Relational Neuropsychology: How It Shapes My Therapy Approach

Over the years, both personally and professionally, I have sought to understand the ways in which relationships—both early and ongoing—shape our emotional and nervous system responses. My lived experience, combined with extensive study and clinical practice, has led me to develop a therapy approach grounded, in part, in relational neuropsychology.

Relational neuropsychology has its roots in attachment theory and neuroscience, with key contributions from researchers such as John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth, who pioneered attachment theory, Allan Schore, who explored the role of early attachment in right-brain development and affect regulation, and Stephen Porges, who developed Polyvagal Theory to explain how the nervous system responds to social engagement and threat. Daniel Siegel and Louis Cozolinoexpanded this work by integrating neuroscience with psychotherapy, emphasizing the importance of interpersonal neurobiology. Jaak Panksepp, a pioneer in affective neuroscience, identified core emotional circuits in the brain that underlie our relational and emotional responses.