It has been extremely gratifying to witness the first edition of The Neuroscience of Psychotherapy play a role in introducing a new generation of therapists to the complex and fascinating world of the brain. Over the years, this book has created many opportunities for me to interact with students, teachers, and therapists who are curious about the biological basis of human behavior. Their enthusiastic feedback has strengthened my belief in the relevance of neuroscience to clinical practice and my dedication to the integration of mind and brain.
There are a number of reasons for this new edition. The first is that I’ve discovered the truth of the saying “writing is the process of rewriting what you have already rewritten,” an urge that, for me, didn’t diminish with the publication of the first edition. Second, the energy and enthusiasm generated by neuroscience in the 1990s has continued to build momentum and bear fruit. New technologies have broadened our window to neural functioning; empirical discoveries have led us into new areas of exploration; and increasingly sophisticated theories have fueled our imaginations. Finally, the findings relevant to psychotherapy and mental health from all this new research continued to accrue and called out to be included in The Neuroscience of Psychotherapy.
This second edition contains a few new chapters that focus on attachment, epigenetics, and the construction of consciousness. There is also a discussion of some of the evolutionary shortcomings of the human brain that make us so susceptible to psychological distress. You will notice that this second edition embodies a shift in perspective toward social neuroscience, and the recognition that the human brain is a social organ. Reflecting this shift is the change in the book’s subtitle from Building and Rebuilding the Human Brain to Healing the Social Brain: Less mechanistic and grandiose perhaps, and also more human. I hope you enjoy the fruits of this labor of love.
I want to thank Lauren Harb, Tehniat Mirza, Vanessa Streiff, Denise Duval, and Nazanin Moali for their assistance in the preparation of this manuscript. Thanks also to Andrea Costella and Deborah Malmud for being highly competent and compassionate rocks at the center of the storm. And finally, thanks to my family, friends, clients, students, and colleagues for their caring, support, energy, and love.
Louis Cozolino
Los Angeles, September 2009