A psychanalyst and a scientist, Vaughan interweaves stories from her sessions with findings from the most recent research. She shows how free-associating, interpreting dreams, and paying attention to childhood experiences have an impact on the structure of our anatomy. Just as repeated exercise can change the shape of our bodies, so can repeated attention to our conflicts, in the course of our work with a therapist, alter the shape of our minds.

This book is a boon for patients who wonder why therapy works, and for therapists who know that it works but don't know what it does to the brain.