Chapter 19. Methods of Therapy

Psychotherapy involves verbal interactions between a trained professional and a person usually called the client or patient who is seeking for help for a physical problem. Biologically based therapies involve the use of drugs or other medical procedures to treat psychological disorders. Counselling psychologists generally treat people with less serious psychological problems. This psychologists usually work at schools. Clinical psychologists help people with psychological problems adjust to the demands of life. Many clinical psychologist work in hospitals or clinics. Psychiatrists are medical doctors and many have private practices.

Psychologists have several techniques to help their patients. The first one is free association where the analyst asks the client to relax and then to say whatever comes to mind. Resistance is the term psychoanalysts use to refer to a client´s hesitancy or unwillingness to discuss issues raised during free association. The second technique is dream analysis is when the analyst interprets the content of client´s dreams to unlock these unconscious thoughts and feelings. Transference is when the client is transferring feelings and expectations from one person to another.

Humanistic therapy is to help individuals reach their full potential.  Person-centered therapy was developed in the early 1950s by Carl Rogers. Nondirective therapy is talking openly of about what ever may be troubling them. Active listening is a widely used communication technique in which the listener repeats, rephrases, and asks for clarification of the statements made by the speaker. Cognitive therapy and behavior therapy are considered together because both methods share the same goal; to help client develop new ways of thinking and behaving.

 Cognitive therapy is to help people learn to think about their problems in more productive ways. Cognitive psychologists focus on their beliefs, attitudes and thought processes that create and compound their clients´ problems. Rational-emotive behavior therapy is based on Ellis´s belief that people are basically logical in their thinking and actions. Behavior therapy or behavior modification helps people develop more adaptive behavior. Behaviorists believe that both desirable and undesirable behaviors are largely learned and that people with psychological problems have learned unhealthy ways of behaving.  Aversive conditioning, is the opposite systematic desensitization. Operant conditioning is based on the assumption that behavior that is reinforced tends to repeat, whereas behavior that is not reinforced tends to extinguish. Drug therapy is the most widely used biological treatment for psychological problems. Antianxiety drugs are used as an outpatient treatment to help people with anxiety disorders or panic attacks. Antidepressant drugs are used in the treatment of eating disorders and panic disorder. Antipsychotic drugs are effective for reducing agitation, delusions and hallucinations.  

Psychosurgery is a brain surgery that is performed to treat psychological disorders. Psychological and physical problems have multiple ways to be solved. They are very common in human beings, no matter if they are big or small. People who care about this problems are interested in helping people cope with this issues.