Week 2: Intro to Psychotherapy

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering terms and definitions from the Introduction to Psychotherapy lecture, including schools of therapy, diagnostic criteria, and clinical research methods.

Physiology Psychology

The term used for psychology prior to the existence of the specific name, when it was considered analogous to physiology and confined to philosophy.

Lightner Witmer

Known as the father of clinical psychology; he founded the first clinical psychology practice in $1896$ and coined the term in $1907$.

Clinical Psychology

A field concerned with diagnosing and treating mental, emotional, and behavioural disorders, integrating scientific research and psychological theory.

Psychodynamic Model

A model of therapy that focuses on unconscious processes, internal conflicts, and the influence of early childhood experiences on current behavior.

Transference

A psychodynamic phenomenon where a client projects feelings and attitudes from past relationships onto their therapist.

Countertransference

The therapist's emotional response toward a client, often evoked by the client's behaviors or expressions.

Defense Mechanisms

Psychological strategies used to manage or hide internal conflicts, such as repression, denial, or projection.

Free Association

A technique where clients are encouraged to verbalize all thoughts that come to mind without censorship or filtering to uncover unconscious elements.

Psychoanalysis

A long-term, intensive psychotherapy involving multiple sessions per week, often with the client lying on a couch, conducted by a certified psychotherapist.

Biological Model

A perspective stating that mental disorders have physical causes such as brain structure abnormalities, genetic factors, or biochemical imbalances.

Biopsychosocial Model

A framework that views health and illness as a result of a complex interplay between biological, psychological, and social factors.

Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB)

A framework used in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture where health refers to the social, emotional, and cultural wellbeing of the whole community.

Behavioural Model

A therapy model that focuses on observable behaviors and the ways they are learned through conditioning, rather than internal thoughts/feelings.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process developed by Ivan Pavlov where a previously neutral Conditioned Stimulus ($CS$) is paired with an Unconditioned Stimulus ($US$) to trigger a Conditioned Response ($CR$).

Operant Conditioning

A learning theory developed by B.F. Skinner where behavior is shaped by its consequences, specifically reinforcers or punishers.

Thorndike's Law of Effect

The principle that behaviors followed by satisfying outcomes are more likely to recur, while those followed by discomfort are less likely to recur.

SORCK

An acronym used for behavior analysis representing Stimuli ($S$), Organism ($O$), Response ($R$), Consequences ($C$), and Contingencies ($K$).

Systematic Desensitization

A behavioural technique used for phobias involving gradual, controlled exposure to a feared object or situation.

Cognitive-Behavioural Model (CBT)

A therapy model based on the principle that the way we think affects how we behave and feel, utilizing techniques like cognitive restructuring.

ABC Model

A cognitive framework consisting of the Activating event ($A$), Beliefs or thoughts ($B$), and the emotional or behavioral Consequences ($C$).

Cognitive Restructuring

The process of identifying negative or unhelpful thoughts and replacing them with more realistic thoughts.

DSM

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; a classification system providing criteria and decision rules for diagnosing over $300$ mental health conditions.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

A mood disorder requiring five or more symptoms, including persistent sad mood or loss of interest, for at least $2$ weeks.

Anhedonia

The markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities; a key symptom of depression.

Spontaneous Recovery

The process of recovering from a major depressive episode without intervention, occurring within $12$ months for $4/5$ of people.

Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

An anxiety disorder characterized by excessive, uncontrollable worry and rumination, often resulting in hypervigilance and fatigue.

Panic Disorder

An anxiety disorder characterized by sudden overwhelming attacks of terror with physical symptoms like shortness of breath and sweating.

Comorbidity

The coexistence of two or more disorders in a single individual, such as panic disorder occurring with Major Depressive Disorder.

Diathesis-stress model

A causal model suggesting that a disorder develops from an interaction between a biological vulnerability (diathesis) and environmental stress.

Rachman's Three Pathways

The three methods through which anxiety disorders are acquired: direct experience (conditioning), instructional learning, and vicarious learning (modelling).

Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT)

The 'Gold Standard' for clinical trials, involving recruitment criteria, random assignment, and systematic assessment of outcomes.

Meta-Analysis

A research method that searches for all available studies on a topic, evaluates them on specific criteria, and draws conclusions about the evidence base.