BIO

Lucy Biven trained at the Anna Freud Institute in London. Most recently, she was the Head of Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy for the NHS in Leicester. She co-authored Archaeology of the Mind with Jaak Panksepp and wrote A Short-Cut to Understanding Affective Neuroscience. Now retired, Lucy brings 40 years of experience in the field.

Archaeology of the Brain

In Episode 7, Dr. Brian Tierney is joined by Lucy Biven, a retired psychotherapist with 40 years of experience. Lucy brings a refreshing spontaneity as she delves into neuropsychoanalytics, candidly sharing her distaste for certain aspects of Freudian psychology, despite her training in it. This episode offers a truly humbling and genuine introduction to the archaeology of the brain.

The Motherboard: Key Brain structures

Brian and Lucy Biven dive into the fascinating distinction between emotion and affect in neuroscience. They explore the metaphor of the "motherboard and software" of affect and emotion, emphasizing the role of play in developing affects and the complexity of neuroscience. You'll hear about the key brain structures involved, like the mirror neuron system and the periaqueductal gray, which plays a crucial role in our emotional systems.

Care and Lust: Emotional Systems

They also unpack various emotional systems in the brain—the care system, panic grief system, seeking system, rage system, and lust system. You'll gain insights into the relationship between care and lust, critiques of Freud's theories, gender differences in lust, and the biological basis of gender dysphoria. They tackle the challenges of studying these phenomena in both humans and animals, and discuss how affects and homeostasis interact, the impact of social contagion on gender dysphoria, and the intricate relationship between gender and sexuality.

7 Affects and The Seeking System

The episode concludes by examining the seven affects, the sacrificial nature of life, and the brain's processes of cell death and remodeling. Brian and Lucy highlight the lows that follow achieving goals and the importance of supporting the seeking system in clinical practice.

Book Links:

Amazon.com: The Archaeology of Mind: Neuroevolutionary Origins of Human Emotions (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology): 9780393705317: Panksepp PhD, Jaak, Biven, Lucy: Books


A Short-Cut to Understanding Affective Neuroscience: Biven, Lucy: 9781638600961: Amazon.com: Books

Dr. Brian Tierney:

Contact - Somatic Doctor Integrative therapies, Brian Tierney Ph.D., RCST, Licensed Psychologist. Somatic Therapy, Biodynamic Craniosacral Work, Mentoring and Teaching


Brian Tierney (@boundlessbodypodcast) • Instagram photos and videos


Dr. B The Somatic Doctor (@Boundless_Body) / X

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