How Therapy Changes Your Brain

You’ve likely heard of the emotional and psychological benefits of therapy. It can improve mood, emotional regulation, communication, help process trauma, and so much more. 

But what’s actually going on in your brain?

Neuroplasticity

A common misconception is that after reaching adulthood, the brain no longer has the capacity to form new connections. This is far from the truth. Brain cells, called neurons, fire when performing an action, thinking, feeling, etc. Think of neurons as the wiring of your brain.

When you learn something new, overtime, the parts of the brain required for this action change and become more connected. This includes habits and patterns of thinking from childhood. For example, if raised in a home that lowered your self-esteem, you may find it easier to find things you dislike about yourself, as this is what your brain is “wired” to do.

The concept that this wiring can change is called neuroplasticity. The brain is flexible and ever-changing, including during therapy!

New Experiences

In general, new experiences force the brain to form new connections. When challenging your mind, the brain responds by growing more neurons, increasing the amount of connections between brain areas, and even developing more capillaries to carry blood to your brain. 

More specifically, as you learn new coping mechanisms for emotional regulation and other therapeutic skills, areas of your brain involved in anxiety, memories and cognition can actually grow new neurons (Malhotra & Sahoo, 2017).

Therapeutic Relationship

By nature, the relationship with a therapist should be one of trust and safety. When the therapist listens empathetically and validates your experience, it activates sections of the brain involved in communicating and sympathizing with others and emotional regulation. Some of these areas are shown below. 

Dealing With Stress and Past Trauma

When exposed to stressful environments, your brain releases special chemicals that help it learn quickly, and promote rewiring. This can be good and bad. 

If done during highly stressful times, these neural connections can have negative effects that impact your day-to-day life. For example, if you experienced verbal abuse particularly focused on criticisms, your brain may associate confrontation with a high fear response.

But, when exposed to stress in a safe environment, these chemicals are released, and the brain can form new connections during this time. This can create new associations, and make it easier to handle general stress.

Additionally, when working through trauma, such as with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, areas of the brain involved in the fear/anxiety response can become less active. More specifically, this is called the limbic system, shown below.

Therapy is beneficial in so many ways, and we’re now able to see some of the biological impacts thanks to brain-imaging technology. 

For more information about therapy, reach out for a free consultation with our clinic here. 

References:

Malhotra, S., & Sahoo, S. (2017). Rebuilding the brain with psychotherapy. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 59(4), 411–419. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5545.217299