Module 13: Therapy and Treatment

Asylum

Institution created to house people with psychological disorders.

Aversive Conditioning

Counterconditioning technique pairing an unpleasant stimulus with an undesirable behavior.

Behavior Therapy

Therapeutic approach using principles of learning to help clients change undesirable behaviors.

Biomedical Therapy

Treatment involving medication and/or medical procedures to address psychological disorders.

Cognitive Therapy

Form of psychotherapy focusing on how thoughts lead to distress and aiming to change irrational thoughts.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Psychotherapy aimed at changing cognitive distortions and self-defeating behaviors.

Comorbid Disorder

When an individual has two or more diagnoses, often including substance abuse and another psychiatric disorder.

Confidentiality

Ethical principle where therapists cannot disclose private communications unless mandated or permitted by law.

Counterconditioning

Classical conditioning technique teaching a new response to a stimulus that previously elicited undesirable behavior.

Couples Therapy

Therapy for two people in an intimate relationship working to resolve conflicts.

Cultural Competence

Therapist’s understanding and attention to race, culture, and ethnicity in treatment.

Deinstitutionalization

Process of closing large asylums and integrating individuals into local community-based care.

Dream Analysis

Psychoanalytic technique where dreams are interpreted to uncover unconscious desires or struggles.

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

Biomedical therapy using electrical currents to induce seizures and alleviate severe depression.

Exposure Therapy

Counterconditioning technique presenting a feared object or situation to reduce fear through habituation.

Family Therapy

Group therapy involving one or more families working together.

Free Association

Psychoanalytic technique where patients say whatever comes to mind to uncover unconscious thoughts.

Group Therapy

Therapy where 5-10 individuals with similar issues meet with a clinician.

Humanistic Therapy

Therapeutic approach helping individuals become more self-aware and accepting.

Individual Therapy

One-on-one therapy sessions between client and clinician.

Intake

Initial meeting where the therapist gathers information to address the client’s immediate needs.

Involuntary Treatment

Therapy mandated by the courts or other systems.

Nondirective Therapy

Therapy where the clinician helps the client identify conflicts and feelings without giving advice.

Play Therapy

Process often used with children involving toys to resolve psychological issues.

Psychoanalysis

Therapy developed by Freud using techniques like free association, dream analysis, and transference.

Psychotherapy

Psychological treatment employing various methods to overcome personal problems or achieve growth.

Rational Emotive Therapy (RET)

A form of cognitive-behavioral therapy focusing on replacing irrational beliefs.

Relapse

Resumption of drug or alcohol use after a period of improvement.

Rogerian (Client-Centered) Therapy

Humanistic therapy developed by Carl Rogers emphasizing unconditional positive regard and self-acceptance.

Strategic Family Therapy

Therapist guides sessions with treatment plans addressing specific family issues in a short timeframe.

Structural Family Therapy

Therapy examining family boundaries and structures, such as decision-making and relationships.

Systematic Desensitization

Exposure therapy treating phobias by gradually exposing individuals to fear-inducing stimuli through a hierarchy.

Token Economy

Controlled setting reinforcing desirable behaviors with tokens exchangeable for privileges or items.

Transference

Psychoanalytic process where patients transfer emotions from other relationships to the therapist.

Unconditional Positive Regard

Fundamental acceptance of a person regardless of their actions or words, central to humanistic therapy.

Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy

Use of simulations to help individuals confront and overcome fears.

Voluntary Treatment

Therapy chosen willingly to alleviate symptoms.