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Psychotherapy 101, An Introduction to Psychotherapy
This short article attempts to introduce the basic ideas and tenants of psychotherapy. It starts by introducing the idea of the psychotherapist, their training and also the profession. After that it goes on to introduce the psychotherapeutic relationship plus some of its ideas. It ends by introducing probably the most common psychotherapy theories.
The Psychotherapist:
A psychotherapist is somebody that provides psychotherapy to clients on the professional basis. This may be to the people, couples, families or perhaps in an organization setting. A psychotherapist might have other trainings or backgrounds. For instance they might also be a doctor, social worker, mental health worker, nurse or counsellor. However, if seeing a client for psychotherapy they'll have only that role with the client and not be providing them with any other service.
Psychotherapists will usually have had a rigorous training that is generally between 4-8 years long. This training may have involved a period of supervised practice in addition to their own personal therapy. Many psychotherapists will then be people in a professional organisation such as the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
The Psychotherapeutic Relationship:
The psychotherapist is responsible for developing a relationship where psychotherapeutic change can occur. This involves ensuring that the psychotherapy occurs in a personal, comfortable and safe environment. They will offer towards the client a particular degree of confidentiality which ensures that the customer feels certain that they can open towards the psychotherapist without their family friends, colleagues, or other professionals being informed by what they're discussing. The psychotherapist will even listen very carefully towards the client and enable them to to identify their set goals and wishes for the work. It is primarily the active listening and engagement by the psychotherapist that can help create the psychotherapeutic relationship.
Psychotherapeutic Ideas:
The way that the psychotherapist works together with a customer will be based upon their training and also the theory that they use to help the client. Generally psychotherapy is trying to help the person live a far more satisfying life by assisting to: build the persons sense of their own esteem; resolve issues using their past that are affecting them in the present; them to have healthier relationships; and to gain perspective and skills to tackle their problems themselves.
Psychotherapeutic Approaches:
The main methods to psychotherapy are:
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy - This has its roots in psychoanalysis and tries to work with the clients unconscious processes to help relieve distress and tension.
Person Centred Psychotherapy - This really is in line with the work of Carl Rogers. Here the psychotherapist offers the core conditions of empathy, congruence and unconditional positive regard to assist the client find their own solutions to their problems.
Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy - Here the client's thoughts and behaviours are centered on and maladaptive thoughts and behaviours are changed to help the person move ahead fro their situation.
Integrative Psychotherapy - Here the psychotherapist mat be trained in a variety of approaches and adjusts how they will work to match the requirements of the client.
