Chapter 16: Therapy and Treatment

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to therapy and treatment as discussed in Chapter 16.

Psychotherapy

Treatment by a trained therapist using psychological techniques to help someone overcome psychological difficulties.

Biomedical therapy

Therapy that relies on drugs or medical procedures to improve psychological functioning.

Psychodynamic therapy

Therapy that brings unconscious conflicts and impulses into conscious awareness.

What is free association

A technique where patients say whatever comes to mind without censorship to uncover unconscious material.

What is dream interpretation?

Analyzing the symbolic meaning of dreams to uncover unconscious conflicts.

What is resistance in therapy

When a patient unconsciously blocks therapy progress due to anxiety-provoking material.

What is transference?

When patients project feelings toward significant people in their lives onto the therapist.

How long does traditional psychoanalysis last?

Frequent sessions, often for many years.

What basic assumption do behavioral therapies make?

Abnormal and normal behavior are both learned.

What is aversive conditioning?

Pairing unpleasant stimuli with undesired behavior to reduce that behavior.

What is systematic desensitization?

Gradually exposing a person to feared stimuli while teaching relaxation techniques.

What are exposure treatments?

Direct exposure to anxiety-provoking stimuli to reduce the fear response.

What is a token system?

Using rewards (tokens) for desired behaviors that can be exchanged for rewards.

What is contingency contracting?

A written agreement outlining behavioral goals and consequences.

What is observational learning in therapy?

Learning by watching the behavior of others.

What do cognitive therapies assume?

Dysfunction comes from maladaptive thinking patterns

What is the goal of cognitive therapy?

To change maladaptive thinking into more realistic and rational thought patterns.

What is cognitive restructuring?

Teaching clients to replace irrational beliefs with more adaptive ones.

What does the humanistic approach emphasize?

Personal control, responsibility, and the ability to choose one’s own path

What is client-centered (person-centered) therapy?

Therapy focused on enabling clients to reach their potential for self-actualization.

What is group therapy?

Unrelated individuals meet together with a therapist to discuss shared problems.

What is family therapy?

Therapy involving multiple family members, focusing on relational issues

What is self-help therapy?

Groups where people with similar issues meet to share experiences (e.g., Alcoholics Anonymous).

Is psychotherapy effective?

Yes, for most people—but not everyone. Success varies by individual and disorder.

Is any single form of therapy the best?

No single therapy works best for all problems.

What is spontaneous remission?

Improvement of psychological symptoms without formal treatment

What do antipsychotic drugs treat?

Severe symptoms such as hallucinations and loss of reality.

What do antidepressant drugs treat?

Severe depression by improving mood.

What do mood stabilizers treat?

Mood disorders like bipolar disorder.

What do antianxiety drugs do

Reduce anxiety and increase feelings of well-being

What is electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)?

A treatment involving a brief electric shock to the brain, causing loss of consciousness and seizures.

What is transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)?

A non-invasive depression treatment using magnetic pulses to stimulate brain regions.

What is psychosurgery?

Rarely used brain surgery to treat mental disorders.

What is a prefrontal lobotomy?

Removal or destruction of parts of the frontal lobes to reduce emotional disturbances.

What should a client feel toward their therapist?

Comfortable and supported.

What should a therapist have?

Proper training, credentials, and licensing.

Why is cultural competence important?

Therapists must understand and respect a client’s cultural background.

What should happen once therapy begins?

The client should feel they are making progress.