FIRE YOUR THERAPIST !

This post is in response to Michael Formica’s article on Psychology Today Blog where he speaks of the recent developments of brain science and neuroplasticity; namely, "Dendritic and synaptic connections have been demonstrated to rewire themselves via experience, and, most intriguingly, through mind training. The implications of these findings for neuroscience, cognitive science and applied psychology are staggering."

And Michael while I do not question your contention that mind training plays a most intriguing role in rewiring the brain, I have found that experiences in meditation (mindfulness development) combined with relational exchanges where emotional resonance occurs makes for the most substantial changes in the brain. And I must say that I am less knowledgeable about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. If you could fill me in on CBT and its significance, I would be indebted to you.

My experience lies mostly in the emotional realms where both client and therapist experience deep, core emotions and then share that experience in the session and both "feel felt" by the other. This emotional resonance occurs when emotional states converge and the two people share in the experience of the other. This also occurs when we read of a tragic war death and are moved to emotion by what we imagine the family must be experiencing.

In Daniel Siegel’s most recent work, The Mindful Brain, he speaks, like Michael does, to the significance of meditation and mindfulness. He also goes further and speaks to the concept of Mirror Neurons. And Sue Johnson in Hold Me Tight identifies these "nerve cells that activate in sympathy and in the same brain location as the nerve cells of the person whose actions we are watching. ..These neurons help us sense what others intend and help us connect with what the other feels…Scientists suggest that the more active a person’s mirror neuron system, the stronger his or her empathy will be."

This empathy is what Buddhists refer to as Compassion. Meditating alone in a cave or in isolation can bring about changes in our caring or compassion for others.And the resonance along with the mindfulness allows for a greater capacity for Compassion.

I won’t take the time right now to discuss Oxytocin but this is  the neurotransmitter which is probably most relevant in the rewiring and the changes that take place in the brain.

In our just released book on Amazon, In a Cradle of Words: Intimate Encounters in Relational Therapy, my co-author Laurel Vogel reveals her personal story mostly around her father’s death and there is an interplay between her pain, the creation of new neural pathways using Relational Therapy, and her healing.

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 5th, 2008 at 12:53 pm and is filed under Our Book- In A Cradle Of Words, SCIENCE- INTERPERSONAL NEUROBIOLOGY. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.