Neurobiology and Mental Health Clinical Practice : New Directions, New Challenges

This book explores the most current theories of neurobiology on clinical practice with children and adults (who are often survivors of trauma). Rich conceptual frameworks guide discussions in a sophisticated yet accessible manner for clinicians of all experience levels. This book offers original work that discusses the interface of neurobiology with racism, vicarious traumatization, and clinical supervision. These richly conceptualized contributions offer a sophisticated, accessible introduction to this burgeoning field of inquiry to clinicians at all experience levels. This book was originally published as a special issue of Smith College Studies in Social Work.

This book illustrates the current findings of interpersonal neurobiology from leading mental health clinician-scholars that inform knowledge building and clinical practice.

Representing the fields of social work, psychology and psychiatry, these authors creatively apply research findings from the ongoing revolution in social and behaviour neuroscience to a diverse array of clinical issues. Contributions include elaborations of theory (the evolving social brain; new directions in attachment, affect regulation and trauma studies); practice (neurobiologically informed work with children, adults, couples and in the conduct of supervision); and emerging neuroscientific perspectives on broader mental health issues and concerns (substance abuse; psychotropic medications; secondary traumatic stress in clinicians; the neurodynamics of racial prejudice; the dangers of forfeiting humanism to our current romance with the biological). Together, these chapters equip readers with state-of-the-art knowledge of the manner in which new understandings of the brain inform and shape today’s professional efforts to heal the troubled mind.

This book was originally published as a special issue of Smith College Studies in Social Work.