Psychotherapists
A majorly under looked part of the United States health system is psychotherapy. As time goes on, we begin to better understand that our physical well-being is not alone, but that mental well-being is just as important. Psychotherapy is technique that may very well be able to help your mental well-being.
Psychotherapy is defined as personal counseling with a psychotherapist. It is an interpersonal relationship with a psychotherapist that can help you increase your sense of well-being. These psychotherapists use a variety of techniques to improve the mental health of their client, including: building a relationship, dialogue, communication, and attempted behavior change. In addition to psychotherapists, psychologists, therapists, social workers, psychiatric nurses, counselors, and psychiatrists may also perform psychotherapy.
Using psychotherapy can help you in a few ways. First, you will better understand yourself and your personal goals and problems. Secondly, it can help you develop relationship skills. Thirdly, it may help you overcome certain psychological problems such as anxiety, stress, or depression. Lastly, psychotherapy may help you obtain a solution to problems you seek by talking it out with a psychotherapist.
Critics, on the other hand, do not believe in the healing power of psychotherapy. They believe that it is time that spurs an intervention, not the therapeutic relationship with a psychotherapist. To them, psychotherapy is an unnecessary replacement of resources readily available to a person, such as friends, family members, and peers.
There are typically 3 major types of psychotherapy. The rest of this article will focus on listing and defining these three types:
1. Cognitive Therapies
Cognitive therapy was developed by Aaron T. Beck, an American psychiatrist. It aims to help the client solve problems by finding and changing dysfunctional thinking, behavior, and emotions. It often develops skills for changing your beliefs, relating to others, and changing behaviors. The psychotherapist works with the client to identify and test beliefs, leading to the understanding of dysfunctional thinking. Cognitive therapy was initially created to fight depression, but now is used more widely.
2. Behavior Therapy
Behavior therapy is primarily used to treat common mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, and phobias. It is based off the philosophical theory of behaviorism, or the belief that behaviors are the direct manifestation of psychological matters. That being said, behavior therapy aims to modify or condition learning, responses, and other forms of behavior. Psychotherapists work with the client to identify what causes dysfunctional behaviors and how to change those behaviors.
3. Psychoanalysis
Developed by Sigmund Freud, psychoanalysis is a form of psychotherapy in which psychotherapists work with clients to understand psychological functioning and behavior. It can be used to investigate the mind, theorize about human behavior, and treat psychological illnesses. It is a specific mind investigation technique that usually involves the client lying on a couch, unable to see the psychotherapist. Psychoanalysis works primarily to explore the unconscious mind through the interpretation of mistakes, dreams, and symbols.
Psychotherapists around the nation apply many different forms of psychotherapy to help their clients. Hopefully, in reading this article, you now better understand the world of psychotherapy.
Will Lee
Counselor Network Writer
