Untitled Flashcards Set

Theoretical orientation

A therapist’s belief system about the cause and nature of psychological distress and the appropriate treatment.

Dream interpretation

A psychodynamic therapy technique that analyzes the meaning of symbols from dreams to help access the unconscious.

Transference

The process in psychodynamic therapy where feelings directed at one person are redirected to another person, often the therapist.

Self-actualization

An individual's ability to live up to his or her full human potential, a concept from humanistic therapy.

Unconditional positive regard

A client-centered technique where the therapist communicates positive feelings and acceptance to the client, regardless of what the client says or does.

Gestalt therapy

A humanistic therapy developed by Fritz Perls, focusing on being present rather than on what could be.

Learned helplessness

A phenomenon where an individual gives up trying to escape an adverse situation after repeated failures.

Token economies

A behavioral therapy technique that reinforces positive behaviors with tokens that can be exchanged for rewards.

Cognitive distortions

Automatic and irrational perceptions of the world that contribute to feelings of anxiety or depression.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

An evidence-based treatment combining cognitive and behavioral techniques to identify solutions for patients’ concerns.

Evidence based practice (EBP)

The effective integration of patient context, therapist expertise, and research evidence in psychotherapy.

Meta-analysis study

A study that analyzes the results of many studies at once.

Culture-bound syndrome

A psychological disorder that occurs only in a specific cultural context.

Multicultural competence

A therapist's ability to work effectively with patients from various cultural backgrounds.

Prevention

An attempt to reduce the incidence of psychological disorders by addressing their causes.

Resilience

The ability to thrive and succeed despite adverse circumstances.

Client-centered therapy

The most popular humanistic therapy created by Carl Rogers that focuses on authenticity and a healthy self-concept.

Active listening

A client-centered technique where the therapist communicates interest in what the client is saying to encourage openness.

Socratic questioning

A cognitive therapy technique that helps patients identify cognitive distortions by asking critical questions.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

A biomedical treatment that uses small electric currents to intentionally cause a seizure in the brain.

Deep brain stimulation

An invasive treatment that delivers electric shocks directly to the brain through an implanted electrode.

Eclectic therapy

A therapy style where the therapist draws from various treatment approaches.

Individual psychotherapy

A format in which a patient and a mental health professional meet one-on-one.

Family therapy

A format where a therapist provides psychological treatment to a family unit.

Randomized control trial

An experiment that randomly assigns participants to receive either a psychological treatment or a placebo.

Aaron T. Beck

The creator of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

Mary Cover-Jones

One of the first to apply classical conditioning techniques to psychological treatment.

Albert Ellis

An early pioneer of cognitive therapy and creator of rational-emotive behavioral therapy.

Sigmund Freud

The founder of psychoanalytic therapy, known as the first 'talking cure.'

Carl Rogers

The creator of client-centered therapy, the most popular humanistic psychotherapy.