Module 53 - Therapy Flashcards
Two Major Categories: 1)
1) Biomedical
2) Psychotherapy
Biomedical
involve drugs or medical procedures Best: conditions with biological basis schizophrenia
Psychotherapy
based on psychological principles (dozen types)
e.g. Learning-based, humanistic, cognitive, psychodynamic “trained” psychotherapists (no medications)
Best: phobias, personality disorders, substance abuse
Psychoanalysis:
discover unconscious origin of psychological problems believed to be repressed childhood traumas, conflicts bring unconscious causes into conscious awareness awareness leads to release of hidden forces.
Methods: (To gain access to unconscious)
- Free Association
- Resistance
- Transference
Free Association:
patient relaxes on couch (therapist remains out of sight). Patient told to say whatever comes to mind (recent dreams, remote memories)
Resistance:
when getting closer to unconscious motives, patient may pause, laugh, or change subject… nothing is by accident. These areas would then be explored.
Transference:
patient acts begins to act toward therapist as though therapist were figure from past (hostility or desire)
Interpretation: Therapist explains meanings of thoughts, pauses, dream content etc. to patient.
Psychodynamic Therapy:
- Similar to psychoanalysis
- Uncover childhood relationship problems (let’s talk about your relationship with your mother…)
- Examines relationship with therapist for insights (transference)
- Explores defended against thoughts (like repression)
Interpersonal Psychotherapy
brief version of psychodynamic therapy
Humanistic Psychotherapy
Emphasizes inherent tendency for growth (self-actualization)
Unconditional Positive Regard:
In a non-judgemental environment, clients more likely to
accept their worse traits yet feel valued
Behavior Therapies
doubt the healing power of self-awareness.
knowing you are afraid of sharks in pool, doesn’t help
Counterconditioning
goal is to replace a negative response (CR) to a (harmless) stimulus with an incompatible positive CR (e.g. relaxation) through conditioning
Exposure Therapies
Systematic Desensitization (phobia) construct hierarchy of imagined anxiety producing situations. train person to relax (new CR) and to imagine least fearful scene on list (pairing US with new CR)
