Therapy and Psychotherapy Evaluation

Evaluating Psychotherapies

Clients’ Perceptions of Psychotherapy Effectiveness

  • Client self-reports indicate that psychotherapy is effective.

Clinicians’ Perceptions of Psychotherapy Effectiveness

  • Most clinicians report success in therapies.

  • Failures of other therapists are acknowledged.

Empirical Research

  • Therapy has been shown to:

    • Aid in faster recoveries.

    • Lower the chances of relapse for clients.

Effective Therapy Forms for Particular Problems

Cognitive and Cognitive-Behavior Therapies

  • Focus on changing maladaptive thought patterns.

  • Utilize strategies that are empirically supported to tackle cognitive distortions.

Behavioral Conditioning Therapies

  • Involve changing behaviors through conditioning techniques, such as reinforcement and punishment.

Psychodynamic Theory

  • Based on the unconscious mind and childhood experiences.

  • Emphasizes the importance of insight and self-reflection.

Nondirective (Person-Centered) Counseling

  • Therapist provides a supportive environment, facilitating clients’ self-exploration and personal growth.

Psychotherapies that Lack Scientific Support

  • Energy Therapies

  • Rebirthing Therapies

  • Therapies Using Facilitated Communication

  • Conversion Therapies

Ethical Principles in Psychotherapy

  • According to the American Psychological Association, therapists should:

    • Seek to benefit clients while doing no harm.

    • Establish a trustworthy relationship and clearly defined roles.

    • Be honest, truthful, and accurate in treatment.

    • Promote justice and fairness, ensuring access to therapeutic benefits for all.

    • Respect the dignity and worth of clients, upholding privacy, confidentiality, and self-determination.

Therapeutic Effectiveness - The Placebo Effect

The Biomedical Therapies

  • Definition: Biomedical therapies involve changing the brain’s chemistry through multiple means.

    • Drugs

    • Electrical stimulation

    • Magnetic impulses

    • Psychosurgery

    • Lifestyle changes (Therapeutic lifestyle change)

    • Components include exercise, nutrition, relationships, recreation, relaxation, and engagement in religious or spiritual practices.

Antipsychotic Drugs

  • Utilized for treating schizophrenia and other related disorders.

    • First Generation: Chlorpromazine/Thorazine.

    • New Generation: Risperidone/Zyprexa/Olanzapine.

    • Mechanism: Reduce overreactions to irrelevant stimuli by mimicking neurotransmitter actions.

    • Often combined with life-skills programs and family support for comprehensive treatment.

Antianxiety Drugs

  • Purpose: Calm anxiety as clients learn to manage anxiety-inducing situations.

  • Examples: Xanax, Ativan.

  • Effective combination with psychological therapies for treating anxiety-related disorders such as:

    • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

    • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Antidepressant Drugs

  • Used for treating a variety of disorders such as depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, OCD, and PTSD.

  • Mechanism: Increase availability of norepinephrine and serotonin in the brain.

  • Includes Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) which inhibit synaptic reuptake of serotonin, additionally promoting the birth of new brain cells.

Other Treatments for Mood Disorders

  • Depakote: Effective for controlling manic episodes associated with bipolar disorders.

  • Lithium: Known for stabilizing emotional extremes in bipolar disorder.

  • Mood-Stabilizing Medications: Help manage mood swings.

  • Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT): A biomedical therapy for severe depression often reserved for treatment-resistant cases.