Psychotherapy
Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, is a way to help people with a broad variety of mental illnesses and emotional difficulties. Psychotherapy can help eliminate or control troubling symptoms to increase well-being and healing.
Psychotherapy may either be for the individual, a couple, a family, or even an entire group of children and/or adults. Sessions are typically held once a week for about 30-50 minutes. The benefits and success of psychotherapy relies primarily on the trust and relationship between a person and their therapist. Types of psychotherapies include the following:
- Cognitive Behavioral therapy (CBT) which helps people and change thinking patterns that are harmful or ineffective, replacing them with more accurate thoughts and functional behaviors. CBT can be helpful in treating a variety of disorders including depression, anxiety, traumas, and eating disorders.
- Interpersonal therapy is a short-term treatment that helps patients deal with underlying or interpersonal issues. Most often it is used to treat depression. It teaches healthier ways to express emotions and communicate
- Dialectical behavior therapy is a specific type of Cognitive Behavior Therapy that helps regulate emotions. It is often used to treat people with chronic suicidal thoughts and people with borderline personality disorder, eating disorders and PTSD.
- Psychodynamic therapy is therapy based around the notion that behavior and mental well-being are influenced by childhood experiences and repetitive unconscious thoughts or feelings.
- Other therapies include supportive therapy that helps patients build self-esteem, reduce anxiety and strengthen coping mechanisms. There is also Animal-assisted therapy, Creative arts therapy and Play therapy.
Impact/Results of psychotherapy: Most people who receive psychotherapy experience relief and are better able to function in their lives. About 75 percent of people who enter psychotherapy show some benefit from it Psychotherapy has been shown to improve emotions and behaviors and to be linked with positive changes in the brain and body. The benefits also include fewer sick days, less disability, fewer medical problems, and increased work satisfaction.