Therapy in the Age of Neuroscience: A Guide for Counsellors and Therapists

Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
List of figures
List of tables
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. Therapy meets neuroscience
	Introduction
	Objections to neuroscience
	Good reasons for embracing neuroscience
	The nature of the beast
	Neuroscience enters therapy
	Conclusion
2. The brain is a nervous system
	Introduction
	Nervous systems: the overall framework
	Neurons and synapses: the building blocks
	Neural pathways: networking locally and afar
	Neurochemistry: making nervous systems work in diverse ways
	Neuroplasticity: brains keep changing until they die
	Neural architecture: evolution across three axes
	How brains work: not like computers
	What brains do: the need for a nervous system
	Nervous systems in the therapy room
	Conclusion
	Notes
3. One brain, two minds
	Introduction
	The strange business of the hemispheres
	The differences between the hemispheres
	How the hemispheres work separately and together
	The hemispheres’ complementary contributions
	Two minds in the therapy room (times two)
	Conclusion
	Notes
4. Relationships and social engagement
	Introduction
	The ‘social brain’
	Social engagement
	Social reward
	Implicit social memory
	Nonverbal communication
	Attachment
	What social brains do
	Self and other
	The therapeutic relationship
	Conclusion
	Notes
5. Emotions, feelings and the felt sense
	Introduction
	The emotional brain and body
	Emotional systems
	Arousal
	Affect regulation
	Feelings in the therapy room
	Conclusion
	Notes
6. Stress, anxiety and depression
	Introduction
	Stress
	Stress in the body
	Stress in the brain
	Stress in childhood
	Stress in therapy
	Anxiety
	Anxiety in the brain
	Anxiety in the body
	Anxiety in childhood
	Anxiety disorders
	Anxiety in therapy
	Depression
	Depression in the brain
	Depression in the body
	Depression in childhood
	Theories about depression
	Antidepressants and other treatments
	Depression in therapy
	Conclusion
	Notes
7. Trauma and dissociation
	Introduction
	What is trauma?
	Survival reactions
	Trauma in the brain
	Trauma in the body
	Unresolved trauma
	Trauma in childhood
	Traumatic memory
	Enactments
	Dissociation
	Dissociation in the brain
	Dissociation in the body
	Dissociation in childhood
	Dissociative phenomena
	Trauma and dissociation in the therapy room
	Conclusion
	Notes
8. Mental health matters
	Introduction
	Schizophrenia
	Bipolar disorder
	Borderline
	Narcissism
	Obsessive compulsive disorder
	Addictions
	Eating disorders
	Attention deficit disorders
	Sleep and insomnia
	Mental health
	Healing in therapy
	Conclusion
	Notes
9. The mind-body connection
	Introduction
	Mind-body questions
	Body-oriented neuroanatomy
	Body-brain dialogue
	Somatic regulation
	Emotional issues in the body
	Psychosomatic issues
	Pain
	Touch
	The body in therapy
	Conclusion
	Notes
10. Engaging the mind
	Introduction
	What is the mind?
	Attention
	Consciousness
	Cognition
	Thinking
	Language
	Intuition
	Insight
	Imagination
	Creativity
	Decision making
	Will and agency
	Humour
	Reflection
	Narratives
	Conclusion
	Notes
11. Meaningful experiences
	Introduction
	Making meaning
	Imagery
	Dreams
	Transpersonal experience
	Transforming the self
	Conclusion
	Notes
Epilogue
	Ways ahead
Glossary
References
Index