How Does Therapy Impact the Human Brain Function?

In a world where depression is equivalent to the ‘common cold’, disorders like anxiety, phobia, OCD, and even psychosis have become a word for almost every family the use of therapy is the ultimate weapon of the hour. Psychotherapy, more commonly known as therapy, refers to the strategic and scientific procedures used for the treatment of problems, issues or disorders, with their root cause being psychological.

The main agenda of these therapeutic techniques is to bring about positive and adaptive changes in the person’s behaviour that help them adjust to their environment. Different therapeutic approaches therapists used based on the person’s nature, experiences, and the stimulating factors of the environment. They are:

1. Behavioural approach, where the focus is to change, rectify or modify the person’s behaviour through bringing about positive changes in the person’s past learning, inducing reinforcements, and the like.  
2. Psychoanalytic approach, where the focus is to unfold one’s unconscious motives, desires, instincts and drives, acting as the cause of psychological problems.
3. The Cognitive approach focuses on rectifying maladaptive thought processes, beliefs, values, and reasoning abilities and increasing one’s problem-solving capabilities.
4. Group approach, where the individual is treated as a part of a group of people, suffering from similar problems. 

Regardless of the approach taken, it brings about changes in the individual’s behaviour. Several researchers attempting to uncover the mysteries of the human brain have found that therapy also causes changes in the brain.

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The Human Brain

The human brain is the control centre of our body, with huge intricacies and many yet-to-be-discovered networks. If anything, we can compare the brain to the deep oceans, with tremendous secrets buried within its layers. From the surface to the dark depths, everything is renowned for its wonders. Scientists have been exploring unknown facts about the brain for years, and even today, they continue to make new discoveries with each attempt.

Starting from emotional regulation to the secretion of hormones, perception of the surrounding environment to deciding which stimulus to attend to, aspects like the use of cognition, affection and connotation under varied situations, comprehending a particular situation and reacting to it – all are the master tasks of the brain. Regulating the different bodily processes like the breakdown of glucose and providing the body with energy to deal with stressful situations, regulating blood, adrenaline, enzymes, hormones and even the homeostatic balance are some important activities of the brain in maintaining the overall psychological health through the success of therapy.

A recent article published by Savitri Malhotra and Swapnajeet Sahoo in the Indian Journal of Psychiatry is based on research they conducted in the neuroscience of socio-emotional cognition and developmental neuroscience, which incorporates advances in investigative techniques for brain functions. The same has provided tremendous opportunities for the study of the brain and the mind (National Library of Medicine – Rebuilding the brain with Psychotherapy). This article has provided insights into understanding the long-term effects of psychotherapy on the functioning of the brain, and the changes brought into it.

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The Effects of Therapy on the Human Brain

If we have to look at the effects of therapy on the human brain, it is important we know about the different consequences of the therapy that might affect the brain’s neural functioning. Simply mention, they are – transference, rapport establishment, insight orientation, exploring the unconscious, ego maturation, frustration tolerance, developing better and effective coping strategies, problem-solving techniques, decisive thinking and altering maladaptive thinking – helping to understand the other side of the coin; which is life. These consequences are what we tend to bring about, from the perspective of a psychologist. However, the effects occurring inside the brain are primarily biological and often receive little attention. Below are the effects discussed:

1. Neural Plasticity

The first and most important effect to address here is neural plasticity. Typically, plasticity refers to the ability to accommodate change. Similarly, Neural Plasticity, also known as Brain Plasticity, is the physical, chemical and biological ability of the brain to reorganize its structure and function, to accommodate change, in terms of new information (technically termed as ‘schema’), memory or learning. Any new experience, whether positive or negative, reflects in an individual’s neural plasticity.

Thus, experiencing any trauma will also affect one’s brain functioning, such as responding to events that are perceived to be similar to the traumatic event. Likewise, positive stimulation through effective therapeutic measures will not only alter such biased perception but will also strengthen one’s neural networks, to have a better understanding of the surrounding environment. It also enriches the health of the neurons by increasing the blood supply in them, improving their connectivity, thereby increasing one’s concentration and sensitivity to the outer world. 

Read More: Understanding Neuroplasticity: How Our Brains Adapt, Heal and Thrive

2. Cognitive Appraisal Theory of Stress

As per the Cognitive Appraisal Theory of Stress by Hans Lazarus and Folkman (1984), it is our perception of a particular stimulus as a stressor that excites us and lets us react to it appropriately (in alignment with the coping strategies one can mobilize). But in due course of the therapy, the person’s level of arousal is stabilized to strengthen their coping tactics, ultimately helping them to be desensitized to ‘lesser’ stressful situations, which were earlier perceived to be very stressful. Therapy helps one to understand and accommodate their surrounding information more realistically, by modifying their maladaptive beliefs and cognitions about the same. Thus, it enhances the person’s neural plasticity and reduces the level of neural pressure on the brain by bringing about changes in perception. 

Read More: General Adaptation Syndrome: How Your Body Responds to Stress

3. General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) Model

The GAS (General Adaptation Syndrome) Model, explaining the physiological basis of stress by Hans Seyle, says that the occurrence of a stressful situation brings about a lot of internal processes within an individual, which is stated as the Hypothalamic – Pituitary – Adrenal (HPA) axis. According to this HPA Axis, on the perception of a stressor, the hypothalamus releases the adrenocorticotropic hormone, which stimulates the pituitary to secrete the CRH factor.

This CRH factor, in turn, is carried to the adrenal gland with the help of complicated blood vessels to secrete cortisol – the stress hormone. This cortisol is responsible for providing the body with energy for fight or flight, regarding dealing with the stressor. As an integrated part of the nervous system, the brain initiates and monitors this entire process.

Routine therapy lowers a person’s neural stimulation to subtle stimuli as stressors and enhances their ability to deal with stressors. Thus, it reduces the hypothalamic stimulation of the brain and therefore makes utilization of the glucose for another bodily process. In other words, therapy helps the brain to get more energy for its rejuvenation and maintain its neural health, by not investing the same into dealing with stressful situations. 

4. Serotonin

Serotonin, commonly referred to as the ‘happy hormone’ has some important functions affecting the brain of an individual. In therapies, the first step is to build a rapport with the client. Progressing in the therapeutic session involves many tasks, conversations, and assessments that help the person explore their inner intricacies and uncover the roots of the problems they face.

After that, the focus of the therapy changes to developing resilience and positive feelings in the person. And, as these positive feelings emerge, the secretion of serotonin increases. Serotonin acts as a natural mood stabilizer and regulator, helping to enhance sleep, concentration, memory, and various other cognitive functions. Serotonin has a connection with improving brain health and brings about neurotransmitter balance in it.

5. Emotional Regulation

With effective therapy, the emotional regulation of the person enhances, to produce long-term emotional well-being. Neuroimaging studies have shown that there happens to be a scientific difference in some regions of the brain concerned with emotions, before and after the completion of successful therapy. The therapy stimulates brain regions, including the ventral anterior cingulate, ventromedial prefrontal cortices, and lateral prefrontal and parietal cortices, when it induces positive emotions in the person.

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Conclusion

The brain is a highly complex and significant organ that controls every function of our body. All these functions, including the ones mentioned above, interconnect to such an extent that researchers find it very difficult to study the integrated set of effects therapy causes on the brain. However, the range of effects extends to greater dimensions, thus being responsible for sustaining a homeostatic balance of the person.