COUNSELLING AND NEUROSCIENCE

ASSESSMENT 1 – Completed    35/50

PART A:

Choose and list 6 publications from the past 10 years (a combination of relevant book chapters and recent research papers) for review.  Choose relevant material that covers a topic of interest that relates to counselling and links to neuroscience.

My interest is in person centred counselling then search for articles that explain the neuroscience behind this approach.

PART B:-

Annotated Bibliography

Guenole, F., & Botbol, M. (2019). Person Centred Psychiatry and Neuropsychoanalysis: Bridging the Gap between the Suffering Mind and the Dysfunctioning Brain. In Advances in Psychiatry (pp. 397-403). Springer, Cham.

This article analyses how person-centred therapy can be used to connect the dysfunctional brain and the suffering mind, using depression as an example. According to the research, a depressed patient attempting suicide shows very low levels of monoamine, from a neurobiological perspective. Psychologically, the person feels severely painful from the situation, and wants to escape from it at all costs, even if that it can only be through death. A person-centred approach to psychotherapy would help bridge the gap between the patient’s emotions and the brain function by increasing the monoamine levels in the brain. The authors concluded that the alleviation of depressive symptoms occurs through the correction of the brain serotonin levels, through the organization of brain hyper-activations that occur in the limbic and paralymbic parts (insula, amygdala, subgenual anterior cingular cortex), as well as the basal ganglia and the prefrontal cortex. This article is intended for mental health professionals, and is peer-reviewed, with the book published by Springer, one of the most reliable sources, and the authors being professors at academic institutions. A major strength identified in this article is the thorough analysis of past research, presenting a wide range of evidence to support their research findings. Even though no illustrations such as graphs, tables or figures were used, the use of headings and subheadings made it easier to understand transitions and links within the text. In my opinion, the text is reliable and provides clear links between person-centred therapy and neuroscience. However, using only one psychological disorder may not be enough to explain the integration of neuroscience and person-centred counselling.

Tudor, K. (2021). Person-centred approaches in the context of emotions. Person-Centered & Experiential Psychotherapies, 20(2), 103-118.

This peer-reviewed article analyses person-centred experiential therapies by exploring the different emotions identified through its theory, practice, reception, and location. The author focused on the application of affective neuroscience to this theory, while focusing on seven emotions, that is, fear, panic/grief, care, play, seeking, lust and rage. The research identified different neurotransmitters involved in the expression of these emotions, that is, dopamine, acetylcholine, oxytocin and serotonin. Person-centred counselling is associated with the specific neurotransmitters in specific subcortical areas of the brain to regulate emotions and facilitate psychological recovery. The author concluded that the person-centred psychotherapy is one way to facilitate adaptive and smooth transitions between emotions by integrating them into the sub-cortical brain systems. The article is peer reviewed, intended for person-centred practitioners, and the information reliable, with the author analysing evidence from a wide range of past research to gain more insights on regulating emotions through a person-centred approach. However, the research method is not clearly explained to establish the level of evidence.

Despite this limitation, the research used seven emotions that may present in a wide range of psychological disorders. As a result, the author was able to demonstrate how each emotion affects the brain and the importance of person-centred psychotherapy to reflect one’s feelings and regulate their emotions. Besides, a table is used to summarise the information on the emotions, brain areas involved and the function, thus helping the audience easily understand the underlying mechanisms facilitating person-centred counselling. Ideally, the article is clear on integrative neuroscience and person-centred counselling. However, it would be better understood if the author used some specific mental disorders as examples.

Silani, G., Zucconi, A., & Lamm, C. (2013). Carl Rogers meets the neurosciences: Insights from social neuroscience for client-centered therapy. In Interdisciplinary Handbook of the Person-Centered Approach (pp. 63-78). Springer, New York, NY.

The peer-reviewed article, intended for mental health professionals and psychologists, explores the neurobiological processes that occur in interpersonal relationships in client-centred therapy. According to Silani, Zucconi & Lamm (2013), forming an empathetic and therapeutic relationship with the patient involves the subcortical brain regions, such as the amygdala, the prefrontal cortex, median singular cortex, and frontal cortex. The researchers concluded that social neuroscience would be instrumental in understanding the complex psychosocial and neuropsychological mechanisms that form the basis of social interactions during psychotherapy. This article sheds light on the integration of neuroscience and psychotherapy as it discusses the impact of social neuroscience on the effectiveness of client-centred therapy, particularly with regard to forming a therapeutic relationship. The article is peer-reviewed and the information provided reliable as it is published by a reputable publishing organisation, that is, Springer. The authors use illustrations, tables, in particular, to highlight the brain regions and cognitive processes involved in each step of the therapy, making it easier for the audience to go through the finer details of the research. While the research method used is not clearly established, the researchers utilise evidence from a wide range of sources to come to a conclusion on the importance of social neuroscience on client-centred therapy. In my opinion, this is one of the articles providing sufficient information on the integration of neuroscience to person-centred therapy, right from establishing a therapeutic relationship to successful emotional regulation.

Hoffman, J. A. (2020). The Neurobiology of Person-Centered Therapy: Leveraging the Rogerian Approach for Brain Plasticity and Positive Change (Doctoral dissertation, Pepperdine University).

This literature review explores how the person-centred approach to therapy reinforces the fundamental techniques of neuroplasticity and learning. Hoffman (2020) does this by evaluating the principles of person-centred psychotherapy from a social neuroscience perspective and by collecting evidence from animal and human research studies. The author concludes that person-centred therapy is key to the development of a conducive state of the brain and mind to facilitate optimal conditions for positive change. This article relates to the integration of neuroscience and counselling by determining the alteration and creation of neuronal circuits or connections, as a response to experience, to facilitate learning through person-centred therapy. The article is intended for mental health professionals to understand the foundations and mechanisms behind person-centred counselling. Being a literature review, Hoffman (2020) critically analyses evidence from past research, providing strong and more reliable evidence on the research topic. Moreover, the article is peer-reviewed, and utilises different illustrations, including tables and charts, to provide further details on the research. Besides, the illustrations enable the audience to have an overview of the research even before going through the whole article. Generally, the article critically analyses past literature, providing strong evidence on the association between person-centred counselling and neuroscience. However, the research would have been more detailed, had the author used specific examples of mental health disorders or emotions to uncover specific underlying mechanisms in person-centred therapy.

Rogers, N., Tudor, K., Tudor, L. E., & Keemar, K. (2012). Person-centered expressive arts therapy: A theoretical encounter. Person-Centered & Experiential Psychotherapies, 11(1), 31-47.

The main purpose of this article is to clarify the theoretical basis of person-centred expressive arts therapy (PCEAT), an application of Carl Rogers’ person-centred approach. Rogers et al. (2012) summarise the theoretical concepts and fundamental principles of person-centred therapy. The researchers concluded that both the right and left hemispheres of the brain are involved in PCEAT. The research is intended for psychotherapists and other mental health professionals and is peer-reviewed. The research relates to integration of neuroscience in to counselling by discussing how the therapy facilitates recovery and the brain regions involved. However, a major point of concern is its reliability, as no specific research method is used to provide strong evidence and come to a conclusion on the topic. Besides, the research findings are mainly based on the discussion between the authors, and the findings are solely based on the theoretical and political perspective, leaving out the experimental approach, which is more reliable and valid. As such, it is not clear whether the findings can be generalised. Also, no illustrations were used, although the authors utilised headings and subheadings to clearly distinguish between different parts of the research. While the information is supported by evidence from a wide range of research, the authors did not clearly establish links between specific parts of the brain with PCEAT. I would recommend that the authors also evaluate other forms of person-centred therapy, comparing them to find out which therapy activates specific brain parts.

Savite, S. (2020). The Neurobiology of Carl Rogers’ Person Centered Approach: A Comprehensive Review and Theoretical Proposal (Doctoral dissertation, Pepperdine University).

The research demonstrates the neuroscience behind person-centred approach to psychotherapy, stressing the necessity of therapeutic relationships for positive outcomes. According to the research, neural plasticity, which involves the activation of neuromodulators, neurotransmitters and protein synthesis, is necessary for a positive change during counselling. Savite (2020) examined three aspects of a therapeutic relationship, that is, unconditional positive regard, empathy, and congruence, to review the mechanisms of neural plasticity and unravel the neurobiology of person-centred care. The author concluded that biochemical and neuroanatomical markers, such as, oxytocin activation, neuronal survival, dopamine expression, BDNF expression and neuronal survival, are associated with bonding, arriving behaviours and establishing a social relationship with the client. This research is a literature review, which critically analyses evidence from different research before coming to a conclusion, hence providing a high level of evidence. The article is intended for mental psychotherapists, who often interact with their clients, and is peer-reviewed, hence a reliable source of information. Besides, tables and charts are included in the research to highlight the research process and main findings. However, the number of eligible studies used as the basis for the literature review is quite small. Nevertheless, it closely relates to the integration of neuroscience and counselling by demonstrating the underlying neurological mechanisms involved in the formation of a therapeutic relationship with the client. Therefore, this research is relevant to the research topic, though I would recommend that the authors go further in determining the underlying mechanisms in successful emotion regulation in specific psychological conditions.

Synthesis Of The Research Articles

From the research it can be concluded that person-centred counselling has a strong relationship with neuroscience. Social interactions involve different brain mechanisms in the subcortical regions, particularly the insular cortex, amygdala, the frontal and prefrontal cortex, the mid singular cortex and the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (Guenole & Botbol, 2019; Ivey et al., 2017).  Carl Rogers’ person-centred therapy has become one of the most essential tools in psychology today. This counselling approach enables the psychotherapist to utilise a non-directive and empathetic approach to counselling, thus, motivating the client to regulate their emotions (Tolan & Cameron, 2016). The therapy is founded on the belief that every individual has their own capacity to achieve their potential (Haake, Hardy & Barkham, 2021). Person-centred therapy starts with establishing a therapeutic relationship with the patient. The therapist is required to understand the client’s potential and emotions without getting emotionally involved (Jones, 2020). This process involves some complex social, psychological as well as neuropsychological mechanisms (Geller & Porges, 2014). These mechanisms can only be understood by studying social neuroscience, which unveils the impact of social interaction on the brain. The integration of neuroscience and person-centred counselling is evident right from the time when the therapist starts forming a therapeutic relationship with the patient.

Empathy, congruence and acceptance are the key concepts of Rogers’ person-centred therapy. Different cognitive processes are involved in forming a sympathetic relationship with the client, including, forming a perspective, differentiation between self and other people as well as sharing emotions (Tudor, 2021). Each of these processes involves different parts of the brain. While taking a perspective involves the medial prefrontal cortex, temporal poles and temporo-parietal junctions; emotional sharing involves the anterior insula; and the distinction between self and others involves temporo-parietal junctions and prefrontal cortex (Silani, Zucconi & Lamm, 2013). Congruence involves the distinction between self and others as well as self-awareness. Therefore, the brain regions facilitating congruence include temporo-parietal junctions, medial prefrontal cortex, and temporal poles, for self-awareness; the brain regions for self-other distinction remain the same as those facilitating empathy. Lastly, acceptance forms the basis of emotions regulation that involves the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and the medial prefrontal cortex (Silani, Zucconi & Lamm, 2013). Each of these brain parts is involved in the activation of neuromodulators, neurotransmitters (such as dopamine, serotonin, monoamine and acetylcholine) and protein synthesis (Savite, 2020; Hoffman, 2020). This interaction within the brain parts during person-centred therapy forms the basis of social neuroscience.

Generally, the six articles discuss the effect of person-centred therapy on the brain, paying much attention to the specific brain regions facilitating the process of recovery. Overall, neuroscience is integrated into counselling to understand the how experiences, including the therapy itself, alter and create neuronal circuits or connections to facilitate emotional regulation and learning. Person-centred counselling involves complex neurological mechanisms, involving different brain parts, particularly in the subcortical region, as well as neurotransmitters or modulators, such as, dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine and oxytocin. Therefore, integrating neuroscience into person-centred counselling is necessary to understand the underlying neurobiological mechanisms facilitating recovery.

References

Cozolino, L. (2017). The neuroscience of psychotherapy: Healing the social brain. W.W. Norton & Company.

Geller, S. M., & Porges, S. W. (2014). Therapeutic presence: neurophysiological mechanisms mediating feeling safe in therapeutic relationships. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, 24(3), 178.

Guenole, F., & Botbol, M. (2019). Person Centred Psychiatry and Neuropsychoanalysis: Bridging the Gap between the Suffering Mind and the Dysfunctioning Brain. In Advances in Psychiatry (pp. 397-403). Springer, Cham.

Haake, R., Hardy, G. E., & Barkham, M. (2021). Person‐centred experiential therapy: perceptions of trainers and developers. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 21(2), 459-489.

Hoffman, J. A. (2020). The Neurobiology of Person-Centered Therapy: Leveraging the Rogerian Approach for Brain Plasticity and Positive Change (Doctoral dissertation, Pepperdine University).

Ivey, A. E., Daniels, T., Zalaquett, C.P., & Ivey, M. B. (2017). Neuroscience of attention: empathy and counselling skills. In T. A. Field, L. K. Jones, & L. A. Russell-Chapin (Eds.), Neuroscience: Brain-based clinical approaches. Wiley.

Jones, C. (2020). Is person‐centred counselling effective when assisting young people who have experienced bullying in schools? Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 20(4), 657-665.

Mearns, D. & Thorne, B. (2007). Person-centred counselling in action (3rd ed.). Sage.

Rogers, N., Tudor, K., Tudor, L. E., & Keemar, K. (2012). Person-centered expressive arts therapy: a theoretical encounter. Person-Centered & Experiential Psychotherapies, 11(1), 31-47.

Savite, S. (2020). The Neurobiology of Carl Rogers’ Person Centered Approach: A Comprehensive Review and Theoretical Proposal (Doctoral dissertation, Pepperdine University).

Silani, G., Zucconi, A., & Lamm, C. (2013). Carl Rogers meets the neurosciences: insights from social neuroscience for client-centered therapy. In Interdisciplinary Handbook of the Person-Centered Approach (pp. 63-78). Springer, New York, NY.

Tolan, J., & Cameron, R. (2016). Skills in person-centred counselling & psychotherapy. Sage.

Tudor, K. (2021). Person-centred approaches in the context of emotions. Person-Centered & Experiential Psychotherapies, 20(2), 103-118.