Is Your Left Brain Running the Show?
Reclaiming the Wisdom of the Right Brain in a Left-Brain World
If you're seeking counseling in Lake Oswego and find yourself stuck in overthinking, you're not alone. Many of us in American culture are trained to live in our heads—analyzing, fixing, problem-solving. But healing often doesn’t come from more thinking. It comes from accessing the emotional and relational wisdom of the right brain.
Left Brain, Right Brain—What’s the Difference?
The left hemisphere is all about logic, language, planning, and doing. It helps you get things done, analyze problems, and stay on top of your responsibilities. My brain loves to try to solve problems all day long…even looking for things that might be wrong—and honestly, that’s exhausting!
The right hemisphere is the home of emotions, body awareness, creativity, and connection. It helps you feel your feelings, connect deeply in relationships, and experience the present moment. This is the side that allows us to be social, have fun, and “feel good” because it’s where emotions live.
In a balanced life, both sides work together. Dr. Marsha Linehan calls this the Wise Mind—the integration of logical reasoning and emotional awareness. (I love her video explaining this!)
But for many people—especially those navigating stress or trauma—the left brain takes over.
American Culture: Left-Brain Overachievers
From a young age, in American culture, we're praised for left-brain strengths: solving problems, being productive, and staying rational. You may have heard from teachers or parents, “settle down, no need to be so emotional.”
Meanwhile, emotional expression, vulnerability, and embodied presence—the natural gifts of the right brain—are often dismissed. As a therapist, I find this heartbreaking, because it limits us from living fully connected lives.
What Happens When the Right Brain Is Ignored?
Not only does our culture overvalue left-brain logic, but trauma can also cause the right brain—the center of emotional connection and integration—to shut down. When the right hemisphere is overwhelmed or underused, we may experience:
Disconnection from our emotions or body
Difficulty making decisions or managing anxiety
A sense of isolation, even in close relationships
Feeling stuck in repetitive patterns without real insight
Neuroscientist and therapist Bonnie Badenoch explains:
“When we are overwhelmed, our right hemisphere loses its ability to stay integrated. Without someone to help hold our experience, we may fragment inside…”
If we’re not taught how to engage the right brain—or if we don’t have relational support to help us stay connected—our emotional growth can stall. We end up with a narrow emotional repertoire and struggle to feel whole.
AEDP and the Power of Emotional Experiencing
In my therapy work, I use a model called AEDP—Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy. This approach helps clients move beyond talking about emotions and into truly experiencing them in a safe, supported way.
Instead of staying in left-brain problem-solving, we slow down and ask:
- What are you feeling right now?
- Where is that feeling in your body?
- What happens when we stay with that, together?
This is where transformation begins. Emotions are not “bad”—they’re what our right brains were designed to process. When we allow ourselves to engage this side of the brain, we uncover a rich landscape of feelings that actually guide us toward healing and growth. We truly need our emotions and our right brain—we couldn’t survive without them.
How to Begin Reclaiming Your Right Brain
You can start tuning into your right brain and emotional world in simple ways. As you do, you’ll develop that “inner knowing” that helps you move toward what you really want in life, communicate your needs more clearly, and deepen your relationships. Life begins to feel more alive and meaningful.
Here are a few ways to nourish your right brain every day:
- Check in with your body. Notice physical sensations.
- Breathe deeply and slowly.
- Name your emotions, even if they don’t make sense.
- Spend time in nature, listen to music, or make art.
- Allow space to not know, and just be.
Final Thoughts: Healing Happens in the Right Brain
If you've tried to think your way to peace and it hasn’t worked, you’re not broken—you’re probably just leaning too heavily on your left brain. Therapy that reconnects you to your right-brain wisdom can open the door to deep, lasting healing.
If you’re looking for emotionally attuned, experiential therapy in Lake Oswego, I’d be honored to support you. Let’s explore together what it’s like to feel—not just think—your way toward healing.
**Schedule a consultation today** and take the first step toward a more connected, integrated life. I also offer counseling in Lake Oswego specifically geared towards women, or couples.