ABSTRACT
It is apparent that Jessica is empathically engaged with her client Anne, resonating with many of her verbal and nonverbal, bodily based affects including fear, horror, and anger. Her mirror neuron system is activated as she experiences many of the same emotional states as her client. Given some of the parallels with her early development, it is possible that Jessica overidentifies with Anne and her vulnerable and powerless state thus accentuating this response. Undoubtedly, Jessica’s amygdala is activated. The physical signs of tightness in her chest, increased heart rate, and muscular tension suggest the heightened activation of the sympathetic nervous system. Jessica is also flooded with affect. Outside her awareness, her psychological defenses and parasympathetic nervous system attempt to down regulate this highly aroused state and preserve cognitive performance. A dysregulated state affects Jessica’s capacity to fully engage her frontal cortex, potentially interfering with higher level cognitive functioning, while she attempts, in ego psychology terms, to “lend an ego.” However, at times she feels lost. Unable to flee or fight, Jessica struggles to self-regulate and maintain empathic emotional contact with her client with implicit right-brain activity.
