Summary of Louis Cozolino's Why Therapy Works

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview:

#1 The human mind is made up of a tapestry of genetics, biology, and relationships that allow us to be interwoven into the superorganisms we call families, tribes, and cultures. Our deep evolutionary history accounts for the profound connections among our bodies, minds, and the nature and quality of our relationships.

#2 Our brains have multiple parallel tracks for processing conscious and unconscious information. The first is a set of early evolving, fast systems for our senses, motor movements, and bodily processes that we share with other animals. These are called implicit memory, the unconscious, or somatic memory.

#3 The brain processes everything unconsciously, which makes us extremely vulnerable to misperceptions and misinformation. The greater the distortions, the more difficult it is to successfully love and work.

#4 The first few years of life are a period of exuberant brain development, and early experience has a disproportionate impact on the development of the brain’s information superhighways. Good parents and environments can shape a child’s brain in ways that will benefit them throughout life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: May 20, 2022
• ISBN: 9798822522732

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Insights on Louis Cozolino's Why Therapy Works

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

The human mind is made up of a tapestry of genetics, biology, and relationships that allow us to be interwoven into the superorganisms we call families, tribes, and cultures. Our deep evolutionary history accounts for the profound connections among our bodies, minds, and the nature and quality of our relationships.

#2

Our brains have multiple parallel tracks for processing conscious and unconscious information. The first is a set of early evolving, fast systems for our senses, motor movements, and bodily processes that we share with other animals. These are called implicit memory, the unconscious, or somatic memory.

#3

The brain processes everything unconsciously, which makes us extremely vulnerable to misperceptions and misinformation. The greater the distortions, the more difficult it is to successfully love and work.

#4

The first few years of life are a period of exuberant brain development, and early experience has a disproportionate impact on the development of the brain’s information superhighways. Good parents and environments can shape a child’s brain in ways that will benefit them throughout life.

#5

During adolescence and adulthood, we seek therapy because we find ourselves unable to form meaningful relationships, manage our emotions, or feel worthy of love. The reasons for our struggles often remain buried in networks of implicit memory, inaccessible to conscious reflection.

#6

Core shame is a result of a child’s instinct to be a worthy part of the tribe, and it is a failure to internalize a deep sense of bonded belonging. It is tied to our primitive instinct to be a worthy part of the group, and it results in a sense of worthlessness, a fear of being found out, and a desperate striving for perfection.

#7

The fundamental question of whether or not we are safe has become intertwined with the question of whether or not we are lovable. With core shame, the answer is usually a painful no.

#8

The amygdala is responsible for appraising the desirability or danger of things in our world and motivating us to move toward or away from them depending on its decision. It is responsible for keeping us alive, and it has the neural authority to veto happiness and well-being