The Active Inference Model of Coherence Therapy.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Psychotherapy

Background:

• Coherence Therapy is an experiential psychotherapy rooted in Psychological Constructivism.
• Symptoms are understood as necessary outputs of implicit, maladaptive world models.
• The Bayesian Brain framework explains perception and action via Active Inference, where suboptimal prior beliefs can lead to behavioral symptoms (Bayes Optimal Pathology).

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose the Active Inference Model of Coherence Therapy.
• To frame Coherence Therapy as a therapist-guided Active Inference process.
• To explain how this process makes the probable hidden causes of client behavior conscious.

Main Methods:

• Therapist guides client through Active Inference to uncover implicit world models.
• Experiences are curated to direct attention toward discovering and externalizing these models.
• Sustained therapist attention aids retrieval of affectively charged, suboptimal prior beliefs, overcoming memory biases.

Main Results:

• Explicit models are juxtaposed with contradictory knowledge, driving memory re-consolidation and symptom resolution.
• Clients gain agency and control over symptom production, with spontaneous context-appropriate behavior.
• Implicit constructs are re-represented by more accurate models, restoring inferential capacity.

Conclusions:

• The Active Inference Model offers a computational framework for Coherence Therapy.
• This model integrates biological, cognitive, behavioral, and environmental factors.
• It provides a basis for novel therapeutic interventions and experimental designs.