Brain

Plumbing the eternal question: Why are there bad people? Read more

I first became aware that there was such a thing as meditation as part of my immersion in the cascade of mind-body-spirit esoterica unleashed by the human... Read more

As mindfulness practices work their way into the psychotherapeutic mainstream, we’re starting to ask more clinically sophisticated questions: Who needs what... Read more

As a clinical intervention, mindfulness is best understood by stripping away its aura of mystical spirituality and understanding the crucial role suggestion... Read more

A Zen teacher describes the benefits and limitations of traditional meditation practice. Read more

While meditation is usually considered solitary, two therapists discover that the couples intervention they’ve been using for over 20 years is actually a... Read more

A primer on the specifics of incorporating mindfulness into therapeutic practice. Read more

Sometimes conversation isn’t the best way to communicate with clients. There are times when therapists must go beyond the words. Read more

In recent years, attachment theory, with its emphasis on early bonding, connection and relationship, has exerted as much influence over the field of... Read more

While therapists may consider some intuitively appealing ideas about human development---like attachment theory---beyond dispute, the researcher's job is to... Read more

Fifty years of research has confirmed that the emotional quality of our earliest attachment relationships is central to our well-being as adults. Read more

Putting the power of neuroplasticity to work in the consulting room. Read more

Neuropsychiatrist Louann Brizendine has stirred up plenty of controversy by arguing that men and women have very different brains. Read more

The key to working effectively with eating disorders is understanding that starving, bingeing, and purging aren't simply bad habits. For treatment to work, it... Read more

Despite the common cultural notion that anyone can successfully lose weight---constantly reinforced by the $60 billion-a-year diet industry---at least 95... Read more

From the viewpoint of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, the reason that dieters so frequently fail to stick to their healthy eating plans is simple: knowing what... Read more

A wizened, seen-it-all psychologist describes how he came to embrace an approach that much of the orthodox psychotherapy world considers the latest incarnation... Read more

Let's face it: love means something quite different to men and women. A look at other species of social mammals offers some remarkable insights into the... Read more

This issue examines whether our increasing knowledge of all those multisyllabic brain processes has really made us more effective practitioners. Read more

In the 1970s, the rise of Prozac, the DSM-III, and "evidence-based" therapies brought the appearance of coherence and order to mental health professions under... Read more

As we learn more about the brain, it becomes apparent that therapists need to pay at least as much attention to the body and nervous system (both their own and... Read more

For the firs time, we're beginning to understand how to directly delete emotional meanings attributed to disturbing past events. Read more

As unlikely as it may sound, the mathematics of complexity theory could offer us the key to the elusive secrets of mental health and personal well-being. Read more

Treating depression requires a commitment to working with mind, body, and spirit. Read more

How to get through to clients caught in fight-flight-freeze mode. Read more

More and more chronic pain patients are being referred to therapists after their physicians conclude that they show every appearance of being healed. Read more

1. Ride the Rhythms of Rest Fine-tune your circadian rhythms with exposure to morning light. Regularly engage in rest breaks and practices. Consider daily... Read more

This article first appeared in the September/October 2008 issue. Anyone who’s ever worked with trauma survivors knows the therapeutic challenge of... Read more

The human brain is an anachronistic menagerie that confronts the psychotherapist with the challenge of treating a human, a horse, and a crocodile, all... Read more

Far from being a relic of Psych 101, the theory of cognitive dissonance may have more relevance in understanding today's world than ever. Read more