Does Psychotherapy Change the Brain Functioning?

Abstract

Psychoanalysis and diverse types of psychotherapies have proved their benefits in treating different kinds of mental distress. But, what happens into the brain¬? Can it be seen objectively? Psychological psychotherapy and biological psychiatry approaches regarding a patient´s treatment are no longer seen as opposites, but complementarians. It is interesting to know how concepts like Freudian “repression”, “transference”, “free associate” have been identified into the central nervous system. Neuroimaging nowadays has made possible the Freud’s dream of watching the neurons work. Psychoanalytical technique differs from other types of psychotherapy. The effects of psychoanalysis depend on the psychodynamic process of the resulting therapeutic relationship between the personality, empathy capacity, psychotherapeutic identity and attachment style of the analyst and the personality, psychodynamic structure, behavior and attachment style of the patient [1]