The Neuroscience of Psychotherapy

This ground-breaking book explores the revolution in psychotherapy that brought an understanding of the social nature of people’s brains into a therapeutic context. Louis Cozolino is a master at synthesising neuroscience and demonstrating how it applies to psychotherapy practice. Here, he argues that all forms of psychotherapy 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 organisation of experience. In this updated edition, readers will also find new content on the evolutionary foundations of psychotherapy; the necessity of gaining broad perspectives on mind, brain and culture in clinical training; the importance of interpreting research with the human brain’s biases in mind; the debatable applicability of Eurocentric perceptions of “self” and more.

This ground-breaking book explores the revolution in psychotherapy that brought an understanding of the social nature of people’s brains into a therapeutic context. Louis Cozolino is a master at synthesising neuroscience and demonstrating how it applies to psychotherapy practice. Here, he argues that all forms of psychotherapy 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 organisation of experience. In this updated edition, readers will also find new content on the evolutionary foundations of psychotherapy; the necessity of gaining broad perspectives on mind, brain and culture in clinical training; the importance of interpreting research with the human brain’s biases in mind; the debatable applicability of Eurocentric perceptions of “self” and more.