Minding my brain: Fourteen neuroscience-based principles to enhance psychotherapy responsiveness

Intersections between psychotherapy and neurosciences are at its dawn. The quest to understand the neural underpinnings of psychological processes has led several generations of scientists to explore neural correlates between mind, brain and behaviour. Neuroscience methods and research have given psychology new perspectives and insights about the structure and function of complex neural pathways that underlie human functioning (cognition, emotion, motivation, somatic reactions and interpersonal behaviour). By translating neuroscientific findings into psychotherapeutic principles of change, it is possible to promote responsiveness towards brain dysfunction that underlies patients' psychological malfunctioning. In psychotherapy, responsiveness is a core aspect of the therapeutic change process, especially to adapt psychological interventions to patients' motivational stages and preferences, coping styles, neurobehavioural modes and emotional needs. Within a transtheoretical and translational approach, contemporary neuroscientific findings are revised, discussed and used to attempt to build on 14 theoretical brain-based principles that may be applied to psychotherapy. Translating these empirical findings into practical principles, clinical strategies and tasks is expected to enhance psychotherapy responsiveness grounded on a science-based knowledge of brain functioning.