Psychotherapy can assist with an array of mental health concerns. It offers a safe and confidential setting where participants can explore thoughts, emotions, behaviors and gain coping mechanisms.
Patients and therapists generally concur that one of the primary focuses and outcomes of psychotherapies should be to reduce symptoms; however, qualitative research highlights other positive results of therapy sessions.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapy used to address numerous mental health concerns. CBT involves identifying and altering unhealthy thought patterns while teaching patients new coping mechanisms to deal with difficult situations more easily. CBT is one of the most widely-utilized and well-studied forms of psychological treatment available today.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy operates on the principle that one’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors are inextricably intertwined. CBT emphasizes this point by considering some problems may stem from learned or unhelpful behaviors as well as negative core beliefs about oneself that contribute to emotional difficulties. CBT seeks to change these core beliefs and behaviors so a person can feel better and function more efficiently.
Therapists assist their patients to recognize problematic situations and beliefs through questions and discussions, before working together to find effective ways to respond. This may involve practicing new coping mechanisms, role-playing or assigning homework. Furthermore, therapists monitor progress through tracking symptoms and problems as well as encouraging clients to track their own progress by keeping an activity diary.
Your initial therapy sessions with your therapist should focus on building an intimate therapeutic relationship, where they ask about past experiences, relationships, and current challenges as well as assess your level of functioning by asking how you cope with stress, depression or anxiety. They will also seek to understand your goals for therapy as well as whether there are specific difficulties you wish to work on together.
CBT therapy involves two stages. In the initial phase, your therapist will assist in helping you recognize negative emotions, thoughts and behaviors through interactive question-and-answer sessions. They may encourage journal keeping as well as help identify and challenge unhealthy thoughts; as well as work together on developing behavioral exercises and coping strategies to modify those negative emotions, thoughts and behaviors.
CBT was developed by psychiatrist Aaron Beck in the 1960s as an approach to changing unhelpful thinking and behavioral patterns into healthy ones. While psychoanalysis relying on free association can unearth hidden desires or thoughts, cognitive therapy attempts directly at unhelpful beliefs directly; its success being demonstrated in more than 2000 clinical studies.
Interpersonal therapy (IPT)
Interpersonal therapy focuses on relationships that patients share and teaches them skills to enhance their quality of life. It can be used alone or alongside medication to treat various mental illnesses, including major depression and bipolar disorder; eating disorders like binge-eating and bulimia; posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety disorders. Furthermore, more than 250 randomized controlled trials have already been completed on interpersonal therapy as a treatment option.
The Center for Mental Wellness and other therapists work closely with patients to identify specific relationship issues which contribute to their distress. In the initial phase, therapists assist their patient in creating an “interpersonal inventory” and assess existing relationships. Counselors may also ask patients to reflect on past relationships to gain a clearer insight into how past experiences and present problems have altered their behaviors and personality traits. At this stage of treatment, therapists employ specific relationship strategies to increase interpersonal functioning. They help their patient mourn the loss of an important relationship while cultivating new ways of engaging with others, brainstorming possible options and role-playing them with them so the therapist can offer feedback and evaluate effectiveness.
At the conclusion of treatment, therapists provide patients with skills needed to effectively address identified problem areas. This may involve setting realistic goals for interactions, practicing healthy coping techniques and using support groups. Therapists may assist their client in creating a strategy for managing conflict and stressors in the future. This type of therapy typically lasts only short-term with its goal being to address specific areas of interpersonal distress. Time-limited structures encourage patients to take initiative and reduce the likelihood of them becoming dependent upon their therapist, while at the same time providing opportunities for rapid adjustments based on client feedback and outcomes measurements – whether this occurs formally through evaluation processes or informally using self-reporting tools.
Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)
DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) is a cognitive behavioral therapy approach to help patients learn to regulate their emotions and change any behaviors that interfere with daily living. DBT has proven particularly successful at treating borderline personality disorder (BPD). It may also help treat other mental health conditions, including substance use disorders and depression.
DBT therapy equips patients with skills they can use both inside and outside therapy sessions to enhance their quality of life, with the ultimate aim being for these skills to become part of daily routine. Therapists teach these skills in individual therapy sessions and group therapy as well as through homework assignments; patients may even call their therapists between sessions for crisis coaching assistance.
DBT serves one of its main goals by teaching patients to accept themselves and others, leading them through five stages of change: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. A therapist may assist patients in finding their own individual way to practice acceptance in everyday life.
DBT also assists patients in creating a sense of purpose in life, which can help manage negative moods more effectively and manage distressing events and behaviors such as self-injury or suicidal thoughts. Therapy sessions for this can include individual or family sessions. DBT helps patients develop this sense of meaning through individual or family therapy and can aid them in dealing with negative moods more efficiently while teaching distressing events and behaviors like self-harming or suicidal thoughts more successfully.
DBT’s effectiveness has been demonstrated in multiple clinical trials. Studies show that it significantly reduces treatment needs among high-risk, hard-to-treat patients – especially when faced with severe mood and interpersonal challenges like self-injury, suicide attempts or unstable relationships. DBT also helps reduce aggressive or impulsive behaviors and enhance functioning both at work and home environments.
DBT therapists specialize in working with high-risk patients, such as those suffering from borderline personality disorder. DBT therapy is an interactive process in which both parties must actively and fully engage. Individual sessions will review goals for therapy with the client as well as current struggles; therapy sessions also encourage clients to engage in activities outside the session such as filling out daily “diary cards” to track emotions, urges and behaviors (including self-harm or lying) outside of session time.
Transactional analysis (TA)
Eric Berne developed Transformational Analysis as a form of psychotherapy to facilitate personal change and growth using conceptual tools. It can be implemented in individual counselling sessions or group therapy groups; alternatively it may even be tailored for online therapy to allow access to treatment from remote therapists.
At a therapy session, your therapist will ask you to discuss your thoughts, feelings and behaviors with them before analyzing these interactions, which are known as transactions. Transactions may either be productive or counterproductive – the therapist can identify any crossed or ulterior transactions; for example when someone communicates with someone for unconscious reasons like trying to control them or hiding true intentions. Recognizing these types of transactions is key for improving communication and relationships by helping avoid potentially harmful interactions.
Transactional Analysis (TA) works on the concept that each of us has a life script – an internal set of beliefs which inform our decisions – that guides how we act. A TA therapist’s goal is to help you reevaluate this life script and replace any unhealthy patterns with healthier ones; this approach may prove particularly effective for those struggling with depression, anxiety or low self-esteem.
While TA has not been extensively studied, research shows its benefits include improving relationships and reducing conflict, as well as facilitating social interactions and communication within groups. Another advantage of TA is its easily learnability for people from diverse backgrounds and experiences.
No matter which form of therapy you opt for, finding an experienced and skilled therapist should always be the priority. Furthermore, an effective therapist will remain constantly aware of your progress, monitoring it both in-person and via online platforms; in addition to equipping you with tools necessary for self-care in everyday life.
