The Poetic Right Brain of Psychotherapy: Attention, Emotion, and the Subtle Work of Healing
In his text Ways of Attending, Iain McGilchrist (2016) delves into a duality concerning the essence of attention—one that pursues clarity through perception organization, and another that falters the instant organization is attempted. This notion resonates with Erwin Schrödinger’s cat from quantum theory, suggesting that the act of observation itself alters the observed phenomenon. Similarly, certain experiences, akin to a dream fading upon awakening, resist direct comprehension, necessitating an intuitive rather than analytical form of attention.
This elusive quality is elegantly depicted in Tomas Tranströmer’s Prelude from 17 Dikter (1954), a poem that captures the transient moment between slumber and wakefulness—filled with limitless potential yet swiftly yielding to the structure of daily routine. The poem communicates through its pauses as much as through its text, inviting the reader’s unconscious to finish the story. This absent language, supplemented by the reader’s personal experiences and emotional connections, reflects the dynamics of therapy—where the unspoken can hold as much significance as the articulated.
Such poetic representations convey a core principle of psychotherapy: healing transpires not solely through rational thought or verbal communication, but through presence, resonance, and emotional insight. There has been extensive discussion regarding the right hemisphere of the brain and its significance in psychotherapy. This hemisphere is often regarded as the hub of nonverbal, emotional, and contextual processing, vital for cultivating profound, unspoken connections that pave the way for change.
The Right Hemisphere and Emotional Resonance in Therapy
Psychotherapy encompasses far more than just the execution of methods or diagnostic labels. It is founded on the delicate interplay between therapist and client, significantly influenced by right-brain functions such as recognizing faces, interpreting vocal tone, empathic synchronization, and reading body language—most of which occur outside conscious awareness.
It is in this domain that emotional resonance takes root. The right brain empowers us to “tune into” another’s experience, promoting a relational synchronization that nurtures safety and trust. When we engage with someone’s suffering without recoiling or hastily offering solutions, we honor their experience. This creates an environment for self-discovery. Moreover, it fosters self-respect—the intrinsic feeling of worthiness, even amid profound feelings of unworthiness.
The Challenge of Emotional Literacy
However, emotional attunement can be difficult to achieve in a society that prioritizes rationality over emotional experiences. Many individuals absorb implicit or explicit messages suggesting that emotions, particularly those deemed “negative”—such as anger, sorrow, or even intense joy—should be suppressed or controlled. Such emotional invalidation teaches that to feel is synonymous with weakness, irrationality, or loss of control.
Contrarily, emotions should not be seen as distractions from intellect—they are vital components of it. For those unable to embrace their feelings, life can feel chaotic, akin to a rudderless vessel adrift in unpredictable currents. The repression of emotions—through stoicism, avoidance, or distraction—may provide temporary relief but often leads to a buildup of psychological distress, including anxiety, depression, and feelings of insignificance.
Learning to embrace feelings—completely, openly, without shame—can be transformative. It encourages regulation and discernment, allowing us to differentiate our emotional truths from those of others. This distinction acts as an ethical compass, grounding us in relational integrity, diminishing reactivity, and promoting tranquility in the face of distress. By exemplifying this ownership of emotions, we impart a significant legacy to our children and those we support: “You are sufficient. Your feelings matter.”
The Therapeutic Journey and the Art of Termination
In optimal situations, therapy progresses towards a state of inner orientation—an internal compass that no longer relies on external markers. This represents the culmination of therapy, or more aptly, the commencement of a revitalized life characterized by integration and autonomy.
Yet, the therapeutic relationship itself, deeply embedded in warmth, comprehension, and profound emotional ties, must ultimately conclude. Termination is a distinct process of mourning for both the client and therapist. What was once a vibrant, co-created bond transforms into an internalized presence—felt rather than visible, remembered rather than heard. The conclusion of therapy reintroduces the client to their own identity and presents them the chance to claim the agency they now possess.
Physicians and Clinicians: Embracing the Right Brain
The medical field—especially clinicians shaped by principles of objectivity and compartmentalization—faces particular challenges. Frequent exposure to suffering necessitates emotional resilience, yet medicine has traditionally discouraged emotional contemplation, often linking empathy to inefficiency or weakness.
This cultivated dissociation incurs a price. As anesthesiologist and therapist Maire Daugharty observes, medical training seldom teaches practitioners how to accommodate their grief, helplessness,