CONNECTION BETWEEN MIND AND BODY IN PSYCHOTHERAPY AND HOLISTIC HEALTH: A UNIFIED VIEW

This chapter argues for moving beyond mind-body dualism toward an embodied approach to mental health, emphasizing the ongoing interplay among environment, body, and brain in shaping cognitive and emotional processes. It reviews evidence from yoga, mindfulness, somatic therapies, virtual reality, and biofeedback, drawing on grounded cognition, psychoneuroimmunology, and embodied cognition. The authors present the biopsychosocial model as a framework linking biological, psychological, and social factors. They advocate for evidence-based, experiential mental health care and propose future research directions, including examining neurophysiological processes, integrating artificial intelligence and biometric feedback for personalized therapies, and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration.

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Abstract

This chapter aims to move beyond the conventional mind-body dualism and toward an embodied approach in order to promote an integrated understanding of mental health. It investigates the ways in which the ongoing interplay between the environment, body, and brain shapes cognitive and emotional processes. It examines data from yoga, mindfulness, somatic therapies, and new technologies like virtual reality and biofeedback, while drawing on theories like grounded cognition, psychoneuroimmunology, and embodied cognition. A thorough framework emphasizing the connections between biological, psychological, and social variables is presented in the biopsychosocial model. The objective is to advance evidence-based, experiential methods of providing mental health care. Prospective avenues for future research encompass examining neuro physiological processes, including artificial intelligence and biometric feedback to provide tailored therapies, and promoting interdisciplinary cooperation to achieve more efficacious.