Psychotherapy and Related Therapies

Vocabulary flashcards based on the concepts and definitions of psychotherapy and related therapies.

Psychotherapy

A therapist uses psychological techniques to help someone overcome difficulties or grow personally.

Biomedical Therapy

The use of medications or medical procedures to treat psychological disorders.

Eclectic Approach

Blending techniques from different therapies based on the client's needs.

Psychoanalysis

Freud’s therapy aimed at uncovering unconscious conflicts through free association and dream analysis.

Resistance

When a client unconsciously blocks anxiety-producing thoughts during therapy.

Interpretation

The therapist suggests meanings behind a client's behaviors or dreams.

Transference

Redirecting emotions meant for others toward the therapist.

Psychodynamic Therapy

Therapy focusing on unconscious processes and early experiences to improve self-awareness.

Insight Therapies

Therapies aimed at increasing a person's self-awareness.

Humanistic Therapy

Therapy that focuses on promoting personal growth through self-awareness and self-acceptance.

Client-Centered Therapy

A type of humanistic therapy where the therapist uses acceptance and empathy to help the client.

Active Listening

The therapist echoes, restates, and clarifies what the client says.

Unconditional Positive Regard

Accepting and valuing a person without judgment.

Behavior Therapy

Therapy that applies learning principles to eliminate unwanted behaviors.

Counterconditioning

Teaching a new, positive response to a stimulus that once triggered fear.

Exposure Therapies

Gradually exposing people to what they fear to reduce anxiety.

Systematic Desensitization

Gradually associating a feared object with relaxation.

Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy

Using virtual simulations to expose people to their fears safely.

Aversive Conditioning

Associating unwanted behaviors with unpleasant feelings.

Token Economy

Rewarding desired behaviors with tokens that can be exchanged for treats.

Cognitive Therapy

Therapy that teaches people new, healthier ways of thinking.

Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)

A confrontational therapy that challenges irrational beliefs.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Combines cognitive and behavioral techniques to change thinking and behavior.

Group Therapy

Therapy conducted with groups, allowing shared experiences and support.

Family Therapy

Therapy that treats the family as a system, working on relationships.

Regression Toward the Mean

The tendency for unusual emotions to return to normal over time.

Meta-Analysis

Combining results of multiple studies to identify overall trends.

Evidence-Based Practice

Using the best research, clinical expertise, and patient values for treatment decisions.

Therapeutic Alliance

A trusting, caring relationship between therapist and client.

Resilience

The ability to recover from hardship.

Psychopharmacology

The study of how drugs affect mind and behavior.

Antipsychotic Drugs

Medications that treat symptoms of schizophrenia, like hallucinations.

Antianxiety Drugs

Drugs that reduce anxiety by depressing central nervous system activity.

Antidepressant Drugs

Medications that lift mood by increasing serotonin or norepinephrine.

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

A biomedical treatment for severe depression using electrical stimulation.

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)

Pulsing magnetic energy over the brain to stimulate or suppress activity.

Psychosurgery

Surgery that removes or destroys brain tissue to change behavior.

Lobotomy

An outdated procedure that cut nerves connecting the frontal lobes to emotional centers.