Psychotherapy is a collaborative treatment or talk therapy where you work with a psychologist to help you face the challenges ahead of you. You sit down with a therapist and discuss changes that you can make to improve the direction of your life. This therapy is similar to counseling. However, it does not go deep into the underlying issues.
You can use psychotherapy to help deal with low self-esteem, addiction, depression, grief, and any other phenomenon that may cause you to feel overwhelmed. It may also help in mental conditions such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Patients also get talk therapy to help deal with hard drugs, drinking too much alcohol, or being too aggressive. Other people that may get help include:
- People overwhelmed with sadness or helplessness
- Anxiety that lingers for long
- Difficulties focusing on studies or work
- People recovering from trauma or abusive situation
- People who are at risk of causing harm to others or themselves
Main Approaches
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
This therapy technique enables people to find ways to change their behaviors by changing their thought patterns. It works with the basis that we usually behave by how we interpret events in life and how we think. These two affect how we feel too. This therapy may be helpful to people coping with anxiety, stress, dealing with bereavement, or complicated relationships.
CBT offers a specific, goal-oriented approach to dealing with the problems on the table, usually present and future problems. It is a collaborative therapy, requiring individuals to work with counselors alone or in groups.
Interpersonal Therapy
Just as the name suggests, interpersonal therapy helps the patient learn new ways to express themselves or communicate their feelings. Interpersonal skills are vital in building and maintaining healthy relationships. For example, if a patient is angry with others, they may negatively react towards the people around them. The patients may also be isolated and depressed. With the therapy, they can learn to deal with anger.
By using interpersonal therapy, individuals can modify their approach to interpersonal issues so that they find amicable solutions to the differences. This helps in managing emotions and the ways one deals with others. Interpersonal therapy is common in dealing with problems in relationships and marriages.
Psychodynamic Therapy
Psychodynamic therapy works on ways to help people deal with experiences that are affecting their behavior and thoughts. In most cases, the patient is unaware that the past is influencing how they are behaving presently. For example, people that have been through trauma, abusive relationships, or a problematic marriage may be overwhelmed by such feelings as anxiety, hate and distress even if they are not facing these challenges presently.
This therapy helps them address their past and prevent it from controlling the present. In the end, the patient feels that they are in complete control of their life. This therapy is similar to psychoanalysis, but it is less intense.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy
Dialectical behavior therapy is a collaborative approach where both the therapist and the patient work on acceptance and various change-oriented strategies to bring the desired change. This technique works like the process of hypothesis and antithesis. DBT can treat multiple conditions such as substance abuse, mood disorders, suicidal ideation, and any behavioral patterns that may lead to self-harm.
This approach enables the patient to increase their cognitive and emotional regulation by becoming aware of the triggers that lead to the emotional and mental states described in the paragraph above. It also helps them know what skills to apply when faced with specific emotions, feelings, and thoughts.
Psychotherapy may help people with various mental health problems ranging from anxiety and stress to bipolar disorder and depression. Some therapies are carried out alongside medication to enhance the effect of the treatment. It is important to pick a qualified therapist, one with whom the patient has confidence and trust, for the success of the therapy.
