An overview
Psychotherapy is a non-specific term for treating mental health issues by seeing a psychotherapist, psychiatrist, psychologist or other mental health professionals.
During psychotherapy sessions, one can learn about their condition and moods, issues, feelings, thoughts and behaviors. Psychotherapy can help a person to learn how to take control of ones life and how to respond to difficult situations with proper coping skills.
There are multiple forms of psychotherapy, each with its own system. The type of psychotherapy that’s right for a person depends on their specific situation. Psychotherapy is also called talk therapy, therapy, psychosocial therapy, and counseling.
Psychotherapy can be helpful in improving many mental illness problems, including:
Anxiety disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), phobias, panic disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Mood disorders, such as depression or bipolar disorder
Addictions, such as alcoholism, drug dependence or compulsive gambling
Eating disorders, such as anorexia or bulimia
Personality disorders, such as borderline personality disorder or dependent personality disorder
Schizophrenia or other disorders that cause detachment from reality (psychotic disorders)
Not all who may benefit from psychotherapy has a mental disorder. Psychotherapy may assist with a many of life’s conflicts, and stresses that can affect any person. As an example:
Resolving conflicts with a persons partner, wife, husband, boy friend, girl friend, co-workers, and so on.
Relieving anxiety and stress due to work issues and or other situations.
Cope with major life ups and downs, the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, break ups, divorce.
Learn to ways to manage improper actions, like: as road rage or passive-aggressive behavior.
Understand, excepting acute, or serious medical health problem, such as cancer, long-term (chronic) pain, Parkinson’s, dementia, diabetes.
Recovering from rape, sexual abuse or witnessing violence, physical or
Cope with sexual issues, whether they’re caused by psychological or physical.
Sleep disorder: if one has trouble falling asleep or staying asleep; hypersomnia or insomnia.
In certain cases, psychotherapy can be as helpful as psychotropic medications, like: antidepressants. It all depends on ones specific situation, psychotherapy by it self may not be enough to lessen the issues of a mental health problems. One may also need psychotropic medications or other treatments protocols.
What are the risks:
Possibly, there is little risk getting psychotherapy. But it can open up painful issues and past experiences, one may feel emotionally unstable at times. But, many risks are lessen by working with a professional psychotherapist who can put together the type of therapy that can help.
The coping techniques that one can learn may help manage and over coming negative thoughts, feelings and phobias.
How one can get started:
First find a good psychotherapist. one can get a referral from a their medical doctor, checking with the health insurance plan, asking friends or family. Many companies do offer counseling services or referrals through to help their employees . One can also find a psychotherapist on their own, as an example, searching the Internet.
Checking the costs. If one has health insurance, finding out how much coverage does it offers for psychotherapy. Some health insurance plans cover only a certain number of psychotherapy sessions each year. Also, one can talk to their psychotherapist about payment options.
Before ones first psychotherapist appointment, they should think about what issues they would like to work on. While one also can sort out these things with their psychotherapist, having some ideas in advance can provide a good starting beginning.
When Checking the Psychotherapists Qualifications:
Before seeing the first appointment with a psychotherapist, one can check his or her certification, licensing, specialization, background, education. The term psychotherapist could be the person’s job title or indication of their specialization, education, training or licensure.
Trained psychotherapists can have a number of different job titles, depending on their education and role. Most have a master’s or doctoral degree with specific training in psychological counseling. Medical doctors who specialize in mental health (psychiatrists) can prescribe medications as well as provide psychotherapy.
Examples of psychotherapists include psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed professional counselors, licensed social workers, licensed marriage and family therapists, psychiatric nurses, or other licensed professionals with mental health training.
Make sure that the therapist you choose meets state certification and licensing requirements for his or her particular discipline. The key is to find a skilled therapist who can match the type and intensity of therapy with your needs.
What you can expect
Your first therapy session
At the first psychotherapy session, the therapist typically gathers information about you and your needs. You may be asked to fill out forms about your current and past physical and emotional health. It might take a few sessions for your therapist to fully understand your situation and concerns and to determine the best approach or course of action.
The first session is also an opportunity for you to interview your therapist to see if his or her approach and personality are going to work for you. Make sure you understand:
What type of therapy will be used
The goals of your treatment
The length of each session
How many therapy sessions you may need
Don’t hesitate to ask questions anytime during your appointment. If you don’t feel comfortable with the first psychotherapist you see, try someone else. Having a good fit with your therapist is critical for psychotherapy to be effective.
Starting psychotherapy
You’ll likely meet in your therapist’s office or a clinic once a week or every other week for a session that lasts about 45 to 60 minutes. Psychotherapy, usually in a group session with a focus on safety and stabilization, also can take place in a hospital if you’ve been admitted for treatment.
Types of psychotherapy
There are a number of effective types of psychotherapy. Some work better than others in treating certain disorders and conditions. In many cases, therapists use a combination of techniques. Your therapist will consider your particular situation and preferences to determine which approach may be best for you.
Although many types of therapies exist, some psychotherapy techniques proven to be effective include:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps you identify unhealthy, negative beliefs and behaviors and replace them with healthy, positive ones
Dialectical behavior therapy, a type of CBT that teaches behavioral skills to help you handle stress, manage your emotions and improve your relationships with others
Acceptance and commitment therapy, which helps you become aware of and accept your thoughts and feelings and commit to making changes, increasing your ability to cope with and adjust to situations
Psychodynamic and psychoanalysis therapies, which focus on increasing your awareness of unconscious thoughts and behaviors, developing new insights into your motivations, and resolving conflicts
Interpersonal psychotherapy, which focuses on addressing problems with your current relationships with other people to improve your interpersonal skills — how you relate to others, such as family, friends and colleagues
Supportive psychotherapy, which reinforces your ability to cope with stress and difficult situations
Psychotherapy is offered in different formats, including individual, couple, family or group therapy sessions, and it can be effective for all age groups.
During psychotherapy
For most types of psychotherapy, your therapist encourages you to talk about your thoughts and feelings and what’s troubling you. Don’t worry if you find it hard to open up about your feelings. Your therapist can help you gain more confidence and comfort as time goes on.
Because psychotherapy sometimes involves intense emotional discussions, you may find yourself crying, upset or even having an angry outburst during a session. Some people may feel physically exhausted after a session. Your therapist is there to help you cope with such feelings and emotions.
Your therapist may ask you to do “homework” — activities or practices that build on what you learn during your regular therapy sessions. Over time, discussing your concerns can help improve your mood, change the way you think and feel about yourself, and improve your ability to cope with problems.
Confidentiality
Except in rare and specific circumstances, conversations with your therapist are confidential. However, a therapist may break confidentiality if there is an immediate threat to safety (yours or someone else’s) or when required by state or federal law to report concerns to authorities. Your therapist can answer questions about confidentiality.
Length of psychotherapy
The number of psychotherapy sessions you need — as well as how frequently you need to see your therapist — depends on such factors as:
Your particular mental illness or situation
Severity of your symptoms
How long you’ve had symptoms or have been dealing with your situation
How quickly you make progress
How much stress you’re experiencing
How much your mental health concerns interfere with day-to-day life
How much support you receive from family members and others
Cost and insurance limitations
It may take only weeks to help you cope with a short-term situation. Or, treatment may last a year or longer if you have a long-term mental illness or other long-term concerns.
Results
Psychotherapy may not cure your condition or make an unpleasant situation go away. But it can give you the power to cope in a healthy way and to feel better about yourself and your life.
Getting the most out of psychotherapy
Take steps to get the most out of your therapy and help make it a success.
Make sure you feel comfortable with your therapist. If you don’t, look for another therapist with whom you feel more at ease.
Approach therapy as a partnership. Therapy is most effective when you’re an active participant and share in decision-making. Make sure you and your therapist agree about the major issues and how to tackle them. Together, you can set goals and measure progress over time.
Be open and honest. Success depends on willingness to share your thoughts, feelings and experiences, and to consider new insights, ideas and ways of doing things. If you’re reluctant to talk about certain issues because of painful emotions, embarrassment or fears about your therapist’s reaction, let your therapist know.
Stick to your treatment plan. If you feel down or lack motivation, it may be tempting to skip psychotherapy sessions. Doing so can disrupt your progress. Try to attend all sessions and to give some thought to what you want to discuss.
Don’t expect instant results. Working on emotional issues can be painful and may require hard work. You may need several sessions before you begin to see improvement.
Do your homework between sessions. If your therapist asks you to document your thoughts in a journal or do other activities outside of your therapy sessions, follow through. These homework assignments can help you apply what you’ve learned in the therapy sessions to your life.
If psychotherapy isn’t helping, talk to your therapist. If you don’t feel that you’re benefiting from therapy after several sessions, talk to your therapist about it. You and your therapist may decide to make some changes or try a different approach that may be more effective.
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Shervan K Shahhian
LIBERTY PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION 