Is there a biological basis for why psychotherapy is effective?

Question

Does it involve neurotransmitters? What's going on in the brain biologically that makes people recover from depression by using psychotherapy?

Answer 1

I don't know but it has worked for me (along with some anti-depressants). Even though I'm taking the antidepressants, I still need the psychotherapy. I can totally tell when I've missed my appointments. I get much more irrational and emotional. Maybe it has something to do with the counselor (psychologist) validating your feelings. Nothing feels worse than having your feelings or problems seem like they don't matter. Even things I know don't seem rational but can't help but feel are never put down by my counselor. I definitely do need it, I just don't know exactly how it works. Maybe being able to verbalize your problems helps. I still need it despite going once weekly for over a year, along with monthly psychiatrist appointments. And I bet by someone looking at me they would never know the mental issues I have. I couldn't handle life without my psychotherapy.

Answer 2

Psychotherapy is basically re-programming the brain. To oversimplify it, you've seen football players getting pumped up before a game? In psychotherapy, you are taught to do this for yourself. If you want to beat depression you can. You have to get pumped up for it and truly put in the effort. I beat it without any medications. So can you.

Answer 3

Anything that allows the individual to change his or her worldview in a positive way creates a change in the chemical mapping of the brain (seratonin reuptake, etc), creating energy. Psychotherapy seeks to inhibit tired, old negative self-messages and channel a new message into the brain.

Answer 4

biologically human brains work on identification and not logic. if the therapy uses some sort of identification principle it can be effective. you cannot argue the brain to change but you can change it with experience. desensitization is one technique that works and relies upon identification. the brain identifies one phenomena with some set of sensory data that co-sxists in time at the experienece. so if you are afraid of elevators and love chocolate. you may be forced to take elevator and fed chocolate at the same time until the fear is reduced. etc etc.
if you have first orgasm while riding rollar coaster, you may love rollar costers after that or get excited by them because you identify them each with the other. Or you may get dizzy and fearful when having sex. it depends on how you experieneced it.
You may identify water with almost drowning or with having fun based upon your experiences etc.

Answer 5

Absolutely, the chemicals in the brain actually change as well as how the signals between synapse work... Mostly it can change the way serotonin is used, chemically speaking

Answer 6

psycho therapy is mumbo jumbo... You convince yourself that it is working, and it is.