Psychology 20

Therapy
Psychotherapy
Helping others deal with their psychological problems is providing
psychotherapy.
Psychotherapy literally means healing of the soul
Psychotherapy is provided by:
Psychologiststhey observe and analyze behavior patterns, and try to
help people make positive changes, without prescribing drugs
Psychiatriststhey have the same goal as psychologists (helping people
improve the quality of their lives), but they study medicine and can
prescribe drugs
Social workerssimilar to psychologists (again, helping people improve
the quality of their lives) but with a different educational background
(not a psychology degree). A social work education includes parts of a
variety of other academic disciplines, including education, economics,
sociology, medicine, and (of course) psychology
Psychotherapy
Although psychological problems used to be seen as moral or
religious problems, more recently, they have been seen as
symptoms of a diseasemental illness.
Some feel that the phrase mental illness encourages learned
helplessness; instead, psychotherapists want people to take
responsibility for their own actions, and to make the changes
necessary to improve their lives.
Psychotherapy
There are many kinds of therapy, including:
Psychoanalysis
Existential and Humanist therapies
Cognitive therapies
Behavior therapies
Group therapies

A psychotherapist who uses a variety of methods is using an
eclectic approach.
Psychotherapy
The main goal of psychotherapy is to strengthen the patients
control over her or his life.
This involves helping patients change behavior patterns and
negative feelings they have about themselves. In order to do
this, patients must first understand the reasons for their
behavior.
A patients positive attitude can make psychotherapy much
more effective; this is referred to as the placebo effect.
An effective psychotherapist will display empathya capacity
for warmth and understanding.
Types of Therapies--
Psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis is based on the theories of Sigmund Freud.
Freud thought that psychological problems were the result of
unconscious conflicts, so making patients aware of their
unconscious desires would allow them to understand
themselves, and to therefore improve their lives.
Gaining such an understanding of ones self is called insight.
Types of Therapies--
Psychoanalysis
Aspects of Psychoanalysis include:
Free associationthe analyst asks the patient to talk about everything
that comes into his mind
Resistancethe patient may be uncomfortable with revealing his
innermost thoughts
Transferencethe patient begins to see the analyst as an important
figure in his life (a parent or a significant other).
Humanist Therapies
Humanistic theories stress striving to achieve ones potential;
this is why they are sometimes referred to as the human
potential movement.
An example of a humanistic therapy is person-centered
therapy, based on Carl Rogerss theories.
Rogers referred to patients as clients (to be more
respectful), and he believed that the therapist should provide
an atmosphere of unconditional positive regard (no
judgment).
Existential Therapy
Existential therapists believe that for most people, freedom
and autonomy are threatening.
To overcome this, patients are encouraged to overcome the
fear of freedom and to take responsibility for their lives.
One existentialist, Viktor Frankl, believed that feelings of
emptiness and boredom are the primary source of emotional
problems.
Gestalt Therapy
The word gestalt comes from the German word for form
or shape.
Gestalt therapy involves attempting to help a person fit the
different pieces of her life, that may be in conflict, together.
It is based on the belief that many individuals are so
concerned with obtaining approval that they become
strangers to themselvesfor example, they may dislike that
they always defer to authority figures.
Transactional Analysis
Transactional analysis assumes that people
experience the world through 3 perspectives,
called ego states, each of which represents
the way they organize their thoughts, feeling,
and actions:
1Child ego state
2Parent ego state
3Adult ego staterepresents rationality, and
helps deal effectively with everyday
problems.

Cognitive Therapies
Cognitive Therapy attempts to change the way people think. Two
examples of it are:
1 Rational-Emotive Therapy (RET) says that people behave in deliberate
and rational ways if their assumptions about life are realistic, but that
problems arise if these assumptions are unrealistic.
2 Cognitive-Behavior Therapy is similar to RET except that therapists will
encourage clients to engage in actual tests of their own beliefs, in
order to accurately assess their assumptions about life.
Behavior Therapy
As one would expect, behavior therapy focuses less on what patients
think, and more on their behavior.
The behavior therapists job is to re-educate the patientto help him
change his behavior.
One technique used by behavior therapists is systematic
desensitizationthe patient is taught to relax so that he will not feel
anxious in the presence of feared objects or situations.
Also used is contingency management, in which behavior is modified by
reinforcing improved behavior through rewards, while the old behavior
is not rewarded.
Group Therapy
Group therapy helps by
Giving practical experience in getting along with others
Showing that other people also experience similar problems

Another advantage of group therapy: one therapist can help a
large number of people
Group Therapy
Examples of group therapy are:
Family therapy
Self-help groups (such as AA)
Encounter groups (for people who function adequately in
everyday life but who feel unhappy; the goal is to help people
increase their sensitivity, openness and honesty)
Drug Treatments
When the previously discussed treatments are ineffective, or
in order to help with them, sometimes drugs are prescribed.
Psychoactive drugs, for example, are used in treating
schizophrenia. They cut down on confusion, agitation and
hallucinations.
Another class of drugs relieve depressionantidepressants.
Mental Institutions
The process of placing a person in a mental hospital is called
commitment.
There are many different varieties of mental institutions, for
people with different issues, including criminals and people
who are considered unable to function in a normal society.
A halfway house allows more freedom, but can provide the
structure that some people still need after being released
from a mental institution.