Major Types of Psychological Therapies

Psychological therapies

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Major Types of Psychological Therapies

Psychoanalytic therapy: A form of therapy developed by Sigmund Freud that is intended to bring unconscious influences on behavior to the conscious level. Key techniques and processes include free association, resistance, dream interpretation, and transference. This therapy is costly and

often requires a significant time commitment. Most of the individuals who seek this form of

therapy are articulate and suffer from relatively minor problems.

Humanistic therapy: Therapies that emphasize the present and are based on the assumption that individuals can solve their own problems after developing self-awareness. Client-centered therapy aims to meet the goal of developing self-awareness in a non-directive manner, seek to help individuals recognize their strengths, creativity and choice in the 'here and now'. Gestalt therapy

relies on more active elements, including confronting and frustrating clients, it can be roughly translated to 'whole' and focuses on the whole of an individual's experience, including their thoughts, feelings and actions.

Cognitive therapy: A related series of therapies that focus on patients’ thinking about problems they encounter, especially logical errors that might be made. Cognitive therapies are quite

effective in treating several anxiety disorders, depression, and stress-related problems.

Group therapy: A form of therapy that may be used alone or in combination with individual therapy. It provides opportunities to obtain both social support and feedback while developing new

skills for dealing with problem behaviors. Marital and family therapy are based on the

assumption that problem behaviors are best treated in the context of the couple or the

family.

Group therapy.Goals:

Reconnecting; gaining support, understanding; regaining self-esteem.

Learning that:

Others are in the same or similar predicaments.

Different perspectives can be helpful.

Not everyone regards me negatively; I can be helpful to others

Finding ways to be effective and appreciated.

Receiving constructive criticism/feedback about how I am seen by others.

Learning from others’ coping strategies.

Group therapy.Techniques:

-Varying procedures used – from group processes to individual-by-individual “go round”.

-Cohesion established and reinforced as basis for person-to-person feedback.

-Disclosures elicited and reactions from group solicited.

-Shared problem areas mutually enlightening or reinforcing experiences emphasized.

-Participants encouraged to talk out feelings of conflict.

-Fair distribution of time and attention assured by therapist.

-“Horizontal transferences” in feelings toward one another experienced by participants.

-“Carry over” from group to life pointed out.

Group therapies.Ambience:

-Participants fearful and anxious to expectant and excited; also sometimes bored and irritated.

-Group members initially distrustful and guarded. Sessions begin expectantly “So who will take the hot seat this time?”

-Sessions perceived sometimes as combat arena, sometimes as uniquely supportive “family”.

-Elements of atmosphere mixed and ambivalent. Group members voyeuristic, but also empathetic.

-Leader’s/therapist’s comments highly prized, even if disputed.

-Withdrawal by any member considered a group defeat.

Group therapies.Ethical Pitfalls/Dilemmas:

-Failing to explain group therapy and obtaining truly informed consent.

-Dealing inadequately with the issue of confidentiality (which can not be assumed or realistically enforced).

-Deciding whether to encourage psychodynamic event, should group express desire for this.

-Being able to distinguish scapegoating from well-intentioned feedback and knowing when to

intervene.

-Knowing how to judge whether disclosures are premature and whether they should be prevented.

-Deciding what role to play if group becomes “totalitarian” in demanding adherence to a certain

outlook.

Marital/Family therapy.Goals:

-To reduce aversive tension in family.

-To help individual family members relate to one another.

-To illuminate and eliminate patterns of victimization.

-To foster autonomy to the degree compatible with family culture and traditions.

-To instruct in more effective ways of gratifying self and others.

-To improve intrafamilial communications, particularly about grievances.

-To emphasize potential points of mutual satisfaction.

prescriptions.

Marital/Family therapy.Techniques:

-Try to get family members to agree about aims and goals.

-Allow individuals to “ventilate” but control this.

-Distribute “air time” freely.

-Keep talk flowing productively –

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