The Neuroscience of Psychotherapy: Healing the Social Brain

by Louis Cozolino

Overview

An update to the classic text that links neuroscience and human behavior in the context of therapy.

This groundbreaking book explores the recent revolution in psychotherapy that has brought an understanding of the social nature of people’s brains to a therapeutic context. Louis Cozolino is a master at synthesizing neuroscientific information and demonstrating how it applies to psychotherapy practice. New material on altruism, executive function, trauma, and change round out this essential book.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780393712643
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	05/16/2017
Series:	Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology
Edition description:	Third Edition
Pages:	608
Sales rank:	938,015
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.60(d)

About the Author

Louis Cozolino, PhD, is a professor of psychology at Pepperdine University and maintains a clinical and consulting practice in Los Angeles, California.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Preface to the Third Edition xi

Part I Neuroscience and Psychotherapy: An Overview

1 The Entangled Histories of Neurology and Psychology 3

2 Building and Rebuilding the Brain: Psychotherapy and Neuroscience 14

3 Neural Integration in Different Models of Psychotherapy 34

Part II How the Brain Works: The Legacy of Evolution

4 The Human Nervous System: From Neurons to Neural Networks 57

5 Multiple Memory Systems in Psychotherapy 75

6 Laterality: One Brain or Two? 96

Part III Executive Functioning and Neural Integration

7 The Executive Brain: Directed Action and Inhibition 119

8 The Executive Brain: Navigating Space and Time 140

9 The Executive Brain: Discovering Others and Finding the Self 156

10 From Neural Networks to Narratives: The Quest for Integration 173

Part IV Attachment and Connectedness

11 The Social Brain 201

12 Building the Social Brain: Shaping Attachment Schemas 221

13 The Neurobiology of Attachment 237

14 Altruism and Psychotherapy: Leveraging the Social Brain in the Service of Change 262

Part V The Disorganization of Experience

15 The Anxious and Fearful Brain 283

16 Early Traumatic Stress: The Fragmentation of Self and Others 305

17 The Impact of Trauma: Biochemical Dysregulation and Neural Network Dissociation 323

18 The Self in Exile: Narcissism and Pathological Caretaking 342

Part VI The Reorganization of Experience

19 The Evolutionary Necessity of Psychotherapy 361

20 Stimulating Neural Plasticity 379

21 The Psychotherapist as Neuroscientist 397

22 How People Change 418

Credits 435

References 441

Index 567

Editorial Reviews

"Beautifully organized and artfully presented, Cozolino provides an expansive and insightful account of the neuroscience that transpires between two individuals on a healing journey and why this neuroscience cannot be ignored."

Psych Central

"[E]xcellent….Psychotherapists and physicians alike could benefit from absorbing the challenges posed by the author, particularly his wish to see the psychotherapy of the future integrated with neurology."

Hypnosis Depot - Dr. Bryan Knight

"If Kandel brought the viewpoint of a Nobel Prize neuroscientist, Cozolino delivers the informed perspective and integrative thinking of a master clinician in this updated edition. . . . This beautifully written book is indispensable for anyone involved in the fields of mental health or public policy."

Psychiatric Times

"A master clinician, outstanding teacher, and avid interpreter of a burgeoning literature, Dr. Cozolino is a welcome guide to this fascinating intersection of talk therapy, developmental psychology, anatomy, and neuroplasticity. In a reprise of his outstanding first edition, Dr. Cozolino brings readers up to date with this essential revision. Ten years of updates and a great deal of polishing will more than reward the returning reader or curious newcomer."

John D. Wynn

"[P]rovides a clear overview of how the brain works, including a focus on the social brain and the neurobiology of attachment. . . . Written in a clear, engaging way, as though telling an unfolding story, making difficult material easily accessible."

Healthcare Counseling and Psychotherapy

"There is no doubt that psychotherapists would benefit from understanding the neurobiology underpinning their interaction with patients. . . . [T]his is a ‘must read’ for psychotherapists of the 21st century."

British Journal of Psychiatry

"Cozolino is a brilliant writer and wonderful story teller….Regardless of the level of neuroscience a psychotherapist wishes to add to their expertise I cannot recommend this book highly enough. The book also will be a valuable addition to the bookshelves of neuroscientists themselves, clinicians, policy makers and especially public mental health workers."

Metapsychology Online Reviews

"In his revised edition, Cozolino artfully traverses the gap between clinical practice and the emerging literature in neuroscience. By cleverly juxtaposing clinical examples with brain research, he demystifies psychiatric disorders and places them within an easy-to-understand neuroscience framework. Readers will come away knowing just how and why psychotherapeutic processes have a positive impact on the nervous system."

Stephen W. Porges