Post an Explanation of Whether Psychotherapy has a Biological Basis
Post an Explanation of Whether Psychotherapy has a Biological Basis
Post an Explanation of Whether Psychotherapy has a Biological Basis
Research supports many neurobiological differences in the brain of individuals with mental health conditions. Changes occur in chemistry, flow of neurotransmission and structure (Goodkind et al., 2015). Mental health conditions often result from less-than-ideal circumstances, such as in depression, or occurrences that vastly differ from our expectations, such as in the development of anxiety and trauma disorders. Experiences may occur consistently or as a single event. Neurobiological changes have also been linked to disorders that are primarily genetically associated, such as in schizophrenia. Whether or not an individual suffers a mental health condition due to situational/circumstantial reasons or genetic disposition, evidence suggests grey matter loss in at least three brain structures- the left and right anterior insula ad the dorsal anterior cingulate. The grey matter loss is similar in patients with varying psychiatric conditions (Goldkind et al., 2015).
Considering the presence of biological differences in brain structure among psychiatric patients, some of which are the result of experience driven psychiatric conditions, psychotherapy, a therapeutic experience, demonstrates its ability to alter brain structure. Psychotherapy involves a therapeutic exchange, validation, empathy, transference, uncovering unconscious thoughts and cognitive restructure and the opportunity for new learning. When we learn, new neurons and pathways are created, in areas of the brain such as the hippocampus, amygdala, and the frontal and temporal lobes (Malhotra & Sahoo, 2017). Magnetic Resonance Imaging showed decreased metabolism in the in the right caudate nucleus in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and limbic and paralimbic hyperactivity in phobias with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) (Malhotra & Sahoo, 2017). In patients with post-traumatic stress disorder, psychotherapy increased lateral frontopolar cortex activity and connectivity with the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, which is associated with improvements in hyperarousal (Fonzo, et al., 2017). Just as our experiences and certain genetically associated mental health conditions have been shown to affect brain neurobiology, we can see evidence of biological changes as a result of certain forms of psychotherapy.
