The science behind therapy: why talking helps the brain

Therapy is not just about talking. It can help rewire the brain.

Therapy can activate neurobiological processes that trigger physical changes in the brain, leading to improved emotional and mental wellbeing.

Naming emotions calms the brain (amygdala down-regulation)

The amygdala is responsible for emotional alarm signals like fear, anxiety, and threat.
Research shows that putting feelings into words reduces amygdala activation, making emotions feel less overwhelming (Lieberman et al., 2007).

Emotional regulation improves (prefrontal cortex strengthening)

Talking through experiences activates the prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain that regulates our thoughts, emotions, and actions (Fukuya et al., 2020). Over time, this strengthens areas such as decision-making, emotional control, resilience, and self-awareness. Therapy trains the brain to respond more thoughtfully and less reactively.

You build new neural pathways (neuroplasticity)

The human brain is surprisingly adaptive, and neural connections can change in relation to the environment, new learning and behaviours. Therapy can be one of the mechanisms that induce such functional changes (Mansson et al., 2016). Every time you learn a coping skill, challenge an old belief, understand a pattern, or make a different choice, your brain creates or strengthens neural connections.

The nervous system experiences co-regulation

When someone is calm, present, and attuned, our nervous system mirrors them. This is called co-regulation, and studies show that it can occur during therapy (Soma et al., 2021). This can help shift the body from experiencing a stress response to feelings of calmness and safety.

The therapeutic relationship and attachment

When we are first born, we rely on our caregivers to provide and care for us to ensure our survival. This means that those early relationships have a profound impact on the way our brains develop as well as the way we form relationships and attachment bonds in the future (Izaki et al., 2024).

Therapy can provide the consistent relationship that some people may not have experienced before. By being predictable, non-judgmental, and attuned, therapists can help their clients discover new ways of relating to themselves and others.

Memory is reprocessed in a safe context

Processing experiences in a regulated state changes how memories are stored. They become less emotionally charged and more integrated. Some forms of therapy, such as Eye Rapid Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR), can help people process traumatic memories to change the way those memories are stored in the brain (Shapiro, 2007).

In Short

Therapy works because it focuses on providing emotional safety, encouraging new learning, and reformulating past experiences or memories. This can help to achieve changes in our behaviours and thoughts by increasing neuroplasticity and adapting neural pathways.

References:

Fukaya, Y., Kawaguchi, M., & Kitamura, T. (2020). Does Everyday Conversation Contribute to Cognitive Functioning? A Comparison of Brain Activity During Task-Oriented and Life-Worldly Communication Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, 6, 233372142098030. https://doi.org/10.1177/2333721420980309

Izaki, A. Verbeke, J. M. I. W., Vrticka, P & Ein-Dor, T. (2024). A narrative on the neurobiological roots of attachment-system functioning. Communications Psychology, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-024-00147-9

Lieberman, M. D., Eisenberger, N. I., Crockett, M. J., Tom, S. M., Pfeifer, J. H., & Way, B. M. (2007). Putting feelings into words: affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity in response to affective stimuli. Psychological Science, 18(5), 421–428. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01916.x

‌Månsson, K. N. T., Salami, A., Frick, A., Carlbring, P., Andersson, G., Furmark, T., & Boraxbekk, C-J. (2016). Neuroplasticity in response to cognitive behavior therapy for social anxiety disorder. Translational Psychiatry, 6(2), e727–e727. https://doi.org/10.1038/tp.2015.218

‌Shapiro, F. (2007). EMDR, Adaptive Information Processing, and Case Conceptualization. Journal of EMDR Practice and Research, 1(2), 68–87. https://doi.org/10.1891/1933-3196.1.2.68

Soma, C. S., Baucom, B. R. W., Xiao, B., Butner, J. E., Hilpert, P., Narayanan, S., Atkins, D. C., & Imel, Z. E. (2019). Coregulation of therapist and client emotion during psychotherapy. Psychotherapy Research, 30(5), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2019.1661541