- Last edited on April 30, 2020
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Psychotherapy
Welcome to the Psychotherapy section. Psychotherapy is the use of psychological methods and regular interactions to help an individual change and overcome psychiatric symptoms. Psychotherapies are central to international consensus treatment guidelines for best evidence-based care. Click on a specific therapy below to learn more about each one.
Patient-type | Focus | ||
---|---|---|---|
Short-term | |||
Persistent maladaptive thoughts, avoidance behavior, must able to participate in weekly homework | Identify and challenge maladaptive thoughts, change emotions and behavior coming from thoughts, behaviorial techniques: breathing, exposure, goal-setting, visualization | ||
Relationship conflicts, life-role transitions, grief | “The here and now,” current relationships and conflicts. Specifically indicated for individuals with a major depressive episode. | ||
Variable-term | |||
Borderline personality, self-harming | Acceptance and change, emotional regulation, mindfulness, distress tolerance, manage self-harm, group therapy | ||
Substance use disorders | Address ambivalence to change, non-judgmental, enhance motivation to change, acknowledge resistance | ||
Disruptive behaviour in children, eating disorders, schizophrenia | Family therapy is a multi person modality for when psychological symptoms are exacerbated by interpersonal interactions within the family | ||
Lower functioning, in crisis, psychotic, cognitively impaired | Therapist is the guide, reinforce coping skills, listen and foster understanding, build up adaptive defense mechanisms | ||
Long-term | |||
Higher functioning, persistent patterns of dysfunction, more neurotic | Unconscious conflicts cause symptoms, explore past relationship/conflicts, use transference, break down defense mechanisms | ||
Other | |||
Anyone | Noticing the present, focusing on breathing and relaxation | ||
Anyone | A mindfulness-based therapy that uses acceptance and mindfulness strategies, together with commitment and behaviour change strategies, to increase psychological flexibility. | ||
Anyone | An approach to therapy for patients presenting with trauma-related symptoms |
“These mountains that you are carrying, you were only supposed to climb.” ― Najwa Zebian