The fundamentals of NeuroAffective-CBT (NA-CBT)

Several essential mechanisms underpin NA-CBT with each treatment stage (five in total) attracting a particular set of skills; none more relevant that the skill of building a therapeutic alliance. I coined the term 'empathic mentalisation' to highlight therapist’s skilful ability to connect with his client in a way that would allow the therapist to not just hear and understand at a pre-frontal level, patients’ vulnerabilities but instead to allow himself, to feel his client’s pain in a way which will help the client feel felt.

Whilst some psychoanalytically-based therapies would perhaps claim to engage the patient in a similar manner, this is where the similarity stops because in NA-CBT, the therapeutic relationship is no longer used as transference or countertransferential medium of communication. The therapist remains aware of client’s goals and he is in full control of the agenda. Thus the therapist guides the relationship and the (collaboratively agreed) agenda throughout the therapy process. The transference & countertransference processes are viewed as opportunities for open dialogue and learning. Challenging, restructuring and reframing irrational self-beliefs into adaptive beliefs, installing new coping skills and disrupting unhelpful strategies stays at the core of this therapy.

More information in the article below...