An illustrated handout explaining the functions of each lobe of the human brain, designed for psychoeducation.
Offers theory, guidance, and prompts for mental health professionals. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.
Includes client-friendly guidance. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.
An editable Microsoft PowerPoint version of the resource.
The human brain, as the central organ of the body's nervous system, orchestrates all cognitive and physical activities. This illustrated handout provides brief summary of the cerebral cortex, which comprises four main lobes - frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal - each playing an important role in processes such as movement, perception, language, and memory.
This information handout assists therapists in explaining brain anatomy and function to clients. Understanding brain function can normalize symptoms and enhance therapeutic engagement.
Helps clients understand how different brain regions contribute to memory formation, storage, and recall. Useful in contexts such as mild cognitive impairment, dementia, brain injury, and trauma-related memory disruptions.
Explain cognitive changes post-injury, focusing on areas like executive function and emotional regulation.
Address impairments in movement, speech, or other affected domains.
Educate about brain damage and cognitive symptoms post-infection or accident.
Use the handout to introduce clients to brain structure.
Highlight and explain specific brain regions affected by injury or illness.
Facilitate discussion about cognitive processes related to mental health conditions.
Modify explanations to meet individual client needs.
Understanding how different regions of the brain contribute to cognitive, emotional, and behavioural processes is important in many therapeutic approaches. Cognitive neuroscience has provided insights into how specific brain structures support thinking, emotion, and behaviour. Over the past forty years, advances in neuroimaging have made it possible to observe how patterns of brain activity correlate with psychological phenomena (Vincent et al., 2008; Ham et al., 2014). These developments have enabled clinicians and researchers to better understand the links between brain function and the symptoms experienced by individuals, whether those symptoms arise from neurological injury or mental health conditions.
This handout introduces clients to the major anatomical regions of the brain, particularly the four lobes of the cerebral cortex - frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital. Each region plays a distinct role. The frontal lobes are central to high-level executive processes such as planning, reasoning, decision-making, and emotion regulation (Mateer & Sira, 2006; Miyake et al., 2000). The temporal lobes are essential for memory, auditory processing, and language comprehension (Ogar et al., 2011; Scott, 2005). The parietal lobes help integrate sensory information and are critical for spatial awareness, attention, and mathematical reasoning (Ham et al., 2014). The occipital lobes are primarily involved in visual processing and recognition (Biran & Coslett, 2003). Although less commonly discussed in psychological contexts, the cerebellum coordinates movement and contributes to balance and motor learning (Manto, 2010).
Damage to specific brain regions - whether from stroke, traumatic brain injury, infection, or degenerative illness - can lead to characteristic cognitive and emotional difficulties. Individuals with damage to the frontal lobes may have trouble initiating or organising tasks and regulating emotional responses (Mateer & Sira, 2006). Temporal lobe involvement can manifest as memory problems, language disturbances, or difficulty recognising familiar voices and faces (Bird & Burgess, 2008; Dellacherie et al., 2011). Even in the absence of structural brain damage, changes in brain activity have been observed in many mental health conditions. For example, post-traumatic stress disorder is associated with increased activity in parts of the limbic system, including the amygdala and hippocampus, which may contribute to emotional reactivity and persistent intrusive memories (Gupta et al., 2011; Ham et al., 2014).
Psychoeducation about the structure and function of the brain can play an important role in therapy. Helping clients understand their symptoms in terms of brain processes can normalise distressing experiences, reduce self-blame, and support therapeutic engagement. This handout is designed to facilitate such conversations, offering a simple yet scientifically grounded overview of brain function that can be adapted for use with a wide range of clients.
