscience into their work.
Psychotherapy In an Age of Neuroscience proposes that psychiatrists can and should continue to use psychotherapy in their practice, and not restrict themselves to medication and brief symptom checks. This is a book that proposes a detailed agenda for redefining the agenda of psychiatry.
How the brain's architecture is related to the problems, passions, and aspirations of human beings. In contrast to this view, recent theoretical advances in brain imaging have revealed that the brain is an organ continually built and re-built by one's experience. We are now beginning to learn that many forms of psychotherapy, developed in the absence of any scientific understanding of the brain, are supported by neuroscientific findings. In fact, it could be argued that to be an effective psychotherapist these days it is essential to have some basic understanding of neuroscience. Louis Cozolino's The Neuroscience of Psychotherapy, Second Edition is the perfect place to start. In a beautifully written and accessible synthesis, Cozolino illustrates how the brain's architecture is related to the problems, passions, and aspirations of human beings. As the book so elegantly argues, all forms of psychotherapy--from psychoanalysis to behavioral interventions--are successful to the extent to which they enhance change in relevant neural circuits. Beginning with an overview of the intersecting fields of neuroscience and psychotherapy, this book delves into the brain's inner workings, from basic neuronal building blocks to complex systems of memory, language, and the organization of experience. It continues by explaining the development and organization of the healthy brain and the unhealthy brain. Common problems such as anxiety, trauma, and codependency are discussed from a scientific and clinical perspective. Throughout the book, the science behind the brain's working is applied to day-to-day experience and clinical practice. Written for psychotherapists and others interested in the relationship between brain and behavior, this book encourages us to consider the brain when attempting to understand human development, mental illness, and psychological health. Fully and thoroughly updated with the many neuroscientific developments that have happened in the eight years since the publication of the first edition, this revision to the bestselling book belongs on the shelf of all practitioners.
The Neuroscience of Psychological Therapies summarizes knowledge of brain function and brain behavior relationships within the context of psychotherapy implementation. It describes how specific locations in the brain carry out specific activities, how the different activities are combined to yield normal and pathological behavior, and how knowledge of brain activities can guide psychological assessment and intervention. Specific topics include the influence of neural networks on discovery and change, the therapist's neuroscience, communicating with patients using the brain as reference, and using neuroscience concepts to compare and integrate traditional schools of psychotherapy. Applying a neuroscience framework to conceptualization and treatment of depression is offered as an example, and specific issues associated with trauma and false memories are discussed. The book is aimed at anyone working within a psychotherapy framework and who wishes to discover more about brain function and brain/behavior relationships.
For many years psychotherapy and neuroscience have been estranged, existing on opposite ends of the spectrum concerned with the investigation of the mind. However, in recent years, these two opposing schools of thought have found their paths converging so that now a mutually rewarding relationship is taking its first steps towards greater co-operation and understanding. The UKCP conference was one such step. Leading experts in affective neuroscience and psychotherapy attended and gave lectures that integrated material and theories from a number of fields on diverse subjects such as infant development and the relationship between emotion and consciousness. These talks highlighted the benefit of greater contact between these fields, with practical examples as well as theoretical. This innovative collection is one of the first to emphasise and demonstrate the value of greater unity and is an essential introduction for all to this burgeoning area of research.
Psychotherapy is a scientifically proven form of treatment, and neuroscience has justified hypnosis as a convenient method to train our minds to change our brains. However, hypnosis remains widely misunderstood. This volume clears up many misconceptions surrounding the practice by exploring it as a part of psychodynamic psychotherapy. In this context, hypnosis involves the activation of the patient's fantasy to create a new inner reality of the self, so that this reality can take the place of the old one for personal enrichment of the individual. Presenting new evidence from neuroscience and the ancient wisdom of Buddhism and detailing many short case studies, this work reveals the essence of hypnosis and demonstrates the benefits of this often misunderstood mind activity.
This is an invaluable resource for counsellors and therapists looking to reinvigorate their practice and enhance their understanding of clients' needs. Each chapter focuses on different discoveries in neuroscience, explains them in plain English and provides guidance on how to put this knowledge to practical use in the therapy room. It covers specific psychological and neurological diagnoses including bipolar affective disorder, eating disorders and ADHD, as well as other more general issues such as attachment and addiction. The book also contains recommendations backed by evidence from neuroscience for optimum mental health involving nutrition, sleep and exercise, and a comprehensive glossary of technical terms. Presenting the practical applications of neuroscience, this book will be of immeasurable use to counsellors, psychotherapists and psychologists, and also of interest to social workers and mental health practitioners.
Presenting a fresh approach to child and adolescent therapy, this book identifies five principles at the heart of the most potent evidence-based treatments--and shows how to apply them. Clinicians learn efficient, engaging ways to teach the skills of Feeling Calm, Increasing Motivation, Repairing Thoughts, Solving Problems, and Trying the Opposite (FIRST) to 5- to 15-year-olds and their parents. FIRST principles can be used flexibly and strategically in treatment of problems including anxiety, posttraumatic stress, depression, and misconduct. In a convenient large-size format, the book features 37 reproducible parent handouts, decision trees, and other clinical tools. Purchasers get access to a companion website where they can download and print these materials, plus Spanish-language versions of selected parent handouts.
Neuroscience for Counselors and Therapists by Chad Luke provides an accessible overview of the structure and function of the human brain, including how the brain influences and is influenced by biology, environment, and experiences. Full of practical applications, this cutting-edge book explores the relationships between recent neuroscience findings and counseling theories and then uses these integrated results to address four categories of common life disturbances: anxiety, depression, stress, and addictions. The book’s case-based approach helps readers understand the language of neuroscience and learn how neuroscience research can enhance their understanding of human thought, feeling, and behaviors.
Lessons from the personal experience and reflections of a therapist. The difficulty and cost of training psychotherapists properly is well known. It is far easier to provide a series of classes while ignoring the more challenging personal components of training. Despite the fact that the therapist's self-insight, emotional maturity, and calm centeredness are critical for successful psychotherapy, rote knowledge and technical skills are the focus of most training programs. As a result, the therapist's personal growth is either marginalized or ignored. The Making of a Therapist counters this trend by offering graduate students and beginning therapists a personal account of this important inner journey. Cozolino provides a unique look inside the mind and heart of an experienced therapist. Readers will find an exciting and privileged window into the experience of the therapist who, like themselves, is just starting out. In addition, The Making of a Therapist contains the practical advice, common-sense wisdom, and self-disclosure that practicing professionals have found to be the most helpful during their own training.The first part of the book, 'Getting Through Your First Sessions,' takes readers through the often-perilous days and weeks of conducting initial sessions with real clients. Cozolino addresses such basic concerns as: Do I need to be completely healthy myself before I can help others? What do I do if someone comes to me with an issue or problem I can't handle? What should I do if I have trouble listening to my clients? What if a client scares me?The second section of the book, 'Getting to Know Your Clients,' delves into the routine of therapy and the subsequent stages in which you continue to work with clients and help them. In this context, Cozolino presents the notion of the 'good enough' therapist, one who can surrender to his or her own imperfections while still guiding the therapeutic relationship to a positive outcome. The final section, 'Getting to Know Yourself,' goes to the core of the therapist's relation to him- or herself, addressing such issues as: How to turn your weaknesses into strengths, and how to deal with the complicated issues of pathological caretaking, countertransference, and self-care.Both an excellent introduction to the field as well as a valuable refresher for the experienced clinician, The Making of a Therapist offers readers the tools and insight that make the journey of becoming a therapist a rich and rewarding experience.
