CH 16: Treatment of Psychological Disorders

treatment / therapy

systematic procedures designed to change abnormal behaviour into more normal behaviour

psychotherapy

a treatment system in which a client and therapist use words and acts to overcome the client’s psychological difficulties

biological therapy

the use of physical and chemical procedures to help people overcome psychological difficulties

psychotropic drugs

medications that act primarily on the brain

antipsychotic drugs

psychotropic drugs that help correct grossly confused or distorted thinking

antidepressant drugs

psychotropic drugs that lift the mood of depressed people

mood stabilizing drugs

psychotropic drugs that help stabilize the moods of people suffering from bipolar disorder

anti-anxiety drugs

psychotropic drugs that reduce tension and anxiety

placebo

an inactive substance, such as a sugar pill or distilled water, that mimics a drug but has no active ingredients

electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

use of electric shock to trigger a brain seizure in hopes of relieving abnormal functioning

vagus nerve stimulation

a procedure in which an implanted device sends electrical signals to the brain through the vagus nerve; used to treat severe depression

transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

a procedure in which an electromagnetic coil placed on or above a person’s head sends a current into the prefrontal cortex; used to treat severe depression

psychosurgery

brain surgery often used in hopes of relieving abnormal functioning

trephining

prehistoric practice of chipping a hole in the skull as a treatment for various brain conditions

lobotomy

surgical practice of cutting the connections between the frontal lobe and the lower centres of the brain

deep brain stimulation

a procedure in which implanted electrodes deliver constant low stimulation to a small area of the brain; used to treat severe depression, Parkinson’s disease, and epilepsy

free association

psychodynamic therapy technique of allowing clients to freely talk about whatever they want

3 therapist interpretations

• resistance

• transference

• dreams

resistance

practice in which clients encounter a block in their free associations or change the subject to avoid a potentially painful discussion

transference

process through which clients come to act and feel toward the therapist as they did toward important figures in their childhood

dream interpretation

a client’s dreams can help reveal the person’s unconscious instincts

manifest content

the consciously remembered dream

latent content

the symbolic meaning

catharsis

reliving of past repressed feelings as a means of settling internal conflicts and overcoming problems

relational psychoanalytic therapy

a school of psychodynamic therapy holding that therapists should work to form more equal relationships with clients

aversion therapy

therapy designed to help clients to acquire anxiety responses to stimuli that the clients have been finding too attractive

token economy

operant conditioning therapy program in which participants receive tokens (can be traded for rewards) when they display desired behaviours

social skills training

behavioural therapy technique in which therapists serve as models and teachers to help clients acquire desired social behaviours

rational-emotive behavioural therapy

Ellis’s therapy technique designed to help clients discover and change the irrational assumptions that govern their emotions, behaviours, and thinking

cognitive therapy

Beck’s cognitive therapy technique designed to help clients recognize and change their dysfunctional thoughts and ways of thinking

client-centered therapy

humanistic therapy designed to help clients experience unconditional positive regard and look at themselves honestly and acceptingly

gestalt therapy

move clients toward self-recognition and self-acceptance

• Perl’s favourite techniques

  • skillful frustration

  • role playing

  • rules

individual therapy

psychotherapy format in which the therapist sees the client alone; the oldest of the modern formats

group therapy

psychotherapy format in which a therapist sees several clients at the same time

therapy outcome studies

research that looks at the effects of various treatments

culture-sensitive therapies

approaches that seek to address the unique issues faced by members of cultural minority groups

gender-sensitive / feminist therapies

approaches that seek to address the unique pressures of being female

empirically supported / evidence based treatment movement

movement to help clinicians become more familiar with and apply research findings concerning the effectiveness of particular treatments