Chapter 17

Therapies

Psychotherapy

Psychological technique for positive changes in personality, behavior, adjustment

Usually verbal

Between mental health professional and client

Individual, group, family, insight-oriented, directive, non-directive, supportive

Psychoanalysis

• Techniques to uncover unconscious roots of neurosis– Free association– Dream analysis– Analysis of resistance– Analysis of transference

Humanistic Therapies

• Client-Centered: Carl Rogers– Unconditional positive regard– Empathy– Authentic– Reflection

Existential Therapy

• Person chooses to become the person he/she wants to be

• Existence creates conflict

• Emphasizes free will

• Examine values and choices

• Take responsibility for quality of existence

Gestalt Therapy

• Fritz Perls

• Expand personal awareness and accept responsibility for one’s thoughts, feelings, actions

• “here and now”

• directive

Psych Jockeys and Cybertherapy

• Discuss problems in general terms

• Not know background of caller

• Lack of visual cues

• Established use of suicide hot lines

• Anonymity

• May conflict with state licensing laws

Behavior Therapy

• Behavior modification, aversion therapy, desensitization, token economies

• Insight is unnecessary

• Directly alter problem behaviors

• People have learned to behave the way they are

• Change by learning more appropriate behaviors

Behavior Modification

• Classical conditioning

• Aversion therapy

• Desensitization

• Operant therapies

Cognitive Therapies

• Aaron Beck

• Negative, self-defeating thoughts underlie depression

• Focus on negative

• All-or-nothing thinking

• Identify depressing beliefs and look for information to challenge them

• Rational-emotive behavior therapy

Psychotherapy

• Goals: encourage, resolve conflict, improve self-esteem, find purpose, mend relationships, change behavior

• Caring relationship with therapist

• Protected setting

• New perspective

Medical Therapies

• Medication

• ECT

• Psycho-surgery

• Hospitalization

Deinstitutionalization

• Reduced use of full-time commitment to mental hospitals

• Limited success without adequate community resources

• Half-way houses

• Community mental health centers