I. Introduction to Psychotherapy
Cartoon characterizations of psychological treatment typically involve a client lying tensely on a couch while a poker-faced therapist sits nearby, taking notes. Real treatments for psychological problems rarely fit this image. Hundreds of different treatments exist, including medication, electric shock, and surgery. Some types involve unorthodox and often strange procedures, such as making rapid eye movements.
Talk therapy is another common type of treatment. Therapists vary in their style and approach from client to client, and although some therapists still have their clients lie on couches, most therapists sit face-to-face with them. Some therapists take a relatively passive, listening role in therapy sessions, while others actively discuss problems or even argue with clients. All these treatments have different rationales and varying degrees of success. The type of treatment used and the effectiveness of that treatment sometimes depend as much on the client as on the treatment itself.
There are many different types of treatment for psychological disorders, all of which fit into three broad types: insight therapies, behavior therapies, and biomedical therapies.
Cartoon characterizations of psychological treatment typically involve a client lying tensely on a couch while a poker-faced therapist sits nearby, taking notes. Real treatments for psychological problems rarely fit this image. Hundreds of different treatments exist, including medication, electric shock, and surgery. Some types involve unorthodox and often strange procedures, such as making rapid eye movements.
Talk therapy is another common type of treatment. Therapists vary in their style and approach from client to client, and although some therapists still have their clients lie on couches, most therapists sit face-to-face with them. Some therapists take a relatively passive, listening role in therapy sessions, while others actively discuss problems or even argue with clients. All these treatments have different rationales and varying degrees of success. The type of treatment used and the effectiveness of that treatment sometimes depend as much on the client as on the treatment itself.
There are many different types of treatment for psychological disorders, all of which fit into three broad types: insight therapies, behavior therapies, and biomedical therapies.
- Insight therapies involve complex conversations between therapists and clients. The aim is to help clients understand the nature of their problems and the meaning of their behaviors, thoughts, and feelings. Insight therapists may use a variety of approaches, including psychodynamic, cognitive, or humanistic.
- Behavior therapies also involve conversations between therapists and clients but attempt to directly influence maladaptive behaviors. Behavior therapies are based on learning principles. (See Chapter 7 for more information on learning.)
- Biomedical therapies involve efforts to directly alter biological functioning through medication, electric shock, or surgery.