Which Psychotherapy Option Is Best for You?

Psychotherapy can assist with symptoms and challenges related to depression and other mental health issues. Also called behavioral therapy, psychotherapy seeks to help an individual understand their emotions and empower them to better face new challenges, both today and in the future. Like any other form of mental health care, psychotherapy also takes some form of medications. For example, if someone has depression and wants to work through the various symptoms with psychotherapy, they will have to be on one or more psychotropic medications.

psychotherapy

Depression counselors offer psychotherapy for a variety of different mental health issues. If you are seeing a mental health counselor for depression, you may first undergo a full assessment to determine whether or not you need help. This assessment will include things like the history of your depression and anxiety, as well as your current living situation. Your mental health counselor will help you explore those areas that need more awareness so that he or she can develop a treatment plan to help you.

Many psychiatrists and psychologists choose to work as independent psychiatrists or psychologists, while others choose to work as licensed clinical psychologists. Licensed clinical psychologists (LPH) have a Master’s degree in psychology, which prepares them to treat patients in a clinical setting. Many psychiatrists work as independent consultants, providing psychotherapy sessions and diagnosing mental health conditions for their clients. If you are interested in working in this area, you will have to complete a PsyD program at a university.

In addition to psychotherapy, some psychiatrists use medication to help treat their patients. a common medication used to treat depression includes SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors). These drugs are prescribed to help reduce depressive symptoms and treat other symptoms that mimic clinical depression. Some common medications used in conjunction with cognitive behavioural therapy include dialectical behaviour therapy and counselling. This type of psychotherapy helps to identify the root cause of the negative thoughts and beliefs about yourself and others, which are the basis of the problem.

A slightly different form of psychotherapy known as counselling is often prescribed by psychiatrists. In this form of treatment, the patient and counsellor work together to identify negative behaviours and thoughts that are preventing them from experiencing success in life. The counselling may take the form of individual sessions, group sessions, or a combination of different therapies. Cognitive behavioural therapy is sometimes used alongside psychotherapy in order to treat eating disorders. This type of psychotherapy works by identifying the thinking processes that lead to binge eating, compulsive eating, or even depression. The anti-anxiety and anti-spasmatic properties of certain medications are also being explored for the treatment of eating disorders.

CBT or cognitive behavioural therapy is the most widely researched form of psychotherapy in use today. It was initially developed in the US in the early 1970s, but it was not until recently that it came to be regarded as a valid form of medical psychotherapy. CBT incorporates a range of psychological techniques (such as colouring, imagery and hypnosis), as well as aspects of social psychology. Today, hundreds of thousands of individuals who suffer from eating disorders benefit from interpersonal therapy.

Psychodynamic psychotherapy, on the other hand, looks to discover the underlying emotional or psychological structure that contributes to the emergence of eating disorders. Answering this question begins with the identification of distorted or dysfunctional thoughts and beliefs. Then the therapist will investigate these assumptions further. For instance, if a person believes that weight gain can cause anorexia, then the psychotherapist will explore whether this is indeed true. Cognitive behavioural therapy can help to uncover and replace unhealthy and harmful thoughts with healthier and more positive ones.

The aim of psychotherapy, whether it is conducted by a trained therapist or self-administered under the guidance of a registered practitioner, is to help the client to change their behaviour and mindset. In the case of a bulimic patient, for example, the therapist might help the patient deal with feelings of guilt and shame that lead to self-loathing or to rationalise the negative aspects of their behaviour (such as overeating). By making changes to the client’s behaviour, the therapist can help to make changes to his or her own thinking and, importantly, the way he or she views his or her self and the world as a whole.