Why Therapy Works

In Why Therapy Works, I outline what I feel to be the basic mechanisms of psychotherapeutic change. Starting from the bottom up, with the brain, how the human brain has evolved—especially to learn, unlearn, and relearn, which is the biological basis of psychological change. Readers will learn why therapists have to look beyond the client’s words, diagnoses, and presenting problems, to their inner histories in order to discover paths to positive change. The book also shows how our brains have evolved into social organs and how our interpersonal lives are a source of joy, pain, power, and change. We will explore how our brains are programmed to connect in intimate relationships and come to understand the debilitating effects of anxiety, stress, and trauma. Finally, the book will focus on the power of storytelling for fostering self-regulation, neural integration, and positive change.