Chapter 9 (Therapies) - Psychology PDF

Chapter 9 Therapies  Two forms of therapy are used to treat psychological disorders and personal problems- Psychotherapy and the biomedical therapies. Seeking Help: People enter psychotherapy for many different reasons, some people seek to overcome severe psychological disorders, while...

Chapter 9 Therapies  Two forms of therapy are used to treat psychological disorders and personal problems- Psychotherapy and the biomedical therapies. Seeking Help: People enter psychotherapy for many different reasons, some people seek to overcome severe psychological disorders, while others want to learn how to cope better with everyday challenges or relationship problems. And for some people the goal is to attain greater self-knowledge or personal fulfillment. Psychotherapy: The treatment of emotional, behavioral and interpersonal problems through the use of psychological techniques designed to encourage understanding of problems and modify troubling feelings, behaviors, or relationships. Biomedical Therapy: The use of medications, electroconvulsive therapy, or other medical treatments to treat the symptoms associated with psychological disorders.  Psychoanalytic Therapy Psychoanalysis is a form of therapy developed by Sigmund Freud and is based on his theory of personality. How can unconscious conflicts be uncovered? Freud developed several techniques, one of them called Free Association: the patient report all thoughts, feelings and mental images as they come to mind.  During Psychoanalysis session, the patient would lie on a the couch. The therapist would sit at the head of the couch out of the.patients view Dream Interpretation: A technique used in psychoanalysis in which the content of dreams is analyzed for disguised or symbolic whishes, meanings and motivations.  The traditional psychoanalyst sees the patient four or five times a week over the course of four years or longer.  Obviously the traditional psychoanalysis is a slow, expensive process that few people can afford.  Humanistic Therapy  The most influential humanistic psychotherapy is client-centered therapy, which was developed by Carl Rogers. Which the therapist is nondirective and reflective, and the client directs the focus of each therapy session.  Rogers believed that three qualities of the therapist are necessary: genuineness, unconditional positive regard and empathic understanding. Such conditions foster feelings of being psychologically safe, accepted and valued.  In this therapeutic atmosphere, change occurs as the person’s self-concept and worldview gradually become healthier and less distorted.  In the client-centered therapist strives to create a warm, accepting.climate that allows the client the freedom to explore troubling issues  Behavior Therapy  Behavior therapy uses learning principles of classical conditioning, operant conditioning and observational learning to directly change problem behaviors. Techniques based on classical conditioning: Systematic Desensitization: A type of behavior therapy in which phobic responses are reduced by pairing relaxation with a series of mental images that the person finds fear-provoking.  A Sample Anxiety Hierarchy Relaxation is paired with each scene, starting from the least.threatening scene  Behavior Therapy Techniques based on Operant conditioning:  Positive reinforcement is used to increase the incidence of desired behaviors.  Operant conditioning techniques have been applied to many different psychological problems, for example: weigh control, and helping autistic children to speak and behave more adaptively. Token Economies: A type of behavior therapy in which the therapeutic environment is structured to reward desired behaviors with tokens or points that may eventually be exchanged for tangible rewards.  Cognitive Therapies  A group of therapies based on the assumption that psychological problems are due to maladaptive patterns of thinking; treatment techniques focuses on recognizing and altering unhealthy thinking patterns. Cognitive Therapy (CT): A type of psychotherapy that focuses on changing the clients unrealistic beliefs. Cognitive- Behavioral Therapy: Therapy that integrates cognitive and behavioral techniques and that is based on the assumption that thoughts, moods, and behaviors are interrelated.  Group and Family Therapy  Group Therapy involves one or more therapists working with several people at a community mental health clinic. Groups may be as small as 3 or 4 people or as large as 10 or more people.  Group therapy has a number of advantages over individual therapy: A. Very cost-effective. B. The therapist can observe the patient interaction with others. C.The patient feel less alone, the patient also understand that their problems are not unique. Group therapy is typically conducted by a mental health professional. In contrast Self-Help groups and support groups are typically conducted by nonprofessionals. Family and Couple Therapy Couple therapy focuses on helping people who are in a committed relationship. It usually emphasizes improving communication, increasing intimacy and strengthen the relationship bond. Family Therapy: A form of psychotherapy that is based on the assumption that the family is a system and that treats the family is a unit.  Biomedical Therapies  Biomedical therapies are medical treatments for the symptoms of psychological disorders and include medication and electroconvulsive therapy. Antipsychotic Medications: Prescription drugs that are used to reduce psychotic symptoms, frequently used in the treatment of schizophrenia.  Biomedical Therapies Antianxiety Medication: Prescription drugs that are used to alleviate the symptoms of anxiety. Antidepressant Medications: Prescription drugs that are used to reduce the symptoms associated with depression. Electroconvulsive Therapy  Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)  A biomedical therapy used primarily in the treatment of depression that involves electrically including a brief brain seizure. Also called shock therapy.  ECT is still used in the treatment of depression, especially in people who do not respond with antidepressant medication.  In modern ECT, the person is given a short-acting anesthetic and muscle relaxants. A mild-seizure, which lasts about a minute is induced by a brief pulse of electricity.  ECT is very effective treatment for sever depression: about 80% depressed patients improved. Thank you