psychological basis of psychotherapy

7/30/2019 Psychological Basis of Psychotherapy

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Psychological

Consulting And

Bachelor Psychotherapy


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Introduction to Psychotherapy

Treatment of mental illnesses can takevarious forms. They can include medication,talk-therapy, a combination of both, and canlast only one session or take many years to

complete. Many different types of treatmentare available, but most agree that the corecomponents of psychotherapy remain thesame.

With these commonalities in mind, this

chapter will summarize the different types ofpsychotherapy, including treatmentapproaches and modalities and will describethe different professionals who performpsychotherapy


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Psychotherapy consists of the

following:

1. A positive, healthy relationship between aclient or patient and a trainedpsychotherapist

2. Recognizable mental health issues,whether diagnosable or not

3. Agreement on the basic goals oftreatment

4. Working together as a team to achievethese goals


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Treatment Approaches

When describing 'talk' therapy or psychotherapy,there are several factors that are common amongmost types. First and foremost is empathy. It is arequirement for a successful practitioner to beable to understand his or her client's feelings,thoughts, and behaviors.

Second, being non-judgmental is vital if therelationship and treatment are going towork. Everybody makes mistakes, everybodydoes stuff they aren't proud of. If your therapist

judges you, then you don't feel safe talking aboutsimilar issues again.

Finally, expertise.


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Experience

The therapist must have experience, be abreastof the research, and be adequately trained.

Aside from these commonalties, therapistsapproach clients from slightly different angles,although the ultimate goal remains the same: tohelp the client reduce negative symptoms, gaininsight into why these symptoms occurred andwork through those issues, and reduce theemergence of the symptoms in the future. Thethree main branches include Cognitive,Behavioral, and Dynamic.


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Types of Psychotherapy

Therapists who lean toward the cognitive branchwill look at dysfunctions and difficulties asarising from irrational or faulty thinking. In otherwords, we perceive the world in a certain way(which may or may not be accurate) and thisresults in acting and feeling a certain way.

Those who follow more behavioral models look atproblems as arising from our behaviors which wehave learned to perform over years ofreinforcement. The dynamic or psychodynamic

camp stem more from the teaching of SigmundFreud and look more at issues beginning in earlychildhood which then motivate us as adults at anunconscious level.


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Cognitive approaches

Cognitive approaches appear to work better withmost types of depression, and behavioraltreatments tend to work better with

phobias. Other than these two, no differences interms of outcome have been found to exist.

Most mental health professionals nowadays aremore eclectic in that they study how to treat

people using different approaches. Theseprofessionals are sometimes referred to asintegrationists.


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Treatment Modalities

Therapy is most often thought of as a one-on-one relationship between a client orpatient and a therapist. This is probablythe most common example, but therapy

can also take different forms. Often timesgroup therapy is utilized, where individualssuffering from similar illnesses or havingsimilar issues meet together with one ortwo therapists. Group sizes differ, rangingfrom three or four to upwards of 15 or 20,but the goals remain the same.


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The power of group

The power of group is due to the need in all of us tobelong, feel understood, and know that there is hope. Allof these things make group as powerful as it is.

Imagine feeling alone, scared, misunderstood,

unsupported, and unsure of the future; then imagineentering a group of people with similar issues who havedemonstrated success, who can understand the feelings youhave, who support and encourage you, and who accept youas an important part of the group. It can be overwhelming

in a very positive way and continues to be the second mostutilized treatment after individual therapy.


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Therapy in small groups

Therapy can also take place in smaller groups consisting ofa couple or a family. In this type of treatment, the issues tobe worked on are centered around the relationship. Thereis often an educational component, like other forms of

therapy, such as communication training, and couples andfamilies are encouraged to work together as a team ratherthan against each other.

The therapist's job is to facilitate healthy interaction,encourage the couple or family to gain insight into their

own behaviors, and to teach the members to listen to andrespect each other.


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The treatment approach and modality

Sometimes therapy can include more than one

treatment modality. A good example of this is theindividual who suffers from depression, social anxiety,and low self-esteem. For this person, individualtherapy may be used to reduce depressive symptoms,work some on self-esteem and therefore reduce fearsabout social situations. Once successfully completed,

this person may be transferred to a group therapysetting where he or she can practice social skills, feel apart of a supportive group, therefore improving self-esteem and further reducing depression.

The treatment approach and modality are always

considered, along with many other factors, in order toprovide the best possible treatment for any particularperson. Sometimes more than one is used, sometimes acombination of many of them, but together the goalremains to improve the life of the client.


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Therapy Providers

We all know that medical illnesses are treated by

medical professionals, namely physicians. But whatwe sometimes fail to realize is that there are manydifferent types of physicians and there are many non-physicians who treat medical illnesses. The sameholds true for mental illness. Although medication for

mental illness is prescribed by a medical doctor,typically a psychiatrist, the vast majority ofpsychotherapy is performed by non-physicianprofessionals.

These mental health professionals typically have aminimum of a Master's Degree and completeinternships, residencies, and state and federal testing

just like all direct-care providers. Below is adescription of the four most common mental healthproviders, including required education and training,and the populations with whom they typically work.


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Psychologist

A doctoral degree which means a minimum of four yearsof graduate training beyond the bachelors degree isrequired in most states, as well as one year of internshipand at least one year of post-graduate residency. Typically

psychologists complete core coursework in therapy,assessment, and research and are required to passcompetency exams and complete a dissertation prior toreceiving their degree.

To be licensed, psychologists must pass a national and

state examination. Some states grant different licenses forschool, counseling, and clinical psychologists.


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Social workers

Social workers must hold a bachelorsdegree in social work although many

complete a Master's program (two years

beyond their bachelor degree) leading to

the Master of Social Work degree.

Social workers are often referred to as

the liaison between the patient or client

and the community.


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Occupational Outlook Handbook

According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook (1998-1999), "Social work is a profession for those with a strongdesire to help people. Social workers help peopledeal with their relationships with others; solve theirpersonal, family, and community problems; and grow anddevelop as they learn to cope with or shape the social andenvironmental forces affecting daily life. Social workersoften encounter clients facing a life-threatening disease ora social problem requiring a quick solution.

These situations may include inadequate housing,

unemployment, lack of job skills, financial distress, seriousillness or disability, substance abuse, unwanted pregnancy,or antisocial behavior. They also assist families that haveserious conflicts, including those involving child orspousal abuse."


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Mental Health Counselor

Mental health counselors typically have a Mastersdegree in psychology, social work, counseling,mental health counseling or related field and pass

a state exam in order to be licensed. Mental health counselors can practice

independently in some states, although most areemployed in clinics and hospitals. They perform

individual, couples/family, and group therapy, andmay assist psychologists with testing and otherforms of treatment.


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Marriage and Family Therapist

Like mental health counselors, a Master's degree istypically the minimal requirement for marriageand family therapists. They receive specialtraining in the dynamics of families and

relationships and often treat couples who arehaving marital or relationship difficulties andfamilies struggling with dysfunctionalinteractions.

Many marriage and family therapists are providedmore general training, allowing them to performindividual and group therapy as well for a varietyof mental health related issues.

psychological basis of psychotherapy

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