Does Psychotherapy Have a Biological Basis?

Walden University
NRNP-6640

Does Psychotherapy Have a Biological Basis?
Psychotherapy has a biological perspective since it involves biological regulations of complex brain responses. It follows the principles of evolutionary adaptation by addressing how the brain develops, matures, and operates. Thus, psychotherapy has a biological basis since it deals with the brain whose functions are biological in nature (Roehrle & Strouse, 2019). It attempts to rewire the way people think or feel by altering brain function.
Culture, religion, and socioeconomics have an impact on how people value psychotherapy. Culture has a significant impact since various ethnic groups perceive human behavior differently (Watkins et al., 2019). For instance, some believe that hallucination is a communication with the spiritual world. They do not believe that a psychotherapist is essential in resolving the mental problem (Watkins et al., 2019). Research shows that therapists should integrate cultural competence into their treatment process.
Religious beliefs affect the way people perceive psychotherapy. Some religious groups do not believe in psychotherapy but divine help for all their problems (Watkins et al., 2019). Others cannot visit a psychotherapist who does not belong to their religious affiliation. In some cases, clients visit secular psychotherapists to get neutral treatment. It can thus determine the value people associate with psychotherapy.
Socioeconomics determines the value people place on therapy. People who well off believe that mental health is essential, and thus they go for checkups frequently. They will even pay for the visit to a therapist even for their children. Conversely, poor people do not regard psychotherapy as an essential part of their life (Watkins et al., 2019). Due to a lack of sufficient resources, they believe they will overcome their life struggles without a psychotherapist’s help. They also believe that all their problems will be solved when they get rich, and thus mental wellness is unnecessary.
References
Roehrle, B., & Strouse, J. (2019). Community psychological perspective of psychotherapy: A contradiction?. Community Psychology in Global Perspective, 5(1), 7-25.
Watkins Jr, C. E., Hook, J. N., Owen, J., DeBlaere, C., Davis, D. E., & Van Tongeren, D. R. (2019). Multicultural orientation in psychotherapy supervision: Cultural humility, cultural comfort, and cultural opportunities. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 72(2), 38-46.

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