Why Therapy Works: Using Our Minds to Change Our Brains

Written by Louis Cozolino

Narrated by Stephen Bel Davies

In Why Therapy Works, Louis Cozolino explains the mechanisms of psychotherapeutic change from the bottom up, beginning with the brain, and how brains have evolved-especially how brains evolved to learn, unlearn, and relearn, which is at the basis of lasting psychological change.

Listeners will learn why therapists have to look beyond just words, diagnoses, and presenting problems to the inner histories of their clients in order to discover paths to positive change. The book also shows how our brains have evolved into social organs and how our interpersonal lives are a source of both pain and power. Listeners will explore with Cozolino how our brains are programmed to connect in intimate relationships and come to understand the debilitating effects of anxiety, stress, and trauma.

Finally, the book will lead to an understanding of the power of story and narratives for fostering self-regulation, neural integration, and positive change.

Always, the focus of the book is in understanding underlying therapeutic change, moving beyond the particular of specific forms of therapy to the commonalities of human evolution, biology, and experience.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Apr 28, 2020
• ISBN: 9781705217146

Reviews for Why Therapy Works

[Sam Kawumi Luwe · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Clearly written, accessible as well as insightful. An explanation of psychotherapy theoretic approaches with all that neuroscience now proves, with case exerts as illustration. I hight recommend this book to anyone whose business is "people-oriented"

[Travis Szolkowski · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So much wisdom in this book with a perfect balance of theory and example, with great narrator

[Maria Grzywacz · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Cozolino makes many interesting points throughout, however I found the book quite scattered, with no clear "line"/narrative. Beginning with a description of biological factors/reasons for why therapy works (great content; much appreciated!) the bio-/neurological approach kind of fades, but then is being picked up again, and I found it confusing. The chapters about alfa- vs. beta personalities in the 2nd part of the book was interesting, but I have difficulties picturing any tangible effects of this theory in an actual therapeutic setting.
I think it's a good tool for future therapists, and the few cases described are valuable sharings/stories form real life.