Neuroimaging and neuropsychotherapy

This article describes the developing links between the clinical psychotherapeutic disciplines, and neuroscientific research, with particular emphasis on psychoanalytic psychotherapy. It outlines some of the areas of emerging common ground as the interaction between genetic and social factors in brain development become clearer and as cognitive neuropsychology begins to encompass the recent findings elucidating the neurological basis of emotion. The implications of psychoanalytic theory for neuroscience through the development of the discipline of neuro-psychoanalysis are considered along with the implications of neuroscience and neuroimaging for clinical psychotherapy practice.