ABSTRACT
The outcome of psychotherapy and the mechanisms of change that are related to its effects have traditionally been investigated on the psychological and social levels; for example, by measuring change in symptoms, psychological abilities, personality or social functioning, or in the experiential domain in single case studies. During the past few decades, however, it has become clear that all mental processes derive from operations of the brain (Kandel, 1998). This means that changes in our psychological processes are reflected by changes in the functions or structures of the brain. Although it would be plausible to study the neurobiological effects of phototherapy, because of its use of visual material and sometimes also meaningful motor activity in the therapy process, no studies on this have been published so far. In this chapter I will review the field, exploring the effects of psychotherapy on the brain, and then discuss its possibilities in phototherapy.
