IMPORTANCE OF PSYCHOTHERAPY 3

Definition of psychotherapy
Therapy [psychotherapy] is the process of working with a licensed therapist to develop positive
thinking and coping skills and treat mental health issues such as mental illness and trauma.
Answering the question of “What is therapy?” however, goes far beyond this basic definition.
The definition of psychotherapy depends on the therapist, type of therapy and time period. By
exploring these three factors and their combinations, we defined what therapy was, what it is and
what it might become. These pieces form the complete definition.
By reading a thorough answer to “What is therapy?,” you should be able to pick which part of
therapy and which kind of therapist is most appealing to you. Understanding what therapy is
could be the first step toward trying something that will help you live a happier life.

How do therapists define what therapy is?

A common psychotherapy definition is difficult, because every therapist defines therapy in at
least a slightly different way. By looking at the aspects they stress, you can see a more detailed
picture of what therapy is and whether the therapist’s approach aligns with your goals.
Here are some therapy definitions we gathered by surveying our therapists at Talkspace and
reaching outside our network:
 A commitment to yourself and to opening yourself up to someone else; being willing to
trust someone enough to let them into your life and learn from each other — Alaina
Brubaker, Talkspace Therapist
 A way of changing your perspective on how to handle a situation — Noor Pinna,
Talkspace Therapist
 A communication process of increasing clarification and understanding pertinent to
specific experiences related to such terms as discomfort, dissatisfaction, disappointment,
discontent, disenchantment, and other dispositions that are perceived as problematic —
Ken Fields, Talkspace Therapist
 A dynamic process that occurs in a safe and contained relational frame wherein
destructive patterns of being are identified and replaced with healthy and productive ones
— Paul Hokemeyer, Marriage and Family Therapist
 Empathy, a nonjudgmental attitude and the creation of a safe space in which nothing the
client wants to explore is off-limits and everything is on the metaphorical table — Kristen
Martinez, LGBT Therapist
 Learning how to overcome your personal or relational struggles by developing long-term
tools — Jennine Estes, Marriage and Family Therapist
 The art and science of engineering self-improvement and growth in clients via a strong
therapeutic relationship and evidenced-based therapies — Michael Zito, Therapist, Ph.D.
 Helping clients break free of old ideas, patterns and wounds that are restricting their
happiness and contentment; coaching them through life passages, teaching skills and
techniques for self-awareness, relationships and success — Tina B. Tessina, Therapist,
Ph.D
IMPORTANCE OF PSYCHOTHERAPY 4

Therapy (based on each type)

If you asked a psychoanalytic therapist to provide a psychotherapy definition, the answer would
be a far cry from one a cognitive behavioral therapist would offer.
All forms of psychotherapy exist to improve clients’ mental health, but the therapy definition for
each type stresses a different primary purpose. The best type for you will be the definition that
most closely resembles your reasons for considering going to therapy.
If there isn’t any one type that appeals to you or seems like enough to help you, consider a
therapist who uses multiple approaches or does not identify with a single approach.
Note: The following list includes the most widely practiced types of therapy. A complete list
would be too long.
Client-Centered Therapy: you determine the course of the session; the therapist helps build
self-esteem and problem-solving abilities but does not guide the session
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy [CBT]: challenging negative patterns about yourself and the
world to alter unwanted behaviors or treat disorders such as depression
Dialectical Behavior Therapy [DBT]: stressing acceptance and change while learning
behavioral skills (mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion
regulation) that help clients enhance motivation, overcome challenges, improve mental health or
treat a disorder (often borderline personality disorder)
Existential Therapy: working with a therapist to find meaning in life and confront the “givens”
of human existence: isolation, meaninglessness, mortality and freedom
Family-Focused Therapy [FFT]: working with family members and a therapist to understand
how their behavior impacts your bipolar disorder or overall mental health
Gestalt Therapy: gaining an awareness of emotions and behaviors in the present rather than
focusing on the past; improving self-awareness and personal responsibility
Interpersonal Therapy [IPT]: improving communication patterns, relational abilities and the
way you see yourself to better manage and express emotions, treat mental illnesses such as
depression and improve mental health
Psychodynamic Therapy: understanding the influence of the past and subconscious processes
on present behavior
IMPORTANCE OF PSYCHOTHERAPY 5

What was therapy before Freud?

To fully understand what something is, you need to explore its past, present and possible future.
This timeline will give you a richer understanding of what psychotherapy is and how it evolved.
Before Freud and other early psychologists such as Wilhelm Wundt, philosophy was the closest
thing to therapy. It was the only field that explored human behavior and mental health.
“Psychology is an offshoot of philosophy,” psychologist Bart Rossi told Talk space.
Rossi cited schools of philosophy such as rationalism and empiricism. He also said philosophers
including Immanuel Kant contributed to the development of therapy.
One of the best examples of philosophy informing psychotherapy is existential therapy, which is
derived from existential philosophy. Existential psychotherapist Irvin Yalom, who shaped the
field of modern existential therapy, said existential philosophers such as Nietzsche inspired his
work
What was therapy during Freud’s time and the 20th century?
Because Freud was a psychiatrist, early psychotherapy was mostly about reducing symptoms. It
followed a medical model rather than the wellness/medical model we see today. Therapy was for
“patients” with diagnosable mental illnesses, not “clients” who see a therapist for various
reasons.
“I think in the past, therapy was centered around ‘fixing’ what was ‘wrong’ with people,” said
therapist Kristen Martinez. “Certain people thought they were the healthy ones, and
psychotherapy focused on getting ‘unhealthy’ people to be healthy like them.”

What is therapy now?

Modern psychotherapy tends to balance a wellness and medical model. Therapists want to reduce
symptoms in people dealing with mental illness, but they focus more on the person.
CBT changed the definition of therapy, according to Rossi. It is now more behavior-focused and
does not use the dynamic approach as often.
The advent of online therapy has also appended what therapy is. Although earlier definitions of
therapy did not explicitly describe it as occurring only in-person, it needed to happen in an office
because the Internet did not exist.
Earlier therapy definitions also implied therapy could only take place in “sessions” where the
therapist and client scheduled a meeting or phone call. Because of technology and approaches
such as the asynchronous texting Talk space offers, therapy does not require sessions.
IMPORTANCE OF PSYCHOTHERAPY 6

What will therapy become?

The basic definition of therapy seems here to stay, but there are trends that will expand the
answer to the question of what therapy is.
Here are some trends that might evolve the definition of psychotherapy:
 More technological advances in online therapy
 Virtual reality
 Integration of medical care
 More focus on the therapeutic relationship
 More cultural consideration
 New CBT approaches
Now that we’ve discussed what therapy isn and have a common psychotherapy definition, take a
moment to think about what it can do for you. The titular question is also an opportunity to
improve your mental health and live a happier l
Psychotherapy is a general term that is used to describe the process of treating psychological
disorders and mental distress through the use of verbal and psychological techniques. During this
process, a trained psychotherapist helps the client tackle specific or general problems such as a
particular mental illness or a source of life stress.
Depending on the approach used by the therapist, a wide range of techniques and strategies can
be used. However, almost all types of psychotherapy involve developing a therapeutic
relationship, communicating and creating a dialogue, and working to overcome problematic
thoughts or behaviors.
Psychotherapy is increasingly viewed as a distinct profession in its own right, but many different
types of professionals engage in psychotherapy regularly. Such individuals include clinical
psychologists, psychiatrists, counselors, marriage and family therapists, social workers, mental
health counselors, and psychiatric nurses.

Types of psychotherapy
When many people hear the word psychotherapy, they immediately imagine a patient lying on a
couch talking while a therapist sits in a nearby chair jotting down thoughts on a yellow notepad.
There are actually a variety of techniques and practices used in psychotherapy. The exact method
used in each situation can vary based upon a variety of factors, including the training and
background of the therapist, the preferences of the client, and the exact nature of the client's
current problem.
Some of the major approaches to psychotherapy include:
IMPORTANCE OF PSYCHOTHERAPY 7

Psychoanalytic therapy: While psychotherapy was practiced in various forms as far back as
the time of the Ancient Greeks, it received its formal start when Sigmund Freud began using talk
therapy to work with patients. Some of the techniques commonly used by Freud included the
analysis of transference, dream interpretation, and free association. This psychoanalytic approach
involves delving into a patient's thoughts and past experiences to seek out unconscious thoughts,
feelings, and memories that may influence behavior.
Behavioral therapy: When behaviorism became a more prominent school of thought during
the early part of the twentieth-century, techniques such as different types of conditioning began
to play an important role in psychotherapy. While behaviorism may not be as dominant as it once
was, many of its methods are still very popular today. Behavioral therapy often uses classical
conditioning, operant conditioning, and social learning to help clients alter problematic
behaviors.
Humanistic therapy: Starting in the 1950s, the school of thought known as humanistic
psychology began to have an influence on psychotherapy. The humanist psychologist Carl
Rogers developed an approach known as client-centered therapy, which focused on the
therapist showing unconditional positive regard to the client. Today, aspects of this approach
remain widely used. The humanistic approach to psychotherapy focuses on helping people
maximize their potential. Such approaches tend to stress the importance of self-exploration, free
will, and self-actualization.
Cognitive therapy: The cognitive revolution of the 1960s also had a major impact on the
practice of psychotherapy, as psychologists began to increasingly focus on how human thought
processes influence behavior and functioning. Cognitive therapy is centered on the idea that our
thoughts have a powerful influence on our mental well-being. For example, if you tend to see the
negative aspects of every situation, you will probably have a more pessimistic outlook and a
gloomier overall mood. The goal of cognitive therapy is to identify the cognitive distortions that
lead to this type of thinking and replace such thoughts with more realistic and positive ones. By
doing so, people are able to improve their moods and overall well-being.
Cognitive-behavioral Therapy: The approach known as cognitive-behavioral therapy
(CBT) is a type of psychotherapeutic treatment that helps patients understand the thoughts and
feelings that influence behaviors. CBT is commonly used to treat a wide range of disorders
including phobias, addiction, depression, and anxiety. CBT is a type of psychotherapy that
involves cognitive and behavioral techniques to change negative thoughts and maladaptive
behaviors. This approach involves changing the underlying thoughts that contribute to distress
and modifying the problematic behaviors that result from these thoughts.
IMPORTANCE OF PSYCHOTHERAPY 8

Formats of psychotherapy
Psychotherapy can also take a number of different formats depending on the style of the therapist
and the needs of the patient. A few that you might encounter include:
 Individual therapy, which involves working one-on-one with a psychotherapist.
 Couples therapy, which involves a therapist working with a couple to help improve how
the two function in their relationship.
 Family therapy, which centers on improving the dynamic within families and can
include multiple individuals within a family unit.
 Group therapy, which involves a small group of individuals who share a common goal.
This approach allows members of the group to offer and receive support from others, as
well as practice new behaviors within a supportive and receptive group

How effective is psychotherapy?

One of the major criticisms leveled against psychotherapy is one that calls into question its
effectiveness. In one early and frequently mentioned study, psychologist Hans Eysenck found
that two-thirds of participants either improved or recovered on their own within two years,
regardless of whether they had received psychotherapy.
However, in a meta-analysis that looked at 475 different studies, researchers found that
psychotherapy was effective at enhancing the psychological wellbeing of clients. In his book The
Great Psychotherapy Debate, statistician and psychologist Bruce Wampold reported that factors
such as the therapist’s personality as well as his or her belief in the effectiveness of the treatment
played a role in the outcome of psychotherapy. Surprisingly, Wampold suggested that the type of
therapy and the theoretical basis of the treatment do not have an effect on the outcome.
How to know if you need psychotherapy?
While you might realize that psychotherapy can help with life's problems, it can sometimes be
difficult to seek help or to even recognize when it is time to talk to a professional.
One key thing to remember is that the sooner you seek assistance; the sooner you will start to
experience relief. Instead of waiting until your symptoms get out of control, you should consider
getting help as soon as you start to recognize that there might be a problem.
Some key signs that it might be time to see a psychotherapist include:
 The issue is causing significant distress or disruption in your life . If you
feel that the problem you are facing interrupts a number of important areas of your life
including school, work, and relationships, it may be time to see if psychotherapy can
help.
 You are relying on unhealthy or dangerous coping mechanisms. If you
find yourself dealing with your problem by smoking, drinking, overeating, or taking out
your frustrations on others, seeking assistance can help you find healthier and more
beneficial coping strategies.
IMPORTANCE OF PSYCHOTHERAPY 9

 Friends and family are concerned about your well-being. If it has reached a
point where other people are worried about your emotional health, it may be time to see if
psychotherapy can improve your psychological state.
 Nothing you have tried so far has helped. You've read self-help books, explored
some techniques you read about online, or even tried just ignoring the problem, yet things
just seem to be staying the same or even getting worse. Just remember that you don't have
to wait until your problems become so overwhelming that coping seems impossible. Help
is available and the sooner you reach out, the sooner you'll be back on track to a healthier,
happier state of mind.
IMPORTANCE OF PSYCHOTHERAPY 10

Importance of psychotherapy for the treatment of abnormal behavior

Psychotherapy:
In spite of the wide use of biological therapies, nobody can deny the importance of psychosocial
therapies. Especially psychotherapy including psychoanalysis has not been forgotten as some
might have thought. Thus Alexander (1946) has rightly observed “psychotherapy is not far
removed from the view of most of us.”

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The aim of psychotherapy by and large is to:
(a) Charge maladaptive behavior patterns.
(b) Minimize or eliminate environmental conditions that be the cause of such behavior.

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(c) Improving interpersonal and other competencies.
(d) Resolving handicapping or disabling inner conflict.
(e) Modifying inaccurate assumptions about oneself and one’s world.
(f) Fostering a clear cut sense of one’s self identity and the opening of Pathways to a more
meaningful and fulfilling existence.

Advertisements: Faulty parent-child relationship reinforced by many years of life

experiences, often lead to unhealthy self-concept, lower self-image and it makes psychotherapy
difficult. Moreover, in addition to psychotherapy adequate marital, occupational and social
requirements need considerable change in the patient’s life situations.
For severe disorders, psychotherapy takes place in a hospital or clinical setting. For minor
disorder however, psychotherapy helps on an outpatient basis or it helps the clinical psychologist
in private practice. The steps of psychotherapy are the following through which it progresses.
(1) Creation of a therapeutic atmosphere and relationship,(2) Emotional release or catharsis, (3)
Insight, (4) Emotional re-education and (5) Termination.
IMPORTANCE OF PSYCHOTHERAPY 11

Dynamics of Psychotherapy:
Patients must undergo at least a partial change of personality. The psychiatrist must modify his
immature, emotional attitudes, eliminate unhealthy but firmly ingrained traits and reorient his
views on life. Establishment of a favorable emotional relationship or rapport with the patient is
very essential.

Function of the Therapist:

The therapist by his sincerity, good behavior and understanding must produce a sense of
confidence in the patient to get his cooperation. He must be a patient listener, tolerant, sensitive
to the feelings of the patient He must not in any case condemn or ridicule the thoughts and
actions of his patients. Unless the patient has confidence on the therapist, the therapy will not be
a success.
The patient must be encouraged to persist in his search for greater self-understanding. The
patient has to be helped to get back his shattered self-confidence. The job of the therapist is to
show the mirror to the patient so that he can see the reflections of his unconscious desires and
wishes and difficulties, can try to solve his difficulties through his own efforts and be able to
develop again a healthy mental life.
Freudian Psychoanalysis:
The first formalized type of psychotherapy devised by Freud is called psychoanalysis. According
to the Freudians, problems in early psychosexual developmental period lead to the development
of certain complexes, repressed memories, motives and conflicts.
Psychoanalysis is mainly an intensive and long-term therapeutic procedure to bring into
consciousness these problems and to resolve them in the light of adult reality. Psychoanalysts
insist that by developing an insight into such repressed materials and complexes, the individual
will be free from wasting his energy in using unhealthy and unnecessary defense mechanisms.
Advertisements: The theory of psychoanalysis has been postulated by Freud who recognized
the existence of unconscious, the storehouse of biological impulses and childhood traumatic
experiences. These biological impulses and traumatic experiences cause either neuroses or
psychoses or any other type of mental disorder.
Mental disorders result from childhood experiences which weaken the effectiveness of the
control and intensity of the intellectual demand co sequencing anxiety in men. Faulty operation
of the control mechanism and overcrowding the personality with dangerous impulses coming
from the biological instincts ‘Eros and Tanat’s — cause great deal of stress and anxiety. The aim
of all psychoanalytical therapy is to attain psychological maturity.
The psychotherapy increases the ego strength and decreases the pressure of impulses, giving the
patient freedom to run his own life. When such an aim is achieved the patient develops insight
and self-knowledge to control his behavior effectively with the external physical and social
world.
IMPORTANCE OF PSYCHOTHERAPY 12

Frassociation:
In the association technique the therapist and the client take their respective seats in the
therapeutic room. Usually the patient sits comfortably on a chair or lies in a relaxed position. He
is then instructed to allow his mind to wander freely and express spontaneously his thoughts,
feelings and desires. Initially the analyst and the patient may speak face to face, but after some
time the patient is instructed to lie on a couch facing away from the therapist.
The therapist sits out of the patient’s vision and at this stage free association is applied. The
therapist as is the usual practice sits behind the patient so as not to interfere flow of associations
of the client. Then the analyst is asked to report all findings, ideas and associations freely and
spontaneously that come to his mind. It is the task of the therapist to identify correctly the
repressed materials which lie in the unconscious of the patient.
It is the job of the therapist only to show a mirror to the patient; he interprets the material to the
patient, explains him his unconscious desires, guiding him towards increased insight of the
underlying motives and conflicts of which he has not been aware till the moment. This leads to
the thought process to slow the conscious level of the mind of the patient.
In other words, it is the job of the therapist to make frequent comments and interpretations which
helps in upgrading the insight of the patient. The therapist should encourage facilitating free
association and providing opportunity to minimize responses to physical and social stimuli. In
the beginning stage of free association thoughts may come up in symbolized manner to avoid
censorship.
The client should encourage reducing the censorship as far as practicable to enable the loose
thoughts to run their own course to the conscious level of mind. At this stage the patient gets
insight into the problem and discovers causes of his mental illness. This very awareness helps the
patient to make self-regulation and self-control of his own behavior and finally he is free from
symptoms.
Dream Interpretation:
Dream is said to be the royal road or gateway to unconscious. Dream interpretation is another
way to uncover and trace the repressed conflicts of the unconscious along with free association
technique. By analyzing one’s dream his unconscious motives; desires and conflicts can be
revealed.
During sleep the repressive defenses of the ego are lowered, the desires and wishes which were
unaccepted by the ego and hence repressed, get free flow in dream. But some wishes and desires
which are very much forbidden and strictly unacceptable even come in symbolic and disguised
form in the content of dreams.
A dream has two kinds of contents, the manifest content and the latent content the manifest
content is the dream as it appears to the dreamers and the latent content consists of the real
wishes, motives and desires of the patient
By interpreting the various symbols in the manifest content of the dream the therapist can
uncover these disguised desires, wishes, conflicts and motives which were repressed long back
along with the cause or causes of his mental illness. Freud has found out different symbols and
their meanings for the purpose of knowing the significance of a particular dream from the
psychological point of view.
IMPORTANCE OF PSYCHOTHERAPY 13

Analysis of Resistance:
While the process of free association is in progress, the patient may experience a strong feeling
of resistance i.e. inhibit or check the free flow of unconscious complexes and desires to the
conscious level. Resistance refers to the unwillingness or inability to relate certain thoughts,
motives or experiences.
Advertisements: This is otherwise known as blocking. For example, while disclosing an
important personal feeling, immediately the patient might try to check it or change the topic. But
in order to get insight into the unconscious process and make the expressed wishes reach the
conscious level, it is desirable to break down the resistance. This will help him to face his
problems and conflicts in a realistic way.
Resistance can be of two types — Direct and Indirect. Refusing to pay, to talk, or to lie on the
couch as instructed by the analyst may be categorized under direct resistance while making
unreasonable demands for social involvement with the therapist, becoming too emotional and
refusing to respond to various interpretations of the analyst may come under indirect resistance.
If, however, the resistance is properly handled, the client gains insight and healthier ways of
looking at one’s life and feelings and represent the “corrective analytic growth process”. (Fine,
1973)
Analysis of Transference:
During the process of psychoanalysis, the patients act in a very emotional way either positively or
negatively, i.e., they either very much like or hate the therapist. This Freud called the transference
phenomenon.
This is quite important in bringing the cure to the patient. The transference phenomenon helps in
releasing the repressed feelings towards persons resembling the analyst, may be one of the
parents, and may be the boss in the office, who resembled the parents and the analyst also.

Advertisements: Mrs. Rao, an employee in a particular plant, was very much at cross with
her boss; hated her work a lot and it created so much conflict in her that she thought of giving up
his job. Psychoanalysis revealed that the lady unconsciously hated her boss who resembled her
father whom she terribly hated and feared.
When she discovered this, her lack of interest for the job disappeared. Thus, when the therapist
makes attempts to resolve the transference and guides the patient to perceive the situation from a
realistic Angle, the disease disappears.
Transference according to Freud indicates the approach of a neurotic conflict in the patient’s
early childhood. By transferring his repressed feelings, he gives release to it and reaches nearer
to the gate of cure. As viewed by Coleman (1981) “As patient and therapist interact, the
relationship between them may become complex and emotionally involved. Often a person
carries over and applies to the therapist attitudes and feelings that developed in his relationship
with significant others in the past, perhaps reacting to the analyst as he did to his mother or father
and feeling the hostility and rejection that he once felt towards his real parents.”
He further adds…. “In essence, the pathogenic effects of an undesirable early relationship are
counteracted by working through a similar emotional conflict in a therapeutic setting. Since the
IMPORTANCE OF PSYCHOTHERAPY 14

person’s reliving of his own pathogenic past in a sense recreates his real life neuroses; this
experience is often referred to as a transference neurosis.”
Not only the patient is emotionally involved with the therapist in the process of transference, the
therapist may also develop some sort of mixed feeling towards the patient. This is called counter
transference. The analyst must understand his own conflicts, frustrations, motives and complexes
and should deal himself cautiously while handling the patient.
The purpose of psychoanalytic therapy is to unveil the mystery of unconscious which is full of
conflicts, desires and motives. In addition to this, it also helps the patient to “integrate them into
the conscious dimension of his personality.” The aim is to redirect thinking and psychic energies
of the individual from neurotic channels into the most adaptive and constructive ways of living.
In course of the progress of therapy the patient gets added insight into his problems and
complexes. Towards the end of the therapy the patient gets scope for emotional reeducation. It
also accelerates the generalization of new insights into his real life situations.
Evaluation:
Indicating the tremendous importance of psychoanalysis in the treatment of mental diseases Fine
(1973) comments, “Psychoanalysis represents in the social sciences, the greatest intellectual
revolution of the 20th century. It has given mankind a new research tool through the concept of
the unconscious and allied factors.
It has classified the possibilities of happiness that exist in philosophers that have been prevalent
in previous centuries; and it has provided a solid basis for the investigation of man in all his
psychological and solid functioning.” At the end of a successful treatment the individual comes
out with healthy and happy mental state developing a much reformed and positive attitude
towards life.
However, psychoanalysis has a lot of limitations. Since it is very time consuming and costly, the
benefits of the technique can only be available to a limited few of the society. It is in fact, limited
to those who are financially able to have daily treatments for a period or for one year to three
years.
In view of its limitations, the classical Freudian psychoanalysis has undergone quite an
appreciable change in the direction of reducing the cost and time required. Contrary to the
Freudian psychoanalysts, the modern psychoanalysts like neo Freudians have emphasized more
on the patient’s current interpersonal relationship than on the childhood experiences of the
patient.
IMPORTANCE OF PSYCHOTHERAPY 15

Criticism:
But in spite of these modifications, psychoanalysis still faces certain criticisms. Psychoanalysis
can only be applied to the clients who are intellectually superior and have the capacity of self-
introspection and self-knowledge. Psychoanalysis is more successful with those clients who were
more open and flexible in their mind.
It is, therefore, not successful in case of people who are quite rigid in their cognitive structure
and not amenable to change. Psychoanalysis is usually successful in case of those clients who
generally have high motivation to retrospect the inner mind, inner feelings and emotion.
Its application is quite limited as it expects individuals to get insight and achieve major
personality change. It can only treat neurotic patients. As the cognitive structure of the psychotic
patient is extremely rigid, psychoanalysis may not be able to expose his unconscious to the
conscious field, there by lacking the scope to get insight into his own problems.
Psychoanalysis is highly expensive and time consuming. It may continue in some cases from 1 to
10 years requiring lot of expenditure, patience and sacrifice. Therefore, it is only limited to
people who can afford it. Psychoanalysis is also criticized of based on a biased model of human
nature, for neglecting the patient’s immediate problems in search for underlying causes and for
lacking experimental evidence for its effectiveness.
In spite of these limitations, psychoanalysis has influenced various forms of individual
psychotherapy. Many analysts still use it for the treatment of above average and intelligent
neurotic patients.
A lot of the people have also profited from psychoanalytic therapy. They report of greater self-
understanding, relief from inner conflict and anxiety and interpersonal relationship due to
Psychoanalysis.
Hypnotism:
Hypnosis is one of the oldest methods of psychotherapy having its origin in the 18th century
B.C. The origin of hypnosis may be traced to Mesmerism. The method of suggestion which is
the key concept of Mesmerism was used by Mesmer to cure mental diseases. But the claim of
Mesmer that he possessed magnetic fluid which enters into the patient’s body and cures him,
being mystic and supernatural brought a lot of criticisms from all quarters especially from the
physicians of Paris.
They found that the cure by Mesmerism was due to suggestion which was further temporary.
Moreover, the French revolution did much to wipe out Mesmerism in France. Though many
psychologists later on tried to establish hypnosis, yet James Braid was indeed the inventor of the
name of hypnosis whose emphasis upon the subjective nature of hypnosis cannot be exaggerated.

However, Blenheim, Charcot and others built the foundation stone of modern hypnosis. The
method of suggestion which was the main feature of hypnotism also became the key concept of
hypnotism and cure under hypnosis solely dependent upon the method of suggestion.
IMPORTANCE OF PSYCHOTHERAPY 16

Hypnosis, instead of being regarded as a supernatural and mystic method of cure like
Mesmerism was considered as a psychological method of treatment because of its subjective
nature along with the use of suggestion.

Hypnosis historically formed the starting point of psychotherapy in general and psychoanalysis
in particular. The success of hypnotic method mainly depends upon the suggestion of the analyst
which consists of the uncritical acceptance of the others by the patient. Unless the patient has
strong faith on the analyst, unless the rapport between the analyst and the patient is established,
cure of mental abnormality by the method of suggestion becomes useless.

Thus, Alexander says “The whole of the phenomenon of hypnosis was due to the patient’s will
and by influencing the will it was possible to make him forget something which he knew
perfectly well”. Hypnosis is a psychological technique, which through the use of suggestion is
able to influence the individual on his own line. Hypnosis gives the opportunity of understanding
the influence which one person can have on another person. In order to explain the subjective
aspects of hypnosis, many causes have been advanced.

The question is — what is there in one individual which influences another individual. Thus,
White views, “The modern scientists have failed to understand the hints given by Charcot, the
hints being that what the hypnotist communicates to his subject and what the subject tries to do
about it White suggests that when a patient is suggested, something is communicated to his mind
and thus he acts in a way about which he is completely ignorant and unconscious.

The hypnotized person acts just like a machine and even sometimes, the individual may commit
murder or may steal if he is suggested. Suggestion, therefore being the main feature of hypnosis
gives a psychological basis to it. For the phenomena of suggestion, a quiet and psychological
atmosphere is necessary. The ‘S’ is told to lie down on a couch and to relax in a comfortable
chair to share at some designated spot and to look straight at the hypnotizer.

Then suggestions are made in a low monotonous voice, trying to create a sense of fatigue into the
tone. The phrases, “you are so tired that your eyes are closed, you feel sleepier and sleepier,” are
the sorts of suggestions used. Now the hypnotizer will ask him to relax completely, to think of
nothing except concentrating on a particular point.

Gradually his eye lids will start to feel heavy and change in his behavior is noted. If the ‘S’
carries upon the suggestion and does what a hypnotizer says, hypnosis becomes effective,
otherwise the attempt to hypnotize is abandoned.

When a suggestive state is created the ‘S’ is asked to behave very much like the one walking in
the sleep. As a consequence of suggestion, the face may express profound emotion and the ‘S’ be
made to move quite rapidly.

At this stage, in order to create various psychological states and illusions and hallucinations in
the patient, positive and negative suggestions may be used.
IMPORTANCE OF PSYCHOTHERAPY 17

In positive suggestion, the ‘S’ is told that he senses something which is not actually present. So
he behaves as though he was perceiving the object. Even if the water tastes salty, he behaves as if
it were sugar. Thus a positive suggestion results in hallucinating perception of a non-existent
state of affairs. But a negative suggestion results in the failure to perceive what a non-hypnotic
person observes without difficulty.

Even if he is told that the man disappears and the chair is empty he will go himself, sit on the
empty chair and will behave as if he were sitting on a man’s lap.

A man under the hypnotic state if told that he is Napoleon, he will proceed at once to behave like
Napoleon. Following deep hypnosis, there is usually fairly complete amnesia for hypnotic
experiences. Thus, hypnotic state, which is the resultant of suggestion, creates illusion,
hallucination and delusions, amnesia and many other psychological states in the organism.

But if the patient is not suggestible any effort to make him suggestible for communicating
thoughts to him would be futile. It has been found that hypnosis becomes an utter failure in cases
like obsession-compulsion neuroses and paranoid where suggestion is not effective.

Various hypnotics have suggested that it is possible to influence parts of the body which are not
under conscious control. It is said that it is possible to produce redness of the skin and blistering
by suggesting to the patient that the parts to be affected have been burnt.

Lastly, hypnosis as a subjective condition is not brought about by magic, but it is a physical
condition produced in the body. Therapeutic value of hypnosis the therapeutic value of hypnosis
has been a matter of great controversy ever since Mesmerism. Hypnosis for the last 100 years
was used in medical practice until Charcot picked up hypnotism, and it was declared that
hypnotism has no place in medical research.

If chloroform would not have been invented in medical practice, most likely, hypnosis would
have been more easily recognized. In fact, in the 18th century hypnosis was used for the purpose
of surgical operation. Hypnosis as a method of treatment has not only theoretical but also
therapeutic value. The main aim of psychotherapy is to help the patient to understand the causes
of symptoms and thereby cure them. When a patient is hypnotized, he easily expresses all his
repressed desires and wishes without hesitation and resistance which he would have done had he
been in the conscious stage.

In older time when psychoanalysis did not occupy any place in psychotherapy hypnosis as a
method of treatment was abundantly used. The value of hypnosis as a therapeutic method is more
significant in hysteria, traumatic neuroses, conversion hysteria etc. in which the patient can be
made easily suggestible.

Charcot and Brenham gained much reputation by curing hysteria and war neuroses etc. By this ”
method of hypnosis. Prior to the discovery of psychoanalysis, hypnotism was the only method
used for the treatment of mental diseases. Criticism
IMPORTANCE OF PSYCHOTHERAPY 18

Hypnosis as a method of treatment was subjected too much criticism due to its defects. It has
been found from the case history of many mental patients that the disease cured by hypnosis
relapses. Thus, the cure by this method is temporary. This is because; hypnosis instead of going
deep into the underlying causes of a mental disease attacks the symptoms only. So it treats the
symptoms leaving the disease untouched. The disease is hence cured only temporarily.

The therapeutic value of hypnosis is very limited. Suggestion is somehow effective only when it
is given in an authoritative manner by a person having prestige and high reputation. But it is not
always possible to expect that the analyst would be a person having high prestige value.

Hypnosis does not work as an effective therapy in all mental diseases. It is effective only in
hysteria and traumatic neuroses. But cases like obsession, compulsion and other acute psychotic
mental diseases such as M.D.P., Schizophrenia, Paranoid, Epilepsy etc. cannot be cured by
hypnosis, as patients suffering from these diseases cannot be hypnotized. There are many people
who are critical of themselves and their surroundings. Thus, hypnosis fails in this respect.

The success of hypnosis as a method of treatment depends upon the dependence, submissive and
impatient attitude of the patient since one cannot expect patients of diverse mental diseases to
have dependence and impatient attitude, hypnosis is not successful in cases of all mental
diseases. However, the total success of hypnosis depended upon the patient’s relation to the
physician.

Because of these defects of hypnosis, Freud developed psychoanalysis which is considered to be

the unique method of treating psychoneuroses. Today hypnosis as a method of treating mental
diseases has little value. It is replaced by psychoanalysis.

However, one cannot fully wipe out hypnosis from the pages of psychotherapy and cannot totally
deny its value as a therapeutic method, as it is also used in hypnoanalysis. Suggestion, which is
the core concept of hypnosis is also used in psychoanalysis. Historically, hypnosis formed the
starting point of psychotherapy in general and psychoanalysis in particular. Therefore, in spite of
its defects its value as a method of treatment cannot be totally dismissed.