Thanks to groundbreaking research and data, there are a number of different types of therapies that aid people with so many aspects of life and illness, and has been proved to be incredibly lucrative! Keep reading to learn more about the specifics of talking therapies!
The rundown
Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, is a collection of treatments that aim to help a person identify and change troubling emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. Some reasons for psychotherapy may be:
Harboring and living with severe or long-term stress. For example; a job, family situation, or a loss of a loved one or relationship, among other things
Noticing symptoms with no physical explanation, like changes in sleep or appetite, lower energy levels, new lack of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed, persistent irritability, excessive worry, or a continual sense of hopelessness that won’t go away
A health care provider suspecting or diagnosing someone with a mental disorder that is interfering with their life
Supporting a family member or close relation who has been diagnosed with a condition affecting their mental health
Living with depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol and drug use problems, marital problems, eating disorders, and severe mental illness.
Working hand in hand
Doctors will prescribe medication to those with mental illness that could benefit from it, but it’s common that psychotherapy can work alongside or even as an alternative to medications! This is because although medication relieves symptoms, psychotherapy can help a person pin-point and work on specific issues. For example, aiding in fixing self-deprecating ways of thinking, irrational fears, difficulties interacting with other people, or finding new coping mechanisms.
In the limelight: CBT!
There are a lot of methods that are used in talking therapies, but some of the most common forms are CBT, or cognitive behavioral therapy! This treatment has been proven to lead to significant improvement in functioning and quality of life.
Some of its core principles are:
Psychological problems are based, in part, on faulty or unhelpful ways of thinking.
Psychological problems are based, in part, on learned patterns of unhelpful behavior.
People suffering from psychological problems can learn better ways of coping with them, thereby relieving their symptoms and becoming more effective in their lives.
On top of these core values, a strength of CBT treatment is that therapists will incorporate efforts to change detrimental thinking patterns. Some strategies to do so can include:
Learning to recognize one’s distortions in thinking that are creating problems, and then reevaluate them in light of reality.
Gaining a better understanding of the behavior and motivation of others.
Using problem-solving skills to cope with difficult situations.
Learning to develop a greater sense of confidence in one’s own abilities.
These strategies are certainly not the end all be all for all CBT sessions. Rather, the psychologist and patient/client work together to develop an understanding of the problem and develop a unique and personalized treatment strategy, that can be a mix of some of the strategies listed above!
CBT’s influence: DBT!
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is based on CBT, but it's specially adapted for people who feel emotions very intensely. ‘Dialectical’ means trying to understand how two things that seem opposite could both be true. For example, accepting yourself and changing your behavior might feel contradictory, but the aim of DBT is to teach patients or clients that it's possible to achieve both together. The main differences between CBT and DBT are that CBT focuses on helping you to change unhelpful ways of thinking and behaving, and while DBT does this as well, it also focuses on accepting who you are at the same time. Additionally, DBT usually involves more group work than CBT.
Conclusion
Talking therapies are incredibly lucrative for all types of needs, and they are continuing to grow and develop to become even more effective. Contact us for more information, and don’t be afraid to ask for help!
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