Chapter 16

Question 1

What is Clinical Psychology?

Answer 1

Area of psychology that integrates science and theory to prevent and treat psychological disorders. Uses psychotherapy.

Question 2

What is Psychotherapy?

Answer 2

Nonmedical process that helps individuals with psychological disorders recognize and overcome their problems (Talking, interpreting, listening, rewarding, modeling).

Question 3

What is Biological (biomedical) therapy?

Answer 3

Treatments that reduce or eliminate the symptoms of psychological disorders by altering aspects of bodily functioning.

Question 4

What are psychiatrists?

Answer 4

Medical doctors who specialize in treating psychological disorders. Can prescribe drugs while psychologists cannot.

Question 5

Which therapy works the best? Empirically supported treatment?

Answer 5

Some therapies might be more effective than others for particular psychological disorders.
This perspective, called empirically supported treatment, means that for a given psychological disorders, treatment decisions should be based on the body of research that has been conducted showing which type of therapy works best.

Question 6

What are some Critiques of empirically supported treatment?

Answer 6

1. Takes away flexibility of the therapist, which could be vital for improvement.
2. Cannot rely on evidence to guide treatment because such evidence is limited or nonexistent for many disorders.

Question 7

What is Evidence-based Practice?

Answer 7

Means that decision about treatment are made using the best available research and considering the therapist’s clinical judgment and client characteristics, culture and preferences.

Question 8

What are some factors in effective psychotherapy?

Answer 8

The Therapeutic Alliance: The relationship between the therapist and client.
The Therapist: Expertise and style of interaction with client (passive for strong resistance clients or engaging proactively for the opposite).
The Client: The participation is the most important determinant of whether therapy is successful.

Question 9

How do psychotherapies differ?

Answer 9

1. The extent to which they focus on insight versus immediate symptoms and skills. Insight means focusing of the deep causes of the problem. Skill development means focusing on immediate symptoms and helping person develop skills to manage those symptoms.
2. Whether they are directive or not. Directive means therapist is outspoken in giving advice, and plays an active role in client’s life. Nondirective means they let the client drive the interaction, with the therapist taking less active role in treatment.

Question 10

What are Psychodynamic Therapies?

Answer 10

Therapies that stress the importance of the unconscious mind, extensive interpretation by therapist, and the role of early childhood experiences in the development of an individual’s problems.

Question 11

What is Psychoanalysis?

Answer 11

Freud’s therapeutic technique for analyzing an individual’s unconscious thoughts. EX. Free association is when the client is asked to say aloud whatever comes to mind in response to something.

Question 12

What is Dream analysis?

Answer 12

A psychoanalytic technique for interpreting a person’s dreams.

Question 13

What is Transference?

Answer 13

Key aspect of the therapeutic alliance. Psychoanalytic term for the client’s relating to the analyst in ways that reproduce or relive important relationships in the individual’s life. Client might interact with analyst as parent or lover.

Question 14

What are Humanistic Therapies?

Answer 14

Therapy where people are encouraged toward self-understanding and personal growth. Unique emphasis on a person’s self-healing capabilities. Emphasizes conscious thoughts.

Question 15

What is Client-centered (Rogerian or nondirective) therapy?

Answer 15

Form of humanistic therapy in which the therapist provides a warm, supportive atmosphere to improve the client’s self-concept and to encourage the person to gain insight into their problems. Helps client understand their emotions.

Question 16

What is Reflective speech?

Answer 16

Technique in which the therapist mirrors the client’s own feelings back to them to help them understand their emotions. “You sound angry”

Question 17

What are 3 elements humans require to grow and how are they reflected in humanistic therapies?

Answer 17

Unconditional Positive Regard: The therapist constantly recognizes the inherent value of the client, providing a context for personal growth and self-acceptance.
Empathy: Therapist strives to put themselves in the client’s shoes.
Genuineness: Therapist is a real persona and their relationship with the client, sharing feeling and not hiding behind a facade.

Question 18

What are Behavior Therapies? How is it different from psychodynamic and humanistic?

Answer 18

Behavior therapies use principles of learning to reduce or eliminate maladaptive behavior. Psychodynamic and humanistic approaches are called insight therapies because they encourage self-awareness as the key to psychological health. In behavior therapies, insight is irrelevant. Knowing why you’re depressed won’t make it better, rather they focus on eliminating the symptoms.

Question 19

What is Systematic Desensitization?

Answer 19

Method of behavior therapy that treats anxiety by teaching the client to associate deep relaxation with increasingly intense anxiety-producing situations. (Relax and imagine a spider, now go into a room with a spider, now touch it)

Question 20

What is Aversive conditioning in behavior therapy?

Answer 20

Pairing undesired behavior with aversive stimuli to decrease the behavior’s positive association.

Question 21

What is a benefit of Behavior Therapies?

Answer 21

They can be useful with individuals whose cognitive abilities are limited, since they do not emphasize gaining insight and self-awareness.

Question 22

What are Cognitive Therapies?

Answer 22

Therapies that emphasize that thoughts are the main source of psychological problems. They attempt to change the individual’s feelings and behaviors by changing thoughts.

Question 23

What is Cognitive Restructuring?

Answer 23

A general concept for changing a pattern of thought that is presume to be causing maladaptive behavior or emotion.

Question 24

What are some beliefs resulting from Logical errors that Cognitive Restructuring tackles?

Answer 24

1. Perceiving the world as harmful while ignoring evidence of the contrary.
2. Overgeneralizing on the basis of limited examples.
3. Magnifying the importance of undesirable events.
4. Engaging in the absolutist thinking

Question 25

What is Cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT)

Answer 25

A combination of cognitive therapy to reduce self-defeating thoughts, and behavior therapy to change behavior. Therapist takes a directive role to identify automatic thoughts while also focusing on changing behavior. Clients can be assigned homework.

Question 26

What is Self-instructional methods?

Answer 26

Cognitive-behavior techniques aimed at teaching individuals to modify their behavior. Prompts clients to change what they say about themselves. Therapist gives examples of constructive statements, called reinforcing self-statements.

Question 26

What is Self-efficacy?

Answer 26

Belief that one can master a situation and produce positive outcomes.

Question 26

What is Integration Therapy?

Answer 26

A combination of techniques from different therapies based on the therapist’s judgment of which particular methods will provide the greatest benefit for the client.

Question 26

3 Types of Biological Therapies?

Answer 26

Drug therapy, Electroconvulsive therapy and psychosurgery.

Question 26

Difference Between “Beta-blockers” and Benzoddiazepines?

Answer 26

Less addictive, however, evidence to treat anxiety is not full.

Question 27

What is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)? Which psychological disorder does it work best for?

Answer 27

Borderline Personality Disorder. DBT assumes that early childhood experiences are important to the development of borderline personality disorder. Employs homework assignments, cognitive interventions, intensive individual therapy and group sessions involving others with the disorder.

Question 27

What is Lithium used for?

Answer 27

Widely used to treat bipolar disorder. Thought to stabilize mood by influencing serotonin and norepinephrine.

Question 27

What are Antianxiety Drugs (tranquilizers)? Which ones offer the greats relief of anxiety symptoms? Examples and Side effects?

Answer 27

Make individuals calmer and less excitable. Work by binding to the receptor sites of neurotransmitters that become overactive during anxiety. Benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium, Librium). Side effects include drowsiness, loss of coordination, fatigue, and mental slowing.

Question 27

What are 4 kinds of Antidepressant drugs? Revisit Side effects if you have time.

Answer 27

Tricyclics: Work by increasing level or certain neurotransmitters, especially serotonin and norepinephrine.
Tetracyclics: Also called noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressants (NaSSAs), increase levels of both norepinephrine and serotonin.
Monoamine Oxidase (MAO) Inhibitors: Block Monoamine Oxidase, the enzyme that breaks down serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain. Not widely used because they are potentially more harmful.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors: SSRIs target serotonin and work mainly by interfering only with the reabsorption of serotonin in the brain. Most commonly prescribed with the fewest side effects.

Question 28

What are Antipsychotic Drugs?

Answer 28

Powerful drugs that diminish agitated behavior. reduce tension, decrease hallucinations, improve social behavior and produce better sleep patterns in individuals who have a severe psychological disorder, especially schizophrenia.

Question 29

What is Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)?

Answer 29

Also called shock therapy. Set off a seizure in the brain. Used mainly to individuals who have note responded to drug therapy or psychotherapy. It is as effective as cognitive or drug therapy, however some individuals reported prolonged memory loss.

Question 29

What are 2 types of Antipsychotic Drugs?

Answer 29

Neuroleptics (first generation antipsychotics): Block dopamine’s action in the brain. (Haldol, Loxitane, Thorazine)
Atypical (second generation antipsychotics): Influence dopamine and serotonin. (Clozaril and Risperdal).

Question 30

What are 2 side effects of antipsychotic medication?

Answer 30

Tardive dyskinesia: neurological disorder characterized by involuntary random movements of the facial muscles, tongue and mouth as well as twitching of the neck, arms and legs.
Metabolic syndrome: Condition associated with obesity and risk for diabetes and heart disease.

Question 31

What is Deep Brain Stimulation?

Answer 31

Electrical stimulations in very precise locations in the brain.

Question 32

What is Psychosurgery?

Answer 32

Biological intervention that involves the removal or destruction of brain tissue to improve the individual’s adjustment.

Question 33

What is Group Therapy?

Answer 33

Therapy that brings together individuals who share a psychological disorder in session that are typically led by a mental health professional.

Question 34

What are 6 features that characterize group therapy?

Answer 34

Information: Individuals receive information about their problems.
Universality: Individuals are able to see they are not alone.
Altruism: Support one another with advice and sympathy and learn that they have something to offer others.
Experience of a positive family group: resembles a family.
Development of social skills: Corrective feedback from peers may correct flaws in the individual’s interpersonal skills.
Interpersonal learning: group can serve as a training ground for practicing new behaviors and relationships.

Question 35

What are 4 widely used techniques in Family therapy?

Answer 35

Validation: expresses and understanding and acceptance of each family member’s feelings and beliefs and thus validating the person.
Reframing: Therapist helps families reframe problems as family problem, not individual ones.
Structural change: Family therapist tries to restructure the coalitions in a family.
Detriangulation: One member is the scapegoat for two other members who are in conflict but pretend not to be. (Couple having trouble to take care of child but insist their relationship is fine, therapist shifts attention from child to their relationship)

Question 36

What is Cross-culture Competence?

Answer 36

Refers to both how skilled the therapist feels about being able to manage cultural issues that might arise in therapy and to how the client perceives the therapist’s ability.