Many people think of psychotherapy as a stigma, but if you stop and ask what psychotherapy is, you will find that the answer is quite simple and intriguing. Psychotherapy is basically a form of treating mental and emotional health and even some psychiatric disorders. A psychotherapist’s job is to help people learn to cope with who they are, and they help their patients learn what their strengths and weaknesses are. There are six common methods of psychotherapy that can be used to achieve the results that the therapist and patient are looking for.
Behavior Therapy
Behavior therapy is the most commonly used form of psychotherapy. With this practice, the patient learns how different behaviors affect different aspects of his/her life. For example, if you know that you generally overeat when you are sad, you can learn to control that and focus on healthier lifestyle choices. A simple change in your everyday habits can vastly improve your mental and emotional health. For more information on behavior therapy and what it includes, visit psych central website.
Cognitive Therapy
Cognitive therapy is a form of therapy that focuses on your thinking patterns. This form of therapy helps patients learn how to view different situations in a positive light. By viewing things more positively, the patient will be able to eventually be a happier and healthier individual. Cognitive therapy is great for treating many ailments including obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), coping with grief, resolving relationship issues, and even preventing someone from relapsing. MayoClinic has great in-depth information pertaining to cognitive therapy.
Family Therapy
Family therapy can include using multiple forms of psychotherapy, but in a family setting. The patient will be able to discuss with their family how the family is helping or hurting the condition. Sometimes, families are hindering a person’s road to recovery, but they are unaware of the problem. Family therapy allows the family members to have a controlled and neutral environment to express their feelings and concerns in a constructive way.
Interpersonal Therapy
Interpersonal therapy is therapy that focuses on personal aspects of problems relating to different relationships in the individual’s life. This form of therapy is generally short-term, and it helps the patient learn what is causing the problems in each relationship. By learning about one’s self, the person can learn how to better cope with depression and other ailments that tend to hinder relationships of all kinds. In order to better understand this form of therapy, read Robertson, Rushton and Wurm’s Interpersonal Therapy: An Overview.
Group Therapy
Group therapy is when a single therapist gathers a group of six to twelve patients in one session. With group therapy, patients learn how other people with the same ailment have learned to handle different situations. It allows patients to not only hear from the therapist, but also have an outside perspective on ways that can help lead to a better and healthier emotional and mental state of mind.
Related Resource: Become a Clinical Psychologis
Psychodynamic Therapy
Psychodynamic therapy helps patients to better understand how their pasts are directly related to their present behaviors. This form of therapy is generally used when dealing with people who have suffered from abuse as a child, and then unconsciously use that abuse as a basis for how they now perceive life.
Psychotherapy is a form of therapy that simply helps the patient to overcome multiple emotional and mental ailments. When dealing with a psychotherapist, it is imperative to be open and honest in order to achieve a successful outcome.
