Types of Therapy and Treatments

These flashcards cover key concepts and vocabulary related to various therapies and treatments in psychology, providing definitions and insights into each term.

Psychotherapy

Talk-based treatment between a therapist and client.

Biomedical therapy

Use of medications or medical interventions to treat mental disorders.

Psychoanalysis

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

Psychodynamic therapy

Modern version of psychoanalysis; shorter, focuses on current problems and emotional insight.

Insight

Deep understanding of one’s own thoughts, feelings, and conflicts.

Resistance

Client avoids certain thoughts or topics because they provoke anxiety.

Transference

Client transfers feelings about important people onto the therapist.

Countertransference

Therapist projects personal feelings onto the client.

Humanistic therapy

Focuses on personal growth, free will, and self-actualization.

Person-centered therapy

Carl Rogers’ therapy emphasizing genuineness, empathy, and acceptance.

Unconditional positive regard

Nonjudgmental acceptance of the client.

Behavior therapy

Uses principles of learning (conditioning) to change behavior.

Exposure therapy

Helps clients face and reduce fear by gradually confronting feared situations.

Systematic desensitization

Exposure combined with relaxation techniques to reduce anxiety.

Cognitive therapy

Therapy that changes negative or distorted thinking patterns.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)

Mixes cognitive therapy + behavior therapy; focuses on both thoughts and behaviors.

Rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT)

Ellis’s approach that challenges irrational beliefs directly and forcefully.

Interpersonal therapy (IPT)

Short-term therapy focusing on relationships, communication, and social functioning.

Group therapy

One therapist works with multiple clients at once to share experiences and support.

Family therapy

Therapy targeting the family system to improve communication and relationships.

Meta-analysis

A method that combines results from many studies to determine overall treatment effectiveness.

Regression to the mean

Extreme symptoms often return to average levels naturally over time.

Spontaneous remission

Improvement of symptoms without any treatment.

Randomized controlled trial (RCT)

Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups to test effectiveness.

Placebo

An inactive treatment that still produces improvement because the person expects it to work.

Common factors

Therapeutic ingredients shared across most therapies (empathy, warmth, support).

Therapeutic alliance

The strong, trusting bond between therapist and client; a major predictor of success.

Antipsychotic drugs

Medications used to reduce symptoms of schizophrenia, especially positive symptoms (hallucinations, delusions).

Antidepressant drugs

Medications that treat depression and anxiety by altering neurotransmitter levels.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

A procedure using controlled electrical currents to treat severe depression when other treatments fail.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

A noninvasive treatment that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate the brain and reduce depression symptoms.

Talk-based treatment

Another term for psychotherapy.

Free association

A technique used in psychoanalysis where the client speaks freely to uncover unconscious thoughts.

Dream analysis

A method used in psychoanalysis to interpret dreams and understand unconscious desires.

Emotional insight

Understanding one's emotions and their impact on thoughts and behaviors.

Fear reduction

The process of lessening fear responses through therapy.

Neurotransmitter levels

Chemical messengers in the brain that antidepressant drugs aim to alter.

Communication improvement

A focus area in family therapy to enhance relationships.

Group sessions

Therapeutic meetings involving multiple clients sharing experiences.

Treatment effectiveness

The measure of how well a therapy works in practice.

Mental disorders

Conditions that affect a person's thinking, feeling, behavior, or mood.

Therapeutic support

The assistance offered by therapists to promote healing and growth.

Cognitive restructuring

A technique in cognitive therapy aimed at changing negative thought patterns.

Behavioral conditioning

A learning process that strengthens or weakens behavior through reinforcement.

Client-centered approach

An aspect of person-centered therapy where the client takes an active role in their healing.

Clinical efficacy

The ability of a treatment to provide a significant benefit in a controlled setting.

Therapy residual effects

The long-term impacts of therapy even after it has ended.

Client-therapist relationship

The professional bond that contributes significantly to the success of therapy.

Psychoanalytic techniques

Methods used in psychoanalysis, including free association and dream interpretation.

Symptoms alleviation

The relief of symptoms as a result of therapeutic intervention.