Contributions from neuroscience to the practice of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy: Translational psychological science in service of good practice

The integration of neuroscience with multiple disciplines dealing with cognition, behavior and contextual influences holds potential to create new avenues for the application of process oriented interventions and guidelines for clinical psychological practice. In this paper, the main avenues by which neuroscience may readily be used for the clinical practice of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) are outlined: (1) the selection and optimal use of CBT procedures; (2) the combination of CBT with neurocognitive and neurobiological interventions; (3) tailoring CBT to the neurocognitive characteristics of patients; and (4) the use of neuroscience in psychoeducation. This translational view may facilitate multidisciplinary collaboration in case conceptualization. Moreover, it emphasizes that CBT course programs would benefit from neuroscience training and that continued education to keep track with the latest developments in neuroscience are helpful for good CBT practice.