THE NEUROPSYCHOTHERAPIST

Volume 4 Issue 5 (May 2016)

ISSN 2201-9529

Content

As a therapist, physical exercise is something I always recommend to my clients, but I have to admit, its consistency in my own life fluctuates much more than I would like. So it was inspiring and motivating to hear from Christina Hibbert about the importance of exercise for mental health and well-being. Christina has effectively synthesised years of evidence-based research to develop a practical guide to help our clients understand the importance of exercise and motivate them into a habit that can be powerful therapy for a wide range of mental illnesses and conditions.

Also this month we have a wonderfully detailed case study of birth trauma and are given a window onto the therapeutic process Dr. Sharie Coombes takes her 3-year-old client through to help resolve it. What I really appreciate about Sharie’s commentary is her detailed knowledge of the neurophysiological mechanisms involved in such early childhood trauma, and what is happening to the child’s nervous system during the progression of therapy. I’m sure you will enjoy this very informed look at a trauma that I personally would not have fully appreciated the impact of—as Sharie recounts with great empathy, it had a devastating impact on the whole family. Certainly the potential effects of birth trauma will be more present in my mind when working with clients in the future.

Continuing our journey through the basics of brain science, the fourth instalment of “The Psychotherapist’s Essential Guide to the Brain” this month looks at the possible neural underpinnings of obsessive–compulsive disorder. The previous three parts to the series provided a broad overview of the central nervous system, and we now turn to various psychopathologies to explore the neural connections and chemical processes that are believed to play a part and the implications for a therapeutic approach.

Finally, we have opened a new forum space on our website where we hope to foster communal discussion of all things neuropsychotherapy. If you are a subscriber, I do hope you will join us at this place to share our collective knowledge and experience.

-Ed.

Features

Charlie's Web

This detailed case study looks at how neuroscience research and attachment theories might contribute vital insights into the impact of a traumatic birth on one young boy’s emotional development and presentation, and support his weekly therapy.

Sharie Coombes

Mental HealthThrough Exercise

The importance of physical activity for mental health is revisited from a perspective of psychotherapy in this informed and pragmatic overview. Therapists know in theory how beneficial physical exercise can be for mental well-being—on a par with antidepressants and counselling in the case of the depressed client, for example—but do we incorporate such strategies into our sessions? Dr. Hibbert shows us how.

Christina Hibbert

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