Psychotherapy and Biomedical Therapies

Therapies

• Two main types of therapy: psychotherapy and biomedical therapies
• Psychotherapy treats emotional, behavioral, and interpersonal problems using psychological techniques to modify feelings, behaviors, or relationships.
• Biomedical therapies treat symptoms of psychological disorders via medications, electroconvulsive therapy, or other medical treatments.

Seeking Help

• People seek psychotherapy for diverse reasons, including overcoming severe psychological disorders, coping with daily challenges, improving relationships, or gaining self-knowledge and fulfillment.

Psychotherapy Subtypes

• Psychoanalytic Therapy: A form of therapy developed by Sigmund Freud, focusing on uncovering unconscious conflicts.

  • Freud used "free association" where patients express thoughts as they come.
  • Patients lie on a couch during sessions; the therapist sits out of their view.
  • Dream interpretation: A technique to analyze the content of dreams for disguised/symbolic wishes, meanings, and motivations.
    • Traditional psychoanalysis involves multiple sessions per week for several years.
    • Traditional psychoanalysis is a lengthy, expensive process.

• Humanistic Therapy:

  • Client-centered therapy (developed by Carl Rogers) is a core humanistic therapy type.
  • Therapists are non-directive and reflective; the client directs the therapy session focus.
  • The therapist's qualities are crucial: genuineness, unconditional positive regard, and empathy.
  • This therapeutic climate fosters psychological safety, acceptance, and feelings of value.
  • Client self-concept and worldview gradually improve in this environment.
  • Therapists strive to create a warm, accepting environment. Clients freely explore troubling issues.

• Behavior Therapy:

  • Uses learning principles such as classical, operant, and observational conditioning.
  • Techniques aim to directly modify behaviors.
  • Systematic Desensitization: Phobic responses are diminished by pairing relaxation with progressively fearful mental images (examples given such as a public speaking hierarchy provided).
  • Operant Conditioning: Using reinforcement techniques such as positive reinforcement to enhance desired behaviors and reduce undesired ones (examples such as token economies provided)

• Cognitive Therapy:

  • Assumes psychological issues stem from dysfunctional thinking patterns.
  • Cognitive techniques help clients recognize and alter maladaptive thinking.
  • Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Combines cognitive and behavioral methods, emphasizing the interplay of thoughts, moods, and behaviors.

Group and Family Therapy

• Group Therapy: Involves one or more therapists working with multiple individuals at mental health clinics, from small groups to large ones.
  • Group therapy offers cost-effectiveness, facilitates observing patient interactions, and fosters a sense of shared experience. It demonstrates that problems are not unique.
• Couple Therapy: Focuses on enhancing communication, intimacy, and relationship bonds for people in committed relationships.
• Family Therapy: Views the family as a unified system, treating the family unit for optimal functioning.

Biomedical Therapies

• Biomedical Therapies: Treatments for symptoms of psychological disorders.
  • Include medication and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
  • Antipsychotic Medications: Reduce psychotic symptoms typically used to treat schizophrenia.
  • Antianxiety Medications: Alleviate anxiety symptoms.
  • Antidepressant Medications: Diminish symptoms associated with depression.
  • Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT):
    • This therapy involves electrical stimulation to induce a seizure to treat depression.
    • ECT is used in severe depression cases, typically when antidepressant medications are ineffective.
    • In modern ECT, patients receive anesthetic and muscle relaxants, then mild electrical pulses induce a short seizure.