Could neurofeedback improve therapist-patient communication? Considering the potential for neuroscience informed examinations of the psychotherapeutic relationship

Empathic communications between a patient and therapist are an essential component of psychotherapy. However, objective neural markers of the quality of the psychotherapeutic relationship have been elusive. Here we conceptualize how a neuroscience-informed approach involving real-time neurofeedback, facilitated via existing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) technologies, has the potential to provide objective information for facilitating therapeutic rapport. We propose several neurofeedback-assisted psychotherapy (NF-AP) approaches that could offer the potential for optimizing the experience of the individual patient and therapist across the spectrum of psychotherapeutic treatment. Finally, we consider how the possible strengths of these approaches are balanced by the current limitations and discuss the prospects of NF-AP.