Neuropsychotherapy: How the Neurosciences Inform Effective Psychotherapy

by Klaus Grawe

Neuropsychotherapy is intended to inspire further development and continual empirical updating of consistency theory. It is essential for psychotherapists, psychotherapy researchers, clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, neuroscientists, and mental-health professionals.

Profoundly important and innovative, this volumeprovides necessary know-how for professionals as it connects the findings of modern neuroscience to the insights of psychotherapy. Throughout the book, a new picture unfolds of the empirical grounds of effective psychotherapeutic work. Author Klaus Grawe articulates a comprehensive model of psychological functioning-consistency theory-and bridges the gap between the neurosciences and the understanding of psychological disorders and their treatment.

Neuropsychotherapy illustrates that psychotherapy can be even more effective when it is grounded in a neuroscientific approach. Cutting across disciplines that are characteristically disparate, the book identifies the neural foundations of various disorders, suggests specific psychotherapeutic conclusions, and makes neuroscientific knowledge more accessible to psychotherapists. The book's discussion of consistency theory reveals the model is firmly connected to other psychological theoretical approaches, from control theory to cognitive-behavioral models to basic need theories.

Genres: Psychology

504 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2006

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this book thanks to the publishers of "The Neuropsychotherapist" an online publication that I have enjoyed recently. Grawe has produced a foundational text, reviewing the relevant neuroscience of the past two decades and created nothing less than an evidence based approach to psychotherapy across diagnostic categories. He reviews the known neuroscience and neuroanatomy of individual disorders and then posits a needs based understanding of the mechanisms of psychopathology. His theory is based on attachment driven needs, needs for orientation and control, needs for self esteem and for maximizing pleasure vs pain. The lynchpin of his theory proposes that psychopathology occurs when there is persistant incongruence between these goals. The idea being that avoidance goals (of pain or fear) often conflict with approach goals (for comfort, control or pleasure), and these can lead to a lack of need satisfaction and ultimately symptoms of psychopathology. Grawe provides powerful tools to analyze incongruence and proposes methods to activate approach goals and deliver need satisfying experiences so as to resolve incongruence. He provides strong evidence for good results in psychotherapies that employ these methods and poor results for therapies that do not. The text is dense and requires patience to read, but the content of this text is invaluable. I particularly enjoyed Grawe's review of the attachment literature. I propose that Grawe has created a powerful resource that should be a basis for the evolution of psychotherapy in the future.

[Robin Sundqvist]

Sjuk han e Grawe

[Jon Frederickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the most compelling integration of neuroscience and psychotherapy on the market today (2013). It skillfully introduces the reader to the neuroscience literature, but with the purpose of showing what kinds of work will change the lower parts of the brain and which interventions will not. Very interesting clinical findings are linked with neuroscience findings, illustrating why we see different outcomes with different therapy models. Grawe's even-handedness as a researcher shows that he has no ax to grind; he is simply presenting the data. It is a difficult book to read but well worth the effort. My work changed as a result and I'll always be grateful for the work he put into this magisterial work. No other work on therapy and neuroscience compares to this book in its depth, scope, and usefulness. Co-Creating Change: Effective Dynamic Therapy Techniques

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ein absolutes Muss für jeden Psychologen, das Buch weiß zu begeistern.
Ich weiß garnicht was ich dazu sonst noch sagen soll.
Auch mit nur grundlegendem wissen zur neurologie kannman den Ausführungen von Herrn Grawe wunderbar folgen.
Das Buch legt einen wichtigen Grundstein für die Weiterentwicklung der Psychologie und der Psychotherapie, weg von eng umgrenzen Therapieschulen hin zu einem integrativen Ansatz der sich auch durch Nachbardisziplinen nicht verunsichern, nein sogar stützen und fundieren lässt.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible topic but writing is rather long winded. Felt like it could have been made more succinct without losing the message.