Table of contents:
- Definition of psychotherapy
- What is psychotherapy?
- Conditions that require psychotherapy
- Who needs psychotherapy?
- Benefits of psychotherapy
- What benefits can you get from psychotherapy?
- Types of psychotherapy
- Cognitive and behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Psychodynamic and psychoanalytic therapy
- Interpersonal therapy
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
- Dialectical behavior therapy
- Supportive psychotherapy
- Family therapy
- Hypnotherapy
- Preparation before psychotherapy
- Find the right therapist
- Find out the costs
- Resetting complaints or concerns
- Psychotherapy procedures
- What will you and your therapist do when the psychotherapy procedure begins?
- What will happen during the psychotherapy sessions?
- Results of psychotherapy
- What results will you get from psychotherapy?
- How do you get the most out of psychotherapy?
- Risks from psychotherapy
Definition of psychotherapy
What is psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy or psychological therapy, is a method commonly used to treat various mental disorders and emotional problems. This method is given by a professional therapist who specializes in mental health, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist.
Through this therapy, the therapist will identify and change your feelings, emotions and moods, thoughts, and behaviors that irritate and make you depressed. Your therapist will also help you learn how to take control of your life and deal with challenging situations in a healthier and more effective way.
In these ways, you can improve your well-being and have new skills and habits in dealing with various challenges that arise in the future.
Conditions that require psychotherapy
Who needs psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy is a type of therapy that is commonly used as a way to treat mental or psychological disorders. Some types of mental disorders that are commonly treated with mental and mind therapy are:
- Anxiety disorders or anxiety disorder, as obsessive-compulsive disorder(OCD), phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other types of anxiety disorders.
- Mood disorders, such as depression or bipolar disorder (bipolar disorder).
- Addictions, such as alcoholism or drug dependence.
- Eating disorders, such as anorexia or bulimia.
- Personality disorders, such as borderline personality disorder (borderline personality disorder).
- Schizophrenia or other disorders that cause a person unable to distinguish between fantasy and reality (psychosis).
Although synonymous with these mental illnesses, not all people who do psychological therapy have mental disorders. This is what is often misunderstood by many people, resulting in various myths about psychotherapy, one of which is that this therapy is only for people who are mentally ill or crazy.
In fact, psychotherapy is not the only way to help cure mental illness. However, this therapy can also be used for anyone who wants to understand himself better or find ways to deal with problems, stresses, or conflicts in his life. The following are some signs or complaints that may require psychotherapy:
- Feeling excessive and protracted sadness and hopelessness.
- The problem has not been resolved even though we have tried our best with the help of the closest people.
- Difficulty concentrating and doing daily activities.
- Worry and worry so much that you are unable to think positively.
- Demonstrate negative behavior, such as irritability, excessive alcohol consumption, or being aggressive that harms you or others.
- Indicates a change in certain habits or symptoms, such as a change in diet (incl emotional eating) and sleep, lack of energy, or lack of interest in an activity you enjoy.
Usually, these signs are commonly experienced by someone who is experiencing severe stress or psychological trauma, such as losing a loved one, facing a divorce, losing a job, having relationship or family problems, having a chronic physical illness that affects psychological conditions, and others.
Not only that, psychotherapy is also sometimes needed by someone who has family members or children with certain mental conditions. Usually, this is needed to know how to help and treat other people with mental disorders.
Benefits of psychotherapy
What benefits can you get from psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy is not a way to stop events that cause stress to a person. However, this mental therapy can help you understand yourself better and give you the strength to deal with stress or other psychological problems in a healthier way.
In addition, here are some other benefits that you can get by doing psychotherapy:
- Resolving conflicts with spouses or other people.
- Relieves anxiety or stress due to certain events or situations.
- Cope with or better live life after a major life-changing event occurs, such as a divorce, death of a loved one, or loss of a job.
- Learn to manage unhealthy responses to a problem, such as anger (agitation) or aggressive behavior.
- Be mentally strong and healthy in the face of serious and chronic physical health problems, such as cancer or diabetes.
- Recovering from physical or sexual abuse, inclabusive relationship,or trauma from witnessing violence.
- Have better sleep, especially if you have insomnia.
Reporting from the Mayo Clinic, in some cases, psychotherapy is as effective as drugs to treat psychological problems, such as antidepressant drugs. However, psychotherapy alone may not solve your mental health problems. You may also need to undergo mental therapy along with other medications or treatments.
Types of psychotherapy
There are a variety of different approaches to psychotherapy. Usually, the therapist will use one or a combination of several approaches that best suit your condition. Here are the types of psychotherapy you may undergo:
In behavioral and cognitive therapy (cognitive-behavioral therapy / CBT), you will be helped to detect unhealthy thought patterns or behaviors that are the source of problems in your life. Then, you have to get used to forming new, better thought patterns and behaviors.
This type of therapy is usually given to treat a variety of mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, or disorders related to trauma.
This type of therapy leads you to look deeper into your subconscious. You will be invited to explore various incidents, problems, or inappropriate thoughts that you have not been aware of affecting your behavior and mental health.
Then, the therapist will help you to change the wrong thought patterns so that you can better cope with the problem.
Interpersonal therapy is a type of short-term psychotherapy. This type of therapy helps evaluate and understand how you connect with other people such as family, friends, or coworkers. From here, you will be more sensitive when interacting or resolving conflicts with other people.
In order for you to deal with problems in a healthier way, you will be trained to be aware of and accept all your feelings and thoughts instead of denying them or avoiding them. After that you have to commit to changing it.
Dialectical or behavioral therapydialectical behavior therapyis a type of cognitive behavioral therapy that teaches positive behaviors to help manage stress, control emotions, and improve your relationships with other people
In this type of therapy, you will be assisted by a therapist to identify stressful events that affect your mental health and strengthen your ability to cope with that stress and various difficult situations that may come.
Family therapy aims to improve your relationship with your family. Not only you, this therapy will also be carried out with all your family members.
Hypnotherapy is a type of therapy that is done using hypnosis. This type of therapy can control unwanted behavior and thoughts to help you better cope with anxiety or pain. You will generally feel more calm, relaxed, and open when under hypnosis.
Preparation before psychotherapy
There are three main things you need to pay attention to before undergoing psychological therapy. These are the three things:
Before starting psychotherapy, of course, you have to find a therapist who is right for your problem and trusted. You can look it up yourself in the professional association concerned, but you can also ask your doctor, health insurance, friends, or other trusted sources for advice.
Don't forget to check the background, education, certification, and licensing or licensure of the psychotherapist you are going to be applying for. Examples of psychotherapists to choose from include psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, marriage and family therapists to help fix marriage problems, or other professionals who are licensed to treat mental health problems.
The second step is to find out the costs you will incur and the payment options. If you have health insurance, also find out whether the health insurance benefits you have will cover the psychotherapy you will undergo, including how many psychotherapy sessions you will cover.
You may need to re-specify the problems you will share with the therapist. This can help you understand the overall problem you have so that you and your therapist can find more effective treatments.
In addition to detailing your complaints, you can also prepare a list of questions related to the psychotherapy sessions that you will undergo, such as the length of each session (duration) and how many sessions you need to undergo.
Psychotherapy procedures
What will you and your therapist do when the psychotherapy procedure begins?
Psychotherapy, regardless of type, can be done individually, with a partner, family, or a certain group. This therapy can be short term (only a few sessions), immediate treatment of the problem, or long term (up to months or years). This depends on the complexity of the problem, the severity of the symptoms, how long the problem has been, and how quickly you are progressing.
In the first session, the therapist will collect information about you, the problems you have, and the reasons for and your needs for psychotherapy. You may also be asked to fill out forms about your current and past physical and emotional health conditions.
It also includes any mental health history your family has, how the problem affects your daily life, and social support, including family, friends, or relatives, so far.
From the results of the discussion and filling in the form, you and the therapist will determine the type of therapy that is suitable, the goal of therapy, how many sessions are needed, and the length of each session. However, it should also be understood that sometimes the therapist takes several sessions to understand the whole situation and find out which type of therapy is suitable for you.
In general, each session can last 45-60 minutes. You may need to meet at the therapist's office or clinic once a week, or at the hospital if you need intensive hospitalization to treat your condition.
What will happen during the psychotherapy sessions?
During a psychotherapy session, the therapist will generally encourage you to talk about thoughts and feelings that are bothering you. The therapist will also help you to be more confident, open, and comfortable while talking about things that are bothering you.
During the procedure, you may cry, feel irritated, or even angry with your emotions when you talk about your condition. This is normal because mental therapy does involve intense emotional discussions.
In fact, some people may even feel physically exhausted after the session is over. Don't worry, though, the therapist will help you deal with these outbursts of feelings and emotions.
After describing your condition, the therapist may ask you to do "homework." This is usually a specific activity to help you develop the skills you learned during the session.
Over time, your "homework" and discussion sessions with a therapist can help lift your mood and change your thinking and behavior in coping with problems.
Results of psychotherapy
What results will you get from psychotherapy?
It should be understood, you will not fully recover from the mental condition or psychological problems that you have. However, from the results of this mental and mental therapy, you will gain the strength and skills to deal with various problems in a healthier way. You can also have a better life in the future.
In certain cases, your therapist may advise you to consult a doctor. This is to find out if there are other diseases that may underlie your condition, such as thyroid disorders. You may also need to undergo other types of medication to treat this medical condition. Consult your doctor and mental health professional for appropriate treatment.
How do you get the most out of psychotherapy?
There are a number of tips or ways you can do to get the most out of your psychological therapy, namely:
- Be honest and open with the therapist.
- Be an active participant in therapy.
- Take your time and make therapy sessions a routine, as this mental therapy can last for months.
- If that doesn't work, consult other types or approaches of therapy that may be more useful.
Risks from psychotherapy
Generally, the risks of undergoing psychotherapy are very small. You may just feel uncomfortable about needing to talk about old experiences, feelings, or wounds that were so painful. However, you can reduce this risk if you work with a skilled therapist who can match your needs.
