Most of us in today’s information rich world have at least some understanding of mental health. But it can be very difficult for us to truly conceptualize how it works. For example, we know that therapy helps. We know that life can cause us to experience mental health issues. We may also know that our brains have these chemicals, called neurotransmitters, that affect our mood.
But how do all those things interact?
Specifically, if these chemicals our brain creates are responsible for affecting our mental health, how could something like therapy help? How does something as simple as talking literally change our brain chemistry and alter the way our brain functions?
Today, we’re going to talk about this in greater detail.
Therapy, particularly certain evidence-based forms like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), has been shown to impact neurotransmitter levels and brain function. While it does not involve introducing external substances like medications, therapy can still produce measurable biological changes through behavioral and cognitive interventions. These changes occur due to the brain’s neuroplasticity and its ability to adapt and reorganize in response to experiences. It does this in several ways, including:
Neuroplasticity and Neural Pathway Modification
The brain is highly adaptable, capable of forming new connections and strengthening existing ones in response to repeated thoughts, behaviors, and experiences. Therapy leverages this adaptability by:
- Encouraging new patterns of thinking that weaken maladaptive neural pathways associated with anxiety, depression, or other disorders.
- Strengthening healthier, more adaptive pathways that improve emotional regulation and resilience.
These changes can alter neurotransmitter activity in specific regions of the brain, such as the prefrontal cortex and limbic system, which are heavily involved in mood regulation.
Regulation of Stress Responses
Therapy can directly influence the brain’s response to stress, which is governed by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Chronic stress typically increases cortisol levels, which can disrupt neurotransmitter balance. Therapy helps regulate this system by:
- Teaching coping mechanisms, such as mindfulness and relaxation techniques, that reduce stress and cortisol production.
- Modulating the activity of the amygdala (responsible for fear and emotional processing) and the prefrontal cortex, thereby normalizing stress responses.
Reduced stress levels lead to more balanced neurotransmitter levels, particularly serotonin and dopamine, which are critical for mood and motivation.
Impact on Neurotransmitter Systems
Therapeutic interventions can influence specific neurotransmitter systems by altering thought and behavior patterns:
- Serotonin – Therapy has been shown to improve serotonin function by reducing ruminative thought patterns and enhancing mood regulation. CBT, for example, can reduce overactivity in regions like the amygdala and improve prefrontal cortex function, both of which are linked to serotonin balance.
- Dopamine – Behavioral therapy can increase dopamine release by encouraging engagement in rewarding and goal-oriented activities. This is particularly important for conditions like depression, where dopamine levels are often low.
- GABA and Glutamate – Anxiety-focused therapies can reduce hyperactivity in the brain’s excitatory glutamate system and enhance inhibitory GABA activity, promoting relaxation and reducing symptoms of anxiety.
- Norepinephrine – Therapy can regulate norepinephrine levels by reducing stress and emotional reactivity, improving focus and reducing hyperarousal.
So yes, while it is true that brain chemistry affects thoughts, emotions, and mental health, it is also true that addressing our mental health – including mental health issues that are brought on partially by genetic and hereditary means – can improve brain functioning and the balance of neurotransmitters within it.
Cognitive and Behavioral Interventions’ Role in Brain Function
There are many different approaches to addressing mental health, but to understand this, let’s talk specifically about cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Within CBT are several techniques that each can address neurotransmitter levels in different ways. For example:
- Cognitive Restructuring – By challenging and changing negative thought patterns, therapy reduces overactivation in areas of the brain associated with fear and anxiety, such as the amygdala, and strengthens regulatory regions like the prefrontal cortex.
- Exposure Therapy – Gradual exposure to feared stimuli reduces overactivation of the fear response and increases inhibitory neurotransmitter activity, leading to desensitization and improved emotional regulation.
- Mindfulness Practices – Techniques such as mindfulness-based therapy reduce default mode network (DMN) overactivity and increase prefrontal regulation of the limbic system, balancing neurotransmitter activity in the process.
CBT is not the only approach that has an effect on brain chemistry, but using it as an example can help you understand and identify it a bit further.
Long-Term Effects on Brain Chemistry
In addition to these short term benefits, therapy can have long term effects as well. Even in those that have a hereditary pre-disposition to mental health, therapy creates sustainable changes in brain function by:
- Promoting structural changes in brain regions responsible for mood, such as increased connectivity in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.
- Enhancing the efficiency of synaptic transmission, which improves the brain’s ability to regulate neurotransmitters.
- Encouraging the release of neurotrophic factors like Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), which supports neuronal growth and repair, further stabilizing neurotransmitter systems.
For those that have more difficult to treat mental health issues, including those that may benefit from medication, therapy can still help. While therapy can independently affect neurotransmitter levels, it is often used alongside medication for enhanced results. Medications can provide an immediate impact on neurotransmitter levels, while therapy reinforces long-term changes by addressing underlying thought patterns and behaviors. Together, they provide a comprehensive approach to mental health treatment
Therapy to Address Barriers in Treatment
Lastly, one more way that therapy is beneficial is the accountability and change in attitude that comes from the process of therapy. Recall that changes in your brain chemistry also change how you think and feel. It changes what is normal to you. If you feel sad from depression, it doesn’t feel like it’s coming from your depression, it feels like you feel justifiably sad.
That can be a barrier that prevents you from any treatment. Many people do not take beneficial medication, for example, because their brain chemistry tells them it won’t work, or that their feelings are justifiable and they don’t have a mental health issue at all. Therapy tends to help people reframe this so that not only can it benefit brain chemistry, but allows them to gain the ability to push themselves towards other lifestyle changes that might as well.
Talk Therapy Can Change Your Brain
Therapy demonstrates the profound connection between mental processes and biological mechanisms. By reshaping thought patterns, behaviors, and emotional responses, therapy utilizes the brain’s neuroplasticity to restore balance to neurotransmitter systems. These biological changes underscore the effectiveness of therapy as a scientifically supported approach to improving mental health and overall well-being.
If you’re interested in learning more about mental health, or you’re ready to see a therapist and get the support you need for your needs, please contact Right Path Counseling today.
