Neurobiology of Therapeutic Friendships

Social Buffering Effect

The presence of a friend during stressful times can activate the brain’s “social buffering” mechanism, reducing the perceived intensity of the stressor and its physiological impact. This effect highlights the protective role of therapeutic friendships against the harmful effects of stress and adversity.

Ditzen, B., & Heinrichs, M. (2014). Psychobiology of social support: the social dimension of stress buffering. Restorative neurology and neuroscience, 32(1), 149-162.

The neuroscience and neurobiology of therapeutic friendships underscore the profound impact that positive, supportive relationships can have on the brain and overall well-being. Through changes in brain structure and function, modulation of neurotransmitters and hormones, and the enhancement of neural pathways for emotion regulation and empathy, therapeutic friendships offer a powerful avenue for emotional healing, resilience building, and personal growth in addition to spiritual maturity.

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REFERENCES

1. Kolb, B., Mychasiuk, R., Muhammad, A., Li, Y., Frost, D. O., & Gibb, R. (2012). Experience and the developing prefrontal cortex. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(supplement_2), 17186-17193.
2. Heinrichs, M., Baumgartner, T., Kirschbaum, C., & Ehlert, U. (2003). Social support and oxytocin interact to suppress cortisol and subjective responses to psychosocial stress. Biological psychiatry, 54(12), 1389-1398.
3. Smith, T. W., Deits‐Lebehn, C., Williams, P. G., Baucom, B. R., & Uchino, B. N. (2020). Toward a social psychophysiology of vagally mediated heart rate variability: Concepts and methods in self‐regulation, emotion, and interpersonal processes. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 14(3), e12516.
4. Pfeifer, J. H., & Dapretto, M. (2011). 14 “Mirror, Mirror, in My Mind”: Empathy, Interpersonal Competence, and the Mirror Neuron System. The social neuroscience of empathy, 183.
5. SOLOMON, M., & SIEGEL, D. J. How People Change: Relationships and Neuroplasticity.
6. Ditzen, B., & Heinrichs, M. (2014). Psychobiology of social support: the social dimension of stress buffering. Restorative neurology and neuroscience, 32(1), 149-162.
7. Therapeutic Friendship
8. Divine Authorship of Scripture & Nervous System

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