Neurowissenschaftliche Grundlagen Personzentrierter Psychotherapie

Abstract

Neuroscience foundations of Person-centered Psychotherapy. In recent years neurosciences have made tremendous progress in research of the human nervous system. The Person-Centered Approach (PCA) is highly compatible with this and offers a suitable frame of reference for an integration of neuroscientific theories and research findings into psychotherapy and counseling. At first, by referring to the conception of a “neuroscientifically based Person-centered psychotherapy”, it will be demonstrated how basic aspects of the PCA’s theory of personality can be related to neuroscience concepts. Subsequently, relationships of neuroscientific theories and research findings with person-centered psychotherapy’s central therapeutical principles of empathy, unconditional positive regard, and congruence are presented. Thereby, varied interactions between therapist and client become apparent which are finally summarized by the model of the “circle of contact”.