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Mental Health Professionals

Psychiatrist – A medical doctor who can prescribe medication and perform surgery for mental health problems.

Clinical Psychologist – Has a Ph.D. or Psy.D., completes an internship, and uses various therapies.

Counseling Psychologist – Holds a Ph.D., Ed.D., or M.A. in counseling; helps with less severe issues.

Psychoanalyst – Follows Freud’s ideas, explores unconscious feelings; may or may not be a medical doctor.

Marriage and Family Therapist – Has a master’s degree; focuses on family and environmental influences.

Insight Therapies (Understanding Yourself)

Insight Therapy – Helps people understand the cause of problems to create change.

Psychoanalysis – Freud’s therapy; uses free association, dream analysis, hypnosis.

Resistance – Avoiding topics due to discomfort, signaling important issues.

Interpersonal Psychotherapy – Focuses on present-day relationships and emotions.

Humanistic Therapies – Help people grow by creating a safe, accepting space.

Client-Centered Therapy – Nonjudgmental, supportive, uses active listening.

Unconditional Positive Regard – Total acceptance by the therapist.

Genuineness & Congruence – Therapist is honest and consistent.

Empathy – Deep understanding of the client’s feelings.

Gestalt Therapy – Confronts past issues to gain present control.

Used For: Depression, relationship problems, eating disorders.

Behavioral Therapies (Changing Actions)

Behavior Therapy – Based on learning theory; uses rewards and practice to change habits.

Systematic Desensitization – Gradually facing fears while staying calm.

Anxiety Hierarchy – Ranking fears from least to most scary.

In Vivo – Facing fears in real life.

Virtual Reality Therapy – Simulated fear exposure.

Flooding – Immediate exposure to intense fear.

Aversive Conditioning – Pairs bad habits with unpleasant experiences.

Behavior Modification / Token Economy – Rewards for small steps and good behavior.

Social Skills Training – Teaches interaction through role-playing and practice.

Counterconditioning – Replaces fear response with calm response.

Used For: Anxiety, phobias, addictions, autism, bedwetting.

Cognitive Therapies (Changing Thoughts)

Cognitive Therapy – Fixes harmful thinking patterns.

Cognitive Restructuring – Replacing negative thoughts with realistic ones.

Overgeneralization – Viewing one bad event as a pattern; common in depression.

CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) – Combines cognitive and behavioral strategies.

REBT (Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy) – Ellis’ ABC model:

A = Activating event

B = Belief

C = Consequence (emotion/behavior)

Beck’s Cognitive Therapy – Changes negative thinking about self, world, future.

Used For: Depression, anxiety, eating disorders, pain, relationships.

Biological Therapies (Medical Treatments)

Biological Approach – Mental illness is linked to brain chemicals, structure, or genes. Uses medication, ECT, or surgery.

Psychotropic Medications:

Antianxiety Drugs – Increase GABA to calm the brain (e.g., Xanax, Valium, BuSpar).

Antidepressants – Boost serotonin/norepinephrine.

MAOIs – Stop breakdown of mood chemicals.

Tricyclics – Block reuptake of serotonin/norepinephrine.

SSRIs – Block serotonin reuptake (e.g., Prozac, Zoloft).

SNRIs – Block serotonin & norepinephrine (e.g., Effexor).

Bupropion – Affects dopamine.

Mood Stabilizers – For bipolar disorder.

Lithium – Effective but has risks.

Anticonvulsants – Originally for seizures (e.g., Depakote).

Atypical Antipsychotics – Sometimes used (e.g., Abilify).

Stimulants – Raise dopamine/serotonin; for ADHD (e.g., Ritalin, Adderall).

Antipsychotics (Neuroleptics) – Reduce dopamine.

Typical: Thorazine, Haldol (risk of tardive dyskinesia).

Atypical: Risperdal, Seroquel, Abilify.

Other Biological Treatments:

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) – Controlled seizures used for severe depression; patient is under anesthesia.

Psychosurgery – Rare procedure involving brain tissue removal (e.g., lobotomy).

Mental Health Movement

Deinstitutionalization – Shift from hospitals to outpatient care in the community.

Community Mental Health Centers – Provide therapy, support, and medication.

Community Psychology – Studies how social environments affect mental health and focuses on prevention.