The fact that psychotherapy works is a basic assumption of everyone who visits a therapist. But why does it work? And why is it important to understand how it works? In the book Why Psychotherapy Works, Louis Cozolino explains the mechanisms of psychotherapeutic change from the ground up, starting from the brain and how brains have evolved — particularly how they evolved to learn, unlearn, and relearn, which is the basis of lasting psychological change.
Readers will learn why therapists need to look beyond words, diagnoses, and presenting issues to discover their clients' inner stories to find paths to positive change. The book also shows how our brains have evolved into social organs and how our interpersonal lives are sources of both pain and strength.
Readers will explore with Cozolino how our brains are programmed to connect in intimate relationships and will understand the debilitating effects of anxiety, stress, and trauma. Moreover, the book leads to an understanding of the power of story and narratives in promoting self-regulation, neural integration, and positive change.
Always, the focus of the book is on understanding the underlying therapeutic change, moving beyond the specific form of psychotherapy to the common aspects of human development, biology, and experience. This book is for anyone who has experienced the benefits of psychotherapy and wondered how it works. It's for anyone considering whether psychotherapy is right for them, and it's for anyone who has looked inside themselves and marveled at the human capacity for deep transformation.
Pages: 288, Year of Publication: 1211, Dimensions: 14.5x14.5cm
Number of pages
288
Cover
Hardcover
Year of publication
2016
Publisher
WW Norton & Co