What is Psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy Involves a Healing Personal Relationship
In psychotherapy the focus is entirely on the client’s needs and problems.
The therapist is paid a fee for his or her time and expertise.
The psychotherapy relationship takes place in a structured setting.
Each meetings between the therapist and the client is time-limited.
The psychotherapy relationship is expected to terminate.
People Enter Psychotherapy for Many Reasons
Psychotherapy: A unique, modern, healing relationship involving a client and a paid therapist. The relationship is temporary and focused entirely on the needs and problems of the client. Each meeting of therapist and client is time-limited, confidential in a structured setting.
There are Different Styles of Psychotherapy
Behavior therapist see themselves as something closer to a teacher and the client as a student whose task it is to substitute adaptive patterns of behavior for maladaptive patterns.
Cognitive therapist see the therapist-client relationship as that of two collaborators on relatively equal footing, using “hypothesis-testing” techniques to correct irrational or inaccurate beliefs that might be triggering the client’s emotional pain or dysfunction.
Therapy
Theoretical Perspective
Founders
Key Concepts
Psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis
Sigmund Freud
Disorders caused by unresolved intra-psychic conflicts; long-term, intensive analysis; sometimes on a daily basis; analyst as interpreter and neutral observer, insight necessary for healing.
Psychodynamic
Psychodynamic
No Founder
Disorders often (but not always) caused by unresolved intrapsychic conflicts; therapy usually, but not always. Long term; therapist free to conduct therapy as he or she sees fit; insight necessary for healing.
Behavior Therapy
Behaviorist
Joseph Wolpe
Disorders caused by learned, maladaptive behaviors; therapy systematic and short-term; therapist as teacher; client leans to substitute adaptive behavior for maladaptive behaviors; insight unnecessary for healing
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)
Cognitive
Albert Ellis
Disorders and psychological suffering caused by irrational and absolutist beliefs; therapy usually relatively short-term; therapist as blunt challenger of such beliefs alleviates the emotional suffering
Cognitive and Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CT/CBT)
Cognitive
Aaron Beck and others
Disorders and psychological suffering caused or worsened by distorted patterns of thinking biased against the self and resultant behaviors; Therapy designed to be short-term; therapist as “scientist-collaborator” with client, testing client’s beliefs against evidence; changing the way one thinks changes how one feels.
Client-Centered Therapy
Humanistic
Carl Rodgers
Disorders and psychological suffering caused by lack of unconditional positive regard, genuineness, and acceptance from others; therapy usually long term; therapist as an empathic , caring person, allowing the client to direct therapy and offering unconditional acceptance.
Family Therapy
Family Systems
Murray Bowen
The family is considered an organic unit or “system” wherein members interact dynamically. No one person is singled out for treatment-rather, the entire family is the “client.”
Integrative Therapy
Multiple sources
No founder
Probably more common than any of the other; techniques tailored to individual client; “Use what works!” is key
Psychotherapists’ Training Varies Widely
Anyone can be a psychotherapist, there is not license required, thus for this reason the term psychotherapist is unprotected by laws governing its use.
Paraprofessional: A person who has obtained a nonprofessional level of education in a field such as education, law, or psychology, but who has obtained a job performing some of the duties ordinarily carried out by professionals.
The psychotherapy occupations requiring the most rigorous education in psychology are clinical psychologist and couseling psychologist, both of which require a