24 Overview of Psychotherapy and Therapy Techniques

A collection of key terms and definitions related to various psychotherapy modalities and therapeutic techniques.

Humanistic Therapies

Focus on self-awareness, self-acceptance, and the present; emphasizes taking responsibility for feelings and actions.

Cognitive Distortions

Illogical patterns of thinking that contribute to psychological problems, involving cognitive errors like all-or-nothing thinking and catastrophizing.

Rational-Emotive Therapy

Therapy based on an A-B-C model addressing how beliefs lead to emotional responses and behaviors.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Aims to change the way people think and act, focusing on problem-solving and structured interventions.

Exposure Therapy

A counterconditioning technique involving direct exposure to feared stimuli to reduce emotional responses.

Systematic Desensitization

A technique that gradually combines muscle relaxation with fear-inducing stimuli to lessen unwanted arousal.

Aversion Therapy

A form of counterconditioning that associates an unwanted state with an unwanted behavior to diminish the positive response.

Operant Conditioning

A learning principle involving reinforcement to change behavior, more effective than punishment in modifying actions.

Meta-analysis

A research method that combines results from multiple studies to determine overall effectiveness of treatments.

Psychopharmacology

The study of drug effects on mind and behavior, including antipsychotic, antianxiety, and antidepressant medications.

Antidepressants

Medications that treat depression by influencing the availability of neurotransmitters like serotonin.

Support Programs

Community initiatives aimed at providing assistance and resources to stressed families and improving mental health outcomes.

Post-traumatic Growth

The positive change that occurs as a result of the struggle with a major life crisis or traumatic event.