2: Definition and basic concepts

Question 1

Psychotherapy:

Answer 1

Informed, intentional, and planned form of treatment of emotional nature that involves a trained/ qualified therapist that deliberately establishes a professional relationship with a patient and applies clinical method derived from psychological principles.

Purpose is to remove, modify or retard existing symptoms, mediade disturbed patterns of behaviour, promote growth… be remedial for the patient and make their life potentially better

• This excludes other aid relationships (friends, family…), psychological or medical counselling and clinical management

Question 2

Psychological treatment:

Answer 2

any process in which a trained healthcare provider offers assistance based on their expertise to a person that has problems living, conditions with discrete symptoms and problems of interpersonal adjustment.

Consists of correcting, changing or ameloriating these conditions or problems

Question 3

Psychological treatment vs psychotherapy

Answer 3

Psychological treatment: components common to all psychotherapies but are specifically tailored to the pathological process that is causing the impairment or disease. Are evidence-based.

Psychotherapy is more generic and can include personal growth and more general interventions.

Question 4

Therapist

Relational variables

Answer 4

Empathy, attachment style, unconditional positive regard, respect, warmth and genuineness

Question 5

Therapist

Professional variables

Answer 5

Theoretical orientation, training level, experience, neutrality, overall caseload and superiority status

Question 6

Therapist

Diversity variables

Answer 6

Age, gender, race, ethnicity, values and client-therapist similarities

Question 7

Therapist

Personality variables

Answer 7

Personality traits, attitudes, flexibility, kindness, trustworthiness and adjustment capacity

Question 8

Therapist

Developmental and personal variables

Answer 8

Personal development, functioning level, self-efficacy, self-directed hostility and interpersonal problems

Question 9

Therapist

Motivations

Answer 9

Functional: interest/curiosity about others, ability to listen and converse, empathy, understanding, emotional discernment, introspection, tolerance, affection, privacy and humor

Dysfunctional: emotional distress, vicarious management, loneliness, desire for power, disrespect, need of love and vicarious rebellion

Question 10

Therapist

Personal characteristics of effective psychotherapy

Answer 10

• Vicarious learners
• Sensitivity and value to human complexity
• Emotionally receptive, self-aware, open to feedback…
• Strong relationship skills
• Strong working alliance
• Able to use accumulated life and professional experience as a major resource in their work.

Question 11

Therapist

Profession risks

Answer 11

• Compassion or empathy fatigue: diminished ability to be empathetic to the suffering of patients
• Burn-out: state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion accused by exposure to an emotionally demanding situation for a long time
• Vicarious trauma: being victim of traumatic stress reactions when helping a person with trauma

Question 12

Who is the patient?

Answer 12

Person that has some difficulty, discomfort or disorder important enough in his life to cause conscious desire to change.

Question 13

Aspects to consider about the patient

Answer 13

• They have to admit they can’t solve the problem by themselves
• The therapeutic process is aimed at increasing the feeling of personal competence

Question 14

Types of patient

Answer 14

• Those who see current difficulties as deriving from early childhood difficulties evaluate therapy in terms of the extent to which it enables them to overcome these early events.
• Those who have a temporary inability to cope with certain stressful events and evaluate therapy in terms of the degree to which they have acquired coping skills.
• Those who understand their distress as arising from lack of meaning in their lives and evaluate the results in relation to what they have learned about cultivating sources of meaning

Question 15

Therapeutic relationship

Answer 15

At least 12% of outcome is due to the therapeutic relationship
- Radical behavioural therapy exists for mere practical reasons
- Cognitive therapies are a precondition necessary for the therapy to proceed
- Person-centred therapy is an essential process that produces change