PS1145 psychological therapies

Therapy

treatment methods aimed at making people feel better and function more effectively

Psychotherapy

therapy for mental disorders in which a person with a problem talks with a psychological professional

Insight therapy

psychotherapy in which the main goal is helping people to gain insight with respect to their behaviour, thoughts, and feelings

Action therapy

psychotherapy in which the main goal is to change disordered or inappropriate behaviour directly

Biomedical

uses biological treatment in the form of a medical procedure

Deinstitutionalization

the process of removing people with mental disorders from hospitals and placing them in the community

Psychoanalysis

an insight therapy based on the theory of Freud, emphasizing the revealing of unconscious conflicts

Manifest content

the actual content of one's dream

Latent content

the symbolic or hidden meaning of dreams

Free association

Freudian technique in which a patient was encouraged to talk about anything that came to mind without fear of negative evaluations

Resistance

occurring when a patient becomes reluctant to talk about a certain topic, either changing the subject or becoming silent

Transference

in psychoanalysis, the tendency for a patient or client to project positive or negative feelings for important people from the past onto the therapist

Psychodynamic therapy

a newer and more general term for therapies based on psychoanalysis, with an emphasis on transference, shorter treatment times, and a more direct therapeutic approach

Nondirective

therapy style in which the therapist remains relatively neutral and does not interpret or take direct actions with regard to the client, instead remaining a calm, nonjudgmental listener while the client talks

Directive

therapy in which the therapist actively gives interpretations of a client's statements and may suggest certain behaviour or actions

Person-centred therapy

a less-directive insight therapy based on the work of Carl Rogers in which the client does all the talking and the therapist listens

Reflection

therapy technique in which the therapist restates what the client says rather than interpreting those statements

Unconditional positive regard

the warmth, respect, and accepting atmosphere created by the therapist for the client in person-centred therapy

Empathy

the ability of the therapist to understand the feelings of the client

Authenticity

the genuine, open, and honest response of the therapist to the client

Gestalt therapy

form of directive insight therapy in which the therapist helps clients to accept all parts of their feelings and subjective experiences, using leading questions and planned experiences such as role-playing

Behaviour therapies

action therapies based on the principles of classical and operant conditioning and aimed at changing disordered behaviour without concern for the original causes of such behaviour

Behaviour modification or applied behaviour analysis

the use of learning techniques to modify or change undesirable behaviour and increase desirable behaviour

Systematic desensitization

behaviour technique used to treat phobias, in which a client is asked to make a list of ordered fears and taught to relax while concentrating on those fears

Aversion therapy

form of behavioural therapy in which an undesirable behaviour is paired with an aversive stimulus to reduce the frequency of the behaviour

Counterconditioning

replacing an old conditioned response with a new one by changing the unconditioned stimulus

Exposure therapies

behavioural techniques that expose individuals to anxiety- or fear-related stimuli, under carefully controlled conditions, to promote new learning

Flooding

technique for treating phobias and other stress disorders in which the person is rapidly and intensely exposed to the fear-provoking situation or object and prevented from making the usual avoidance or escape response

Modelling

learning through the observation and imitation of others

Participant modelling

technique in which a model demonstrates the desired behaviour in a step-by-step, gradual process while the client is encouraged to imitate the model

Reinforcement

the strengthening of a response by following it with a pleasurable consequence or the removal of an unpleasant stimulus

Token economy

the use of objects called tokens to reinforce behaviour in which the tokens can be accumulated and exchanged for desired items or privileges

Contingency contract

a formal, written agreement between the therapist and client (or teacher and student) in which goals for behavioural change, reinforcements, and penalties are clearly stated

Extinction

the removal of a reinforcer to reduce the frequency of a behaviour

Time-out

an extinction process in which a person is removed from the situation that provides reinforcement for undesirable behaviour, usually by being placed in a quiet corner or room away from possible attention and reinforcement opportunities

Cognitive therapy

therapy in which the focus is on helping clients recognize distortions in their thinking and replace distorted, unrealistic beliefs with more realistic, helpful thoughts

Arbitrary inference

distortion of thinking in which a person draws a conclusion that is not based on any evidence

Selective thinking

distortion of thinking in which a person focuses on only one aspect of a situation while ignoring all other relevant aspects

Overgeneralization

distortion of thinking in which a person draws sweeping conclusions based on only one incident or event and applies those conclusions to events that are unrelated to the original

Magnification and minimization

distortions of thinking in which a person blows a negative event out of proportion to its importance (magnification) while ignoring relevant positive events (minimization)

Personalization

distortion of thinking in which a person takes responsibility or blame for events that are unconnected to the person

Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT)

action therapy in which the goal is to help clients overcome problems by learning to think more rationally and logically

Group therapy

form of therapy or treatment during which a small group of clients with similar concerns meet together with a therapist to address their issues

Family counseling (family therapy)

a form of group therapy in which family members meet together with a counsellor or therapist to resolve problems that affect the entire family

Self-help groups (support groups)

a group composed of people who have similar problems and who meet together without a therapist or counsellor for the purpose of discussion, problem solving, and social and emotional support

Psychopharmacology

the use of drugs to control or relieve the symptoms of psychological disorders

Antipsychotic drugs

drugs used to treat psychotic symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, and other bizarre behaviour

Antianxiety drugs

drugs used to treat and calm anxiety reactions, typically minor tranquilizers

Antimanic drugs

drugs used to treat bipolar disorder and include lithium and certain anticonvulsant drugs

Antidepressant drugs

drugs used to treat depression and anxiety

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

form of biomedical therapy to treat severe depression in which electrodes are placed on either one or both sides of a person's head and an electric current is passed through the electrodes that is strong enough to cause a seizure or convulsion

Bilateral ECT

electroconvulsive therapy in which the electrodes are placed on both sides of the head

Unilateral ECT

electroconvulsive therapy in which the electrodes are placed on only one side of the head and the forehead

Psychosurgery

surgery performed on brain tissue to relieve or control severe psychological disorders; used as a last resort

Prefrontal lobotomy

the connections of prefrontal lobes of the brain to the rear portions are severed

Transorbital lobotomy

instrument inserted through back of eye socket to sever brain fibers

Bilateral anterior cingulotomy

uses magnetic resonance imaging to guide electrodes to cingulate gyrus

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)

magnetic pulses are applied to the cortex

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)

uses scalp electrodes to pass very low amplitude direct currents to the brain

Deep brain stimulation (DBS)

It involves the implantation of a pulse generator, a device that will send electric stimulation to specific areas of the brain.