Neurobiologically Informed Psychotherapy

In this chapter, we consider ways in which neurobiological theories and concepts can inform psychotherapy practice with children, adolescents, and adults. Initial discoveries in the field of neuroscience provided us with a new lens through which we could view clinical practice and understand more deeply the change process. In recent years, this evidence has expanded significantly, and we are now more aware than ever as to the importance of considering a neurosequential approach to therapeutic practice and an understanding of the vagal system when planning developmentally appropriate interventions that meet our clients where they are, taking a bottom-up approach that attends to the physiological impact of trauma. Such a neuroscientific and trauma-informed approach to practice provides professionals with the language to conceptualize and communicate more clearly what they do and why it works from a neurobiological perspective.