PSYC 1101 Psychotherapy

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PSYC 1101 Psychotherapy

• Early Interventions
• Abnormal behavior was viewed as being caused by
  demons therefore, treatment was aimed at
  exorcism.

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Why diagnose abnormal behavior?

• The particular form of treatment depends on the
  diagnosis
• Most people come to therapy for help with
  adjustment to everyday living situations.
• Client characteristics
• more women than men
• upper class

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• Reasons for not seeking treatment
• stigma

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How do different psychologists approach
psychotherapy?

• Psychodynamic therapy
• Psychoanalysis
• Goal Recovery of unconscious conflict/understandi
  ng unconscious conflict
• Therapists role interpret/explains inner
  significance
• Techniques
• free association
• dream analysis
• transference/countertransference
• Clients role active they are responsible for
  material to be discussed

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Humanistic therapies

• Goal
• provide supportive, emotional climate
• Therapists role
• be genuine, give unconditional () regard, be
  empathetic
• Techniques
• uses reflective listening
• Clients role
• active they determine the pace/direction of the
  therapy, they confront their incongruences

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Behavior therapies

• Goal
• Use principles of learning to change maladaptive
  behavior
• Therapists role
• very directive, they design a detailed treatment
  plan.

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Behavior therapy techniques

• Systematic desensitization
• Aversion therapy
• Flooding Implosion therapy
• These interventions are used to treat phobias,
  adjustment disorders in children, psychosomatic
  disorders.
• Clients role
• passive they simply follow the prescribed program

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Cognitive Therapy

• Albert Ellis (Rational Emotive Therapy)
• Goal identify/change errors in thinking
• Therapists role Activehelps client
  identify/change faulty thinking
• Techniques uses stop think, may argue with
  the client
• Clients role has homework assignments
• Used to treat depression/adjustment disorders.
  Ellis identifies some incorrect beliefs You
  should be loved by everyone. and you need to
  have perfect self-control at all times.

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Cont. Cognitive

• Aaron Beck
• Differs in emphasis. Targets maladaptive schemas
  (patterns of thinking) ie., tendency to merge
  self-esteem with a faulty belief.

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Biological Therapies

• Address physiological/neurotransmitters
• Historically- used letting or leeches
• Electroconvulsive therapy
• Psychosurgery- lobotomy
• Drug therapy (psychopharmacotherapy)
• Antianxiety - Barbiturates and Benzodiazepines
• Valium, Xanax, Buspar
• Used to treat anxiety disorder and can be
  addicting

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• Antipsychotics
• major tranquilizers ie., Thorazine, Mellaril,
  Haldol
• Used to treat schizophrenia
• Antidepressants- 3 classes
• Tricyclics - Elavil
• MAO inhibitors - Nardil
• SSRI - Prozac
• Used to treat depression, anxiety agoraphobia,
  OCD
• Lithium
• used to treat Manic-depression

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Multicultural approaches to psychotherapy

• Cultural specific disorders
• Susto
• Anxiety disorder in some Latin American cultures
  that follows a frightening event that causes the
  soul to leave the body. Symptoms include
  disruption of appetite and sleep, sadness there
  may be some somatic symptoms.
• Some cultures are not as receptive to therapy as
  Euro- or African-American cultures.

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Alternatives to individual therapy

• Group therapy
• Advantages
• less
• greater support
• social pressure change
• assist with interpersonal problems
• Couples and family therapy
• Couples focuses on communication
• Family systems approach looks at the entire
  family structure

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• Self- help groups

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Is there an optimal approach?

• No one therapy has been shown to be more
  effective than othes.
• Research does show therapy is effective, Consumer
  Reports, 1995

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Community Mental Health Movement

• Institutionalization