Why talk to a therapist? Does therapy work?
In this excellent Psych Central article, author Lena Suarez-Angelino, a licensed clinical social worker and empowerment coach, discusses issues such as: Is talk therapy effective? How does it work? And what happens when psychotherapy is not the best route to treat your condition?
In this article, Suarez-Angelino explains the benefits and prevalence of individuals undergoing talk therapy and notes its effectiveness: “You may wonder how effective or successful talk therapy is. According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), about 75% — or 3 in 4 people — who try talk therapy notice its benefits.”
She notes that psychotherapy can be effective for a number of mental health conditions, listing several common conditions for which therapy has been found to be effective:
· depression
· eating disorders
· relationship issues
· anger
· anxiety
· fears and phobias
· bipolar disorder
· post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Ms. Suarez-Angelino further extols some of the benefits of psychotherapy as the following:
enhanced relationships
new insights into your life
heightened self-confidence
improved communication skills
ability to make healthier choices
access to helpful coping strategies
The author offers a way to get started with therapy, describing some of the criteria one may use to find the proper fit with a psychotherapist. She likens it to the dating process when in search of a mate: “In some ways, finding a therapist can feel a lot like dating, and it may take a few tries to get the right one.”
Suarez-Angelino identifies a crucial step by people seeking talk therapy as scheduling a consultation to gauge the fit between them and the prospective therapist. While the practice of medicine is generally constrained by a set of standards of practice, there are a number of different approaches in talk therapy that vary according to the particular psychotherapist. Other factors may be more subtle yet important, such as the personality of the therapist. You may be able to evaluate the fit with each therapist and to get a sense of their approach to therapy. Some therapists (myself included) offer a free, 10–15-minute consultation to evaluate the clinical issues, determine whether they are in the prospective therapist’s scope of practice, and allow the clinician to judge whether they have the appropriate skills and resources.
Psych Central has a directory of psychotherapists that are searchable by location and skill set. The author readily makes the suggestion of techniques such as dance therapy, art therapy, music therapy, as well as the option of seeking a consultation with a physician about medication (pharmacotherapy). Many times, psychotherapy is combined with medication as an adjunct in order to assist the individual in therapy focus, become better organized, and to derive the maximal benefits from their talk therapy.
Types of talk therapy
In the Psychology Today article, the author discusses several treatment approaches that are commonly used by mental health clinicians in their practice.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is about understanding the cause and effect between your thoughts, emotions, and behavior. People come to us with a myriad of different thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is difficult to change one's feelings, especially when those feelings are firmly entrenched in pessimistic, negative thinking. It's much easier to work with behaviors and, to a lesser extent thinking. So in therapy, the idea is that if we change our behaviors and thought patterns, it will significantly improve our feelings.”
This goal-oriented approach can include a number of techniques, such as:
· self-monitoring
· identifying negative thoughts
· goal setting
By challenging and modifying your existing views through CBT, you can adjust how to step into, experience, and think about the world.
Humanistic therapy
A humanistic therapy approach is different from CBT in that it focuses more on helping you gain self-efficacy by feeling worthy and fulfilled and be your true self (self-actualization). This type of talk therapy was pioneered by the brilliant psychologist Carl Rogers, who himself was a student of the famous pioneer Alfred Adler, who himself was as an Austrian medical doctor, psychotherapist, and founder of the school of individual psychology. Rogers was one of the founders of humanistic psychology and was known especially for his person-centered psychotherapy. Rogers's theory of the self is considered humanistic, existential, and phenomenological. The basic principles behind humanistic psychology are simple and distilled into these basic tenets:
· A person’s present functioning is the most significant aspect of their lives; thus, humanists emphasize the here and now instead of examining the past or attempting to predict the future.
· Individuals, if they are to be healthy, must take personal responsibility for their actions, regardless of whether the actions are positive or negative.
· People are inherently worthy simply by virtue of their existence. While their given behaviors may be negative, these actions do nothing to diminish that person’s value as a person.
· Attaining personal growth and understanding is the meaning of life and life’s purpose. In order to find true happiness, one must consistently work toward self-improvement and self-understanding.
In this form of talk therapy, the therapist is quite active and directive, and seeks to produce a given individual’s greatest version of themselves. It very much approximates the precursors to the contemporary positive psychology theme associated with much of today’s therapeutic approaches.
Psychoanalysis and Psychodynamic Therapy
Back in the early days when talk therapy was at its genesis, Sigmund Freud devised a novel and innovative form of talk therapy called psychoanalysis. In its most basic form, psychoanalysis posited that your unconscious thoughts motivated your behaviors and emotions. Your personality and identity being the result of your past experiences (primarily during childhood) and the conflicts one experiences, often during critical developmental phases. When the immature, primitive mind encounters such conflicts (which are often threatening to their functioning) and tries to cope with them, it often results in, among other defenses, a protective defense called repression. Psychoanalytic and more currently, psychodynamic approaches involve “analyzing and understanding repressed information in the form of emotions, thoughts, and experiences, and making them conscious, where the individual can deal with them. This type of therapy is particularly suited for “neurotic” issues that are deep seated and unavailable to an individual’s conscious awareness. The therapist (conventionally called a psychoanalyst) works with a patient by uncovering these conflicts to gain control over their influence in your life. See this for a study of psychodynamic theory and its efficacy.
Other common forms of psychotherapy include acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT).
Of course, when you feel that your life is at a crisis point, you should act 100% of the time with either 911 or a crisis center. Talk therapy is also a strong option to consider if you are:
· feeling suicidal or considering other self-harm behaviors
· experiencing emotional distress that isn’t transient or mild
· living with mental health conditions, such as anxiety or clinical depression
· looking to learn coping and communication skills
· looking to improve your relationship skills
· looking to improve your mental well-being
If interested in obtaining psychotherapy, you might think of your first session as a kind of “audition” whereby you are self-assessing your level of comfort and confidence in the therapist. Trust your own instincts!
To schedule your first appointment (my audition), please call 941-239-3045 An initial screening will be done via the phone.
If we feel compatibility with one another and I believe that I am able to help you, the appointment will be scheduled. If I am unable to help you, I will attempt to assist you in finding a therapist who can help.
· Shedler J. (2010). The Efficacy of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (jonathanshedler.com)
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