We now know that each hemisphere plays a role in everything the brain does. Iain McGilchrist suggests that there is a Darwinian advantage to this division, originating in the need to pay two quite different types of attention to the world simultaneously: one enabling effective manipulation of pieces within the environment, the other enabling us to be aware of the whole. In human consciousness, these two modes of attention give rise to two different versions of the world, with different qualities, as well as different sets of preoccupations and values. He believes that an understanding of the implications of this attentional divide may cast light on some important questions, such as the nature of our selves, our minds and bodies, and of the world that we are in danger of destroying. These understandings will be elucidated to set a framework for understanding some of the most important aspects of the psychotherapy relationship and our lives in general.

An understanding of hemisphere differences casts light on the nature of language and our relationships. In this second presentation, Iain McGilchrist will explore how the purpose of language is far from straightforward and that each hemisphere has a different way of engaging with language, to different ends. These insights cast light on what empathy is and is not, the importance of boundaries, and the nature of our relationships with one another and the world. The relevance of this knowledge to the task of psychotherapy will be explored.