Approaches to Therapy
 As a consumer of mental health services, it is helpful to understand your therapist’s treatment orientation. There are multiple approaches clinicians use in psychotherapy. The following is an overview of the most commonly used approaches:
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, also known as CBT, works under the assumption that thoughts influence mood and behavior. In this modality, the therapist helps the individual identify inaccurate or maladaptive thoughts and beliefs they may have of themselves and the world. The therapist helps the individual identify these perceptions and develop tools to challenge and change inaccuracies.
Typically, you can expect CBT to be more structured, present-focused, educational, and time-limited than other approaches.
Dialectical-Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical-Behavioral Therapy, also known as DBT, is similar to CBT but includes four specific components:
- Distress Tolerance helps individuals learn effective coping skills to deal with emotionally charged events.
- Mindfulness teaches individuals to pay attention, non-judgmentally, to the present moment in order to better tolerate powerful emotions.
- Emotional regulation helps individuals identify and regulate their own feelings.
- Interpersonal effectiveness addresses strategies for communicating needs, saying no, and coping with interpersonal conflict.
DBT is typically in a very structured format including intensive group therapy and individual sessions.
Behavior Therapy
Behavior therapy is an approach that aims to replace problematic behaviors with more appropriate responses through environmental reinforcements and punishments. For example, a child who typically responds with violence would be given a gold star every time he uses non-violent measures to solve conflict. Another common form of behavior therapy is systematic desensitization. This approach is often used with individuals with specific phobias. These individuals are gradually exposed to an anxiety-provoking stimulus until it no longer elicits an anxious response. For example, a patient with a fear of snakes may look at a picture of a snake, then go to the zoo and look at a snake, and eventually move forward to holding a snake.
Psychodynamic Therapy
Psychodynamic therapy is based on the idea that current distress stems from unresolved, unconscious conflicts, generally stemming from childhood. The goal is for the individual to resolve conflicts and cope more effectively by talking about the experiences and bringing them to the conscious mind.
This modality is typically long-term, unstructured, and focused on childhood and past traumas.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR is a type of therapy aimed at helping individuals recover from traumatic experiences or unresolved life experiences. In session, the individual recalls the distressing event or trauma and related emotions while the therapist presents dual attention stimulus. This means that the individual experiences lateral eye movement, alternate hand-tapping or stimulus, or alternating auditory tones. The goal of EMDR is to make the memory less disturbing through reprocessing the event.
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
Solution-focused brief therapy is an approach that focuses exclusively on the presenting problem and future goals. The main focus is on goal setting and using current strengths and resources to meet these goals.
Art Therapy
Art therapy combines traditional psychotherapy with the use of art materials such as paint, chalk, sculpture, or other forms of expression. This approach uses art as a way to communicate difficult emotions and conflict.
Play Therapy
Play therapy is an approach used on children usually 11 or younger. Since children typically communicate through play, the therapist uses this natural outlet to help children express emotions and learn new coping skills. Play therapy uses games, stories, and imaginative play to help guide and heal young children.
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
IOP programs are typically used to treat chemical dependency or more severe mental health concerns. This treatment allows for very intensive treatment without needing residential or inpatient services. Individuals can participate in an IOP while still attending work and residing in their own home. Typical IOP programs are held in a group format that meets for 10-12 hours a week.
Source
MINES & Associates' HealthPsychology Team
About MINES & Associates
For 30 years, MINES & Associates has been a nationally recognized business psychology firm that provides a variety of services to corporate employers, including: employee assistance programs (EAP), managed behavioral healthcare, organizational development and psychology services, wellness programs, behavioral risk management, disease management, PPO services, and a number of other technology based services.
Please log on to http://www.minesandassociates.com for
the latest news and information on MINES & Associates.
Click
here for back issues.
|
Newsletters
