ch 16.3 & 16.4 Evidence based therapies - Historical Insight Therapies

Empirically supported treatments

most psychological interventions have been tested and evaluated using sound research designs

limitations: 1. no double-blind procedures (not possible in talk therapy), 2. ethical considerations for control groups (can’t not give people treatment), 3. cannot standardize therapeutic alliance (relationship between client and therapist will always vary)

Bibliotherapy

the use of self-help books and other reading materials as a form of therapy - can be more convenient + easily accessible and a cheaper alternative. will not give some people the professional help they require

• minor effects: if beneficial, it is minor and not for severe conditions

• questionable source material: on the internet, anyone can say anything, even in books some have no peer review and not written by experts

historical insight therapies

dialogue between client and therapist for the purposes of gaining awareness and understanding of psychological problems

Psychodynamic therapies

forms of insight therapy that emphasize the need to discover and resolve unconscious conflicts - unconscious mind, freud used dream analysis and free association where he would get them to talk about whatever came up and he believed it was a clue of revealing their unconscious mind

humanistic existential psychotherapy

pushing back against psychodynamic review (ego, id, etc) emphasized that we are empowered to change and have the ability to get better

phenomenological approach

therapist listens empathetically and addresses the clients subjective feelings and thoughts as they unfold in the present moment - much less therapist directed, simply just listened to their clients and reassured them they weren’t being judged and made them feel comfortable

• unconditional positive regard : making sure the client is assured there is no strings attached, unconditionally loving and respecting them to help them heal