What is Psychotherapy?

You may have heard the term psychotherapy and have wondered exactly what it means. Many therapists, psychologists and mental health professionals use terms like psychotherapy and cognitive behaviour, however the average person isn’t familiar with the meaning of these psychology-related terms. Psychotherapy and therapy are sometimes used interchangeably. Simply put, the goals of psychotherapy are to: • increase an individual’s sense of their own well-beingrn• improve mental health • improve relationships There are many different techniques and methods that psychotherapists use to achieve these goals. Some techniques include: • relationship buildingrn• dialoguern• communicationrn• behaviour changern• role play As with any professional in the field of psychology, all discussions you have with a psychotherapist are completely confidential. Confidentiality is important to the field of psychology because it is related to trust, openness and professionalism. There are numerous schools of thought regarding psychotherapy and depending on your therapists’ own educational background and beliefs, they may follow one or more approach:rnPsychoanalytic – based on the rehabilitation of thoughts including free associations, fantasies and dreamsrn• Behaviour Therapy – focuses on changing patterns of behaviour to improve emotional responses and interactions with othersrn• Cognitive Behavioural – focuses on identifying and influencing or changing destructive or dysfunctional beliefs, reactions, emotions and behavioursrn• Psychodynamic – focuses on revealing the unconscious content of the psyche (subconscious) in an effort to alleviate psychological tensionsrn• Existential – a philosophical approach based on the existential belief that humans are alone in the world, which leads to feelings of meaninglessness which are overcome by creating or recreating one’s own values and meaningsrn• Humanistic – an existential approach that believes human understanding is based on the development of the individual with an emphasis on subjective meaning and a concern for positive growth. Psychotherapy can help identify and treat a number of mental health problems, including (but not limited to): • Depressionrn• Anxietyrn• Eating disordersrn• Addiction and alcoholismrn• Bipolar disorderrn• Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorderrn• Obsessive Compulsive Disorderrn• Post Traumatic Stress DisorderrnYou should contact your local mental health professional if you are considering psychotherapy or would like to learn more about therapy and how it can help you or your family. Many psychotherapists accept insurance plans or offer variable fee rates so that help is affordable. It takes courage to seek the help of a professional therapist, but you will find that once you do, the process can be comfortable and rewarding.