Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a means of dealing with emotional problems by engaging in counselling with a trained individual. That individual may be trained as a psychiatrist, a family or occupational therapist, a social worker, a counsellor, a psychoanalyst or a psychologist. The primary goals are to improve and develop the individual’s sense of well being, relationships and mental health.
The history of psychotherapy goes back almost as far as recorded history. The first noted purposeful and theoretically based instances are from the Middle East in the 9th century. The development of treatment for mental defect began in the 18th century. Up to that time, these issues were often viewed as some type of demonic presence and treatment was less than kind. Freud developed the first treatments geared toward the unconscious mind. Carl Rogers began a mainstream treatment regimen for patients in the 1950’s that was the beginning of what we know today. Since then many types have developed including Behaviourism and Gestalt.
There are many forms of psychotherapy used today. Many involve conversation where a client works out their problems by talking to a therapist of some kind. Sometimes other methods such as art or drama are also employed along with conversation. It is a structured process designed to treat some type of diagnosed emotional or mental problem. Several systems are used in treatment. Psychoanalytic encourages the client to verbalize all thoughts no matter how irrelevant they may seem. Free associations, dreams and fantasies may be discussed during the course of treatment. Cognitive behavioural takes aim at destructive emotions and behaviours. Psychodynamic’s focus is to relieve mental tension by uncovering the contents of the psyche.
Other forms of psychotherapy include existential, humanistic, systemic and brief. Existential contends that to overcome isolation, one must create their own values and meanings because we are all essentially alone in the world. Humanistic developed out of psychoanalysis and behaviourism. It deals with subjective meaning and a focus on positive personal growth. It is about our context within the world and that we create our place in it. It is about self actualization. Systemic looks beyond the individual focus to how we function in the various groups we belong to. It has to do with improve our interaction within those groups. Brief is a term that applies to several methods. What they have in common is that they deal with a specific problem and involve a direct intervention. It is about finding the solution rather than analyzing the problem.
Tom Smith common name, uncommon therapy
