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What is Psychotherapy ?
According to American Psychological Association(APA):
Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, is a form of treatment or a way to help people with a broad variety of psychological problems or mental illnesses and emotional difficulties. Psychotherapy can help eliminate or control troubling symptoms so a person can function better, can increase well-being and can be better adjusted. In psychotherapy, psychologists apply scientifically validated procedures to help people develop healthier, more effective habits.
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What are problems where psychotherapy or counseling can help?
Problems helped by psychotherapy include difficulties in coping with daily life; the impact of trauma, medical illness or loss, like the death of a loved one; and specific mental disorders, like depression or anxiety. There are several different types of psychotherapy including cognitive-behavioral, interpersonal, and other kinds of talk therapy—that help individuals work through their problems. and some types may work better with certain problems or issues.
Can Psychotherapy be taken along with medication?
Psychotherapies include procedures in which persons with mental disorders interact with a trained psychotherapists who helps them change certain behaviours, thoughts or emotions so that they feel and function better. ( Baron 2001) There are many forms and techniques of Psychotherapy
which focuses mainly on the following points:
✓ Fostering Insight
✓ Reducing emotional discomfort
✓ Encouraging catharsis
✓ Providing new information
✓ Developing faith and expectancy for change
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What Can I look forwards to with the help of Psychotherapy?
According to Sundberg & Tyler (1962), following are the main goals or purposes of Psychotherapy:
✓ Strengthening the patients motivation to do the right things
✓ Reducing emotional pressure by facilitating the expression
of feelings
✓ Releasing the potential for growth
✓ Helping in changing the habits
✓ Modifying the cognitive structure of patients
✓ Gaining the self knowledge
✓ Facilitating interpersonal relations and communications
✓ Gaining knowledge and facilitating decision making
✓ Altering bodily states
✓ Altering the present state of consciousness
✓ Changing the social environment of the patient
Types of Psychotherapy
There are mainly five types of Psychotherapies which are as follows:
1. Psychodynamic Therapy: Therapies based on the idea that mental disorder stem primarily from the hidden inner conflicts first described by Freud.
2. Behaviour Therapy: Therapies based on the belief that many mental disorder stem from faulty learning.
3. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy: A form of Cognitive therapy that focus on changing illogical patterns of thought that are related to erroneous pattern of thinking that feed mental illness.
4. Humanistic-Experiential Therapy: Therapies based on the view that understanding people requires trying to see the world through their eyes (a phenomenological approach) and on the belief that the therapist’s
What is the Process of therapy?
1.Evaluation- A thorough evaluation of mental illness/ key areas of dysfunction and distress/ maladaptive patterns or coping deficits are evaluated by a trained mental health professional. This is done by a detailed clinical interview, gathering information from significant family/friends and if required by psychological tests. A comprehensive pre assessment is the cornerstone of a well planed therapeutic intervention.
2.Finding the best fit of therapy- your mental health professional will make a formulation of your issues and based on a scientific model suggest a form/model of therapy that is best suited for your needs. Your inputs are sought here via an open dialogue.
3.Orientation and Rapport formation- initial one or two sessions may be taken by therapist to understand you and your issues with a broad base. Your thought pattern and models of thinking are also evaluated in these sessions. A working relationship of trust, fostering of openness and a sharing environment is created for you by the therapist in these. A non judgemental, empathic, and warm stance by therapist is conveyed by various verbal and non verbal techniques.
4.Therapy work- The therapy work is based on variety of factors and is dynamic to needs if person and model of care established. The number of probable sessions can be estimated by this time and some homework assignment may be expected. Clients usually feel a subjective sense of betterment and would show better functioning in different roles.
5.Termination of therapy- The therapist would walk you through the various steps of therapy and when the intended goals are achieved gradual spacing of sessions is done. Independence is fostered and the therapist enables you for positive mental health.